DE
I think things are very different now as they've moved to an IP based network but traditionally, yes that's essentially how it worked
There were contribution lines between the centres for example London-Norwich, London-Southampton, London to Bristol, London to Manchester, and London to Birmingham. Normally there would be 1 in each direction, sometimes 2
So to book a line from, say, Truro to London you'd have to book Truro-> Plymouth -> Bristol -> London.
I remember having problems booking lines to Southampton to London during party conference times because they were all booked for OBs from Bournemouth which were all routed via Southampton
How did Glasgow, Newcastle & Belfast work? All via Manchester like Leeds?
I think they all went through Manchester as well. Might have a circuit drawing somewhere. Belfast and Glasgow certainly went through Manchester.
Bookings from local radio station cameras could be pretty complex and involve phone calls to several newsrooms to book staff to look after the guest, then a phone call to network bookings to actually get the circuits sorted out. You then often had to phone from region to region to actually get the booking routed before you eventually saw the guest. Reverse sound could also go via an equally tortuous route back the other way. I remember chasing one booking from Northampton to Oxford and was asked by an engineer at Television Centre whether Northampton was anywhere near Southampton
There's a story on the internet involving an early Children in Need where Television Centre were chasing a contribution from Cardiff. CF was always routed through Bristol, but BS had gone to dinner by all accounts ...
There are still plenty of sites that aren't on the IP system; most of them Local Radio stations that have an edit suite and maybe a newsroom camera but not a full TV operation. Brighton has lines to Tunbridge Wells and Southampton which can then be routed on to wherever necessary. Portsmouth and Bournemouth are both microwave links (I think) via Rowridge to Southampton. I think Coventry is linked to the Mailbox via Sutton Coldfield, Worcester might be as well.
Generally speaking, local radio sites and district offices are linked to their associated regional centre but there are a few exceptions where lines go to a neighbouring region then have to be routed on from there - I think Lincoln is part of Hull's region editorially, yet is routed via Nottingham... (someone correct me if I'm wrong on that).
Sub-opt stations at Oxford, Cambridge and Jersey always had complex circuit arrangements to enable them to opt in and out of either the network or their 'home' region. I'm sure noggin will remember the arrangements Cambridge had in their old building - ISTR it involved microwave links via the transmitter. Oxford appeared at first glance to be exceptionally well connected to the network: there was one line from London, two to London and two lines to and two lines from Southampton. However, as the DTT kit all remained in Southampton and there was no true Network feed into Oxford (there still isn't) the four lines to/from Soton were all in use during sub-opts to get on air.
Things have changed with the new IP based arrangements and in many cases are much easier and less fraught. But anomalies still remain and a lot of local knowledge is needed here and there to get it all to work.
Going back to the nationwide clip, it's incredible to think that they not only organised such a huge logistical nightmare of an undertaking on a nightly basis to "Go Nationwide" but that it ever worked at all. I've certainly heard some horrific director stories about working on that show, but in a way I really wish we still had it. Regional contributions to a national show have always been terrific fun to watch in a lunatic, eccentric and thoroughly British way IMO!
Here's a question.
Who goes via who?
I guess the BBC Local Radio Station insert studios go via the nearest regional TV centre, eg Brighton, when used on the NC, goes via Tunbridge Wells, then onto London?
Who goes via who?
I guess the BBC Local Radio Station insert studios go via the nearest regional TV centre, eg Brighton, when used on the NC, goes via Tunbridge Wells, then onto London?
I think things are very different now as they've moved to an IP based network but traditionally, yes that's essentially how it worked
There were contribution lines between the centres for example London-Norwich, London-Southampton, London to Bristol, London to Manchester, and London to Birmingham. Normally there would be 1 in each direction, sometimes 2
So to book a line from, say, Truro to London you'd have to book Truro-> Plymouth -> Bristol -> London.
I remember having problems booking lines to Southampton to London during party conference times because they were all booked for OBs from Bournemouth which were all routed via Southampton
How did Glasgow, Newcastle & Belfast work? All via Manchester like Leeds?
I think they all went through Manchester as well. Might have a circuit drawing somewhere. Belfast and Glasgow certainly went through Manchester.
Bookings from local radio station cameras could be pretty complex and involve phone calls to several newsrooms to book staff to look after the guest, then a phone call to network bookings to actually get the circuits sorted out. You then often had to phone from region to region to actually get the booking routed before you eventually saw the guest. Reverse sound could also go via an equally tortuous route back the other way. I remember chasing one booking from Northampton to Oxford and was asked by an engineer at Television Centre whether Northampton was anywhere near Southampton
There's a story on the internet involving an early Children in Need where Television Centre were chasing a contribution from Cardiff. CF was always routed through Bristol, but BS had gone to dinner by all accounts ...
There are still plenty of sites that aren't on the IP system; most of them Local Radio stations that have an edit suite and maybe a newsroom camera but not a full TV operation. Brighton has lines to Tunbridge Wells and Southampton which can then be routed on to wherever necessary. Portsmouth and Bournemouth are both microwave links (I think) via Rowridge to Southampton. I think Coventry is linked to the Mailbox via Sutton Coldfield, Worcester might be as well.
Generally speaking, local radio sites and district offices are linked to their associated regional centre but there are a few exceptions where lines go to a neighbouring region then have to be routed on from there - I think Lincoln is part of Hull's region editorially, yet is routed via Nottingham... (someone correct me if I'm wrong on that).
Sub-opt stations at Oxford, Cambridge and Jersey always had complex circuit arrangements to enable them to opt in and out of either the network or their 'home' region. I'm sure noggin will remember the arrangements Cambridge had in their old building - ISTR it involved microwave links via the transmitter. Oxford appeared at first glance to be exceptionally well connected to the network: there was one line from London, two to London and two lines to and two lines from Southampton. However, as the DTT kit all remained in Southampton and there was no true Network feed into Oxford (there still isn't) the four lines to/from Soton were all in use during sub-opts to get on air.
Things have changed with the new IP based arrangements and in many cases are much easier and less fraught. But anomalies still remain and a lot of local knowledge is needed here and there to get it all to work.
Going back to the nationwide clip, it's incredible to think that they not only organised such a huge logistical nightmare of an undertaking on a nightly basis to "Go Nationwide" but that it ever worked at all. I've certainly heard some horrific director stories about working on that show, but in a way I really wish we still had it. Regional contributions to a national show have always been terrific fun to watch in a lunatic, eccentric and thoroughly British way IMO!
