The Newsroom

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

News Teams/Satellite Trucks were attacked. (August 2011)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
BB
BBC LDN
Oh good. HARDtalk. I guess the riots must be over then.
DV
dvboy
Hardtalk now on BBC News
DA
David
What are the BBC [News Channel] doing showing all these pre-recorded programmes? Shouldn't they have contingency for when domestic news breaks overnight and World aren't covering it?
WO
Worzel
Oh good. HARDtalk. I guess the riots must be over then.


Well they're not... but clearly not significant enough to opt away from. Surprised
WO
Worzel
I take it that being a weekend and being so late, getting a News Helicopter up to provide pooled footage would be out of the question, or using the City's CCTV system for more recent footage (as was used in the likes of 7/7)?
BB
BBC LDN
Oh good. HARDtalk. I guess the riots must be over then.


Well they're not... but clearly not significant enough to opt away from. Surprised


Thanks. I know, but really, thanks for spelling it out for me.

ANYWAY. BBC News has ordered all teams to withdraw from the area, amid reports of violence spreading outside of the Tottenham 'hot zone'. Presumably, this will mean further phone-only coverage from the periphery of the area, and no more live pictures for some time to come.
BB
BBC LDN
I take it that being a weekend and being so late, getting a News Helicopter up to provide pooled footage would be out of the question, or using the City's CCTV system for more recent footage?


The Metropolitan Police helicopter is in the air above the most affected areas - it wouldn't be safe or practical to have another helicopter in such close promixity.

In order to get any remotely interesting footage, a news helicopter would have to be more or less above the affected zones - this is taking place in a town centre and built-up areas surrounding it. You can't just have a helicopter half a mile away pointed in the general direction, as you might for a train crash or skyscraper fire - the area of focus is very narrow.

To put it simply, the police helicopter needs the airspace.
DV
dvboy
I take it that being a weekend and being so late, getting a News Helicopter up to provide pooled footage would be out of the question, or using the City's CCTV system for more recent footage (as was used in the likes of 7/7)?


I don't remember CCTV being used for 7/7 but I believe the only cameras the media have access to are traffic cameras, which there would be several more around in the centre of London, not sure about further out.
WO
Worzel
Deborah Macenzie has confirmed that it was a BBC News Sat truck that was on the receiving end of the damage.
DV
dvboy
Sky News TOTH sequence showing the polar bear "coming up" and US debt top story on the website. Doubt either of those get much of a mention if any during the next hour.
WO
Worzel
dvboy posted:
Sky News TOTH sequence showing the polar bear "coming up" and US debt top story on the website. Doubt either of those get much of a mention if any during the next hour.


BBC News spending 2 minutes on the Tottenham unfolding incident. I know it's a World Simulcast, but surely the BBC would have a plan in place if a UK-centralised story was unfolding to run consistent coverage.

EDIT: Just gone back on the ground with a Journalist on the phone line.
DA
David
I wonder where the police statement currently being shown on Sky News (not live) is coming from. I think I can hear a helicopter in the background so it is probably somewhere near Tottenham. Of course, it could just be from an office with noisey air conditioning.

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