GE
that's because there's someone in CCA who makes it happen 
There are still a fair number of non-RAMAN circuits in use - for example, Brighton can work into either Tunbridge Wells or Southampton (via Rowridge.). Looking at this diagram, it appears that the biggest chain in the contribution network is Preston Guild Hall to Cardiff, via 7 transmitter sites, though I'm not sure I've ever seen it used.
Some of the more far-flung parts of the network are having IP circuits installed, and this seems to be the case for new offices, like Stornoway.
The CP receive site is no more, though. It was decommissioned, somewhat inconveniently, just a couple of weeks too early for it to be useful for a large-scale OB at St Paul's which cropped up at short notice lately.
thegeek
Founding member
It depends whether the source and destination are on RAMAN doesn't it? If both are then it's a simple booking and you don't need to know the routing - just that it will happen.
It's the legacy, non-RAMAN, circuits that are still point-to-point and require intermediate locations to be in the chain in some cases.
[...]
Microwave links are still in use, even for HD programmes. There is certainly HD digital microwave kit at Crystal Palace (which allows a higher bit rate, and lower delay than satellite) - or kit has been rigged in the past.
Most of the News microwave circuits are still analogue and PAL though - and sometimes looking a bit miserable these days...
[...]
Microwave links are still in use, even for HD programmes. There is certainly HD digital microwave kit at Crystal Palace (which allows a higher bit rate, and lower delay than satellite) - or kit has been rigged in the past.
Most of the News microwave circuits are still analogue and PAL though - and sometimes looking a bit miserable these days...
There are still a fair number of non-RAMAN circuits in use - for example, Brighton can work into either Tunbridge Wells or Southampton (via Rowridge.). Looking at this diagram, it appears that the biggest chain in the contribution network is Preston Guild Hall to Cardiff, via 7 transmitter sites, though I'm not sure I've ever seen it used.
Some of the more far-flung parts of the network are having IP circuits installed, and this seems to be the case for new offices, like Stornoway.
The CP receive site is no more, though. It was decommissioned, somewhat inconveniently, just a couple of weeks too early for it to be useful for a large-scale OB at St Paul's which cropped up at short notice lately.
DE
I seem to remember some publicity material around the time of the original One Show pilot that maybe made some parallels to Nationwide, with stories from the regions being presented to the network. However, the idea of using regional resources and presenters to provide inserts to the programme was never proposed AFAIK.
For the pilot in Birmingham, the regions were asked to trail what was coming up in The One Show at 1845 and had to hand directly to The One Show at the end of their programmes. The One Show then handed back to the regions at 1925 for a 5 minute news/weather summary, which replaced the National News headlines that the Six did at 1856. By the time The One Show returned as a fully commissioned programme, the 5 minute news summary idea didn't return, the 1845 trail disappeared too and a presentation junction returned between the opt and The One Show. The regions did however gain the 8pm update at around the same time.
I think it is a shame that the regions aren't used on a networked basis like they were in Nationwide, it used to provide a good opportunity for regional staff to make something that could be seen by the country and of course made 'household names' of regional presenters. Making a studio or OB item for the network must have carried a good deal of pride for the regional staff, all of which is more-or-less lost now (on both the BBC and ITV). The only remaining round-the-regions thing I can think of these days is the County-wide choir things that still feature in Children in Need (and I suppose some Election coverage).
For the pilot in Birmingham, the regions were asked to trail what was coming up in The One Show at 1845 and had to hand directly to The One Show at the end of their programmes. The One Show then handed back to the regions at 1925 for a 5 minute news/weather summary, which replaced the National News headlines that the Six did at 1856. By the time The One Show returned as a fully commissioned programme, the 5 minute news summary idea didn't return, the 1845 trail disappeared too and a presentation junction returned between the opt and The One Show. The regions did however gain the 8pm update at around the same time.
I think it is a shame that the regions aren't used on a networked basis like they were in Nationwide, it used to provide a good opportunity for regional staff to make something that could be seen by the country and of course made 'household names' of regional presenters. Making a studio or OB item for the network must have carried a good deal of pride for the regional staff, all of which is more-or-less lost now (on both the BBC and ITV). The only remaining round-the-regions thing I can think of these days is the County-wide choir things that still feature in Children in Need (and I suppose some Election coverage).
MA
I think it is a shame that the regions aren't used on a networked basis like they were in Nationwide, it used to provide a good opportunity for regional staff to make something that could be seen by the country and of course made 'household names' of regional presenters. Making a studio or OB item for the network must have carried a good deal of pride for the regional staff, all of which is more-or-less lost now (on both the BBC and ITV). The only remaining round-the-regions thing I can think of these days is the County-wide choir things that still feature in Children in Need (and I suppose some Election coverage).
Wasn't the original concept for BBC News 24 to have more 'visible' input from the regions, and regional
presentation ? (In the same way that Singapore and Washington etc have pres slots on BBC World ?)
I think it is a shame that the regions aren't used on a networked basis like they were in Nationwide, it used to provide a good opportunity for regional staff to make something that could be seen by the country and of course made 'household names' of regional presenters. Making a studio or OB item for the network must have carried a good deal of pride for the regional staff, all of which is more-or-less lost now (on both the BBC and ITV). The only remaining round-the-regions thing I can think of these days is the County-wide choir things that still feature in Children in Need (and I suppose some Election coverage).
