BREAKING. BBC World News launching a new studio next week with a new programming line-up and some new presenters.

BBC World News (TopTV 400 / DStv 400), the BBC's international 24-hour news channel, will unveil its dramatic new look next week when BBC World News will start broadcasting from its new studios in central London and shake-up its broadcasting schedule as well as introducing its new presenters.

The new BBC World News studio - Studio C as seen above and which viewers will see for the first time come Monday - will be much bigger; a massive circular and elliptical design with flowing lines, echoing the red and white BBC World News on-air logo.

ALSO READ: BBC World News to debut a brand-new title sequence, graphics, music and a new countdown when BBC World News starts broadcasting from its new studios on Monday.

"This relaunch marks the biggest change for BBC World News in at least a decade," says Jim Egan, the COO of BBC Global News Ltd. "It is part of a sustained commitment by the BBC to build on our long history of delivering high quality international news."

From 14:00 (South African time) on Monday 14 January, BBC World News will start to broadcast from the new state-of-the-art high definition (HD) studios in the BBC's new London headquarters, the redeveloped Broadcasting House.

BBC World News is the first English language TV channel to go live from the new building.

BBC World News will introduce the new BBC World News presenters Yalda Hakim as well as the new presenter Jon Sopel who is now going to be anchoring the brand-new weekday BBC World News international news programme entitled Global with Jon Sopel at 17:00 (South African time).

"BBC World News is kicking off the new year with an entirely new look and feel," says Richard Porter, controller of English for BBC Global News.

"From virtual reality capability to full HD production, new presenters and a programming line-up that goes from strength to strength, BBC World News audiences will have access to not only the best, most dynamic journalism in the world, but also the latest technology to enhance storytelling and to bring viewers inside the stories that shape our world," says Richard Porter.

Here is BBC World News's brand-new programming line-up which will kick in from next Monday 14 January with South African times:

Newsday (02:00, 03:00, 01:00)
HARDTalk with Stephen Sackur (06:30, 11:30, 16:30, 23:30)
GMT with George Alagiah (14:00)
Impact with Mishal Husain (15:00)
Global with Jon Sopel (17:00)
BBC Focus on Africa (19:30)
World News Today with Zeinab Badawi (21:00)
Business Edition with Tanya Beckett (23:00)
BBC World News America (01:30)

Jon Sopel joining BBC World News as one of the permanent new lead anchors; will present a new afternoon show from early 2013.

The BBC just announced that the BBC News presenter and reporter, Jon Sopel will join BBC World News (DStv 400 / TopTV 400) as one of the 24-hour British news channel's permanent new lead anchors.

Jon Sopel will present a new afternoon show on BBC World News which will start early in 2013 from the BBC's new home at New Broadcasting House in central London.

Jon Sopel is currently one of the lead anchors at the BBC News channel in the United Kingdom where in the past few years he has anchored coverage from the Middle East during the Israel Lebanon war, Sri Lanka after the tsunami, New Orleans after Katrina, Beijing for the Olympics and South Africa for the World Cup.

Jon Sopel has also served as the Paris correspondent for BBC News and has reported on the Eurozone crisis and from the riots in Athens. He's also travelled extensively in the United States in the last two presidential campaigns and is currently in America covering this year's presidential campaign.

"I am absolutely delighted to be joining the channel to create a new show at a time when BBC World News is going from strength to strength, both in terms of investment and ambition," says Jon Sopel in a just-issued press statement. "I just can't wait to get started."

"We're delighted that such a well-respected presenter as Jon Sopel is joining the BBC World News team," says Richard Porter, the controller of English, global news at the BBC. "He has a wealth of experience, from his international reporting from Paris and the United States. I'm sure he will be a great addition to the team."

AfricaCast 2011: BBC World News on African upheaval: 'We're ready and prepared and watching for the next big thing wherever that is.'

Unexpected news events in Northern Africa - from Tunisia to Egypt and Libya - did cut into the global news coverage budget of the BBC global news service this year and necessitated a reallocation of some resources, but the mighty Beep says it will definitely continue to cover news across Africa comprehensively and as it unfolds.

