BBC News strike

Seeing as you've not gone through this thread, you should probably be alerted that this is the schoolboy who is looking forward to the next strike.

Not surprised to hear you think it was a shambles. I think the managers and scabs did a good job but (assuming the next strike goes ahead) I'd imagine by the end the news will be a bit thin on the ground.

The actual production of the national programmes didn't look that bad, but the content was pitiful.... and it is the content that is important, not wether they get the countdown right!

That wasn't BBC One London.... that was network BBC One. BBC London didn't get on air at 6:25

Yes...it did seem they were milking every report they could find and replaying them every bulletin. What's the point, as I think having a recorded bulletin every two hours would have the same effect.

At 1AM, service resumes to normal, with Martine Croxall, who hasn't presented the overnight service IIRC for a long time. Looks like everyone is back as the familar camera angles are back.

Martine Croxall has presented the overnight service a few times in the past fortnight or so.

Is it just me or does she sound VERY similair to North West Today's Fiona Trot???

Nothing new in using RTE pictures - they are a member of the EBU so will provide pictures to EVN. The difference this time was they were recorded off air - maybe because there was no one to switch lines, record clean in Belfast.

Just been watching the NOS news here in The Nederlands.

They showed a clip of Susan Osman messing up a throw to Evain Davis. I think, (can't be certain as Dutch is not exactly my native language) that they described Susan as a "BBC Manager"

I think that regardless of people's opinions to the strike, Akhtar Khan and Stephen Cole pulled off blinders. Akhtar has made a real name for himself, spending so long in the chair, presenting Breakfast and newsreading live which is completely different to putting together a pre recorded package.

Stephen Cole also coped really well, with live news, doing the 6 and 10 o'clock news, and stayed on for hours.

It's also worth noting Susan Osmond's contribution - but to be honest anyone could have filled the gap between the two mega shifts.

They did well to put out so much news in a relatively organised manner. Lets see what next week brings.

(oh, and we got a 50 second spinning globe with headline bed and a full length countdown too )

You seem to think that Akhtar has never presented live before which is simply not true. He was a regular fill in on the channel a year or so ago. He also did live reporting shifts as well. It just happens he currently does FastTrack. Also remember the weekend night shift always used to be 6 hours (0000-0600) so some presenters are used to doing a long shift - especially when you actually only read for 30 minutes, with pre-rec'd programming in back half hours.

Have just searched the Standard website but can't find it... What did it say?

A feelance presenter was booked, came in and got made up for the programme. Then at just before midnight she looked at her watch and walked out, no-one knew that she'd joined the union on Thursday

Nice Story, but not true. Aktar was always going to cover the night shift. And I guess they always planned to put recordings on at Midnight both days to avoid the embarrassment of seeing people leaving behind the presenter.