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TV Breakdown Appreciation Thread

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SP
Spencer
The 1.30 Look North didn’t make it to air though, and as you say, Newsroom South East went out instead.

I was amazed how many people phoned up to complain.


I was amazed you left us hanging like that Very Happy Please, do tell. We're they ringing off the hook, or not troubling the phone answerers?


I don’t remember in detail I’m afraid. I just recall the receptionists getting quite fed up.
RA
radiolistener
Big Questions went down a few minutes ago, with the announcer blaming the weather.
IS
Inspector Sands
The announcer said it's coming from Salford and this is what's overhead, so not surprising

*
SP
Spencer
Big Questions went down a few minutes ago, with the announcer blaming the weather.


It was from MediaCity though wasn’t it? I’d have thought that was a fairly robust location in terms of comms.
IS
Inspector Sands

It was from MediaCity though wasn’t it? I’d have thought that was a fairly robust location in terms of comms.

Oasis Academy, which is a school fairly near to Media City in fact they seem to call it 'Oasis Academy Media City'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c1rmpl

Big Questions is always an OB, just so happens this time that it's not far from a BBC building.
SP
Spencer

It was from MediaCity though wasn’t it? I’d have thought that was a fairly robust location in terms of comms.

Oasis Academy, which is a school fairly near to Media City in fact they seem to call it 'Oasis Academy Media City.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c1rmpl

Big Questions is always an OB


Ah okay, the preview at the end of Marr just said MediaCity, so I assumed it was studio-based this time.
IS
Inspector Sands

Ah okay, the preview at the end of Marr just said MediaCity, so I assumed it was studio-based this time.

I don't think it's ever studio based. Bizarre as it seems it's presumably cheaper and easier to do it on location even on the rare occasion its in a place with a TV studio - same crew and facilities for the whole series
MI
m_in_m

Ah okay, the preview at the end of Marr just said MediaCity, so I assumed it was studio-based this time.

I don't think it's ever studio based. Bizarre as it seems it's presumably cheaper and easier to do it on location even on the rare occasion its in a place with a TV studio - same crew and facilities for the whole series

Given the weather today it would have surely made sense to try and relocate to a studio and avoid it falling off air which was inevitable - given the programme falls off air for more minor problems on occasions.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
I remember some Look North bulletins were reply by (I think) Newsroom SE due to a cock up or two.


I remember once when I was working at BBC Leeds in the late 90s a digger doing roadworks on Woodhouse Lane went through an electricity cable, shortly before lunchtime, knocking out all power to Broadcasting House.

Radio Leeds managed to stay on air with generator power to the studios, albeit with hand-written scripts. The 1.30 Look North didn’t make it to air though, and as you say, Newsroom South East went out instead.

I was amazed how many people phoned up to complain.

I remember an occasion in that kind of era when they had a power cut and that happened in reverse - Look North Saturday made it on air but Radio Leeds was on the emergency tape.
IS
Inspector Sands
It does have a bit of a history of falling off air but it's all cost versus risk. How high profile/important is the programme and is it worth spending more of the (presumably low) budget on getting it to air?

I'd imagine the cost or logistics of using one of the studios at Salford at fairly short notice would be enough to prevent it happening. The BBC don't have any suitable there

If it was a live Question Time it would be belt and braces, but it's a little watched religious affairs programme
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 9 February 2020 12:19pm
JO
Johnr
I noticed when it came back on Nicky was just in the middle of carrying on as usual as if nothing had happened, as if he wasn’t aware they had been broadcasting to nobody for the previous 10 minutes!
SP
Steve in Pudsey
That's standard for live programmes, the same happened when Something for the Weekend fell off air.

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