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
PC
Philip Cobbold
CrusadeforCentral posted:
Has anyone noticed that since transmission was moved from Central to Yorkshire that the number of mistakes on Central News at Six has increased. Last night there were at least 3 times when the wrong VT was rolled, sound was not turned on or the music was played at the wrong time!!!

Also on GMTV there has been numerous occasions when Central News hasn't even been shown or the opt out was ran after the programme started!

This appears to be increasing!!

What's going on??????

Yorkshire aren't controling Central News though are they? I assume that the programme is still directed in Birmingahm. I watched Central News for the first time in a long while on Monday, and was instantly treated to several cock-ups, including playing out a report during the headlines, and Llewella whispering, 'Back to us, it's you'. It didn't encourage me to continue watching it.
Last edited by Philip Cobbold on 26 December 2004 8:16pm
TV
tvmercia Founding member
Philip Cobbold posted:
CrusadeforCentral posted:
Has anyone noticed that since transmission was moved from Central to Yorkshire that the number of mistakes on Central News at Six has increased. Last night there were at least 3 times when the wrong VT was rolled, sound was not turned on or the music was played at the wrong time!!!

Also on GMTV there has been numerous occasions when Central News hasn't even been shown or the opt out was ran after the programme started!

This appears to be increasing!!

What's going on??????

Yorkshire aren't controling Central News though are they? I assume that the programme is still directed in Birmingahm. I watched Central News for the first time in a long while on Monday, and was instantly treated to several cock-ups, including playing out a report during the headlines, and Llewella whispering, 'Back tous, it's you'. It didn't encourage me to continue watching it.

its still made in birmingham - but getting it to air requires leeds to press buttons (i'd imagine)

anyway - look out for the midlands today christmas tree which was put up this afternoon.
TV
tvmercia Founding member
well christmas is officially here - midlands today put their tree up and it looks quite fab - shame its not in shot more though - and i want to see tinsel around the monitors on the desk behind them.

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree1.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree2.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree3.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree4.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree5.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree6.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree7.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree8.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree9.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/christmastree10.jpg

meanwhile central south's mark lipscomb presented lunchtime central west

i wonder if there are staff shortages at central - considering jonathon ray recently defected ...

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/marklipscombe01.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/marklipscombe02.jpg
DE
deejay
tvmercia posted:
Westy2 posted:
Wonder how many people were waiting for 'Bargain C**t', as I refer to him at home, then ? Laughing

Seriously though, why didn't BBC Brum handle their own continuity, rather than letting TVC unintentionally balls it up for them?

I gather that the likes of BBC Scotland can delay live stuff to a server, then play back later. (Bits of Newsnight ISTR)

Do any of the newer BBC buildings have the facillity to do this ?

on this occasion it shouldn't have been necessary for bbc mids to do anything other than opt out for an ident and the programme - because all but 2 english regions were showing regional sports awards - so you'd imagine network would have left out the next caption on wednesday night. i'm sure their computer in london would have made it clear that almost everyone was opting out for bargain hunt - but they still trailed it Confused

talking of caching programmes - i know bbc bham used to cache certain programmes to servers back at pebble mill - not for timeshifting purposes though, not sure whether that happens at the mailbox.


Simple reason for this slight balls up: The opting regions didn't know that network were going to point Bargain Hunt until it was too late! Clearly Network didn't think that putting this pointer into the schedule caused a problem for viewers across the bulk of England!
WE
Westy2
Mr.B posted:
Westy2 posted:
According to other web sites, Les Ross(Midlands broadcasting legend) has left SAGA, to rejoin WM(He worked for the original Radio Birmingham, WM's predescessor!), but Digital Spy reckon not as a regular presenter! (UK Radio seems to be down!)

Gaunty has been saying this morning, that he's getting the boot in favour of Ross.

Whether this is true, I don't know, but it will be interesting to note that WM's recreating the classic BRMB 70's line up, of Ross, Doolan & Butler.

According to on air mentions, it was the WM staff xmas party, a couple of days ago!


This was a *very* fast decision on behalf of WM. By all accounts Les Ross was due in for an interview with Ed, during which it was expected that Les would spout forth about his reasons for leaving Saga...

However in the space of a couple of hours, Les had been offered a job at WM. Rumours began as soon as he entered the Mailbox that he was joining WM and by 11.30 it had all been 'sorted' and the announcement made. Les will initially be doing a weekly show... more details to come over the next week or so...

Not sure what Gaunty is on about... bit of bluster we reckon...


I must admit I think Gaunty talks out of his rear end anyway !

Guess who was reading the WM Birmingham news at Drivetime ?

Shabina Akthar, minus the 'Haley' ! (Wonder why she's dropped the 'Haley', bearing in mind she used it on her last few Evening Mail columns! The marriage hasn't gone 't*ts up' has it ? Last I heard earlier in the year(Evening Mail?), she was expecting. I think it was earlier this year, she was due to drop anyway!)

