Manchester Terror Attack

Just typed quite a bit then realised dosxuk summed up what I was going to say. There was clearly something going on very early doors, and there was confirmation of deaths, but it wasn't certain beyond doubt whether this was just a tragic, tragic incident or a deliberate terror attack for some time afterwards. Does a TV station haul everything off-air only to realise that it's the former rather than the latter?

I'd say most broadcasters got it spot on. ITV may need to have a look at its capability to cover huge breaking news overnight, Radio 1 should also review not having news during early breakfast as it left their DJ in a difficult position. Heart North West got on air as fast as you could humanly do so and did a good job when they were up, but Key 103/Radio Manchester owned it.

I just think the main BBC one channel could have come on faster, BBC Scotland went off early to go to news at 00.35 but still found time to insert weather update. While NI was 00.50. It was very clear by midnight there was afoot that made it look it was deliberate.

Heart: It has an office in local area, but it still London esq, there was someone live in the place at all times over night which is a shocker:

Heart would know what was going on, but getting someone on air as you say can only be done as fast as humanly possible. Mind you the old Real radio network all come live from Manchester at all other times..

KEY103, there the ting Bauer Radio network out put is from Manchester isn't it.

Out of interest how did Adele Roberts deal with it, as presumably she had to break the news herself as Newsbeat doesn't rock up until 6:30 these days

That is somewhat unfair on the BBC - I think from reading this thread they were on air on network BBC1 at around 12.20am if I recall. I know I went to bed just before midnight and at that point the theory was at best it was a stampede in an over reaction to a blown speaker or something.

ITV though really let themselves down. As others have mentioned the story was developing between 10.30-11pm as News at Ten and then London Tonight and Granada Reports would have been coming off air, so they really should have kept key personnel around to see if it developed into anything that would warrant them returning to air. In the past in these situations the rumour mill has suggested that ITN have been ready to go to air but ITV didn't wish them too but this time round it feels like it was probably the complete opposite - ITV News had gone to bed for the night and they weren't getting up for anything.

Scrubbing through on iPlayer, there was no direct reference to it, just some slightly more obvious pointers to there being Newsbeat at 06:30 and oblique references to early risers often being people who work to help others, and the listeners helping her get through the show. Perhaps it was presumed that most people listening were aware of the news?

If the budget cuts don't run to starting Newsbeat at 4:30 anymore, maybe there should be an arrangement on occasions like this, to have a bulletin from another radio station, either as a simulcast or ideally bespoke (They'd get away with the scripts not being in the Newsbeat style). I'm guessing one of the national BBC stations has a newsreader that early?

Firstly what I'm asking is, was there a failure, in network control to inform the nations? The people in the nations have other things to deal with than watch the news. That is a very fair question to be asking, did someone think not worth calling in everyone and thus the nations themselves decide to cut it short?

Also I have to disagree it was well before 00.00 BBC know it was not, over reaction to a blown speaker or something. As others have said on this thread, Clive was speaking to someone on the phone at 23.35 it was pretty clear there was something very very wrong with bodys all over the place and the guy being thrown across the fool, yet there was a video from inside.

Is this coming across as complaints - possible but its reasonable question to ask. Since this is a pres forum is we should be able to ask such stuff.



ITV really has does have a problem, Nice and pairs attack did highlight this was coming down the line, but will ITV make a proper change? Or Does ITV believe it might be pointless to say on air overnight? OF course if this had happened an hour early at 21.30 or even 9pm and the story come in to fall pelt just as the news at ten started would there have said on all night then?

It was slightly too late to be caught by the majority of viewers, it was near 11pm before any sort of incident was known, Midnight before it was known there were fatalities and later than that when it was confirmed to be a bomb. You wouldn't break into the schedules until the latter.

I don't know why you are obsessing over either point, most people were in bed, it was the middle of the night. By 6am all major channels provided high quality news coverage both open ended on the day and with special news bulletins thereafter, at the times that mattered and viewers were able to watch.

There has been praise all over for the quality of the BBC News at Ten or the ITV Evening News, I haven't seen anything outside of the forum complaining about the coverage at 3am on Tuesday morning as most people were in bed.

Indeed. I think it gets forgotten by some in here, the audience (and available audience) watching TV between midnight and 6am is tiny

I have to agree with Andrew and Mark here - on the night of the bombing, I didn't go to bed until nearly 11.30pm - I didn't have the TV on, nor was I on social media or TV Forum. As a consequence the first I heard about it was when I switched the TV during Breakfast news. I would think the vast majority of the population found out at the same time as me. Once the main evening news is over by about 10.30pm, most people will be thinking about going to bed - if they haven't done so already. I can understand the BBC providing rolling news coverage because they have the required infrastructure in place. But ITV News certainly doesn't - there are only a few people on duty overnight - only one of whom is in MCR and would be available to set up the necessary communications. There aren't presenters on duty overnight anymore - not like in the Morning News days. It would take a lot of effort to get ITV News up and running overnight - and at a time when hardly anyone will be watching TV anyway. I can certainly understand why they didn't break into the schedules on this occasion.

ITV was being pragmatic. It made sense to concentrate resources on coverage at times when people are more likely to be tuning in to the ITV network, i.e. those who have been watching GMB or were going to watch This Morning but continue watching because they want to learn more about the attack or may only have woken up and thus be unaware of the attack beforehand.

Furthermore, the Evening News is ITV's most watched national bulletin and News at Ten is still an appointment-to-view programme that provides an alternative point-of-view to the BBC and gets respectable numbers of viewers (ITV isn't looking to beat the BBC in the ratings for flagship news bulletins).

Personally I wasn't bothered that ITV didn't break into the usual Nightscreen/gambling nonsense to report on the story when only 5 people and their dog are watching.

Freeview viewers had the choice of watching BBC1, BBC News, Sky News, Al Jazeera English (HD only) and RT overnight. ITV was sensible as a commercial channel to put all their resources into breakfast and daytime output.