I wonder if there's a significant budget saving for Breakfast to use fill-in presenters who are already BBC staffers who work quite broadly or flexibly . . .
I'm not sure whether it's reasonable for a presentation site (or indeed any other) to start speculating what or how people are paid.
I don't think I'd want someone doing it about my income.
I wasn't talking about how much Kate Silverton or Christian Fraser are paid - but rather how much Breakfast's presenter choice is affected by budgetary matters at a time when the BBC is both under increasing financial constraints, and pressure to employ rather than contract freelancers. The fact that Breakfast now uses relief presenters who are as likely to appear on the BBC News Channel on a Saturday evening, or BBC World on Outside Source, instead of a dedicated team of higher profile presenters seems as relevant to me as whether anything else presenter related.
Christian Fraser's role is essentially that of a utility knife - an experienced correspondent and journalist who doesn't seem to have regular fixed assignments, so is free to appear wherever on the BBC (as correspondent or presenter) he is needed. Reeta Chackrabati (nationals), Matthew Price (Today) and Sophie Long and Rebecca Jones (News Channel) also appear to be in these types of roles now - my point was simply how different the BBC's approach to relief presenters has become in the last few years, where correspondents are once again the preferred fill-ins over established/dedicated presenters. Go back to 2009 and that was quite different - how many times did Chris Hollins fill in as a present on Breakfast in all his time as its sport presenter? Or Declan Curry or Simon Jack? You'd never have seen Babita Sharma filling in on a Sunday back in 2008 when she was a News Channel business presenter.
The idea that Breakfast used a relatively small team of presenters that the audience is very familiar with doesn't really hold true anymore - and yet it doesn't damage the programme one bit as far as I can tell.
The stand-in jobs are advertised internally I believe, alas why the likes of Ben Thompson and Victoria Fritz have done cover pres shifts on Sunday's and are in addition to their contracted day job. (Incidentally, the Breakfast cover this week for her is part of her contract with BBC Business).
Think 'advertised internally' may be a little strong. Suspect more a case that usual suspects are emailed.
I think you're right on them using a pool of presenters for Sunday, which appear to be :-
Christian Fraser (BBC News, BH)
Sian Lloyd (BBC Wales)
Victoria Fritz (BBC Business, BH)
Ben Thompson (BBC Business, BH)
Steph McGovern (BBC Business, based in Salford)
Sally Nugent (BBC Sport, based in Salford)
Roger Johnson (BBC North West, based in Salford)
This gives producers a choice of locally based presenters, or relief from London, except for Sian who works in Cardiff.
Surely Sally Nugent is essentially a part of the Breakfast team to all intents and purposes, as since joining Breakfast I haven't seen her appear anywhere else on BBC News or Sport?
Part of the team, but employed by a different part of the BBC. Nugent answers to BBC Sport's head when presenting sport who provide her copy and BBC Breakfast's editor on a pres shift.
There are staff in Salford, especially on 5 Live who work for either sport or biz. Colletta Smith who covered a Breakfast biz shift on Breakfast works for the business unit for 5 Live.
If you take the NC for example, you'll have presenters directly employed by BBC News or as freelancers, others by the biz unit, BBC Sport and the weather unit, which are Met Office presenters (for now).
I wish they used the Rio Olympics as an opportunity for a refresh of BBC Breakfast in terms of the usual studio, rather like the way Breakfast News became Breakfast after the 2000 Sydney Olympics (though obviously not on such a grand scale).
i thought the bbc sport studio was just too dark for bbc breakfast, admitabbly despite the fakeness i do like that nice sunrise background they have in the shoebox
i thought the bbc sport studio was just too dark for bbc breakfast, admittedly despite the fakeness i do like that nice sunrise background they have in the shoebox
I certainly didn't think that the sports studio was 'dark'. Perhaps it was when they had the original lighting (or lack thereof) back in 2012, but since they changed to the yellow back-lighting, I don't think that's been the case.
I never previously had a problem with BBC Breakfast using the NWT studio, which is versatile and suitable most of the time.
However, this temporary move has shown us that Breakfast is being 'short-changed' when it comes to studio allocation in Salford.
I think it's time for a rethink. A 3-hour live programme surely should have priority over a sports bulletin?
I think it's time for a rethink. A 3-hour live programme surely should have priority over a sports bulletin?
Equally, it's easy to prioritise a newsroom which produces (probably not far off 3 hours worth of) bulletins 24 hours a day having their studios in the middle of their newsroom.
I think it's time for a rethink. A 3-hour live programme surely should have priority over a sports bulletin?
Equally, it's easy to prioritise a newsroom which produces (probably not far off 3 hours worth of) bulletins 24 hours a day having their studios in the middle of their newsroom.
I'm not suggesting BBC Sport give up the studio entirely, they would have use of it for the other 20 hours a day.