It's this week Jimmy Franks & Keith Middleton are sitting in on The Late Show, & I caught a bit of Jimmy on Monday. I know he's supposed to be a top club jock or summat, but I could hardly hear him over some the records though!
TV
tvmercia Founding member
hurrah, bbc midlands have bothered to use a christmas ident - complete with sparkly box and everything. *pours out glasses of snowball and minces around with a tray of midlands mince pies, dancing to the music*

Arrow WATCH BBC ONE MIDLANDS CHRISTMAS IDENT

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/bbconemidlands-xmas01.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/bbconemidlands-xmas02.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/bbconemidlands-xmas03.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/bbconemidlands-xmas04.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/bbconemidlands-xmas05.jpg
JA
Javlin007
Quote:
Tonight's WM Late Show is live from the Royal Mail sorting office in Aston, Birmingham.

It's a bit dodgy technically, mind you, because the bloke who's button pushing in the studio, it's his first night ! (He sounds a right camp Taffie IMO !)


O dear - that would be me then. Only a couple of little bugs to be frank... travel news not being on the ISDN ready, no talkback (which contributed quite a lot to the problems) and a couple of skipped jingles.

O well - I'll try better next time.

K - I am Welsh - I'm not camp - but as the joke that evening was 'I'm the only gay in the village' (I'm not gay btw) then I was playing up to Tony & Julie - All good fun though.

I should also own up to flying the balloon in the background of Midlands Today the other day. We spent an hour of so in the afternoon meeting the other departments around the building that most of us didn't know existed never mind knew they worked a short balloon flight away. We haven't had an office party so I think a couple of hours of team building is hardly what you'd call 'nothing to do all day' - in the end most of us stayed later to finish the work that was sitting on our desks - but the valuable experience of meeting all the staff in this new building was well worth the 2 hours downtime for non - production offices. Midlands Today and WM where still working as usual!
WE
Westy2
Dodgy night posted:
Quote:
Tonight's WM Late Show is live from the Royal Mail sorting office in Aston, Birmingham.

It's a bit dodgy technically, mind you, because the bloke who's button pushing in the studio, it's his first night ! (He sounds a right camp Taffie IMO !)


O dear - that would be me then. Only a couple of little bugs to be frank... travel news not being on the ISDN ready, no talkback (which contributed quite a lot to the problems) and a couple of skipped jingles.

O well - I'll try better next time.

K - I am Welsh - I'm not camp - but as the joke that evening was 'I'm the only gay in the village' (I'm not gay btw) then I was playing up to Tony & Julie - All good fun though.

I should also own up to flying the balloon in the background of Midlands Today the other day. We spent an hour of so in the afternoon meeting the other departments around the building that most of us didn't know existed never mind knew they worked a short balloon flight away. We haven't had an office party so I think a couple of hours of team building is hardly what you'd call 'nothing to do all day' - in the end most of us stayed later to finish the work that was sitting on our desks - but the valuable experience of meeting all the staff in this new building was well worth the 2 hours downtime for non - production offices. Midlands Today and WM where still working as usual!


Are you Mr B's 'engineer friend' then?

I apologise for calling you a 'camp Taffie' BTW !

I don't intend to take the p**s maliciously normally. It's just light hearted ! I'm sure there's worse people on here !

I just give an listener's point of view on certain things I see, hear & read about WM etc.

If you read my posts, you'll notice I tend to bang on about certain presenters. (Mollie being one of them!)

Mind you though, I gather this Jimmy Franks guy is supposed to be a top disco DJ or summat.

Is it my Acoustic Solutions Portal 1, or Jim himself, but sometimes I can't hear his talkover over the music, compared to other presenters, even Mollie!

Again, some of the speech is louder, for example on news reports, but when you cut to the live newsreader, they are quieter, plus Shropshire is louder on DAB compared to WM. How come?
TV
tvmercia Founding member
Dodgy night posted:
I should also own up to flying the balloon in the background of Midlands Today the other day. We spent an hour of so in the afternoon meeting the other departments around the building that most of us didn't know existed never mind knew they worked a short balloon flight away. We haven't had an office party so I think a couple of hours of team building is hardly what you'd call 'nothing to do all day' - in the end most of us stayed later to finish the work that was sitting on our desks - but the valuable experience of meeting all the staff in this new building was well worth the 2 hours downtime for non - production offices. Midlands Today and WM where still working as usual!

there certainly was a wm party ... or weren't you invited Laughing

i know what the doing nothing all day, day was about, i had to endure somebody nearby reel off the same spiel again and again to groups of people who (quite understandably) weren't the slightest bit interested.

i just thought the whole idea came at a very awkward time - DG reviews, redundancies and what not. or was it the farewell idea of the "moving to the mailbox dept"?
TV
tvmercia Founding member
oooh well it had to happen didnt it. poor sarah is upstaged by ... some random woman, who some how failed to notice the ON AIR sign. i love that cardy, and chewing the gum just makes he look so lady like Laughing

Arrow RANDOM WOMAN CHEWING GUM BEHIND SARAH

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/midlandstodayrandomwoman.jpg

the best bit is her reaction when someone tells her to shift
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
PMSL !!!!

I love that clip and that woman, it's made my year. How fab, the reaction when she realises she's on air is classic.

There will be a rush on chunky knitwear now, she's a legend.
IS
Isonstine Founding member
Fantastic!!! Definately a highlight of the year for me!! I think that will take a bit of beating.

In fact, I think it surpasses the excellent Charlie gasp.

Newer posts