BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland (sometimes called BBC NI) is a regional television station based in Northern Ireland and which broadcasts programmes which are slotted into the BBC network for special broadcast within Northern Ireland. It is based in Broadcasting House in Belfast City Centre. Among its main contributions to the BBC schedule are:

• regional news bulletins which are broadcast immediately following a national bulletin broadcast from London. (All the regional networks broadcast their own regional networks simultaneously at the same time spot, before all the networks reconnect to the national network for a national weather broadcast)
• regional political programmes, notably Hearts and Minds and Lets Talk.
• regional arts programmes.
• regional weekend chat shows.
• specialist coverage of events such a visit by the Queen or the President of Ireland, or a distinguished visitor such as the US president, coverage of the Orange Marches on July 12, St. Patrick's Day parades on 17 June, etc.

BBC Northern Ireland is also involved in co-productions with other broadcasting networks, most notably the Republic of Ireland's RTÉ.

Famous BBC NI broadcasters

• John Daly - chat show host
• Patrick Kielty - chat show host
• Sean Rafferty - former presenter of Scene Around Six, an evening news programme broadcast until the late 1980s
• Mark Carruthers - presenter of Lets Talk
• Jackie Fullerton - sports commentators