What riles me more is what people interpret "pranking" to be nowadays. I always considered it to be lighthearted tomfoolery. By the sounds of it, that's evolved into actively acting like a tw*t to innocent people, or running about the place shouting "bruv" and thinking it's amusing. To be honest, hearing the word has become as irritating to me as hearing "fake news" or "trolling". Not least because the majority of people who use these words don't know what they mean. To quote Dr. The Rik Mayall, they need sod off, and get to soddery.
And of course this sort of thing did happen a couple of times in the 80s, once the infamous Six o' Clock News incident and once when a newsreader, Jan Leeming, was attacked while walking through the newsroom
The Jan Leeming attack, still baffles to this day.
I know it was a Sunday evening, and news production teams were split across TVC or Lime Grove, so reduced staff even further - but we're there that many 'dark alleys' in the old TVC newsroom for that to happen, and just how undermanned were Sunday evenings in the 80's?
It is interesting that the BBC spends thousands a year on 'penetration testing' (oooh, matron!) to a private firm. It's essentially a more covert, officially sanctioned version of what happened here. My organisation does it, and you never know if you've rumbled them when you challenge them for ID and they produce a visitor pass etc
It is interesting that the BBC spends thousands a year on 'penetration testing' (oooh, matron!) to a private firm. It's essentially a more covert, officially sanctioned version of what happened here. My organisation does it, and you never know if you've rumbled them when you challenge them for ID and they produce a visitor pass etc
Pen testing doesn't have to be physical - it can be cyber security related and we know the BBC is a target for some.
On the positives at least it was some 'planks' invading the studio essentially for YouTube clicks, and not a terrorist or someone with malicious/dangerous intent. By uploading some of their footage to YouTube it may potentially assist the BBC in spotting weaknesses in their current security arrangements, as presumably there's already an internal enquiry/review going on in light of events.
I guess questions will include how did a group of visitors get into the BBC News area, down to the studios, and into at least one without a member of staff being present. I'd have thought fobs would be required on at least some doors, and if there already is they might have logged who opened / left open these doors for those planks.
I guess questions will include how did a group of visitors get into the BBC News area, down to the studios, and into at least one without a member of staff being present. I'd have thought fobs would be required on at least some doors, and if there already is they might have logged who opened / left open these doors for those planks.
Apparently a contractor had signed them in. I was at a major BBC site yesterday ( not in London) and my host apologised for having to stick to me like glue for the whole day
I guess questions will include how did a group of visitors get into the BBC News area, down to the studios, and into at least one without a member of staff being present. I'd have thought fobs would be required on at least some doors, and if there already is they might have logged who opened / left open these doors for those planks.
Apparently a contractor had signed them in. I was at a major BBC site yesterday ( not in London) and my host apologised for having to stick to me like glue for the whole day
I did Sixth Form work experience at BBC Broadcasting House Belfast in 1994. I could go pretty much all over the building. I wonder is that even possible now.
What riles me more is what people interpret "pranking" to be nowadays. I always considered it to be lighthearted tomfoolery. By the sounds of it, that's evolved into actively acting like a tw*t to innocent people, or running about the place shouting "bruv" and thinking it's amusing. To be honest, hearing the word has become as irritating to me as hearing "fake news" or "trolling". Not least because the majority of people who use these words don't know what they mean. To quote Dr. The Rik Mayall, they need sod off, and get to soddery.
Ahem... as you were.
The problem is that when pranks were done by established TV stations or radio stations, generally there'd be enough people involved so that if something was blatantly over the score someone would go "eh, no". Not to mention the amount of rules and regulations involved in doing anything for the BBC. Evidently this is not always the case. Australian radio has a few examples of when the boundaries have been pushed too far, and there have been points in UK media where I've wondered how long it'll be until a DJ accidentally winds someone up into a heart attack. But there are limits.
These guys are generally immature and don't have anyone to say no to them. Problem is at the moment they're just a mild inconvenience, except for the poor security guys or someone who politely held the door open for them who is probably getting a bollocking at best and fired at worst. But at some stage they're going to go too far.
There was also an incident at TF1 in France in 1977, when a members of a Communist labor union protesting the Concorde ban in New York interrupted the start of the 8 p.m. news. This is how the incident was covered the following evening (the replay of the incident can be seen starting at around the 2:30 mark; it all ended with the anchor casually smoking a cigarette and talking with the protesters):
In 1991, anti-war AIDS activists interrupted the
CBS Evening News:
Anchors have also been taken hostage live on the air. This 1987 incident in Los Angeles ended relatively quickly:
But this 1982 hostage-taking in Phoenix lasted more than 20 minutes:
And of course this sort of thing did happen a couple of times in the 80s, once the infamous Six o' Clock News incident and once when a newsreader, Jan Leeming, was attacked while walking through the newsroom
Indeed, Jan had ammonia sprayed on her face a couple of hours before going on air with the BBC1 Late News one Sunday evening. Some intruders had broken into an office adjacent to the main newsroom, IIRC, and Jan disturbed them in the process.
Then reporter Christopher Morris stepped in to present the bulletin whilst Jan spent a couple of days in hospital.
