BBC Regional Newsrooms

What do you think of the regional newsrooms?
Is your regions rubbish?

I know they are used for BBC Parliament programes but apart from that I think they should be used more - With my region they use the studio for the 6.30 slot and after that its only used for Newsnight Scotland, so all the other news bulletins including the now longer 10 o`clock news bulletin are filmed from the Glasgow news gathering centre- how boring? Why dont they use them more?

I noticed that tonight on Reporting Scotland that they had two presnters (David Robertson..i think and Jackie Bird). This si quite unusual as for as far as I can remeber Reporting Scotland has always had just the one presenter. Another difference was that instead of that dreadfull dark blue wall to the right, instead they had a yellow colour similar to one of the english regions.

Id love to hear any thoughts on your region

You know, I'd never thought I'd hear myself say this but I think the BBC Corporate News identity is a bad thing for broadcasting. I used to like travelling around the country, and switching on the TV to see how each region presented the news. All were very different in format, look, astons etc. Now, we get just about the same thing, albeit with a different window behind the presenter in all the regions. Surely that can not be good for broadcasting. The BBC has stifled creativity by imposing this corporate look on the regions. I have no problems with the look itself, I think it's perhaps the best of it's kind, but I would like the regions to have more say into how their programme looks. I do hope that the ITV stations don't go down the same road at least I can still go in hotel rooms and look forward to switching on the TV and see the different presentation of all ITV regions.

BBC Wales has the biggest set - but the worst music!

Sara Edwards is a bit annoying though!

In my experience ITV regional newsrooms are a lot better than BBC Regional newsrooms.
Take Granada and NWT as an example.
Granada has a large newsroom with big panels of frosted glass and banks of monitors.
NWT's is like a mini office with just a few desks bunched together in a room.
I like the look of the BBC Regions, it looks good, but it looks too generic.
ITV stations will probably always have a different look for each region, as for ITV there is no 'Manager' of regions, there is for the BBC.
The expansion of BBC Regions is of course limited by that crucial factor.. money.
They cannot afford to go splashing out on huge grand newsrooms, like the ITV companies do, simply because they cannot justify it.

Reporting Scotland starting using the two-pres format at the beginning of the week for their main bulletin. There was a huge page feature in the Scotsman all about it on Monday.

Well, quite a few bulletins from BBC North West come from the studio.

North West Today - 0600-0900 - Nigel Jay in self-opt studio

North West Today - 1330 - Gordon Burns in studio

North West Today - 1525 - Gordon Burns in studio

North West Tonight - 1830 - Gordon Burns in studio

North West Tonight - 2225 - Martin Henfield in studio

North West Tonight - Weekend - Julia Sharp in self-opt studio.

Bank Holiday bulletins from self-opt with either Martin Henfield, Nigel Jay or Julia Sharp.

I hate the fact that some regions use the newsroom - its much better coming from the studio. Afterall, its what its there for!

I know what you mean! The Wales Today studio is huge, but the music is awful!! I've never heard anything so boring! If its not the music that sends you to sleep, then its Sara! She always slouches and looks sleepy!!

ZZzzzz.....

Granda news does NOT come from its newsroom.
They though should get that sign on Quay St sorted out!

Most Look North bulletins also come from the main studio, This week as follows:

Breakfast from 6.25 - Peter Levy in the self-opt, Weather from Lisa Gallagher in the studio

Lunchtime 1.30 - Peter Levy in the studio, Weather from Paul Hudson or Lisa Gallagher in the studio

Afternoon 3.25 - Charlotte Doney in the studio

Look North 6.30 - Harry Gration and Cathy Killick in the studio, Weather from Paul Hudson

Late 10.25 - Charlotte Doney in the studio

This Saturday - Harry Gration, John Boyd or Dean Peppal in the studio
This Sunday - Peter Levy in the self opt studio

North West Tonight don't seem to have many presenters, Like Look North, do presenters from BBC Local Radio sometimes fill in?

I think that at one point during Breakfast they should have a 10-15 minute regional opt out where they can cover all the local issues in more depth

Anyone agree?

Do you think breakfast should have a BBC ONE dog and a clock during regional?

And maybe Big Moira(OBE) could have her own introduction film with her big hair flying around a globe

The point of the 'corporate' look is that you identify everything with BBC News - before all the different programmes meant that it was hard to sell the brand. In this very competitive world the BBC wants viewers to know they are getting BBC News - with the one look (albeit with variations) you can do that.
As to Breakfast having regional opts of 10 minutes that would cost a lot more money for the regions ... it would take a lot more time and effort to produce a 10 minute bulletin .. they've only recently gone up from 3 mins to 4 and a half at just before 7 and 8.