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The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread

Suzanne Virdee's sudden departure from BBC Midlands (September 2004)

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RM
Roger Mellie
Well this ]forum thread explains more

Jez posted:
Roger Mellie posted:
Speaking of weather....

Are CN West doing the weather idol contest that CN East is? CNE are showing a clip of Central's first weather presenter-- there was me thinking that Chaz and Em had done Central weather for ever Wink


I was wondering why Central need another weather presenter - Charlie and Emma seem to manage the full 7 days between them and very rarely need to get James and Ruth to cover from ITV Wales. ITV Wales however need either Emma and Charlie to do their forcasts every weekend/Bank Holiday, and occasionally during the week too.

ITV West seem to have their own team now and dont use any of the Central and Wales weather presenters.
WE
Westy2
Tonight's Express & Star(couldn't get a Mail by me!), apart from Phil Bateman's monthly address to the West Midlands travelling public(& I do hope someone increases the service down my road soon, because from Monday, the service during the daytime reduces down to a half hourly TWM service, thanks to ARRIVA re-routing it's buses on the Bloxwich to Walsall corridor via TWM's Walsall bus depot, to replace the journeys it acquired from Chase Bus Services, who have now ceased trading, as of today, & those of you who know that particular route well, who now know how many buses operate that route as well, but that's a subject for another forum! I wouldn't mind, but I can't use my bus pass on those anyway!), there is a regular feature that flashbacks to 30 & 20 & 10 years ago this week.

Of note, in the 20 years ago section, it was noted that Doolan was to marry for the third time, to a woman 18 years his junior.

The 45 year old breakfast (at the time) frontman was engaged to 27 year old pharmacist Christine Phillips. The outspoken Australian had been alone since his divorce in 1974.

Anyone note the letters page on Wednesday or Thursday, having a general moan about the station?

'What has happened to BBC Radio WM?'
NH
Nick Harvey Founding member
Crikey, was he really on his own from '74 to '87?

I remember a lot of that period, during the BRMB days.
JM
JustMatt
Quote:
'What has happened to BBC Radio WM?'


I told you, its ****. Lose Molly, Jimmy Franks, and that Dick Danny Kelly.
Why not just lose the p**** of a an Editor, she's nice to talk to but she dont know how to run a radio station, Beechy was bad enough.

We need Liz back
WE
Westy2
Mattie posted:
Quote:
'What has happened to BBC Radio WM?'


I told you, its ****. Lose Molly, Jimmy Franks, and that Dick Danny Kelly.
Why not just lose the p**** of a an Editor, she's nice to talk to but she dont know how to run a radio station, Beechy was bad enough.

We need Liz back


I was quoting the newspaper!

Who would you have at WM, seeing you know so much about it?

Personally I'd have Radio Shropshire's early boy Ian Perry, as he used to do an excellent phone in on Beacon up until 10 & half years ago!
(Didn't Liz Cave used to work at Beacon years ago, along with 'Linseed Oil', from Midlands Today?)

Ditch the Friday night black programming & put a proper Late Show back on, or alternatively give Shropshire/Stoke/Hereford & Worcester some more money, so they can do their own weeknight late show instead of taking the Radio Nottingham one(Every time I've flicked onto that show, the East Midlands bias is horrendous!).

Wasn't said editor running Radio Stoke before coming to WM?
TV
tvmercia Founding member
Westy2 posted:
Ditch the Friday night black programming & put a proper Late Show back on


as long as they keep tracey's jailmail!!

interesting article in the sutton coldfield observer about a near miss where an aeroplane almost crashed into the transmitter ...
Arrow http://www.suttonobserver.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=185916&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232572&home=yes&more_nodeId1=185918&contentPK=17178864

Quote:
Horror in the air
JOHN NEWTON
10:30 - 27 April 2007

The Observer can reveal the chilling moments that air traffic controllers pleaded with the crew of an Iranian passenger plane to pull up - or risk crashing 84 passengers into Sutton's TV mast.

"You are still descending - climb 2,500ft; acknowledge," a controller repeated as a scheduled Mahan Air flight from Tehran made its approach to Birmingham International Airport.A report by the Aircraft Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) said that the crew of the Airbus A310 failed to apply the correct pressure settings, meaning that the jet was flying around 1,000ft lower than onboard readings showed.

