BBC News 24

Anyone else on here remember the four/five month period before the TOG officially launched, when TOG and Big Ted systems were being used together, both providing slightly different versions of the old Gill Sans style, with each source being crossfaded randomly no-screen (evidenced by sometimes seeing the same text being shown in two slightly different weights/kerning settings simultaneously)...?

No......? I thought not.

Yep, I remember. They used the new TOG when there was major breaking news during prime time, and Big Ted at all other times. It used to do funky things like sliding up and down, phone graphics sliding in etc. Are there any clips of this online anywhere?

Would i be right in thinking that they were using TOG around three years ago? I seem to remember at around the start of the Iraq war, some ludicrous graphics: Big Ted would fade off screen, then the same graphic would animate back on, and extra bits would pop up and start spinning around. It was a little over-the-top.

This?

http://tvspecials.thetvroomplus.com/images-bbc-iraq/main-1.jpg
http://tvspecials.thetvroomplus.com/images-bbc-iraq/aston-graphic-6.jpg

If so I don't think thats the same kit that generates the current stuff.

Yeah it was, but it did more funky stuff as has been said. For example the breaking news banner would slide down to be level with the clock when they needed to show more of the picture, and phone graphics would slide up and down as needed. It was far more smooth, and did more, but looked the same as the big ted graphics.

The example you've shown doesn't show the funky stuff!

i was suprised to see suzanne charlton doing the weather today it was a real blast from the past. Carrie and Simon are doing a good job on the morning slot but one of her coments about moving house rather than do diy got a dirty look of simon which i thought was very rude of him and made her feel and look awkward. I thought it was funny Carrie!! Anyways i still reckon Kate Silverton should do the Breakfast on one slot permanently. I think N24 is a great channel and has some great presenters I can't understand why presenters are kept to the same channel - i reckon they should do the odd N24 slot - it's equal if not superior to BBC1. I think paying one presenter to only do 6pm or 10pm bulletins is not really value for money - they should do shifts on N24 aswell and be proud of working for a great channel.

You make it sound as if Huw turns up at 9.55pm, does the news, and is outside having a fag waiting for the bus home soon as the show is finished. There's more to being a newsreader than reading the news!

Far better just then when Julia walked over from the desk to the screen during her business bit. The camera was zoomed in on her and zoomed out, keeping her in frame, as she walked towards the screen.

Better than the usual when she's a dot in the distance and walks towards the camera.

Have they got an extra camera over by the screen to do this? I've also seem some other shots of the desk from over by the screen.

No it wasn't

The previous system used a device called Pinnacle Deko. The system is still in the N8 gallery where it is gathering dust.

It was much more flexable than TOG and could be programmed by operational staff rather than having to get in an outside company.

That is why when the channel controler asked for a device where the strap could be lowered, it was done within a day, just in time for the Hatfiled Rail crash. Rather than the current system where BBC World have been waiting 9 months for their titles to be fixed.

As well as doing the Astons, it supplied the rotating Markets bug, remember that., the small coming Up box and the World Cup and Wiimbledon score sliding updates.

Speaking of things moving...

Am I right in thinking that BBC Television Centre (I prefer to call it "BBC Shepherd's Bush") is ultimately gonna get the chop?

My understanding is...

1: "BBC White City" (about 3-seconds up the road from "BBC Shepherd's Bush") was built in the 1990s (?), and some Shepherd's Bush stuff moved there.

2: The re-vamp of "Broadcasting House" (is this one-and-the-same-thing as "BBC Portland Place"?) is gonna include a big extension on one side, housing all BBC News stuff.

3: Anything still left at "BBC Shepherd's Bush" after ALL OF THAT, will move to Manchester.

Is the above approximately correct, or am I barking up the wrong tree completely?

Weather forecast coming live from the News 24 studio currently, as aposed to the weather centre. Has this happened before?

What, from the RH screen?