Not that it's a crucial aspect of the coverage, but what's the NFC/NFA(?) logo that appears in some of the videos?
I can't find the link but I believe it's a news video archive - you can find uploads of the ITV and Channel 4 9/11 specials with that watermark too. I think it's why they're broadcast quality rather than an off air recording from VHS.
It stands for NewsFilm Online - it was a JISC project to digitise certain broadcast news material, including some of ITN's archive. The service itself closed in 2012 but the content can still be accessed on the JISC MediaHub database.
It's the first BBC clip at 6:30am on that page - the female voice sombrely announcing "This is BBC Television from London. Normal programming has been suspended" - that's still one of the most chilling pieces of television continuity I've ever heard. The tone of it almost feels like it's about to announce the start of a nuclear attack.
Looking through that page still gives me the chills, cheers to VMPhil for bringing it up to date. It's a shame that whoever provided the handover to BBC World has never re-uploaded it as video. They'll be someone out there who taped Borsalino that night that has got it at the end of the tape.
It's the first BBC clip at 6:30am on that page - the female voice sombrely announcing "This is BBC Television from London. Normal programming has been suspended"
There's a part of me that hopes the "This is BBC Television from London" intro has been kept for royal obit announcements.
"BBC Television from London" appeared when the Queen Mother died, if I'm not mistaken. Although that was only out of the mouth of Peter Sissions. No Wartime Broadcast-esque presentation like what was executed in 1997.
Yes, although changed slightly to "BBC Television News". The whole statement was very badly worded. Essentially saying the same thing three different times.
"This is BBC Television News. Buckingham Palace has just announced the death of the Queen Mother. In a statement the Palace said the Queen Mother has died. BBC Television is broadcasting this special programme reporting the Queen Mother's death".
I could've sworn he said "BBC Television from London". I must've gotten confused with a news report about Diana. My mistake.
From what I've read, they'd also dropped the idea of having a single ident/continuity announcement across all the channels by then. (I believe it was called the 'Family' ident and after the 1997 rebrand would have been the animation you used to see at the beginning of BBC VHS/DVD releases until a few years ago). So BBC One and Two had separate announcements, and BBC Two faded out too early so had to show a static ident for 5 minutes
Slightly unfair to NC2 there - as I understand it BBC2 faded the programme and then News announced they weren't ready at the last minute, so they had tread water for a while.
From what I've read, they'd also dropped the idea of having a single ident/continuity announcement across all the channels by then. (I believe it was called the 'Family' ident and after the 1997 rebrand would have been the animation you used to see at the beginning of BBC VHS/DVD releases until a few years ago).
Yes it was the generic BBC logo with the 3 coloured ribbon behind it. The same image is still the basic desktop background to the BBC's PC's.
There was a clock with that background too, which I found a copy of a while back.... but have mislaid again