The programme's first presenter was the Radio 1 DJ Ed Stewart and he was succeeded by Laurie Mayer and Richard Skinner.
Following changes in September 2012, the vast majority of Newsbeat bulletins are simulcast on both BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
[3] Newsbeat won Gold for Best News & Current Affairs Programme at the Radio Academy Awards on 13 May 2013.
[4] It is believed that BBC World Service will pilot a global edition of Newsbeat, a bulletin on the station aimed at younger listeners.
In 2021, it was announced Newsbeat will relocate to Birmingham, signalling the departure of many on air staff and editor Debbie Ramsay.
Additionally, at this time, the number of bulletins was cut back somewhat, dropping the news at 04:30 and 05:30 during the Early Breakfast show on weekdays.
There was also an entertainment news round up at approximately 07:40 and 09:40 during The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, often hosted by Sinead Garvan.
As of October 2021, the main Newsbeat has been dropped from BBC Asian Network on Monday to Thursday afternoons from 3pm.
In keeping with its specific targeting of young audiences, Newsbeat had its own set of reporters and studios based at Radio 1 in Broadcasting House in London.
Previous reporters and main presenters include Eleanor Oldroyd, Carolyn Atkinson, Claire Bradley, Tina Daheley, Claire Cavanagh, Dominic Byrne, Georgina Bowman, Anna Foster, Tulip Mazumdar, Sybil Ruscoe, Chris Smith, Declan Harvey, Ben Mundy, Daniel Rosney, Christian Hewgill and Sinead Garvan.
Previous sports reporters include Arlo White, Andy May, Simon Mundie, Mark Chapman, David Garrido, Juliette Ferrington, Tina Daheley and Carrie Davis.
Greg James also built a good relationship with Chris Smith through chatting following news bulletins.
Newsbeat's first editor was Mike Chaney – hired from The Sun by the Director-General to inject a populist flavour to the news coverage of Radio 1.
[11] In 2015, Newsbeat Documentaries was launched, consisting in in-depth investigations on various subjects, like social and political themes,[12][13] and broadcast by Radio 1, 1Xtra[14] and BBC News.
[15] Satirist and broadcaster Christopher Morris parodied the 1990s presentational style of Newsbeat as "Radio 1 Newsbanger".