The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread

Watching Russell Howard's Good News last night, and they credited something as Look East. However, it defiantly wasn't our Look East studio, as we don't have a Soft Set, but when they showed a clip from a report relating to the same story, a BBC News Strap came up telling us it was East Midlands Today. Am I right in saying they credited Look East instead of East Midlands Today?

EDIT:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00rwwj6/Russell_Howards_Good_News_Series_2_E

^ Link to the show on iPlayer - Look East credit at 7:27 ^

sparking new discussion: Is it time the BBC found an alternative location within Birmingham.

The Mailbox is too small for their needs so is it time they built a new broadcasting centre, with 2 large studios? Pebble Mill put the Mailbox to shame. I want to hear your thoughts.

Could you explain why that's necessary?

I'm just curious to hear other's thoughts.
At Pebble Mill there were 4 studios (A and B, The Foyer [C] and the Conservatory). The Mailbox has 1 studio and the end of an office. The Drama department are house off site in Selly Oak, hardly ideal. The offices are cramped and studio space for regional (and network) productions is limited. Okay, Studio B at the Mill wasn't exactly massive, but compared to the MT Studio at The Mailbox it was huge.

Studio A at Pebble Mill was being used (After closure) by Doctors and Afternoon Play without the BBC money men knowing, when they did find out it was too late. Midlands Today are limited in what they can fit into their studio at the moment as there are only 2 doors into the studio and they are just normal, office doors, no larger. It's my understanding the baking tray for the refresh had to go in in two parts and be bolted together inside whereas Studio B had a large studio door they could get things through.

It seems the fashion in the Beeb at the moment to downsize everything. I think the whole BBC North project proves that downsizing did cost them. When the One Show came from Birmingham it came from a shed on the edge of the canal, no studio space inside and where it comes from now is no better, above the BBC playout room at Broadcast Centre White City, it was a meeting room before a studio, this just proves the BBC clearly didn't plan ahead when designing for modern broadcast. Also, it would be nice for them to have their own location in Birmingham, rather than being constrained to what their landlord wants.

Sounds like the main issue here is that the BBC think Birmingham is just another region, and therefore deserving of the same level of facilities as all it's new build regional centres, while you think it's Pebble Mill transported to another building, with all the network commitments that entails.

Also, please remember the reason The One Show is not done in a studio is not because they don't have a suitable studio to use, but because they made a decision not to use a studio. There are numerous studios that the BBC own across the country they could have used if they wanted it to look like a studio based programme.

That's East Midlands Today alright, Quentin Rayner and Anne Davies to be precise.

Thanks for clarifying that, knew it wasn't Look East, Is this the same Anne Davies who presented GMTV in 1993?

The very same.

Oh Dear.

Going slightly off topic (& for a change, not related to BBC WM!), has anyone tried for conveiences sakes SKY Plussing both Midlands Today & The One Show?

I've tried & it seems to be hit & miss.

Firstly, I tried Midlands Today & the One Show on BBC ONE WM & for some reason it never taped MT then when coming to check the box, I have to manually start the One Show, complete with the box throwing a wobbler occasionally. MT also got a recording clash too bearing in mind, the previous programme earlier in the day being taped being The Daily Politics.

Ok, I thought, lets try taping MT from BBC ONE WM, but taping The One Show from BBC ONE London instead.

It seemed to work for the time being, but tonight's MT failed with a message saying 'Technical Fault 9'.

All other progs on my Sky Plus appear to tape correctly, so is there a 'issue' with actual transmission of MT from the Beeb itself?

That's the one... she also present Central News East back in the day. I think she's been with EMT since about 2001 or something-- I much prefer Kylie Pentelow. Anne's highlight was sniffing ethanol on air, claiming it "smelt like maker pens".

She normally presents with Dominic Heale, another Central refugee-- Quentin Rayner is usually the chief news-reporter.

Well who do we have here, next to Eamonn (double the man he used to be):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG9yYvqirWU-- first GMTV ever.

Have any other TV & Radio presenters been stranded abroad due to the current Icelandic Volcano situation?

BBC WM's Sior Coleman, who normally does the Sunday Early Show from 6 till 7, is stranded in Spain with his family, so he won't be on tomorrow!(Don't know who's covering!)

Mollie was talking to him this morning(I happened to wake up for a pee around 745am, so I switched on for a change!) & she also mentioned she was covering Chinnie tomorrow too.

It appears from a trail I heard earlier as well, that WM are taking the Keith Middleton Saturday Late Show from next weekend.

More cutbacks ?

(Might have to ask Danny Scouser via Facebook.)