Wasn't the original concept for BBC News 24 to have more 'visible' input from the regions, and regional
presentation ? (In the same way that Singapore and Washington etc have pres slots on BBC World ?)
DE
Maybe. Regional newsgathering was bolstered a bit for the introduction of News 24 and of course many were equipped with newsroom cameras (the infamous Daleks) which combined a camera, comms, VT deck/inject point and lighting. There are only a few of these Daleks left now - there seems to be a fashion instead for contribution studios in less noisy areas... Despite several BBC schemes to reduce the times when network send a truck, producer and reporter to a story and the region also sends their own reporter and truck, meaning the two stand side by side, one crew doing the Six and another doing the region, it still happens virtually all the time...
MW
When they were piloting the One Show from Birmingham, on more than one occasion Midlands Today would end the programme after the final report the opposite side of the canal basin and hand to Nadia and Adrian, they also used the same graphics as The One Show (even animating which was more impressive) with "Coming up after Midlands Today..." and a cycle through the stories!
How times change, the Mailbox had a scanner (Visons 1?) and loads of staff back in 2006 for that - now it's nothing more than BSC, Midlands Today and WM
How times change, the Mailbox had a scanner (Visons 1?) and loads of staff back in 2006 for that - now it's nothing more than BSC, Midlands Today and WM
Last edited by Mike W on 9 May 2013 3:50pm
IS
Isn't there still a big English Regions operational centre there? As well as programmes for the Asian Network and The Archers etc.
How times change, the Mailbox had a scanner (Visons 1?) and loads of staff back in 2006 for that - now it's nothing more than BSC, Midlands Today and WM
Isn't there still a big English Regions operational centre there? As well as programmes for the Asian Network and The Archers etc.
IS
It could be worse look at what CNN did this week
Despite several BBC schemes to reduce the times when network send a truck, producer and reporter to a story and the region also sends their own reporter and truck, meaning the two stand side by side, one crew doing the Six and another doing the region, it still happens virtually all the time...
It could be worse look at what CNN did this week
NG
My arse you did. It was loosely referred to as that on here by Noggin or someone else old enough to remember; and even then it's really not like it at all. You can't have any idea what Nationwide was like - there's not even enough clips online to cobble together a whole programme.
Tosh.
When Peter Fincham commissioned the original One Show pilots from Birmingham he said he was looking for something a bit like a modern-day Nationwide. He realised, looking at the BBC One schedule at the time, that often there were days where was no live content between the Six and Ten O'Clock News - but that there was often stuff that wasn't "newsy" that should still find a place on the channel.
I don't think he was aiming to recreate Nationwide - but to have a live, daily show that had some of the same qualities - factual content, a bit of humour, a bit of topicality, and having content made across the country.
The One Show now, although not mirroring Nationwide's format, does still do that. 3 of the 4 films in most shows are made outside of London (either by BBC teams based in Bristol, Salford, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast, or by independent production companies from across the UK including companies based in Southampton, Leeds, Birmingham etc.) with one film in each programme (usually the shorter films) usually made by the London-based production team who make the studio show.
noggin
Founding member
Was the original One Show idea supposed to be an updated version of Nationwide? I always got that kind of vibe.
My arse you did. It was loosely referred to as that on here by Noggin or someone else old enough to remember; and even then it's really not like it at all. You can't have any idea what Nationwide was like - there's not even enough clips online to cobble together a whole programme.
Tosh.
When Peter Fincham commissioned the original One Show pilots from Birmingham he said he was looking for something a bit like a modern-day Nationwide. He realised, looking at the BBC One schedule at the time, that often there were days where was no live content between the Six and Ten O'Clock News - but that there was often stuff that wasn't "newsy" that should still find a place on the channel.
I don't think he was aiming to recreate Nationwide - but to have a live, daily show that had some of the same qualities - factual content, a bit of humour, a bit of topicality, and having content made across the country.
The One Show now, although not mirroring Nationwide's format, does still do that. 3 of the 4 films in most shows are made outside of London (either by BBC teams based in Bristol, Salford, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast, or by independent production companies from across the UK including companies based in Southampton, Leeds, Birmingham etc.) with one film in each programme (usually the shorter films) usually made by the London-based production team who make the studio show.
NG
Yep - that's an inevitable requirement of rolling news channels though. If you are standing doing live interviews every hour, you don't really have the time to make a package for the national bulletins. (So usually one reporter is deployed to sustain the News Channel/BBC World News, and another will package and do lives onto the national bulletins.)
The BBC is using regional reporters more in the former role it seems, and at weekends also more in the latter?
noggin
Founding member
Same happens with National news & NC, one reporter does the one while another does the other.
A good example was that speedboat story at the Bank Holiday, Louise Hubball did the NC while someone else did the nationals!
A good example was that speedboat story at the Bank Holiday, Louise Hubball did the NC while someone else did the nationals!
Yep - that's an inevitable requirement of rolling news channels though. If you are standing doing live interviews every hour, you don't really have the time to make a package for the national bulletins. (So usually one reporter is deployed to sustain the News Channel/BBC World News, and another will package and do lives onto the national bulletins.)
The BBC is using regional reporters more in the former role it seems, and at weekends also more in the latter?