The Newsroom

International News Presentation: Past and Present

(February 2007)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
WW
WW Update
A new look for RTS Info (Switzerland) was launched at the end of August. Studio is very nice and minimalist but the opening titles are rather bizarre.



The opening titles appear to be based on these circular-graph-thingies:

http://ideambulate.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/circos-sample-huge-01.png?w=300&h=300
Image: http://ideambulate.wordpress.com/

I rather like the titles except for the abrupt repositioning of "19:30" at the 0:35 mark. It's interesting to note how very "French" the news from French-speaking Switzerland tends to look -- including the Gallic practice of shooting the anchor from one camera while he's talking into another. (And the lead story is about French politics!)
Last edited by WW Update on 6 September 2014 3:38am - 3 times in total
WW
WW Update
A compilation of current news intros from across Europe:

EL
elmarko
including the Gallic practice of shooting the anchor from one camera while he's talking into another. (And the lead story is about French politics!)

Yeah what the hell is that about? Very odd. Does anywhere else do this?
KM
Kevizz MS
I quite like it, a temporary aside to briefly show a relevant image or graphic without having to worry about presenters faffing about spinning their chair or trying to find their place.
DK
DanielK
including the Gallic practice of shooting the anchor from one camera while he's talking into another. (And the lead story is about French politics!)

Yeah what the hell is that about? Very odd. Does anywhere else do this?

I quite like it, a temporary aside to briefly show a relevant image or graphic without having to worry about presenters faffing about spinning their chair or trying to find their place.

Well it is done in general, most NC's cut to a wide shot to show a graphic or a DTL on a screen whilst the anchor still talks to their camera. It is mostly seen on two ways and in interviews though.
WW
WW Update
including the Gallic practice of shooting the anchor from one camera while he's talking into another. (And the lead story is about French politics!)

Yeah what the hell is that about? Very odd. Does anywhere else do this?


In addition to the various French overseas territories, which are legally a part of France, I've seen it done in North Africa. That also isn't a huge surprise given the region's strong cultural ties to France.

Here's an example from Medi 1 TV in Morocco:



Also note the French habit -- started by FR3 -- of incorporating the starting and the ending hour into the name of a news block (7 a.m. to 9 a.m, in this case).
Last edited by WW Update on 8 September 2014 6:45pm
NG
noggin Founding member
including the Gallic practice of shooting the anchor from one camera while he's talking into another. (And the lead story is about French politics!)

Yeah what the hell is that about? Very odd. Does anywhere else do this?

I quite like it, a temporary aside to briefly show a relevant image or graphic without having to worry about presenters faffing about spinning their chair or trying to find their place.

Well it is done in general, most NC's cut to a wide shot to show a graphic or a DTL on a screen whilst the anchor still talks to their camera. It is mostly seen on two ways and in interviews though.


During interviews and two-ways the anchor is usually looking at the guest or down-the-line screen, so over-the-shoulders make sense grammatically, as the presenter is (usually) not looking directly to camera at that point, and the camera favouring them is an 'eyeline' rather than a 'link' shot.

The French technique often involves cutting to slightly bizarre shots where the presenter is noticeably looking out of shot at a different camera. In "UK" TV grammar terms this usually looks like a mistake. France 24 used to do it all the time either side of VTs for no apparent reason other than to demonstrate that they had more than one camera.
NY
NYTV
CBS This Morning introduced a new intro on September 8th:

Here was the previous open, seen on June 20th:
WW
WW Update
From HR, the ARD broadcaster serving the German state of Hesse, the end of a regional newsmagazine and the beginning of the weather segment, 2002 (Both programs are broadcast from atop one of the tallest skyscrapers in Frankfurt):

Last edited by WW Update on 10 September 2014 5:47pm
WW
WW Update
A really interesting video of 9/11 breaking on six different channels (including BBC World):

HC
Hatton Cross
That is really interesting (only in a when to go to air presentation point of view) to watch.
BBC World had numerous exit points to leave the sports bulletin (I am assuming Rob Bonnet was doing it live), and ended up last of those 6 - with CNN domestic (and therefore, I would assume CNN International would have quickly followed suit) getting live pictures first.

Curious of Matt Lauer on NBC Today to say something had happened down at the World Trade, then go to some commercials - almost inviting viewers to go elsewhere and watch a rival network/channels coverage.

And at 5.35 in some confusing crediting of live footage. Bottom Left - CNN crediting WNYW - Fox 5 New York, whilst the same identical pictures, Bottom Centre from on Fox 5 - and they are crediting WABC.
Excusable in the rush and newsroom shouting to get the live shots to air.
WW
WW Update
With the upcoming referendum in Scotland making global headlines. here's a look back at TV coverage of a similar vote -- with a clip of three Canadian networks announcing that the voters of Quebec had narrowly rejected their independence, 1995:

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