London/UK Riots Coverage (Sky News/BBC News Channel)

This really is surreal. Don't want to go off topic but just to make one point . . . how does stealing a pair of trainers from a sports shop constitute as a protest to a fatal police shooting? Absolute madness. Anyway . . .

ITV could have rather a large prime-time hole to fill on Wednesday evening - apparently there will be discussions tomorrow on whether England's friendly with Holland should go ahead at Wembley. The police have ordered all London football clubs to postpone their matches due to the unrest.

Some very brave reporters and crew out there tonight from all outlets. Really difficult to comprehend what we're watching tonight.

I would *guess* that it will be postponed/cancelled, on the grounds of not being able to guarantee the required police presence to ensure the safety of supporters.



+1

Sky News showing a video supposedly of Liverpool but actually somewhere in London but posted as being in Liverpool here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIZV4YYQ2P8&sns=tw

And BBC go to Newsday.

I've seen that footage labeled as Liverpool, Leeds and two separate London locations. Must be very hard for newsrooms to keep up with the amount of footage.

BBC have gone for Newsday. Crazy.

I know this is a developing story but I'm surprised that there have been so few Birmingham reports, pictures, live links by this point! Surely BBC (Network) News have a team in Birmingham along with BBC Midlands Today and BBC Radio WM staff to provide more updates on what is going on. Obviously the BBC is London based so will always be able to provide quicker and greater coverage of breaking news there but hours have gone by since the initial Birmingham reports and the BBC needs to realise that's it's there to cover all of the UK!

Although Newsday is covering it, its now affecting the UK - the domestic news channel should be rolling independently.

One of the first reports I heard on BBC was from a BBC Midlands reporter, who said they were out trying to get footage and had been attacked and had their camera smashed, and told to get out of the place or they would be attacked too.

Ah, must have missed that while I was flicking around the news channels. I obviously wouldn't want reporters and camera crews to risk their safety but you'd think they could get images filmed from inside the Mailbox of what's going on outside since it's apparently so close!

Can't believe the BBC News Channel hasn't continued broadcasting on its own while Sky News still has a live link to the streets of London.

On side note, I've been enjoying BBC London 94.9's ongoing coverage of the situation including the mammoth travel reports every 15 minutes. I'm feeling sorry for the travel reporter having to collate so much information this evening!

*** Sky Channel 847 Now... Birmingham footage Live on screen............ ****

Which has been one of the problems right from Tottenham on Saturday night- media trucks are an obvious target. Even a reporter with a smartphone taking video is.

I was down in Tottenham on Sunday- and our crew was threatened- not directly, but along the lines of 'you'll be next'. The situation there was far calmer than it has been anywhere tonight- hence the amount of helicopter and mobile phone reports compared to on the ground pictures.

Good find. It might be just someone sticking a camera out of their front door but they seem to have scooped the BBC and Sky on this one.