BBC Global News runs the BBC World News (DStv 400 / TopTV 400) TV channel, that this year brought viewers more news from Africa than ever before thanks to massive populist upheaval and political unrest in several African countries.

I asked Richard Porter, controller of English, BBC Global News, who is responsible for BBC World News, what impact the seismic African news shifts in several countries had this year on the BBC's news budget and resources - and if a news organisation can truly be prepared for that. Richard Porter was speaking at the AfricaCast 2011 TV summit that kicked off today in Cape Town as part of the 14th AfricaCom conference.

''Nobody could have predicted what would be happening in Africa this year,'' Richard Porter told me.

''You start by having a good infrastructure in place in terms of resources and people. The BBC had people on the ground in places like Libya and many of these places already. The thing that you have to be, is fast. You have to get, and get resources, to the right place very quickly.''

''At BBC News we are adept in shifting resources quickly away from certain places to where the story is unfolding. I've seen correspondents who I know are not in that part of the world, suddenly be there on the ground - people who are actually based in India, or China. It's always important however to supplement them with the core people who are based where the news is taking place,'' he said.

''I think what we'll do next year and into the future is more of that - place more people in those parts of the world, temporarily, so that we're ready and prepared and watching for the next big thing wherever that is. Of course it is important that you need to have a bit of space and safety in your budget to allow for that [unexpected news events] to happen.''

AfricaCast 2011: BBC World News: Africa destined for more continuous news services; greater competition from digital operators.

''In terms of the way that the media news industry is rapidly developing, I believe that we're going to see more continuous news services in Africa and greater competition from digital operators in Africa.''

So says Richard Porter, controller of English, BBC Global News, who is responsible for BBC World News (TopTV 400 / DStv 400). He was speaking at the AfricaCast 2011 TV summit that kicked off today in Cape Town as part of the 14th AfricaCom conference.

''Internationally we're going to see more news channels enter the market like Al Jazeera Swahili, and an increased focus on local programming like Africa Business Report [on BBC World News].''

''Our focus at the BBC will always be on substance and quality - to give our audience trusted, accurate and impartial news.''

AfricaCast 2011: BBC World News: Social media to play an important part in the future of news in Africa - generating it and consuming it.

Social media as a new interactive consumer construct in Africa is going to play an increasingly important part in the future of news - not just consuming it, but generating it.

Tunisia, Egypt, Libya. Sudan.

Guess what continent those countries are a part of and which have been big news generators, setting the news agenda for literally months this year? Yep. Africa.

''Social media in particular, is going to play an important part in the future of news worldwide as well as in Africa - generating it, and consuming it,'' said Richard Porter, controller of English, BBC Global News, who is responsible for BBC World News (TopTV 400 / DStv 400), today.

Richard Porter was speaking at the AfricaCast 2011 TV summit that kicked off today in Cape Town as part of the 14th AfricaCom conference.

''The stories we Tweet, the stories we put on Facebook, go through the same editorial checks as any other BBC News content,'' he said.

''I believe that audiences respect, understand and trust BBC content even in this new world of feeds and social media. Research shows that the BBC is the most used and most referenced news source used by bloggers anywhere in the world.''

AfricaCast 2011: BBC World News: 'In Africa, television news is very fast closing the gap with our radio news service.'

The BBC's global television news service, BBC World News (DStv 400 / TopTV 400), is very fast gaining on the BBC's global radio service, BBC World Service, in Africa.

In fact, many more people are watching, rather than listening to the BBC's news output in South Africa.

''It's pretty clear for us at the BBC, that for Africa - while radio still dominates - TV is very fast closing the gap,'' said Richard Porter, controller of English, BBC Global News, who is responsible for the BBC World News TV channel.

Richard Porter was speaking at the AfricaCast 2011 TV summit that kicked off today in Cape Town as part of the 14th AfricaCom conference and talked about how to deliver attractive news content for the African market.

''Here in South Africa many more people access the BBC through TV than they do through radio,'' he said. ''The reach of BBC through television in Africa has increased by about 55% the past 5 years and it reaches the high-end audience across platforms.''