SixForum

Did anyone see the piece on the Six O'Clock News tonight about the 'SixForum'? Can it be that Auntie has learned of the power of Forums?

They are asking people to email questions which will be put to a reporter (or guest) in Afghanistan tonight. SixFoum@bbc.co.uk appeared on a large aston.

Sounds very interesting, and although the Forum on BBCi is not new, this is the first time I have seen it associated directly with a newtwork news programme.

PS: If you're watching right now, have you all noticed the little LCD flat monitor sitting between Fiona and the big weather/interview screen? This must have been to assist the reporter who did a 'stand-up' earlier. Does this mean they can't view the big screen by looking directly?

I thought it was wierd that they didn't use the purple aston to show the e mail address.

I noticed that the other day, I think on the One O'Clock News - what is the little monitor for?

Its almost certainly a little monitor showing the output of the camera Michael Fish (or whoever) talks into.

In the weather for example it lets them see where their hands are moving over the map from the camera's perspective, as the angle they see the map from will be different.

Look North and other regions use a chromakey screen for the weather and so they have to have a monitor to see what they're doing. In those cases, the screen is embedded into the wall in the 'recess' bit. The new National studio's screen hangs proud of the wall so I guess thats why they need one on a floor stand.

I would still love to know if they use a large projector for that, and if so, what kind of screen.

In the pre-last week BBC National studio the 'monitor' was embedded into the small bit of wall on the right.

Ignore this post it was a mistake

(Edited by Rob at 7:11 pm on Dec. 5, 2001)

Ahh, that would be this then?

http://www.tvhome.f2s.com/upload/newsmonitor.jpg

Cheers, Asa

Is that the National Studio? Would it have that aston?

(Edited by MikeG at 7:28 pm on Dec. 5, 2001)

Yay - that's what I saw!!

It had the same picture as what was on the main studio screen.

Yep - the national news had the 'breakfast' style aston when it first launched.  AFAIK it changed to purple around the same time that News 24 went corporate.

If I'm correct the small monitor is 4:3; this could be to show the presenter at the screen the 4:3 'safe' area as the camera would be widescreen and we might just see hands and no body!!

It could be to reduce eye strain as, if I'm right the big screen's projector won't it be emitting a lot of light? or the weather presenters are so used to looking at the small screen in their studio they forget to look at the big screen? - unlikly!

Gareth

The astons changed to purple quite some time after News 24 went corporate, around July 2000 I think. The Breakfast astons are almost the same as the old national news astons, except the lower line (black lettering) is in light type on Breakfast whereas before on the national news it was in bold type.