1954-81 1981-99 1999-2008 2008-date  
A major revamp to the BBC news programmes came at the start of September 1981. A new title sequence was introduced, often nicknamed the 'chinese lantern' or 'venetian blinds' titles, with different variants for each programme. Not only that, there was at last a new theme tune, and a closing version too! Richard Baker, shown here, ended his thirty-year newsreading career on New Year's Eve 1982 when he read his final Evening News.  
The 1981 changes coincided with the introduction of a half-hour News After Noon at 12.30 (1.00 in summer) with Richard Whitmore (above) and Frances Coverdale.  
At the same time the Evening News (above) was extended by five minutes. The cut-out section of the circle corresponds roughly with the position of the hands of a clock at 5.40. Watch a clip   
Presenter changes saw seasoned journalists John Humphrys (above) and John Simpson take over the Nine O'Clock News. Unlike the other news programmes, each story on the Nine was accompanied by an pictorial inset.  
Following the demise of Nationwide in 1983, Sue Lawley joined the team on the Nine (left), while the Evening News was swallowed up by the ill-fated Sixty Minutes (right).  
The mid-1980s saw the main news programmes on BBC1 each gain their own distinct look. First up was the Six O'Clock News, which replaced Sixty Minutes on 3rd September 1984, with Sue Lawley and Nicholas Witchell presenting together.   
One year later, on 2nd September 1985, the Nine O'Clock News was relaunched with the superb 'flying fish finger' titles, a powerful new theme tune, and double-headed presentation with Julia Somerville and John Humphrys. And then on 27th October 1986, with the start of BBC1's daytime television service, News After Noon was replaced by the One O'Clock News, bucking the trend by switching from double to single-headed presentation, with Martyn Lewis newly poached from ITN.  
By now the BBC had decided they only wanted trained journalists presenting their main daily bulletins, which meant that long time newsreader Richard Whitmore found himself relegated to only the short hourly updates in the morning, and weekend bulletins. Those weekend and bank holiday bulletins continued to use the 1981 titles, albeit having turned from red to blue in 1985, along with an updated backdrop (above).   
On 31st October 1988 the Nine was relaunched with a 'back-to-basics' approach. Michael Buerk and Martyn Lewis took turns to present in a return to single-headed presentation, and the fish fingers were replaced by the infamous transmitter mast opening titles. Viewers complained that the new symbol had 'fascistic undertones', and that the newsroom backdrop was distracting. This look was also used on the weekend and holiday bulletins. Watch a clip   
It wasn't until 13th April 1993 that there were any further changes to BBC News presentation, and at last it was the end of those tired, nine year-old Six O'Clock News titles, and the unpopular Nine O'Clock News transmitter. Replacing these disparate looks of the different programmes, the new virtual reality look was designed to bring a more coherent appearance across BBC News's output.  
Almost everything on screen, from the cut-glass titles to the presenter's backdrop, was computer generated. However there were still differences between the main programmes, with variations in the opening titles and the backdrop, and each theme tune being a rather over-the-top orchestral re-recording of the previous one. In particular, the Nine used a darker scheme than the other bulletins.      
In 1997 the titles were updated with the new BBC corporate logo. Watch clips: One O'Clock News Six O'Clock News
Nine O'Clock News 1954-81 1981-99 1999-2008 2008-date | 
