Central West and BBC Midlands Thread

oh yes, the new trailer is a work of art - i do not think it is possible to get any more un-newsy (if there is such a word) - but i suppose it advertises the show for what it is - a local-news-cliche fest, which is why people watch.

here's the highlights:

nick gets out the banner...
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/190303--bbcmids01.jpg

cath reporting on location ... but whats that?! *cath looks up*
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/190303--bbcmids02.jpg

steve reporting on location ... but whats that?! *steve looks up*
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/190303--bbcmids03.jpg

shefali live on location ... she looks up... is it a bird? ... a dirty great smear on the camera lens?
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/190303--bbcmids04.jpg

... no! its nick owen and suzanne flying a bi plane accross the midlands *wahey!!*

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/190303--bbcmids06.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/190303--bbcmids07.jpg

... meanwhile bob warman is heard taking pot shots at it from the roof of warman towers

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/bbcmidlandstodaytrailer-biplane.rm

how fabulous!!

on a seperate note, central news is looking decidedly like an eppisode of chris morris' the day today. decidedly average. id be interested to know if "thousands of viewers are coming back to central news" was still the case - i know my family came back to central ... and after the relaunch they've returned from whence they came, ie midlands today.

on midlands today i have to say how amazing i find traveller's tales with peter plisner. its like a pop video with all the fab editing that goes on in it - especially the little animations of the trains going around on the map

Sorry - the BBC only broadcast Comic Relief and hand over 7 hours of primetime television for the cause. CIN regionals only happened cus it is the BBC's char-e-de fundraiser.

Regional splits would only happen if C.R wanted them and the BBC agreed to it. But since C.R is a national charity with all money raised going into 1 pot for re-distribution, there is no value in 'going local' - unlike CIN were the dosh donated generally stops in the regional area that donated it.

A bit more news from BBC Local Radio in the Midlands(Well WM & the 'Alex Trellinski' Late Show at least !)

Kicking off with BBC WM, I woke up at 5.30am, for 'The Early Show', to find Waddo himself had been in full swing since 5 am, on all frequencies, with Julie behind the scenes.

Waddo doing the odd interview & taking the odd feed from various sources, until 6am, then the usual split at 6, with Annie Othen taking over in CW land, including an insert from Coventry cathedral, & Waddo continuing in Birmingham & the Black Country only. By 7am, when I went to work, Julie was in Birmingham city centre, while Danny Kelly was at the Saddam Hussein mosque in Aston, Birmingham(not too far away from where those 2 girls got shot at new year !!!)

By 6.30pm, 'Midlands Today', had Suzanne in the studio, & Nick on location at Coventry cathedral, with contributions from Andy Newman outside BBc Hereford & Worcester's studios in Worcester & Liz Copper in Stoke, plus a quick flit to Paul Franks at BBC WM, for his input.

BBC Radio Stoke had a debate at 7pm, promoted by another rip off WM background with 'BBC Radio Stoke' superimposed over it. I assume this ran until 9pm (Can Radio Stoke listeners please confirm !)

WM also had a debate, presented by Adrian Goldberg, running from 7pm through till 10pm.

Meanwhile Alex Trellinski kicked off at 9pm with his show, majoring on Iraq too.

At 10pm, normally WM & the other West Midlands stations simulcast the news, but on this occasion, Goldberg linked to Tony Blair's statement, which was run in full, while the other stations took the news, then Shabina (God help us !!!) took straight over on WM, then introduced a separate news for WM only, while the other stations went back to the travel & Alex.

What did other BBC Midlands Radio stations do?

Did they follow WM & concentrate their newsy shows on Iraq, & have special phone ins, or not?

UPDATE 1040pm - Those of you who used to listen to the 'Midnight Line/Ian Perry Phone Show' on Beacon & WABC, will remember one of Ian's regular callers 'Johnny Morris' (he with 'Jammo the parrot' & 'schmantic back flips fame'), has just given Alex a call !!!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!

Ashley Blake just said that there'll be BBC Midlands Today updates throughout GMTV tomorrow!

Oops!

That was truly fab! So Pebble Mill!!! I loved it. Seemed he was having trouble with the autocue as well.

ROFL, did he wave too?

anyway - todays highlights (described by westy a few posts back) in picture form:

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/200303--bbcmids01.jpg

i couldnt help but laugh at the fab helicopter that kept popping up and down on the plasma
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/200303--bbcmids02.jpg

bit of shameless cross-promotion
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/200303--bbcmids03.jpg

WAHEY!! liz in stoke - shes so fab. notice the split screen's bacground. chas has been watching too much news 24 this afternoon methinks.
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/200303--bbcmids04.jpg

bob was all on his own tonight on central - and he didnt sit down at all - interesting shot though.
http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/200303--central01.jpg

http://www.tvmercia.co.uk/upload/200303--central02.jpg

Yeah he did, but it was a very unsure wave as he realised just what he'd just said!

Poor bloke! He's usually quite good as well.

LOL! I thought that too! I have uploaded a capture of it here:


BBC News - Midlands Today - Ashley Blake

Poor little man.

How often are they showing the Midlands News trailer? Up here they even have a trailer for the weather with Trai and Paul, and It goes on for ages.

the trailer is being shown intermittently with the politics show midlands trailer. the midlands trailer slots on bbc one midlands are 13:44 & 18.58 weekdays and very often before neighnbours at 17:33weekdays. 17.34-ish on saturdays plus a double trailer spectacular on a sunday at 17.54 and 18.00. bbc two midlands still show a trailer at 19.59 on most wednesdays too. and not forgetting the "coming up in half an hour on midlands today" trail on bbc two midlands every weeknight at 17.58.

they also tend to slip in trailers immediately after popular sport like the world cup england games.

Slight swop round on BBC WM today.

Gaunty doing 6am till 9am.

Boyden doing 9am till 11am, then he's off to the Baggies match (Sad man!!!)

The legend that is Tony Butler doing 11am till 2pm, then it's Sport from 2pm.

Did 'The Early Show' from Coventry go ahead between 5am & 6am, rather than 5am & 7am as usual, or was it 5 live from 1am till 6am right through for a change?
(I wasn't awake, so I don't know!)

have we all lost interest in llew and suzanne at last?

i had a feeling it was near