The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread

The Burekmeister's being interviewed by Doolan at this moment(10.10am Sunday), involving his book & general questions re news etc.

Gawd, this splitting of frequencies on WM, for the footy, is confusing, plus I’m not sure whether there was a technical cock up, or there was a problem with DAB rights for the Villa v Chelsea game, because I was out at the time, avoiding Jon Gaunt, plus I went to the new Maplins store at Walsall. (Spotted one of the guys from our computer room buying one of those radio control Porsches !)

Tuning in around 2.15pm, on NOW Wolverhampton, expecting build up for the Wolves v Wigan game, to be greeted by CWR’s sports team building up Coventry’s game away at Leeds instead. Checking CE Birmingham, also showed they were transmitting CWR too! Switching on 95.6(no pirate for a change!), revealed they were transmitting Villa v Chelsea.

The only thing I can think of is that Villa wouldn’t let their match be transmitted on DAB, so DAB was switched to CWR output at 12, & Jimmy Franks was transmitted on all DAB & CWR, but not 95.6, because the Villa match was on, which was sponsored by BBC WM as well, hence the half time penalty shoot out mentioned!

Approx 2.45pm, Brum & Wolves DAB swopped back to WM output, with Franksy live from Anfield with build up for the Scousers v Baggies, chosen probably because of the recent rights signing with WBA.

During a final round up around the grounds, Brum & Wolves DAB abruptly swopped to their respective matches, so coverage was as follows :

Wolves v Leeds on NOW Wolverhampton.

Middlesborough v Birmingham City on CE Birmingham.

Liverpool v WBA on 95.6

I think Walsall v Sheffield Wednesday was available via a Walsall FC related internet site, but I couldn’t check at the time.

I tune in to find out if Michelle Robinson is going to say anything about tomorrow's new look Central News set and they cut to the commercial break half way through Emma's forecast!

They're doing on purpose, the little teases!

They can't mention it on the GMTV bulletins, as they're pan-regional these days, and the change is only relevant to the West sub-region.

So the earliest possible mention now, will be on the mid-morning bulletin.

So no doubt another unconvincing virtual set is to accompany their new studio.

Please...I just hope they try and make it half decent. The virtual set generally looks very good - it was excellent in the early days but they've made everything too "fancy" and it just looks poo now.

I wish that CNwest would use the main set for more/all bulletins.

I hate the "claustrophobia" of CSO sets.

At the very least, the lunchtime, 1800, and late weekday bulletins should come from the main set, if not some/all other bulletins.

Having a proper set, but only using it for one 30-minute show a day (and not at all at weekends - save for CNweek) is such a waste.

A virtual studio is not the most certain of things....

If the mid-morning bulletin is anything to go by, it looks like all CNwest bulletins will be coming from the new main set.

No more horribly claustrophobic virtual/CSO set! Yay!

Random thought:

New CNwest set today, MT moving to Mailbox by end of October. Is this the closest-together that both news programmes in a particular region have had a change???

how very odd - central news are back in the CSO studio for the 3.00 bulletin. now that citv arent in the studio anymore, which would have prevented them using the main set in the past, i wonder why they couldnt use the new set.

BBC LDN became BBC LONDON on the same day that London Tonight moved to ITN.

wonder what east midlands will look like??

Having a listen to Franksy on WM earlier.

It turns out a gang of youths inflicted serious damage on a house in Bickley Road in Bilston, which had been unoccupied for some time.

The reason I mention this, is because Franksy said they sent a reporter out there earlier, who got harassed by the locals. (Apparently this is not the first time recently either!)

Anyone hear anymore about this, because I only heard about this at 530 this evening?

Presumably, exactly the same, save for a Nottingham view in the "window".