The Newsroom

The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread

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

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
MA
Markymark
http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/creative-industries-news/2012/01/17/bbc-birmingham-staff-to-walk-out-in-protest-at-cuts-65233-30140712/
Last edited by Markymark on 18 January 2012 3:46pm
WE
Westy2
Is Lindsey Doyle back as MT's arts reporter now?
Shes doing a report about the Titanic tonight.
MW
Mike W
Westy2 posted:
Is Lindsey Doyle back as MT's arts reporter now?
Shes doing a report about the Titanic tonight.


What do you mean 'back'? She was never gone!
WE
Westy2
Mike W posted:
Westy2 posted:
Is Lindsey Doyle back as MT's arts reporter now?
Shes doing a report about the Titanic tonight.


What do you mean 'back'? She was never gone!


Well, if you check back on one of my previous posts, there was a link to a Sunday Mercury story about LD getting into a bit of bother, so Satnam became the Arts Reporter & LD virtually vanished off screen!

(I seem to recall around the time of the August riots, someone mentioned she was one of the staff 'trapped' in the Mailbox overnight, while the locals ran riot on the streets of Brum!)

Now Satnam's on maternity leave, LD suddenly reappears on an arts related story!

http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forums/post722058#post-722058 was my original post.

http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2011/09/04/bbc-tv-presenter-banned-from-driving-after-being-caught-three-times-over-drink-limit-66331-29360135/ was the link concerned.

It looks like her ban still has a few more months to run!
Last edited by Westy2 on 24 January 2012 10:24pm - 2 times in total
WE
Westy2
This chap seems to be one of the decent posters on DS, plus I did catch something briefly on air re Franksy last night anyway, so I'd be surprised if this info is wrong.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=56230442&postcount=610

Wonder if this is the end for 'The Early Show', or more likely a cutback to 5am to 6am?

(Quite a change over the past few years for Earlies. Originally years ago it was 530 to 630(Chris Humpherys?), then went to 5 to 6(Cayte Walker / Shane O'Connor/Julie Mayer era), then 5 to 7am(Danny Kelly/early Mollie Green era), then cut back during Mollie's time through to Daz currently 5 to 630.)
MW
Mike W
Westy2 posted:
Mike W posted:
Westy2 posted:
Is Lindsey Doyle back as MT's arts reporter now?
Shes doing a report about the Titanic tonight.


What do you mean 'back'? She was never gone!


Well, if you check back on one of my previous posts, there was a link to a Sunday Mercury story about LD getting into a bit of bother, so Satnam became the Arts Reporter & LD virtually vanished off screen!

(I seem to recall around the time of the August riots, someone mentioned she was one of the staff 'trapped' in the Mailbox overnight, while the locals ran riot on the streets of Brum!)


She's been at BBC Brum since her ban, she faced no internal disciplinary action and was indeed trapped in the Mailbox by West Mids Police OSU.
WE
Westy2
Westy2 posted:
This chap seems to be one of the decent posters on DS, plus I did catch something briefly on air re Franksy last night anyway, so I'd be surprised if this info is wrong.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=56230442&postcount=610

Wonder if this is the end for 'The Early Show', or more likely a cutback to 5am to 6am?

(Quite a change over the past few years for Earlies. Originally years ago it was 530 to 630(Chris Humpherys?), then went to 5 to 6(Cayte Walker / Shane O'Connor/Julie Mayer era), then 5 to 7am(Danny Kelly/early Mollie Green era), then cut back during Mollie's time through to Daz currently 5 to 630.)


Checking the online schedules(assuming they're correct!), Early Show is still on, but Upton's been cut back to 9am. Goldie & Malin have swopped, Goldie running Monday to Saturday 9 till 12, with Malin running Monday to Thursday 12 till 2, with Doolan continuing on Fridays.

(Goldie surely can't be doing a 7 day week, or is he giving up 5Live on Sundays? Interesting that Malin has managed to wrangle a 4 day week though!)
WE
Westy2
Westy2 posted:
Rijowhite posted:
Westy2 posted:
Rijowhite posted:
Jon Wells posted:
Westy2 posted:
sda| posted:
Westy2 posted:
This deserves a wider audience than the Radio Forum.

(And if anyone disagrees, tough!)

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/01/bmrb-mercia-beacon-wyvern-to-be-free/


Cack. Replace the one of the most unique and iconic names in UK radio with something that sounds like a pirate station with some kind of agenda.


If they had to rebrand, they should call all the stations Orion (The name of the parent group).
Eg 96.4 Orion Fm, 97.2 Orion Fm.

Theyve said no so far, but could all the stations merge into one?


They're not allowed to merge into one station, although under the rules BRMB and Mercia could share everything. Beacon and Wyvern would have to provide it's own Breakfast and Drivetime shows. But you have assume eventually it'll all end up being one station. As for whether that's under the 'Free Radio' brand remains to be seen.


