LO
Latest from today's Times:
ITV gloats as BBC weathers storm
By Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter
ITV rejected the BBC’s Ł1 million weather graphics software because viewers found it confusing, it emerged yesterday.
The Royal London Society for the Blind added its voice to hundreds of complaints to say that the partially sighted were having difficulty with the lack of colour contrast on the new forecast.
The BBC asked viewers to e-mail their opinions to its weather website. The forecaster John Kettley broke ranks when he told radio listeners that he disliked the brown land colour on the new maps. The BBC insisted that the 3D “zooming” forecast, which has replaced the familiar symbols, is more accurate and clearer. But its rocky reception was met with gloating by ITV, which updated its own weather graphics in February. It was offered the software but found that “ excessive use of 3D graphics just left the viewer confused”, Nigel Pickard, ITV Director of Programmes, said.
Angus MacNeil, the new SNP MP for the Western Isles, has lodged a Commons motion calling for the BBC to rethink its new map, saying that it left his constituents, who depended on accurate forecasting, “with almost zero visibility for weather in the isles”.
ITV gloats as BBC weathers storm
By Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter
ITV rejected the BBC’s Ł1 million weather graphics software because viewers found it confusing, it emerged yesterday.
The Royal London Society for the Blind added its voice to hundreds of complaints to say that the partially sighted were having difficulty with the lack of colour contrast on the new forecast.
The BBC asked viewers to e-mail their opinions to its weather website. The forecaster John Kettley broke ranks when he told radio listeners that he disliked the brown land colour on the new maps. The BBC insisted that the 3D “zooming” forecast, which has replaced the familiar symbols, is more accurate and clearer. But its rocky reception was met with gloating by ITV, which updated its own weather graphics in February. It was offered the software but found that “ excessive use of 3D graphics just left the viewer confused”, Nigel Pickard, ITV Director of Programmes, said.
Angus MacNeil, the new SNP MP for the Western Isles, has lodged a Commons motion calling for the BBC to rethink its new map, saying that it left his constituents, who depended on accurate forecasting, “with almost zero visibility for weather in the isles”.
JA
Basically, there is now a different presenter for each BBC1 forecast (Breakfast, One, Six & Ten).
Also of note, that there seems to be more live weather forecasts on News 24 now and that the BBC1 presenter isn't doing all the News 24 forecasts with the BBCi presenter and random other people turning up during the day too!
Kaplinsky posted:
Have the shift patterns changed as well? Sorry if its been mentioned already but I wouldn't know where to start looking! Yeah, there seems to be about seven presenters on a day now wheres thereonly used to be two.
Basically, there is now a different presenter for each BBC1 forecast (Breakfast, One, Six & Ten).
Also of note, that there seems to be more live weather forecasts on News 24 now and that the BBC1 presenter isn't doing all the News 24 forecasts with the BBCi presenter and random other people turning up during the day too!
IS
Thank goodness, this means we no longer have to sit through that tedious Skateboarders ident at 6.30 every single day! It looks like this means the end of BBC London regional ident altogether, since network idents are used at 1.00, 6.00 and 10.00. I assume the other English regions still have regional idents into the national news?
Sorry to interject here and go a bit off topic but BBC LDN still have regional idents on analogue (they opt out of the digital sustaining feed - which use the national announcers and idents) which are BBC London specific. Not sure why they still do it and no doubt it'll soon go.
Isonstine
Founding member
Robert Williams posted:
Andrew posted:
It means we now no longer see regional idents before any of the bulletins, only a few years ago you'd have idents with an announcement saying who was presenting before every one.
Thank goodness, this means we no longer have to sit through that tedious Skateboarders ident at 6.30 every single day!
It looks like this means the end of BBC London regional ident altogether, since network idents are used at 1.00, 6.00 and 10.00. I assume the other English regions still have regional idents into the national news?
Sorry to interject here and go a bit off topic but BBC LDN still have regional idents on analogue (they opt out of the digital sustaining feed - which use the national announcers and idents) which are BBC London specific. Not sure why they still do it and no doubt it'll soon go.
MO
What, ITV viewers being confused? I can't imagine that!!!!
Obviously the BBC thought more of it's viewers!
Londoner posted:
Latest from today's Times:
ITV gloats as BBC weathers storm
By Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter
ITV rejected the BBC’s Ł1 million weather graphics software because viewers found it confusing, it emerged yesterday”
ITV gloats as BBC weathers storm
By Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter
ITV rejected the BBC’s Ł1 million weather graphics software because viewers found it confusing, it emerged yesterday”
What, ITV viewers being confused? I can't imagine that!!!!
Obviously the BBC thought more of it's viewers!
PE
the problem is when it's flying, not when it's still. When it's still I'm *there* but when it's flying I think, "right, it's now all brown, where are we, oh there's a place name, newcastle, bugger I've missed it."
