It is certainly the case that the newer English Regions (South East, Oxford etc) cannot opt at all on BBC2 - remember all the hoo-har during Wimbledon when the moved the 6.30 opt to BBC2... However, I don't know if it is the case that regions which have recently moved to new buildings (North (Leeds), East and W Midlands) can still opt on 2.
South East can on BBC2 as that's a proper region (and launched while there were still BBC2 Opt-outs).... but its a bit messy. It's the sub regions that can't (Oxford, Channel Islands, Cambridge etc).
I'm pretty sure that they would have included it in the new buildings - in fact I think in some cases the equipment involved was taken with them when they moved buildings. Wasn't Norwich in their new building last Wimbledon?
As far as I am aware BBC Birmingham is still the network evac. centre which means it can opt in to Net. One and Two.
I don't really see the connection between a local opt and taking over the whole country.
Although Birmingham no longer has that role, as mentioned above
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The main gallery has got a tiny pres gallery at the back shared with graphics, you can just see it from the public space, my friend tells me they do the breakfast opts from there, but have the ability to opt into either network from that gallery as well! :
That's quite standard in regional centres. The 'pres gallery' is set up so a bulletin can be run by just 1 person, they're also used for programme opts and time-shifts. Although there is at least one centre I know of where they've incorporated one-person operation into the main gallery.
Bit of a problem on the radio side of the Mailbox this morning.
Waking up around 550am, ready to catch the 6am BBC WM News, I was greeted by an intelligent conversation!
I thought 'Wot no Mollie ! Has she not turned up?', but it turned out a vital computer was playing up, preventing playing music, jingles, answering phones & texts, so I gathered she & Jane France(the regular phone answerer for both Mollie & Goldie), were talking off the cuff about anything, but gave up & put 5 Live back on (ZZZ).
After 6am & a jingleless/prerecorded reportless news bulletin fronted by Paul Marriott(Did this bulletin go out in Coventry by the way? Normally it doesn't, but it seemed too seamless !), Mollie continued herself, armed with the emergency CD, consisting of the likes of the Backstreet Boys & Kenny Rogers!, until 7am. (She even managed to get Alan Miller on air for travel news too surprisingly!)
Instead of Goldie at 7am, we were treated to 'Breakfast' with Annie Othen, from CWR, complete with WM in Coventry & Warwickshire jingles,by which time I had to goto work, but things seemed to be back to normal for Doolan, when I checked at lunchtime.
i'm not sure im a great fan of simon's weather map word games. i feel such a failiure when i don't manage to work out the connections between the places
i managed to get the first today, as did suzanne - but i have no idea what the second one was the other day the places spelled out BRRR, and another day it was COLD. it's certainly adding an educational aspect to midlands today, i had no idea ocle pychard or upper swell existed
Tonight's Other Side Of ' repeat is Sludgey, which I think makes last Sunday's Duggie Brown, next Friday at 8pm, unless there's footy !
This Sunday at 11am, as a teaser to next Sunday's (6/2/05) new schedule, it's the 'Other Side Of' Les Ross.
Further to my previous post re the new schedule, Michael Blood has retired from 'full time' broadcasting (One day a week !), to concentrate on his church activities & the odd contribution to the likes of 'Thought For The Day' (I think) & Chris Ashley, according to an on air comment by Doolan, is moving abroad.
This Sunday however, it's 'Mazza & Merv' (Paul Marriott & Reverend Mervyn Roberts) across all frequencies, live from Coventry from 6 till 9am.
Anyone spot the report in today's 'Evening Mail' (page 3 of the early one I think!), about Ashley Blake having his knuckles rapped for promoting his restaurant on the internal BBC web site? (His restaurant is celabrating a year in business & he was inviting friends & colleagues to join in the celabrations!)
On the subject of internal company web sites, the company I work for (a Midlands based grocery wholesaler attached to a major conveience store operator. If you want to guess which one, please do, but I have dropped hints in the past !) has a 'public bulletin board', which allows us to advertise things to sell eg cars, furniture, plus things like advertising raffles for example, we recently ran one for the Tsumani appeal. (I won a box of Ferrero Rocher & some Haribo sweets btw!)
Wouldn't the Beeb have a similar sort of arrangement internally, or does 'wasting the licence fee' come to mind ?
tonight's inside out was fab - sister wendy shuffling around the barber institute in birmingham. not the kind of thing you'd usually find on primetime bbc one!
the other day the places spelled out BRRR, and another day it was COLD. it's certainly adding an educational aspect to midlands today, i had no idea ocle pychard or upper swell existed 