BBC News Mandela Coverage

Thanks Steve. I totally get your point.

My comments were only really about the News Channel itself, which I still think made the right call in sticking with Mandela. I suppose the problem you are highlighting about the lack of any other news coverage, was exacerbated by the fact BBC1, BBC2 and the BBC News Channel were all covering the same story. Given that the BBC probably has more TV channels available on a greater number of platforms than most other broadcasters (certainly PSBs), it does seem unfortunate that viewers – especially along the east coast – were unable to access coverage of other stories on any of the BBC’s television services that night.

In hindsight, a better option may have been to broadcast the network and regional bulletins from 10 o’clock on BBC1 as normal and simply direct viewers wishing to continue watching the breaking news on Mandela, towards the News Channel ahead of the regional opt-out, rather than such a massive, on-going duplication of output. Perhaps this is something the BBC will review in future.

Either TC7 or Studio A, It certainly looks like the modern intro was pre-recorded possibly around the time Mandella first fell ill.

Here is that edition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo8LpurdQ88

It's almost a case of the BBC abusing the amount of spectrum they are gifted with, and this is not just the recent Mandela issue per se.
Radio (BBC and ILR) was brought into line over 20 years ago, with the ' use it, [efficiently]or lose it ' directive regarding AM and FM simulcasting. Tomorrow morning it seems that BBC 1, 2, and the News Ch will be largely simulcasting the same content, sorry but that's not efficient use of channels available.

Here's an idea, leave the funeral coverage on BBC 1, and have the News Channel cover everything else that's going on, and been going on, on the planet ?

Is this really the best they can do? They could animate like the normal Astons, but no they just fade on and off.

Was the whole thing upscaled I guessed the bbc flew out lots of staff compared to the other outlets and send out from what I saw a very soft sd feed.

I think the bigger problem is the strangely stretched text and it's mis-alignment with the DOG and ticker.

Supposedly sent out twice as many as the rest of the UK media put together, though I suspect many of those were already based there or pulled in from other foreign locations.

Well Al Jazeera managed to secure a proper native HD feed, god knows what the Beeb were playing at,
not only was it an SD feed, but PAL composite at that. ! (which is why it was so soft) I'd love to know how they (the BBC) managed that !! The other coverage this week has taken SABC's native HD international feeds.

What format did Sky News HD use ?

Reuters had two feeds at 22w both in HD as well, people are suggusting something went wrong, or their production base in South Africa is still in SD but dear oh dear it was like watching it in 240p YouTube but the News Channel is now showing the story in full HD.

It's a real shame, because I was one of the project team that built SABC's four 24 cam HD OB units (in 2009/10)
they were state of the art vehicles, so to have the BBC totally mangle the pictures doesn't do anybody any credit.

The graphics didn't look right either all in all after the bbc telling everyone the significance of this event to show it in YouTube quality is awful really, now I read dimbleby and co flew out business class, where are the BBC finding this money, if they've struck a pot of gold it's about time they reduced the licence fee!