Pete
Founding member
Moz posted:
If you can't pinpoint where you are on a map of the UK, either learn - or get deservedly wet. I've always thought adding place names was insulting to the intelligence!
the problem is when it's flying, not when it's still. When it's still I'm *there* but when it's flying I think, "right, it's now all brown, where are we, oh there's a place name, newcastle, bugger I've missed it."
IS
Isonstine
Founding member
Talking of isobars, Midlands Today's Simon Keeling treated us to some last night:
http://www.jamesison.co.uk/misc/caps/001/0111.jpg
Not convinced personally!
http://www.jamesison.co.uk/misc/caps/001/0111.jpg
Not convinced personally!
GA
The main problem with that is there are no labels on the Isobars. You can only guess by using any weather knowledge that that is more than likely a low pressure system and there are fronts where it is raining!
The isobars really need to show movement and the fronts, otherwise they're a bit useless to the normal viewer
Gareth
Founding member
Isonstine posted:
Talking of isobars, Midlands Today's Simon Keeling treated us to some last night:
http://www.jamesison.co.uk/misc/caps/001/0111.jpg
Not convinced personally!
http://www.jamesison.co.uk/misc/caps/001/0111.jpg
Not convinced personally!
The main problem with that is there are no labels on the Isobars. You can only guess by using any weather knowledge that that is more than likely a low pressure system and there are fronts where it is raining!
The isobars really need to show movement and the fronts, otherwise they're a bit useless to the normal viewer
NH
To repeat a comment from a page or two back, give David Braine's a try on Astra 957.
His have pressure labels and some odd blobs on them, which I don't understand.
David's also appear to be thinner than those midlands ones, though that might just be a trick of the capture.
Nick Harvey
Founding member
Gareth posted:
The main problem with that is there are not labels on the Isobars.
To repeat a comment from a page or two back, give David Braine's a try on Astra 957.
His have pressure labels and some odd blobs on them, which I don't understand.
David's also appear to be thinner than those midlands ones, though that might just be a trick of the capture.
IS
To repeat a comment from a page or two back, give David Braine's a try on Astra 957.
His have pressure labels and some odd blobs on them, which I don't understand.
David's also appear to be thinner than those midlands ones, though that might just be a trick of the capture.
The Midlands map looked a little bit "unofficial" - it was obviously generated by the new system but the day is in mixed case rather than upper case like the rest of the graphics. I have a feeling that "isobars" wasn't covered in great deal when being trained up on the new system and knowledge of the system (of which David Braine has a great deal of knowledge) will benefit the viewers.
The BBC said a while ago that it would be phasing out "the science" in weather because viewers didn't want to know and much of the time didnt understand it and just wanted to know if it was raining. I disagree with this and if the glaring omissions in the new forecasts are a sign of this then it gets the thumbs down from me.
I certainly hope there's more to come and they listen to the large amount of criticism coming their way.
Will give David Braine a check too.
Isonstine
Founding member
Nick Harvey posted:
Gareth posted:
The main problem with that is there are not labels on the Isobars.
To repeat a comment from a page or two back, give David Braine's a try on Astra 957.
His have pressure labels and some odd blobs on them, which I don't understand.
David's also appear to be thinner than those midlands ones, though that might just be a trick of the capture.
The Midlands map looked a little bit "unofficial" - it was obviously generated by the new system but the day is in mixed case rather than upper case like the rest of the graphics. I have a feeling that "isobars" wasn't covered in great deal when being trained up on the new system and knowledge of the system (of which David Braine has a great deal of knowledge) will benefit the viewers.
The BBC said a while ago that it would be phasing out "the science" in weather because viewers didn't want to know and much of the time didnt understand it and just wanted to know if it was raining. I disagree with this and if the glaring omissions in the new forecasts are a sign of this then it gets the thumbs down from me.
I certainly hope there's more to come and they listen to the large amount of criticism coming their way.
Will give David Braine a check too.
IS
Isonstine
Founding member
Well I watched David's forecast at lunchtime and was impressed (as always) with his full and detailed forecast.
The isobars were very welcome but looking at the animation it would seem that they have to be created hour by hour as stills and then animated as a sequence. (It looked similar in the Midlands too). So maybe the system isn't as flexible regarding isobars?
The blobs appeared to be the pressure in mB but obviously too small to see!
Nice to see a good forecast from David though. Am a bit worried that the system isn't up to providing good forecast.
The isobars were very welcome but looking at the animation it would seem that they have to be created hour by hour as stills and then animated as a sequence. (It looked similar in the Midlands too). So maybe the system isn't as flexible regarding isobars?
The blobs appeared to be the pressure in mB but obviously too small to see!
Nice to see a good forecast from David though. Am a bit worried that the system isn't up to providing good forecast.