The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread

So is that now 'official' then TVM, as per your recent PM to 'yours truly' ?

Having a quick look at the Beeb press office, shows that 'other Late Show' presenter Frances Finn is taking over Radio Notts lunchtimes from Sarah Julian, as Sarah's 'up the duff' !

Seems a bit of a coincedence IMHO, that both Late Shows are changing presenters.

Anyone know who's taking over both shows, & is there likely to be any changes to transmission arrangements, like times & whether the non WM BBC West Mids stations might be doing their own Late Show, seeing Radio Notts cut theirs back from 1am to midnight?

(As I said to TV Mercia by PM, give it to Radio Shropshire's Ian Perry, & recreate the 'Midnight Line' he used to do on Beacon & WABC until early 1997,until those b'stards at GWR put the boot in !)

I'll try & catch Les too!

Anyone hear him read my text out about 950am today(Sunday) ?

I told him I was only buying the papers with the free Cd's in !
(I did tell him I was buying the Mercury too, but he never read that bit out ! B***dy train spotter )

My goodness, another one of the gang eh?

Studio 2 (MP2 as we knew it) talks stayed at the BACK, Saltley Coke Works side, even when the Audix desks were replaced with the Tweeds, didn't it.

Studio 1 control room and talks area swopped round at the upgrade, with talks moving from the back to the front.

Remember those dreadful Ford Cortina dashboard clocks that got fitted in the blank spaces in the Tweeds?

Oh dear.

'Two Jags' was in Birmingham today, & he didn't like Franksy's line of questioning !

It all started simple enough, with Prescott joking whether Ed Doolan was still alive, then mentioning about what he was doing in Brum.

Franksy then asked him about the vote rigging allegations 'trial' that was going on in the city.

Prescott said he couldn't discuss it on air.

Franksy pressed on with a general question related to the subject.

Response was a muffled sound, followed by the phone line dropping out.

(Cue much p*** taking by text, I hope !)

Prescott's press secretary rang back off air to say, he had just stepped into a lift !

Cue half a million listeners thinking 'Yeah right' !

Whether Two Jags returned to air, I don't know !

ahem, not sure if its official yet, i guess only time will tell.

finally bothered to capture the midlands today graphics fault from last week- it went on for a good 2 minutes - i presume the aston machine threw a wobbler. surprised nick and suzanne didnt bother to appologise, it wasnt a blink and you miss it kind of fault.

BBC MIDLANDS GRAPHICS COCK UP

http://www.andrew986.clara.co.uk/bbcmids-graphicsfault01.jpg

http://www.andrew986.clara.co.uk/bbcmids-graphicsfault02.jpg

http://www.andrew986.clara.co.uk/bbcmids-graphicsfault03.jpg

you've gotta love this new "midlands today school of rock" idea - and wm's maddest midlander trail.

central news was embarrassing tonight - almost the entire (shortened) programme was given over to talking about the will smith premiere. it was like a prolonged advert for it not to mention arati's inability to speak properly ... and they strung out the hand over to itn, as if they were under-running.

Welcome to ITV Regional News - London Tonight style. Why were they covering it anyway? Surely it has near enough nothing much to do with the Midlands?

he did a north west premiere at lunch - then a midlands premiere this afternoon on broad st, then a london premiere this evening.

Ah yes, the London Tonight style rules. Soon on a Friday you'll have no news and wall to wall premiers followed by the best movies you can go and see at the weekend. Don't expect any news...

well a newsreader who can speak english would be a start.

It's rather odd. There are so many good presenters at Central, and even a few good reporters as well...obviously ticking a few boxes with Arati. I'd rather them use Michelle Robinson though - she's done the show a few times and CAN actually speak. Is she still with Central?

Ooohhh won't Jord be pleased, we're talking about Central for a change.

like most normal people, i'm not bothered what colour/ethnicity presenters are - i just like to be able to understand what they are saying, and not have to second guess, trying to work out what was said from bob's response, or the pictures on the screen. there is a wealth of genuinely good non-white news reading talent in the midlands.

sharuna saga, satnam rana, ashley blake, shefali oza, samina ali khan - and as you say michelle was a fantastic reporter/presenter. so why do they persist with arati? she's probably a very good broadcast journalist - but speaking clearly is not her strong point, put her back behind the camera where she belongs.

Im just inquiring about Llewela Bailey again, just in case anyone has heard something. Does anyone know where she has gone? She aint even on the daytime bulletins now. thanks.