The Newsroom

Power outage at BBC Wales

Split from BBC Newsline (August 2019)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
RI
Richard
WMD posted:
Wales Today has made it to air, though looks like no autocue and no Astons.


Doesn’t look HD though. Is it normally?
WE
welshkid
Richard posted:
WMD posted:
Wales Today has made it to air, though looks like no autocue and no Astons.


Doesn’t look HD though. Is it notmally?


Nope - Wales Today still broadcasts in SD
RI
Richard
BBC Wales continuity is still from Belfast for the Welsh opt-out. How would this work? Are the running order and programmes stored somewhere centrally on a server which NI can just use or is there more to it? How is Belfast CA actually switched to air in Wales?

(BTW I find it very impressive that this can actually happen at all!)
Last edited by Richard on 16 August 2019 10:53pm
WM
WMD
denton posted:
WMD posted:


Belfast CA apologised to BBC One Wales viewers for the absence of opt-out programme Weatherman Walking at 7:30. Curious to see NI branded trails and idents going out in Wales - surely Network (and therefore regionally safe) would be better?


Network isn't necessarily regionally safe. It's likely that network would be running trails for programmes not being shown, or shown at different times, in Wales.

I’d suggest that a service branded ‘BBC One’ would be safer (and less obviously ‘wrong’) than the BBC One Northern Ireland flavour.


Seems pres is still coming from Belfast, albeit now with Wales branding, though the Tudur TV Flashback prog is going out as scheduled.
RI
Richard
WMD posted:
denton posted:
WMD posted:


Belfast CA apologised to BBC One Wales viewers for the absence of opt-out programme Weatherman Walking at 7:30. Curious to see NI branded trails and idents going out in Wales - surely Network (and therefore regionally safe) would be better?


Network isn't necessarily regionally safe. It's likely that network would be running trails for programmes not being shown, or shown at different times, in Wales.

I’d suggest that a service branded ‘BBC One’ would be safer (and less obviously ‘wrong’) than the BBC One Northern Ireland flavour.


I presume if NI are taking over anyway, it is probably easier to put out their own service until they get Wales up and running rather than network which would complicate things.
scottishtv and denton gave kudos
DE
denton
Richard posted:
BBC Wales continuity is still from Belfast for their opt-out. How would this work? Are the running order and programmes stored somewhere centrally on a server which NI can just use or is there more to it? How is Belfast CA actually switched to air in Wales?

(BTW I find it very impressive that this can actually happen at all!)


Yes the running order (schedules) are stored centrally, as are programme files, which allows what you're witnessing tonight. And yes, there's more to it than that... It takes a good bit of work to get it all up and running, and to have someone in the seat running it.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, all BBC services are feed to a centralised coding centre before being distributed to Sky, Freeview, etc... so it's a case of that centre pulling out the feed from BBC Cardiff and patching in a feed from BBC Belfast.
DE
denton
Richard posted:
WMD posted:
denton posted:

Network isn't necessarily regionally safe. It's likely that network would be running trails for programmes not being shown, or shown at different times, in Wales.

I’d suggest that a service branded ‘BBC One’ would be safer (and less obviously ‘wrong’) than the BBC One Northern Ireland flavour.


I presume if NI are taking over anyway, it is probably easier to put out their own service until they get Wales up and running rather than network which would complicate things.


Exactly.
RI
Richard
denton posted:
Richard posted:
BBC Wales continuity is still from Belfast for their opt-out. How would this work? Are the running order and programmes stored somewhere centrally on a server which NI can just use or is there more to it? How is Belfast CA actually switched to air in Wales?

(BTW I find it very impressive that this can actually happen at all!)


Yes the running order (schedules) are stored centrally, as are programme files, which allows what you're witnessing tonight. And yes, there's more to it than that... It takes a good bit of work to get it all up and running, and to have someone in the seat running it.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, all BBC services are feed to a centralised coding centre before being distributed to Sky, Freeview, etc... so it's a case of that centre pulling out the feed from BBC Cardiff and patching in a feed from BBC Belfast.


Thanks very much for that comprehensive answer. Is NI the main backup for Wales and Scotland or does it vary? What if NI has a problem?
SP
Steve in Pudsey
denton posted:
Richard posted:
WMD posted:
I’d suggest that a service branded ‘BBC One’ would be safer (and less obviously ‘wrong’) than the BBC One Northern Ireland flavour.


I presume if NI are taking over anyway, it is probably easier to put out their own service until they get Wales up and running rather than network which would complicate things.


Exactly.


Although that wouldn't preclude NI using non-regional idents, and replacing ECPs for Radio Ulster with something safe while Wales is simulcasting?
BA
Ballyboy
Wales Today Late bulletin ain't Available on Iplayer
DE
denton
Steve in Pudsey posted:
denton posted:
Richard posted:

I presume if NI are taking over anyway, it is probably easier to put out their own service until they get Wales up and running rather than network which would complicate things.


Exactly.


Although that wouldn't preclude NI using non-regional idents, and replacing ECPs for Radio Ulster with something safe while Wales is simulcasting?


I suppose you could go to the effort of removing local ECPs, even putting the network versions of all the BBC One and BBC Two trails onto server and swapping those in the schedule, and as you suggest swapping out the idents for the network versions... therefore providing a service that looks wrong for both NI and Wales, rather than just wrong for Wales.

Or you could let Wales take BBC One NI; while putting in the effort to loading the Wales schedule, getting BBC One Wales trails on server, downloading the Wales local programmes, and arranging the feeds.
DE
denton
Richard posted:
denton posted:
Richard posted:
BBC Wales continuity is still from Belfast for their opt-out. How would this work? Are the running order and programmes stored somewhere centrally on a server which NI can just use or is there more to it? How is Belfast CA actually switched to air in Wales?

(BTW I find it very impressive that this can actually happen at all!)


Yes the running order (schedules) are stored centrally, as are programme files, which allows what you're witnessing tonight. And yes, there's more to it than that... It takes a good bit of work to get it all up and running, and to have someone in the seat running it.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, all BBC services are feed to a centralised coding centre before being distributed to Sky, Freeview, etc... so it's a case of that centre pulling out the feed from BBC Cardiff and patching in a feed from BBC Belfast.


Thanks very much for that comprehensive answer. Is NI the main backup for Wales and Scotland or does it vary? What if NI has a problem?


Any of the Nations can provide back up for any other Nation... there are just technical and staffing variables to consider.

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