BBC News thread

So it seems we've divided into two camps: the it-was-preventable camp, and the Act-of-God camp, regarding the power failure.

Does anyone remember, maybe 6 months ago, we talked about what the BBC would do in the event of a nuclear war? (Someone made mocks about it and that started the discussion.)

Anyway, if the electronics at TVC are so sensitive, and there's no contingency to have Leeds or Wales or somewhere else stand in immediately, how can we be sure the BBC can be relied on in a time of serious national crisis? ----- This wasn't a case of losing Match of the Day or the evening entertainment...BBC News was unable to broadcast, and that's serious.

I remember hearing that there were supposedly "secret, safe studios" for such times...but why can't they be used for power failures like this? After all, while the power is out at BBC something could conceivably happen.

And, if something did happen, all of us would have ended up watching Sky, CNN or ITV...while the BBC conducted rehearsals for the emergency broadcast from Millbank.

My point here is that when you have failures like this one (2003) and the one three years ago (2000), the BBC looks to be very unprepared with shoddy risk management and ineffective crisis management.

And, of course there are lessons to be learned from cock ups. But given that only three years elapsed between similar events, I'm wondering if the BBC actually will learn them.

Well I had to post this one... (I'm watching in 4:3 on cable)

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/r.hardy63/lee/stuff/badtalkingmoviestrail.jpg

oh dear.
what is wrong with talking movies?!!

Well last time I saw the TM trailer, it looked like this: http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=131901&highlight=#131901

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. All mistakes are preventable once you know what caused them. So, yes, it probably was preventable if anyone had actually considered ALL the potential problems that might befall TVC. But, if they were to then the licence fee would be being spent on all manner of backup systems which are very unlikely to ever be used.



The electronics were fine, it was the supply of power that was the issue (namely the backup systems couldn't supply power to the technical area).

And as been pointed out very very many times - BBC News continued to broadcast!



Ineffective crisis management? How do you work that one out? Until 10.30 BBC News continued to broadcast without any computer based systems. That seems to be pretty good crisis management.

Shoddy risk management? Well, risk management is all to do with weighing up the costs of preventing something from occuring against the probability that it ever will. An overloading electrical circuit is an unlikely event as is a major power cut.

Will lessons be learned. Well, they always are. As I said at the start, hindsight is a wonderful thing

The lesson to be lernt is this

Have a room somewhere in the UK with a blue-screen and one camera, and a PC and teleprompter logged into BBC News online.

In the event of television center going down as it did, a nominated person should then sit infront of a camera and start read the news headlines from the PC.

Using CSO, this could go out with a "fake" BBC World, "fake" News 24, "fake" BBC ONE or "fake" Newsnight backgrounds and graphics and also play out on BBC Radio 4 and 5 Live too.

As long as this could run for a few hours and be connected into the BBCs program distribution network, this would have given a useful fallback in the current situation.

There is enough material on BBC News online to keep anyone going for hours, if they had to.

Rest assured there ARE contingency plans in place to play out BBC Channels in the event of something happening in London, and that's NOT the well known plan of moving TX to Brimingham.

It's such high secrity that BBC staff don't even know what the plans are (except those that need to - obviously!).

Teehehe

A member of the public has complained that there's been "absolutely no difference" since News 24's relaunch on Monday

Where did you find this?

At work

Here is my plan for a more professional schedule for News 24. As a public service broadcaster, News 24 should be scheudled with reference to the BBC's other news output and the news programs on other channels. Thus:

From 0900-12:59, 13:40-17:59
Very short headlines at the hour and half past, with constant on-screen prompting to use the interactive headlines service for the latest headlines.
Generally rolling news operation, with sports, business and weather sections extended where needed to improve background and explanatory information.
Priority given to breaking news.
Channel should work graphically without the need for sound during this time.

During this time the only news on other channels is:
12:00-12:29 C4 News at Noon
12:30-12:59 ITV Lunchtime News
17:30-17:59 five News

13:00-13:39, UK Euro Analysis+
Working opposite the BBC ONE bulletin, an analysis of the current day’s main unfolding events in the UK and Europe. Junction at 13:30 to pick up those not interested in regional news on BBC ONE.

18:00-18:30 Sport at Six
The BBC’s Sport’s department get a whole half hour to get over every bit of sports news that any sports fan anywhere could ever want. Facts, interviews, tables, graphics, clips the whole caboodle. News headlines on BBCi.

This would offer an alternative to the bulletin on BBC ONE, and the ITV regional.

18:30-18:59 News half-hour
With general UK focus, and in-vision signing, audio description etc.

This would offer the best alternative to the regional news on BBC ONE, and national news on ITV and five.

19:00-19:59 BBC News 24 News at Seven O Clock
In each hour, BBC News 24’s best effort at a coherent hour-long news program using the best of the BBC’s international and national resources, with priority now given to story importance.

This hour goes against the Channel 4 news.

20:00-20:29 Hardtalk
If it has to go somewhere it goes out whilst there is a news program on BBC FOUR. On-screen graphics to point to the rolling headlines on BBCi.

20:30-20:59 News24Night
An early evening News analysis program in the Newsnight tradition, to follow on from the BBC FOUR news; onscreen prompting again to BBCi news headlines.

21:00-21:59 BBC News 24 News at Nine O Clock
BBC News 24’s best effort at a coherent hour-long news program using the best of the BBC’s international and national resources, with priority now given to story importance.

22:00-22:29 Business Ten 24
Business today goes against BBC ONE bulleting, and often ITV news. This allows the viewer a choice of Business-Newsnight or Business-News or News-Newsnight.

22:30-22:19 Rolling News headlines
Similar to BBC ONE bullein at 22:00; offers alternative to regional news on ONE from 22:30-22:39 and Newsnight on BBC TWO

23:20-23:59 Newsdawn
As a hand-over from Newsnight, and starting with a long newspaper review a long look forward to the news events planned for the coming day, government and corporate press releases and a long hard look at the day just gone.

00:00-01:29 Rolling News headlines

Erm... no it's not. You didn't say anything about them being without power in New York for two days... I wouldn't have repeated it if you had.

CNN America's HQ is in Atlanta, but more and more programming is being done from New York. In fact, there is probably a majority of programming coming out of there these days.

And Atlanta have had power problem. A few years back CNN did have major power trouble in Atlanta, knocking most of the channels off air entirely for an afternoon or so.