Newsnight editor, Peter Barron is today heralding the increasing success of the Newsnight website as well as the number of people watching the programme via broadband. 

In his weekly column to the programme fans he said:

“It’s been our biggest-ever week on the website, both in terms of the numbers of viewers writing in and those requesting video downloads of the programme.  

“The hot topic has, of course, been the cartoons row and the ongoing debate about Islam and the West.

“That was the title of our special programme on Monday which attracted a huge response from viewers.”

He defended the programme’s decision to invite Anjem Choudary of the radical group Al Ghurabaa to appear. The group had been behind the demonstrations which caused so much controversy when placards appeared in London calling for beheadings.

Barron said: “I thought that was really the point the programme made. Debating - when they could get a word in - with Mr Choudary was an array of more moderate and representative British Muslim opinion.

“We did receive a large number of complaints about the debate - as did the BBC’s Newswatch programme before which I was hauled on Friday - but the reality, I think, is that the vast majority of Newsnight viewers love the drama and danger of a highly charged live debate. One and a half million watched Mr Choudary’s antics, and I reckon they’re well able make up their minds about what they were seeing.”
Barron also highlighted a magic Paxman moment in the programme:

“As Mr Choudary threatened to disrupt the programme entirely, Jeremy - who knows why? - punctured his bluster by saying “we’re moving on, matey”.

With evidence that convergence is well and truely underway, Barron said the numbers of people watching Newsnight via broadband were on the up.

“While the numbers on old-fashioned TV were up, so were those of people watching Newsnight via broadband. 

“We’ve only been doing this for a few months, but already thousands are choosing to watch the programme on demand, and this week the figures shot up.

“More than 20,000 people downloaded the video of Monday night’s debate and a further 20,000 watched Fergal Keane’s film about corruption within the Kenyan government.

“Still small numbers compared with TV proper, but it’s growing at an amazing rate, and new developments are happening almost daily.”

Barron plugged a new ‘web space’ launched by BBC TWO - bbc.co.uk/bbctwo which his programme will be involved in.

And they plan to ”refresh” the Newsnight site in the next couple of weeks.

Barron said it will have “less clutter and easier navigation” and that shortly the best bits of Newsnight will be available in a podcast each week.