The Newsroom

Apollo Theatre Collapse

(December 2013)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
LL
London Lite Founding member
BBC London didn't report on it at all. Just to say at the end of the bulletin that more coverage can be found on the News Channel


ITV News London had it as it's top story with a live from the scene.
WH
Whataday Founding member
For anyone interested, this was the rather ridiculous way Fox News explained the unfolding story.

Shepard's explanation at :40 seconds in, you just couldn't make up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYp1DDlKesc

The most interesting part of that video was the mention of https://twitter.com/frasereC4 as an interesting social media source.


The most disturbing part for me was his description of Sky News as 'our British network'.
London Lite and gordonthegopher gave kudos
TM
Telly Media
BBC News is running videos of the outside shot on mobile devices. Sky is interviewing eyewitnesses live on camera. Can only guess the BBC News unit cannot get near due to the road closures.



ITN trucks also got stuck in traffic despite sending 2 from different directions and camera crews being on the scene relatively quickly.

I think this is where Sky really benefits from its motorbike. It was on the spot way before any other broadcaster and its live coverage was excellent.
GE
thegeek Founding member
the BBC have bikes too - though they rely on having decent line-of-site to a COFDM receiver. I think the nearest would be Millbank Tower, and I'm not sure if you'd get a decent link from Shaftesbury Avenue, which is fairly built-up.

I didn't catch any of the coverage last night - do Sky perhaps use some sort of LiveU type of cellular transmission system?

One BBC crew were out on a ridealong with an ambulance, which I think got them some decent access later on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25459373
Last edited by thegeek on 20 December 2013 11:50am - 2 times in total
DE
deejay
COFDM doesn't necessarily need line of sight to a receiver, it actually can work better when the signal is bounced off buildings. However the signals can be absorbed by stone buildings (steel/glass much better for bouncing!) so the signal doesn't travel very far in older built-up areas.
IS
Inspector Sands
David posted:
The 'Latest pictures' are the same on BBC as Sky News. I wonder what the source of them is. They seem professional rather than someone holding a camera phone the wrong way round or anything.


Associated Press or Reuters News Agency?

Could be, although AP normally get their UK footage from Sky and Reuters from ITN.... and they're usually restricted so UK broadcasters can't use them.
IS
Inspector Sands
Yes they've only just started with some latest pictures but nothing live yet. In the 90's I'm sure BT used to have 'hot spots' in central London that broadcast cameras could connect to in order to send live pictures when there was no OB van.


They still do, the 'green' outside parliament, just across the Royal Courts of Justice for example. But I do not know if there is anywhere close by to this theatre.

There are BBC plug-in points in Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, but are only really of use for lives from those locations (too far for radio cam and of course too far to cable)
RO
roxuk
Piccadilly should have been close enough. Where Sky were broadcasting from, the edge of the police cordon, was the less than 100 meters from Piccadilly Circus.
WH
Whataday Founding member
BBC News is running videos of the outside shot on mobile devices. Sky is interviewing eyewitnesses live on camera. Can only guess the BBC News unit cannot get near due to the road closures.



ITN trucks also got stuck in traffic despite sending 2 from different directions and camera crews being on the scene relatively quickly.

I think this is where Sky really benefits from its motorbike. It was on the spot way before any other broadcaster and its live coverage was excellent.


I'm not particularly a big fan of Sky News but their coverage outstripped everyone else last night.
JI
jimmyslash
I think Sky have been using cameras recently that broadcast via 4G therefore maybe they don't need a sat truck or bike.
DT
DTV
The most disturbing part for me was his description of Sky News as 'our British network'.


They are sister channels though, I expect most of FOX News's British News videos are sourced from or via Sky News and vice versa. ITV has a similar set up I think with NBC or CBS mainly come US Election. The BBC I believe also has a special relationship with ABC (Both US and AUS) but I doubt the BBC really needs much from America given that it has its own American Arm.

I think this is where Sky really benefits from its motorbike. It was on the spot way before any other broadcaster and its live coverage was excellent.

I wasn't aware that Sky had a motorbike although they must do as they have a Skycopter, Skyboat etc. although every time I hear about Sky and vehicles I think of Charlie Brooker's Skit about Sky's G20 coverage. Although the BBC did get there in an Ambulance which I think is new.
Last edited by DTV on 20 December 2013 7:17pm
IS
Inspector Sands
DTV posted:
The BBC I believe also has a special relationship with ABC (Both US and AUS) but I doubt the BBC really needs much from America given that it has its own American Arm.

It has bureaus in the US and reporters/crews in them but to call it an arm is exaggerating it a bit.

They use a lot of ABC footage as the BBC can't expect to have a newsgathering operation anywhere near the size of a US broadcaster. When a story breaks the local ABC affiliate will be there first.

There are similar deals with many broadcasters round the world and of course the BBC and ITN are part of Eurovision so have access to footage from across europe

Newer posts