Come to think of it, I don't think I saw Nicholas Witchell at all on the day of the announcement. I know BBC played one of his reports over and over again, but it was clearly a pre-prepared report from the "emergency catalogue". One could tell, because he then voiced-in an ending to said report which made reference to the currency of the news. However, the sound was distinctly different for his ending. He didn't appear in-vision during the report.
Come to think of it, I don't think I saw Nicholas Witchell at all on the day of the announcement.
I think he appeared later on outside Buckingham Palace. I assume he was away in the same way that Jennie Bond was on holiday on the night Diana died.
Not that there was a chance that he'd interview the couple anyway!
Quote:
I know BBC played one of his reports over and over again, but it was clearly a pre-prepared report from the "emergency catalogue".
Not an "emergency catalogue", it would just have been a standby package. All news organisations have standbys ready to run for predictable events.
It would still have run had Nicolas Witchell been in the building, it would take too long to make a fresh one. Standbys will normally be updated on the day even without the reporter being present, as long as the voice over still makes sense. New pictures can be added, although in this case there weren't really any until the afternoon. If the context is different then they'll just get someone else in to record a new voice over track (which is why you'll rarely see a piece to camera in a standby package!)
Just a point of clarification re the Tom Bradby interview:
Although this was offered to all UK and Commonwealth broadcasters plus international news media free of charge, it is not technically ‘pool’ as copyright is retained by ITN. My understanding is that other broadcasters are allowed to run clips of the interview for something like 48 hours from first TX, after which they are required to licence the material for re-use from the company’s archive – ITN Source. It’s been agreed with Clarence House, that subsequent re-sales will carry a donation to a number of charitable causes supported by Prince William.
Channel 4 opted out of the cartoons in the end and showed the funeral. I remember because I was watching it at the time (aged 8 ) and really really annoyed when they stopped showing the cartoons. So yes, all five channels would have shown the funeral.
Next year's wedding has the potential to be the highest rated broadcast of the decade, let alone 2011. There's only two moments in recent history I remember topping 20 million and that's a Euro 2004 match, and Only Fools & Horses - surely this'll break 20 million too?
It's an "event", I've no objection to an appropriate amount of coverage - but I do think the BBC should resist the urge to simulcast it on the news channel too and instead offer a rolling news service for people not wanting to watch the wedding - even if the wedding dominates the headlines.
I suspect too with it now being a Bank Holiday some sporting fixtures may be moved too.