80's sitcom Desmond's continues to work its magic for London Live. 67k tuned in for the highest rating episode. Spaced and 2 late night movies rounded out the Top 10 for w/e 13 December.
So other than the live "news" I'm guessing there is no requirement at all for any original content. It wouldn't be so bad if they were airing a good mix of actual local content made this century alongside their classics, but as it is it's just essentially C4+30years with a bit of content passed off as news.
So other than the live "news" I'm guessing there is no requirement at all for any original content. It wouldn't be so bad if they were airing a good mix of actual local content made this century alongside their classics, but as it is it's just essentially C4+30years with a bit of content passed off as news.
Basically, yes, and a far cry from what was promised. Chip, chip, chip away. No-one will stop them and no-one anyone would notice but you can only re-re-rerun these shows so many times until people stop watching them plus many of their shows are available on 4OD or Netflix etc so people can watch them there. Being part of that live news team must be a bit of thankless task too. Although it is starting to smell a bit like 'get as high ratings as we can for whatever we can and then we can sell it with a decent "audience" nicely cheap and lean'. It's a toy the company appears of bored of now.
You're certainly right when you say the company has got bored with it. Lebedev Junior is too busy concentrating on his contributor gig with The One Show to care what's happening on the 2nd floor of Northcliffe House.
Assuming someone was to buy it - what would they do with it? Can it be saved? Is it even worth saving?
You're certainly right when you say the company has got bored with it. Lebedev Junior is too busy concentrating on his contributor gig with The One Show to care what's happening on the 2nd floor of Northcliffe House.
His chat show on London Live never materialised, did it? He's clearly distancing himself from the whole thing to be quite honest.
Assuming someone bought it? Maybe take it online only? They could sell it to someone else with a bigger catalogue of shows and then contract in the likes of ITN to provide news inserts? I can see them going the news inserts way in the next 12 months anyway because as long as the maths adds up they will get away with it and they could use the resource more effectively for getting soundbites out and about and the odd long interview in studio (which they can cut up and reuse). Might actually make the news content stronger but only as long as they're not like those awful bulletins they used to do.
Worth noting that Amol Rajan and Sarah Sands no longer contribute to the channel. Amol has even removed LL from his Twitter profile.
Probably a mixture of a lack of time, a lack of audience and them trying to distance themselves. It's like a bubble where those on the inside pat themselves on the back and everyone outside shrugs their shoulders and keep on walking.
Sarah Sands' photo still features on the Headline Interview listings - probably haven't got round to removing it.
A new interview show, previously on You Tube, Silicon Real, starts on 4th Jan at 7am. It features London entrepreneurs recorded in what looks like someone's flat. It's the only thing 'new' for 2016 so far .....