BRMB is not a patch on what it used to be. I actually suggested they change the name to Orion Birmingham on DS a little while back...that would have been stronger than this Free FM name. Awful methinks. Sad

R.I.P BRMB (and the others).


Must admit I do have a look through DS's forums regulary & it appears that the latest brainwave by Orion is to eventually move the footy off the FM stations onto their Gold AM & DAB frequencies.

ISTR reading somewhere last time they tried that trick, in the Xtra Am days, listeners in the north of the transmission area had trouble getting the 3pm footy, so it got moved back to BRMB.

Since then, DAB was introduced, so does your average Villa/Blues fan living in South Staffordshire(if there is such a beast?) still have an issue with reception of Gold Birmingham(assuming they can tell the difference between Gold Brum & Gold Wolves on DAB?)?

(There are also 2 BBC WM's on DAB too, one for Birmingham & one for Wolves!)


Not the best idea by Orion methinks (I'm a Villa fan living in Tamworth, at least for the next couple of months). As for DAB I couldn't tell you, but as most still don't have DAB surely they should think about that.


Villa fan eh. Are you a Big Eck fan or not? Im strictly neutral when it comes to local footy. I even have a non league ground in our road!


Update on this issue :

Each station's website now has a podcast explaining the changes!

http://brmb.orionplayer.co.uk/player/podcasts/unkown/28455

http://beaconradio.orionplayer.co.uk/player/podcasts/unknown/28261

http://wyvernfm.orionplayer.co.uk/player/podcasts/the-goalzone/21810

http://mercia.orionplayer.co.uk/player/podcasts/unkown/29530
WE
Westy2
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/02/wyre-and-severn-sold-to-utv-media/

This means they're now part of the same group that locally own 107.7 The Wolf & Signal & nationally Talk **** sorry Talk Sport.
JO
Jon
Westy2 posted:
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/02/wyre-and-severn-sold-to-utv-media/

This means they're now part of the same group that locally own 107.7 The Wolf & Signal & nationally Talk **** sorry Talk Sport.

All the presenters have left The Wyre and The Severn today. It is without doubt they will share all output with The Wolf or the on duty Wolf presenter will voice track for The Severn and The Wyre at the same time as they are on 107.7. The Wyre will probably keep the local breakfast show for now due to it being in a different Ofcom mini-region to The Wolf and The Severn, but they can probably go to Ofcom which will allow them to merge everything.

The Wyre and The Severn (which was originally three separate stations) shared everything but breakfast.
Last edited by Jon on 3 February 2012 7:03pm - 2 times in total
WE
Westy2
Jon Wells posted:
Westy2 posted:
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/02/wyre-and-severn-sold-to-utv-media/

This means they're now part of the same group that locally own 107.7 The Wolf & Signal & nationally Talk **** sorry Talk Sport.

All the presenters have left The Wyre and The Severn today. It is without doubt they will share all output with The Wolf or the on duty Wolf presenter will voice track for The Severn and The Wyre at the same time as they are on 107.7. The Wyre will probably keep the local breakfast show for now due to it being in a different Ofcom mini-region to The Wolf and The Severn, but they can probably go to Ofcom which will allow them to merge everything.

The Wyre and The Severn (which was originally three separate stations) shared everything but breakfast.


If Ofcom lets them merge, is it likely there might be a name change like Orion, or would they split links?
JO
Jon
Westy2 posted:
Jon Wells posted:
Westy2 posted:
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/02/wyre-and-severn-sold-to-utv-media/

This means they're now part of the same group that locally own 107.7 The Wolf & Signal & nationally Talk **** sorry Talk Sport.

All the presenters have left The Wyre and The Severn today. It is without doubt they will share all output with The Wolf or the on duty Wolf presenter will voice track for The Severn and The Wyre at the same time as they are on 107.7. The Wyre will probably keep the local breakfast show for now due to it being in a different Ofcom mini-region to The Wolf and The Severn, but they can probably go to Ofcom which will allow them to merge everything.

The Wyre and The Severn (which was originally three separate stations) shared everything but breakfast.


If Ofcom lets them merge, is it likely there might be a name change like Orion, or would they split links?

UTV own clusters of stations in other areas and they don't share a brand. I think it would be split links, The Wolf's USP is probably it's localness and I doubt they'd be any real advantage of rebranding those stations. Orion state the main reasons for the rebrand is to attract national advertisers and for TV advertising, these stations are really not big enough for adverts on ITV Central and the UTV network is the brand that will gain national advertisers. Who knows UTV may go to a signal UK wide brand eventually.

EDIT: I meant single not signal, nice freudian slip there.

Newer posts