The Newsroom

BBC News strike

(May 2005)

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WE
Westy2
Ermm, if the strike starts from 0001 Monday morning, where does that leave live radio progs that straddle 10/11pm to 1am?

Do they :

a)Run as normal.

b) Run live to 0000, then strike programming/procedures take over.

or c) Record the entire segment.

I'm thinking of the various regional late shows that run at that time!
MA
Marcus Founding member
harshy posted:
w12 posted:
Matrix posted:
I presume all three main news feeds (World, News 24 and BBC One) will be coming from the News 24 set?


Pretty much spot on. And an extreme shortage of producers/reporters/presenters/crews/picture editors/directors etc.... going in and breaking the strike. A handful of managers will try and keep some service on air (despite most of them agreeing with the strike), but they'll be wrestling with technology that many of them are - at best - unfamiliar with. The challenges will be basic things like getting the right instructions into scripts for the automated systems to work, recording what they want to record, getting the right pictures on air at the right time, getting the pictures from a live signal (and the return sound) routed from the sat dish on the roof into a studio.

It'll be an interesting time - and you're likely to notice the difference from 0001 on Sunday night/Monday morning on News 24.


That's very true since the gallery is not the traditional type, it will be tough no doubt about it especially with the advanced technology now adopted by BBC News for it's 24hr services.


Well the managers of the various departments all used to work in the gallery, so they should have a rough idea of what to do. Whether they can keep it up for 24 hours remains to be seen.

Will be interesting to see what shot they use at midnight. Are we going to see the background staff putting on their coats and walking out during the opening cue
MR
mrwilliams
It will also be interesting to see Breakfast tomorrow.
DA
Dan Founding member
Westy2 posted:
Ermm, if the strike starts from 0001 Monday morning, where does that leave live radio progs that straddle 10/11pm to 1am?

Do they :

a)Run as normal.

b) Run live to 0000, then strike programming/procedures take over.

or c) Record the entire segment.

I'm thinking of the various regional late shows that run at that time!


People working on the show who go on strike will walk out at midnight. People not going on strike will carry on as normal. Most people who support the strike will not be doing extra work (e.g. recording output) before or after the strike as this would undermine the industrial action.
DA
Dan Founding member
GMTV_journalist posted:
It will also be interesting to see Breakfast tomorrow.


And on Tuesday of course as there will have been a limited number of reports produced on Monday.
BB
BBC TV Centre
What will happen on radio? Will it continue as normal, or will it be all non-stop music and recorded stuff, or a mix of both? Are any of the well known presenters going on strike? Confused
MR
mrwilliams
I think someone told me they are bringing freelance presenters on RADIO 1 and they could be recording stuff for RADIO 1 today.
And as for BREAKFAST they will be in the N24 studios or Westminster studios.
AN
Andrew Founding member
Dan posted:
People working on the show who go on strike will walk out at midnight. People not going on strike will carry on as normal. Most people who support the strike will not be doing extra work (e.g. recording output) before or after the strike as this would undermine the industrial action.

But does that mean that tommorow night they will come into work at Midnight to do the final hour?
I would have thought it would be more sensible for late show staff to strike 1am to 1am!
MA
Marcus Founding member
Andrew posted:
Dan posted:
People working on the show who go on strike will walk out at midnight. People not going on strike will carry on as normal. Most people who support the strike will not be doing extra work (e.g. recording output) before or after the strike as this would undermine the industrial action.

But does that mean that tomorrow night they will come into work at Midnight to do the final hour?
I would have thought it would be more sensible for late show staff to strike 1am to 1am!


Unfortunately it doesn't work like that.

There are many staff coming in tonight at 11 and working for 1 hour before walking out. Likewise there are many who have to come in at midnight on Tuesday morning to do the last hour of their shifts before finishing at 1am.

Striking is not easy for anyone.
DA
Dan Founding member
Andrew posted:
But does that mean that tommorow night they will come into work at Midnight to do the final hour?


Yes that may happen in some places as technically there is no protection in law outside the hours of the strike.
MA
Magoo
So the first point of interest is likely to be who is presenting on BBC News 24 at midnight. Over the last couple of weeks it has been Martine Croxall (of course, if she is freelance at the moment, she could still be presenting as normal)
IS
Inspector Sands
GMTV_journalist posted:
I think someone told me they are bringing freelance presenters on RADIO 1 and they could be recording stuff for RADIO 1 today.


Freelancers and contracted 'Talent' (presenters who aren't staff) can go on strike just like the rest of us if their consience tells them to. When they get phoned up and asked in they can just say 'sorry I'm already booked out that day'

The union line over recording and arranging stuff in advance should only be happening if it would have happened anyway. If your job normally involves pre-recording Monday's programme then you should do it, if it's a special request then you are within your rights to refuse.

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