Photo: BBC / Bike Bureau (Composite)
Not everyone is convinced that a bicycle can be a proper substitute for the personal car, but the BBC is. Or, better said, it's willing to let itself be talked into the idea through an experimental program.
The BBC, the biggest broadcaster in the United Kingdom, is proud to announce the launch of the Bike Bureau, the aforementioned experimental program that turns a cargo electric bicycle into a mobile news office. The Bike Bureau is already in operation after a couple of years of development and lots of teasing on social media.
The program is spearheaded by foreign correspondent at The Hague Anna Holligan and senior journalist Kate Vandy, who will also be on active duty. Holligan is a veteran at this sort of thing, having already clocked over 10,000 km (6,213 miles) on her bike since ditching the car for work commitments two years ago.
The Bike Bureau is stationed in the Netherlands, which is an odd choice for the BBC but one that makes sense if you know anything about the local bike infrastructure and the slightly controversial anti-cycling stance the network has taken in recent years. The UK is far from the most cycle-friendly country, and the BBC has occasionally stirred up the pot with panels or docuseries on the perceived rivalry between motorists and cyclists.
Oppositely, the Netherlands is, without a doubt, the most cycle-friendly country in the world, with a well-developed, impeccable infrastructure and measures that make the transition from car to bike ownership very easy. It's just the place to experiment with something like the Bike Bureau – and perhaps one of the few places in the world, as well.
The BBC says that the cargo e-bike is equipped with anything that the journalist duo will need to gather, produce, and air news internationally, both on television and on the radio. This means a solar panel to power up their laptops and phones, internet connection, and lighting – and even a small coffee pot with mugs. When not packed with broadcasting equipment, the cargo section of the bike carries the extra passenger, who happens to be Vandy, in an enclosed area for protection against the elements.
Editorially speaking, the journalists will focus only on positive content and on delivering information on tech developments that can change our lives for the better. They're also taking story tips on social media.
The Bike Bureau program is in line with the BBC's commitment to become "the greenest" news broadcaster in the world, the BBC says. It's definitely an admirable goal, but a skeptic could argue that a mobile bike unit – as cute and practical as it might be – is a drop in the bucket in terms of the ability to reach it faster. Still, one less news van in the streets is one van less.
The program is spearheaded by foreign correspondent at The Hague Anna Holligan and senior journalist Kate Vandy, who will also be on active duty. Holligan is a veteran at this sort of thing, having already clocked over 10,000 km (6,213 miles) on her bike since ditching the car for work commitments two years ago.
The Bike Bureau is stationed in the Netherlands, which is an odd choice for the BBC but one that makes sense if you know anything about the local bike infrastructure and the slightly controversial anti-cycling stance the network has taken in recent years. The UK is far from the most cycle-friendly country, and the BBC has occasionally stirred up the pot with panels or docuseries on the perceived rivalry between motorists and cyclists.
Oppositely, the Netherlands is, without a doubt, the most cycle-friendly country in the world, with a well-developed, impeccable infrastructure and measures that make the transition from car to bike ownership very easy. It's just the place to experiment with something like the Bike Bureau – and perhaps one of the few places in the world, as well.
The BBC says that the cargo e-bike is equipped with anything that the journalist duo will need to gather, produce, and air news internationally, both on television and on the radio. This means a solar panel to power up their laptops and phones, internet connection, and lighting – and even a small coffee pot with mugs. When not packed with broadcasting equipment, the cargo section of the bike carries the extra passenger, who happens to be Vandy, in an enclosed area for protection against the elements.
Editorially speaking, the journalists will focus only on positive content and on delivering information on tech developments that can change our lives for the better. They're also taking story tips on social media.
The Bike Bureau program is in line with the BBC's commitment to become "the greenest" news broadcaster in the world, the BBC says. It's definitely an admirable goal, but a skeptic could argue that a mobile bike unit – as cute and practical as it might be – is a drop in the bucket in terms of the ability to reach it faster. Still, one less news van in the streets is one van less.
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