According to reports, the BBC is undertaking an assessment to see whether it requires extra presenters for its news channel.
However, it has been reported that five female anchors who have not been seen on the BBC News channel since March are still unsure about their futures with the network.
BBC News and BBC World News amalgamated earlier this year in preparation for a relaunch in 2022, establishing a single 24-hour TV channel.
According to reports, BBC News management is currently examining whether extra on-screen talent is required, a process that has apparently been ongoing for some weeks.
According to Deadline, the broadcaster may be trying to bring back the five female presenters who have been gone from the BBC for months: Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Geeta Guru-Murthy, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh.
On March 31 this year, Croxall signed off from BBC News for the final time ahead of the merger, saying to her viewers at the time: ‘It has been the greatest privilege to broadcast to you from here all this time. Thank you for joining us.’
A source told Deadline: ‘The review is just a cover for finding a way out of the dispute and settling with the presenters.
‘They’ll dress it up as requiring more presenter staffing and be able to bring back the people who’ve been off.’
The five presenters were reportedly offered positions as reporters or presenters on the amalgamated BBC News channel, but accepting would have meant a salary drop and a step back in their careers.
It has been reported that the presenters’ complaints about how BBC News chief presenter posts were filled are being probed.
According to the magazine, the review is also looking at Yalda Hakim’s departure from the BBC.
Hakim joined Sky News as the company’s chief world news presenter in July of this year, fronting a primetime show on foreign news.
She formerly co-hosted BBC News’ The Daily Global with Yalda Hakim.
Christian Fraser, the host of BBC’s The Context, was claimed to have been approached by other firms, however a source denied that he had spoken with other stations.
Source My Celebrity Life.