The BBC News channel has scaled back its “visualized radio” experiment around six months after it was a centerpiece of the network’s relaunch.The news channel has halved the airtime handed over to Nicky Campbell‘s BBC Radio 5 Live show, meaning he now has an hour-long slot on weekday mornings.The BBC invested in new technology to allow it to broadcast Campbell’s audience phone-in show on TV after merging its international and domestic news channels into a single network in April.In August, the BBC reduced the 9AM show to an hour in length on a trial basis amid the FIFA Women’s World Cup. It has now made the change permanent.An insider said it has allowed the news channel to devote more time to speeches during political party conference season. There is also a feeling that it has helped make the BBC News channel’s morning output more “rounded.”Sources close to Campbell’s show said the team had argued for an hour slot before the April launch. There is a view that it is now a more focused offering, with a stronger set of guests. “We all prefer it,” said one person familiar with the change.A BBC News spokesperson said: “Following a trial in August, the Nicky Campbell show is now an hour long on the news channel. This ensures an hour of engaging, topical debate with a range of views, as well more flexible scheduling for other news events such as party conferences.”
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