The Newsroom

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

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MW
Mike W
chris posted:
Mike W posted:
I disagree, I thought they were one of the strongest partnerships in regional news and worked well on screen together. There was a chemistry, wasn't forced and they clearly got on! Unlike Roger 'I'm so much better than everybody here and I talk in one tone' Johnson and Ranvir 'Over excited mole' Singh at least...

The banter with Nick was always was great and she is a very professional presenter, I feel she needs a national outing!


I spend a lot of time in the Midlands and I always felt there was little chemistry between the two, particularly compared to Gordon and Ranvir. Particularly weather presenter Shefali has nowhere near the chemistry Diane has with her colleagues.


I think your definition of chemistry differs from everybody else's', if you think it's giving your colleagues a cheshire cat grin and pretending to get along on set, you're mistaken!
CH
chris
Mike W posted:
chris posted:
Mike W posted:
I disagree, I thought they were one of the strongest partnerships in regional news and worked well on screen together. There was a chemistry, wasn't forced and they clearly got on! Unlike Roger 'I'm so much better than everybody here and I talk in one tone' Johnson and Ranvir 'Over excited mole' Singh at least...

The banter with Nick was always was great and she is a very professional presenter, I feel she needs a national outing!


I spend a lot of time in the Midlands and I always felt there was little chemistry between the two, particularly compared to Gordon and Ranvir. Particularly weather presenter Shefali has nowhere near the chemistry Diane has with her colleagues.


I think your definition of chemistry differs from everybody else's', if you think it's giving your colleagues a cheshire cat grin and pretending to get along on set, you're mistaken!


Good chemistry is when you can tell they get along. There's no doubt that the NWT team got along when Gordon was there, both on North West Tonight and North West Today (particularly with Heather Scott). Shefali to me seems bland and lacking personality when she's on the programme. I do agree that the programme has started to lose its way since the Salford move.

That's why I'm a fan of Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel; you can tell that the pair really do have a good working relationship.
MW
Mike W
chris posted:
Mike W posted:
chris posted:
Mike W posted:
I disagree, I thought they were one of the strongest partnerships in regional news and worked well on screen together. There was a chemistry, wasn't forced and they clearly got on! Unlike Roger 'I'm so much better than everybody here and I talk in one tone' Johnson and Ranvir 'Over excited mole' Singh at least...

The banter with Nick was always was great and she is a very professional presenter, I feel she needs a national outing!


I spend a lot of time in the Midlands and I always felt there was little chemistry between the two, particularly compared to Gordon and Ranvir. Particularly weather presenter Shefali has nowhere near the chemistry Diane has with her colleagues.


I think your definition of chemistry differs from everybody else's', if you think it's giving your colleagues a cheshire cat grin and pretending to get along on set, you're mistaken!


Good chemistry is when you can tell they get along. There's no doubt that the NWT team got along when Gordon was there, both on North West Tonight and North West Today (particularly with Heather Scott). Shefali to me seems bland and lacking personality when she's on the programme. I do agree that the programme has started to lose its way since the Salford move.

That's why I'm a fan of Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel; you can tell that the pair really do have a good working relationship.


Sorry about my bitchy tone there, wasn't meant like that - what I mean is I've been in the MT Newsroom a few times and you can tell they all get on, I believe Shefali got divorced and that could be why she seems so plain at times...
WE
Westy2
Im waiting for the Sunday Mercury exclusive.

'How I Was Forced Out By Evil BBC Bosses' by Suzanne Virdee

Btw Natasha Kaplinsky left the same day it was announced she was leaving the Beeb but they let her do a final bulletin.

Whats the difference?

I gather from online Michele & his union chums are having a meeting.

They wouldn't consider industrial action on a local level would they?

All for the sake of 2 days and their pride.

Grow up BBC Birmingham.
MW
Mike W
Westy2 posted:
Im waiting for the Sunday Mercury exclusive.

'How I Was Forced Out By Evil BBC Bosses' by Suzanne Virdee

Btw Natasha Kaplinsky left the same day it was announced she was leaving the Beeb but they let her do a final bulletin.

Whats the difference?

I gather from online Michele & his union chums are having a meeting.

They wouldn't consider industrial action on a local level would they?

All for the sake of 2 days and their pride.

Grow up BBC Birmingham.


Grow up? They get shat on a lot...
WE
Westy2
Mike W posted:
Westy2 posted:
Im waiting for the Sunday Mercury exclusive.

'How I Was Forced Out By Evil BBC Bosses' by Suzanne Virdee

Btw Natasha Kaplinsky left the same day it was announced she was leaving the Beeb but they let her do a final bulletin.

Whats the difference?

I gather from online Michele & his union chums are having a meeting.

They wouldn't consider industrial action on a local level would they?

All for the sake of 2 days and their pride.

Grow up BBC Birmingham.


Grow up? They get shat on a lot...


I was refering to the bosses there, not the 'rank & file' staff.

If Suzanne had not spoken out, we would've got the 'Suzanne has decided to pursue other projects' line & us public would've been none the wiser!

I haven't listened, but I'll bet Mollie's had a few questions on the subject on the text this morning, & she's dealt with them in her usual style. 'Thank you X for your text, but sorry can't comment' etc etc!
WE
Westy2
Birmingham Mail have popped up a story on their website, saying Suzanne is considering legal action.

Sorry BBC Birmingham bosses, you've brought this on yourselves!
RD
RDJ
Did Suzanne actually appear in Friday`s programme or not? As from what I can see Mary Rhodes presented with Nick?
GR
gregmc
RDJ posted:
Did Suzanne actually appear in Friday`s programme or not? As from what I can see Mary Rhodes presented with Nick?


Nope, she wasn't allowed to say by to colleagues and viewers.

Quote:
They said she is especially angered that she was refused the chance to say goodbye to Midlands Today viewers on Friday night.
It is understood that Virdee was told of the decision that she would no longer appear on the programme by Cath Hearne, the Head of Regional Programmes in the West Midlands, who called her at home on Thursday morning.


http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2012/04/01/bbc-midlands-today-presenter-suzanne-virdee-considering-legal-action-against-the-bbc-66331-30666912
JT
jolly turnip
Cath Hearne, in my experience, is a rather callous woman who is not interested in the views of the the general public.

I may be wrong, but that is how I found her to be
WE
Westy2
Don't think that Cath Hearne has ever appeared on WM in any capacity, when Doolan's had Beeb bosses in the studio, to answer listener queries.

To my knowledge, it was always the WM managing editor that appeared(originally Tony Inchley, most recently Keith Beech) on air.

Beech's replacement(name escapes me! LOL) hasn't appeared on air as far as I know, in fact Doolan hasn't done a phone in on that yet since he changed his hours. (Whether Goldberg as his replacement does any similar phone ins, I don't know, as work does not listen to speech, only music!)
WE
Westy2
Hmm Keith Middleton has just mentioned that this is his penultimate Friday on Wm.
(Those of you who follow the thread will be aware that he took over the Friday show because Lloyd Williams disappeared suddenly)

According to a post on Digital Spy radio forums, Graham Torrington is doing a Late Show on Monday to Thursdays from a couple of weeks time, so does this mean bye bye to the specialist shows, & whats happening Fridays?

Edit : Just asked Keith via Facebook and its GT Monday to Thursday with Jimmy Franks on Friday!

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