noggin's posts, page 257

ITV abandons the South Bank

But only as a 4-waller? The Voice used an OB truck parked outside for production facilities... Don't know about Voice Kids.

AIUI there will be gallery facilities installed for X Factor - but I don't know if they are being funded by LH2 or directly by Fremantle, and if the latter whether they are permanent or flypack.

London Tower Block Fire

I doubt it - fire fighters and former fire fighters have already addressed this. Helicopters would have served no purpose in this case.

ITV abandons the South Bank

Riverside may have re-opened by then - I'm not aware of any other studios planned. LH2 will probably have a dedicated gallery by then (rather than relying on an OB truck parked outside) - but it's not a 'proper' studio (and will presumably be dedicated to Fremantle productions for ITV?)

London Tower Block Fire

I'm not sure I totally agree. I think if you wait until days later, you are telling a different story. It's an area where print journalism (and sometimes radio) usually does a better job than TV. I'm not a huge Derbyshire fan (I found her radio show annoying), but I think her approach yesterday and today was a good way of telling the story of the feelings within the community, rather than just straight factual reporting. Both have a place I think. Certainly I've seen interviews and heard stories I wouldn't have heard on other TV outlets - and I think that's not a bad thing.



Yes - her technical abilities at coping with presenting whilst getting new information via talkback is clearly an issue - but that isn't the only skill required.

As for Piers and Susannah - can't compare. I seldom watch GMB.

The earliest on-screen URL

Most terminals were connected over RS-232 direct serial connections to terminal concentrators that then connected to the (mini?)computer that ran ENPS"]BASYS - though in later days an Ethernet option was also possible (I'm guessing using something like Telnet).

I don't think encryption was that common on serial connections in those days - a physical point-to-point physical connection was deemed reasonably secure. Obviously you could sit something across both TX and RX lines of the RS-232 ports and eavesdrop - but you'd need physical access. (And then it would be possible to capture a login and password)

Most regions had modems on their BASYS installs - so if you knew the phone number you could dial in and login with your normal login to update scripts, look at running orders etc. I had a Psion Series 5 and modem and was able to access BASYS very effectively with that (a neat little pocket way of accessing the newsroom)

Helicopters Used for News Coverage

I'm not sure you need close-up pictures to see an entire tower block engulfed in flames.

Sure they are one way of telling the story and providing a 'live holding feed' - but the US obsessions with helicopter coverage is always a bit bemusing this side of the pond.

As we know - and many of us feared - there have been fatalities, and some very distressing pictures of people trapped in their flats have been broadcast (which is a questionable decision)

Helicopters Used for News Coverage

There was at least one helicopter over the scene from soon after the fire broke out (I could see the fire from where I live) - so I doubt noise was a major consideration in this case (though it may be an overarching one).

The earliest on-screen URL

ENPS"]BASYS had top line messaging - just like ENPS does. (The sound of a VT320-type terminal going 'ping' still rings in my ears!)

It also had more advanced 'email like' features for messages longer than would fit on a line. However, rather than emailing everyone with a message, it was more common to simply publish a page in a group 'read in' area that people checked when they logged in each day.

From memory some BASYS systems were very well organised and managed - and had far less 'digital debris' than more modern systems...

Some BASYS systems also allowed interconnection between sites, effectively allowing you to remotely log-in to a different server (though there were also ways of syncing / publishing areas automatically - so regional BASYS systems had copies of the One/Six/Nine O'Clock News running orders ISTR) It was also possible to remotely connect to other systems 'through' BASYS - including very early Linux boxes which offered things like the Lynx text-only web browser (yep - imagine the web with no graphics on a green/amber/white screen VDU terminal...)

The earliest on-screen URL

First email I received was probably mid-80s as part of Prestel, and also on BBSs.

Used it a lot from 1990 when I started working and studying. Initially it was local email just within the company / university dept / university computer (different email addresses on different Uni systems) - but by 1992 I was using 'internet' email.

Had a web browser on my desktop at work in 1994. (NCSA Mosaic, then Netscape Navigator)

UK General Election

Think we will definitely see additional/extended bulletins should things not run smoothly.

There are scenarios where May will be forced to resign, where she can't effectively work with a coalition or confidence and supply because even with DUP support a parliamentary majority that slim (she had issues previously with a larger - albeit still quite small - working majority) and another election is triggered. This certainly isn't close to being over.

UK General Election

Canterbury was interesting. 10% of the electorate within the constituency registered to vote there after Dec 2016 (it was one of the 10 highest 'most new voters' regions). It's a university town. I think that shifted the electorate significantly.

UK General Election

And I'm not sure where the 'ITV won' story has come from, other than a BBC-phobic press?

BBC ratings were around 4.8m, ITV around 1.5m I think? By that measure Good Morning Britain is winning against Breakfast...