The 7 O'Clock News

History

BBC Three was required to air a nightly early evening news programme as part of its launch approval, building on the shorter 60 Seconds bulletins and Liquid News that had previously run on its predecessor, BBC Choice. In September 2002, the programme was first announced under the title The News Show. The following January, Julian Worricker, who had just left his role on BBC Radio 5 Live's breakfast show the month before, was confirmed as the main presenter, joined by Tazeen Ahmad and Sangita Myska.

It was scheduled for weeknights at 7:45 pm. The first edition aired on 10 February 2003, the day after BBC Three's launch, with Worricker and Ahmad hosting. Worricker was replaced in April by Ben McCarthy, and Worricker returned to 5 Live in July as the mid-morning presenter. Only two months after its debut, the programme faced a ratings crisis: during the Iraq war, BARB reported that The News Show had registered zero viewers.

On 7 July 2003, as part of a schedule shake-up, the show moved to 7:00 pm and was rebranded as The 7 O'Clock News, becoming BBC Three's first programme each evening after CBBC finished. Liquid News was shifted to 8:00 pm that same day, taking over the slot it had previously occupied. In January 2004, it was announced that The 7 O'Clock News would be overhauled later that year into a half-hour programme, intended to serve as BBC Three's early evening equivalent to BBC Two's Newsnight.

In March 2004, Eddie Mair, then presenter of BBC Radio 4's PM, was named as the host for the relaunched show. The new version debuted on 10 May 2004, featuring Mair, an extended runtime, a fresh logo, and a larger studio set. However, a report on the BBC's digital services by Professor Patrick Barwise, released in October 2004, was sharply critical, stating that the programme "achieves nothing and attracts tiny audiences" and recommending its replacement with new science, current affairs, and business programming.