Lochearnhead landslides

I reckon tonight's Lochearnhead landslide story goes to the ITV News Channel - only because for the first time in a debate about who got what first the News Channel entered the debate - albeit thanks to STV.
I don't remember that happening for some time.

Otherwise I reckon it was a dead heat between News 24 and Sky News. Although the fact that Sky spelt Lochearnhead wrong in 3-foot letters on the newswall for more than 20 minutes was pretty embarrassingly bad.

That said - it would be interesting to fnd out what Five News bosses think about the last two big storie; this and Boscastle - Sky have been outclassed by the sheer size and breadth of the BBC's and ITV's newsgathering operations.

Most interestingly though - what do you think of this idea to get punters to send in video and pictures? I don't see the BBC ever doing it - given it is Public Service it can hardly public to be it's eyes and hears given how much is already poured into the Corporation.

Let's bet on who is going to be the first channel to show photos that turn out to be hoaxes! After the seriously awful weather we've been having my garden doesn't look much different to the mess in Boscastle at the moment. It's so tempting to snap, send and see!

I'm watching Scotland Today and the majority of the pictures have been the same that they have used on the ITV News, even the same reporter who is the only reporter in the town.

Didn't know Scotland Today also used an opening sting at 10.50, I thought most regions dropped that.

And the presenter might be starting to loose her voice.

Looks like the ITV NC gallery were expecting a weather sponsor sting!

Ah yes, about 1 second of the breakfiller appeared, are SMG really trying to save money to have one Weather graphic for the whole of Scotland, as you got all of Grampian's weather on that map! I thought STV was for Central Scotland, my geographical knowledge of Scotland is not brilliant, but you think they would provide more of an in-depth look for Central Scotland?

Hang on, Sterlingshire?

Sorry, we had a typo on the caption on the ITV News Channel there - can't anyone just type the names of the places into Google or something to check them.

Regarding the weather map - I've ranted a lot about STV covering Grampian stories and pretending they are Scotland's national broadcaster (unfortunately there was no evidence of it tonight for me to go 'look, see what we need to put up with'). However we get a longer update on the 6pm bulletin which involves a bizarre fly-through weather map which has to be seen to be believed. Read by a bored continuity announcer with elevator music in the background, it's actually a relief when you get the all-Scotland weather map.

ITV Sales are looking for a new sponsor for the Scottish and Grampian weather.

They've still not fixed it - the ITV News Channel still have Stirlingshire spelt as STERLINGshire.

Never let it be said ITV are obsessed with money...

Hang on, other than GMTV, ITV regional weather has more than 3 transmissions a day! Or is it different in Scotland?

Some valid points raised there but I didnt see ANY photos or videos submitted to ANY news channel tonight - maybe the pics werent that good and not used as often as they were from Cornwall or I just happened to miss them!

Coverage-wise, once again, it was a particularly difficult area to attend where Sky News only got as far as the near-by village of Callander(sp?) and talked to one of their news reporters throughout the night also talking to a few locals and people rescued.

ITV News managed to get a bit nearer the valley with some 'exclusive' flooding shots of water cascading down mountains and fields flooded, with animals running for cover and showing fast running water in many places. Also tractors in operation and general areas under flood conditions (they must have been shot pretty early as it was still VERY light outside)

Correct me if i.m wrong, but i'm sure BBC news 24 went to their Glasgow newsroom to speak to a correspondant and also later managed to get to a LIVE outside a small village????

Obviously I was flicking around all three trying to gauge the coverage but the BBC were also covering other news stories and their usual items throughout each hour so I may have missed other important points about the BBC coverage.

Whereas ITV News Channel dedicated the whole night's coverage from 19:00 - 00:00 of the disaster in Scotland. Whether this is the right decision is debatable but they were the only channel to do so (again) and personally, I prefer a news channel to stay with a breaking story like this.

All three news channels carried the RAF footage together, whereas ITV News Channel also had extra footage from Scottish Television(STV as they kept referring) where Owen kept trumpetting the exclusive shots and the superior quality of them compared to other news channels. Whether you should do this on a disaster (at an early stage) is also debateable.

ITV News Channel also streamed the coverage from the Strathclyde Police helicopter as they recieved them, whereas Sky News showed bits of the stream about ten minutes later, whereas BBC News 24 didnt feature them (from what I saw)

All three had some great phone interviews with RAF, police, eye witnesses and people who had actually been caught up in the disaster. Whereas Sky were the only ones to get a live interview with witnesses from Callandar.

My favourite eye witness was on the ITV NC called Paula Brady where she got very excited over telling the newscaster all about it and was considerably excited about the whole escapade. So much so that they got her back for the ITV1 News at 22:30 where Andrea Catherwood also interviewed her! LOL

Also, one other funny to mention was that when ITV NC were interviewing a chap called Charles Hammond they accidentally had a picture of Meatloaf on the screen for about ten seconds before it disappeared and was repalced by a generic slide! LOL

Good entertainment value all night and luckily no-one has been injured or killed by this disaster!

Adequate coverage from all three channels and well done to ITV News for dedicated the whole night to covering the disaster.

Essay over!

Sky News did use one rather odd still of the Royal Navy helicopter hovering which looked like it had been taken with a mobile phone. Not very clear and unfocussed but did mean they were first with a still - dodgy as it was.

The ITV News Channel seem to still be settling into their new toys (nearly eights months after their relaunch mind) and loved the Meatloaf blooper - classic stuff!
Reminds me of the blunder when News 24 first launched and they named Madeleine Albright, "GI JANE".

Reporting Scotland did a live with Nina McLeod on the 10.25 bulletin, which is very rare. I have only seen that once before when there was that explosion in Glasgow.