"The radar controller had cleared the crew to descend to an altitude of 2,500ft, but noticed that the aircraft continued to descend below the cleared altitude," explained a spokesperson for the official investigation.

As the near-miss unfolded, the controller, who was also controlling several other aircraft, had his instructions repeatedly acknowledged but still the plane flew dangerously low.

At this point, Birmingham Airport warned that the mast lay four nautical miles ahead and the crew 'should climb immediately'.

"You are indicating 1,500ft," the controller stated. The crew then realised that the altimeters were set incorrectly.

"Just got it now and climbing 2,000ft," the co-pilot radioed to Birmingham.

The controller responded: "You can level off at 2,000ft please - you are now clear of the TV mast."

An AAIB spokesperson said: "A height difference of 930ft existed between the aircraft actual altitude and that indicated on the altimeters.

"Consequently, when the altimeters were indicating 2,500ft, the aircraft had actually descended to 1,570ft."

On righting its systems, the 16-year-old plane continued its approach and landed without further incident.

The near-miss happened at 8.43pm on November 24 last year, but details only came to light this week.

There were 84 passengers on board and a crew of 11.

"The crew could not recall any distractions or unusual flight deck activity at the point at which they would normally have adjusted the altimeter sub-scales," the AAIB said.


quite apart from the terrible loss of life - it would have left a lot of midlanders without bbc one/bbc two/central/channel 4/bbc wm at a time where you'd want to find out what was going on.

i wonder if they'd have managed to tx bbc one/two/central/wm from lichfield as a temporary measure?
GR
gregmc
Nick mentioned his blog tonight, its nice to know that he actualy was behind the goings on on his myspace, and not just some producer etc.

Shefali looks like shes expecting a little one .... maybe its just her clothes. Wink
WE
Westy2
gregmc posted:
Nick mentioned his blog tonight, its nice to know that he actualy was behind the goings on on his myspace, and not just some producer etc.

Shefali looks like shes expecting a little one .... maybe its just her clothes. Wink


Maybe she has the same problem as Claire Nasir of GMTV? Fiboids, I believe!

She was married ISTR a few years ago, because I remember the separation being mentioned in the Express & Star!

Anyway important news now.

It's the Green's 32nd birthday tomorrow(Tuesday), so if you want to wish her happy returns/give her stick(delete as applicable!), the text number is 07786 202956 from 5am tomorrow! Smile
WE
Westy2
Wot no mention of Butler's Sony Lifetime Achievement award?

Boyden has been back covering for 'me Daz Hale', including his new Saturday lunchtime show(I guess that meant a quick trip along the A45 between Coventry(CWR Saturday Brekky) & Brum?) & covering for Butler on Monday night while he was at the Sony's.

Caught a bit of Franksy today, & he's at Villa Park between 7 & 8 on Friday for a live forum, which means while he travels between the Mailbox & Villa between 6 & 7, Butler stands in for that hour!
TV
tvmercia Founding member
a couple of caps from bbc mids' coverage from last night ...

http://www.gorillaenterprises.co.uk/upload/uploadFiles/election2007a-resized.jpg

http://www.gorillaenterprises.co.uk/upload/uploadFiles/election2007b-resized.jpg

http://www.gorillaenterprises.co.uk/upload/uploadFiles/election2007c-resized.jpg

and midlands breakfast came from the politics show set this morning - so it was the politics show using bbc election graphics, within midlands today within bbc breakfast. who says corporate branding simplifies things for viewers Smile

http://www.gorillaenterprises.co.uk/upload/uploadFiles/election2007d-resized.jpg

http://www.gorillaenterprises.co.uk/upload/uploadFiles/election2007e-resized.jpg
WE
Westy2
Anyone see Friday's Birmingham/Black Country Mail?

It had a free pullout replica edition of a May 1982 edition post Villa Euro Cup triumph, including TV & radio details!

If no one has one to upload, I'll have to summarise at some point soon!
(Have no scanner!)
PE
Pete Founding member
gregmc posted:
Nick mentioned his blog tonight, its nice to know that he actualy was behind the goings on on his myspace, and not just some producer etc.

Shefali looks like shes expecting a little one .... maybe its just her clothes. Wink


where is Nick's new blog out of interest?

Nick was definately behind his myspace, if you went onto his daughters it became clear that she was doing a chunk of the more complex stuff for him (and most importantly, putting her mates in his top friends as they thought it was hillarious)

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