BBC Regions using domestic camcorders?

Some of the reports on Look North (both Hull and Leeds versions) appear to be shot using domestic camcorders (or something similar). Some of them look half-decent but some look really pretty awful (out of focus, over-exposed etc).

Can any of the 'insiders' here shed any light on this? I watch the Hull prog - they have recently relaunched - fab set - loadsamoney spent on the 'new look' , but some of the reports look like dodgy wedding video.

Do all BBC regions use amatuer footage from viewers when needed?

I remember from the other week, when Star City, in Birmingham, had a special ride, which broke down, stranding a couple of people.

Midlands Today asked, during that morning's BBC WM 'Ed Doolan' show, if anyone had any footage, but I never saw any on the later bulletins, just the 'morning after' shot officially !

I remember a month or so back when part of my school burnt down it was either Look East or Anglia News that used amateur pictures of the clock tower collapsing.

I think the beeb has always used amateur footage of breaking news. What am I referring to though, in my original post, is the use of domestic camcorders for mainstream reports - ie: reports shot by BBC cameramen

I'm sure all regional news programmes do, if the footage is all that is available or is compelling enough.

ITV News is now encouraging viewers to send footage from their mobile phones, following the use of such video of the football riots in Croydon by London Tonight a few weeks back

www.itv.com/news/399877.html

I understand that the BBC regions employ Videojournalists - so it may be their cameras which are only semi-pro/domestic

Indeed. The BBC have introduced a system called PDP (personal digital production) where journos are trained to shoot and edit their own material. The corporation has invested heavily in this concept with a training centre in Newcastle.
However it has to be said from the offerings I have seen it looks poor in comparison to the material that is shot and edited by professional cameramen and editors.
Small hand held cameras for another angle have their place but not as widely as the BBC believe (in my humble opnion ofcourse!)

As regards home video from viewers which might capture a moment that a BBC or ITV crew couldn't, that is commonly used by BBC, ITV and Sky.

thanks Emleymoor. I agree with you that some of the results are pretty bad. But I guess pro cameramen and pro editors cost money - and if the beeb is to continue expanding tv in the regions (haven't they just announced 60 new tv stations?) they will need to find a way to pay for it. It's just a pity that they have chosen to sacrifice quality pictures - something the beeb was always good at.

Do you know what type of cameras they are using? I take it they didn't just go down to Dixon's?!

Slightly off topic, but regarding the quality of video of adverts used on programmes (e.g. Watchdog).

Some of these look as if they've been recorded using a bog-standard domestic VCR.

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr?

A company is hardly going to give a copy of its commercial to Watchdog, to extract the urine out of, is it?

So anything they show will be taken off a logger, won't it?

They nearly always look MUCH worse.

What about when the BBC record bits of Sky Sports for use on news bulletins? The quality is always OK, it often includes the hated red dot in the corner!