BBC Network control

Hello all,

Just been thinking about this one... Usually when Network Control from TVC is taken off air, they hand control to Birmingham... Now, what happens in the highly unlikely event that both TVC and Birmingham fail? Would control be passed on to one of the national centres (eg Cardiff) or a regional centre (eg Plymouth)?

This should make a rather interesting topic I think!

All regions playout their own black and white footage of a kitten playing with a ball of wool with the caption "Interlude".

Or the same as the "good old days" with HTV, and the windmill ...

I would imagine it would go to either Manchester to Cardiff ... probably Cardiff at a guess. Noggin?

I don't think they have plans for this. Don't forget that they would relocate to another area of Television Centre if possible in the first instance, before heading for Birmingham. It would have to be a pretty huge problem to knock out the whole of TVC and Pebble Mill..! But I guess Cardiff would be the logical option.

Just thinking (well actually I was in new-FAQ mode), what instance would cause the 'BBC family' package to be brought out. Obviously last seen back in 1997 with 1/2/World/Prime(?) all showing the same output but would it be seen now?

Take the death of the Queen - on that day I assume BBC One and Two would team up (albeit probably for a short time), News 24 to join BBC One (news studio?) and World to provide their own package (with a more international/and other news flavour).

With rolling news channels, no closedowns and the acceptability of other channels (such as Two) carrying on with alternative programming, does anyone genuinely think we'd see the swirly ribbons and |B|B|C| generic ident or..gasp..clock?

I'm surprised that they still use Birmingham as Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow have fully staffed pres suites. If TVC went down whilst the nation was opted out then they do have two suites for each network (I think) for analogue and digital, so one could be used for the network sustaining service and the other for the opt on both platforms until such time as it's convenient to rejoin network.

Now that the network is dealt with by Energis rather than the BBC themselves is the issue that much of the networking is done in Brum less relevant?

Millbank, the BBC's Westminster base has the power to take over Network Control.

Unlikely, I'd say. I think things have moved on since then, and I'm not sure there even is a family ident now.

The still use a similar Ident into BBC Video, and the default user wallpaper at TVC is the same, so it probably still does exist somewhere.

Isn't it the same family package that's ready to go in the event of a nuclear attack or other emergency broadcast?

Yes, I think you get the desktop wallpaper wherever you are in the BBC, until you change it

I still don't think we'll be seeing it on the television again, though.

I hate the BBC ribbons ident. It's so wimpsh compared to old idents on videos from the 1980s and mid-1990s.

Anyone remember the 1984 BBC Video ident with all those flashing colours??