Is there an actual public directory for all departments across the BBC? And if so, is there a place in which I could access this information? For example, telephone extensions, direct lines etc.
Is there an actual public directory for all departments across the BBC? And if so, is there a place in which I could access this information? For example, telephone extensions, direct lines etc.
Gateway? That is of course if you have access to it.
Try searching the BBC Site.
All large organisations and Government Departments have internal telephone directories which list staff, job title and their location/extension numbers.
In the past you may have been able to find an employee who was prepared to give you a current or recent copy. However, these are now normally available only via their intranet rather than published as a physical document, and I doubt anyone would be prepared to print off the whole thing for you.
I'm sure the BBC website includes plenty of general access numbers.
All large organisations and Government Departments have internal telephone directories which list staff, job title and their location/extension numbers.
Any company with phones will do, but none make them publicly available for very good and obvious reasons.
All organisations will have official channels for contacting them, usually a switchboard that will field and direct calls.
E-mail of course makes it fairly easy to contact people, most places have firstname.surname@companydomain and of course the BBC is no exception, don't expect to have a direct line to important or well known people though
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 8 November 2009 7:07pm
I think some on air BBC staff also have two email addresses, one address they give out on air for listeners, but which may divert to their normal firstname.surname inbox.
Also, with regards to a directory - I know there is an internal phone directory for BBC staff as Chris Moyles demonstrated the voice recognition system on his programme a few years ago... "Good Morning, what name please?" (there are some examples on the chrismoyles.net site) - they tried rude names and even some famous ones (apparently there is a Robbie Williams working at the BBC).
I think some on air BBC staff also have two email addresses, one address they give out on air for listeners, but which may divert to their normal firstname.surname inbox.
No, they have one address (e.g: joe.bloggs@bbc.co.uk) but emails from external places(e.g: non @bbc.co.uk) are put into a separate email inbox. so they don't get muddled.
Yes, but I can think of two examples I've heard - both from Radio Devon - one is Matt Woodley who gives out his address as "matt@bbc.co.uk" - and John Govier who had "bigjg@bbc.co.uk". I always assumed that these diverted to a normal firstname.lastname address (eg matt.woodley or john.govier).
Yes, but I can think of two examples I've heard - both from Radio Devon - one is Matt Woodley who gives out his address as "matt@bbc.co.uk" - and John Govier who had "bigjg@bbc.co.uk". I always assumed that these diverted to a normal firstname.lastname address (eg matt.woodley or john.govier).
Oh, those type. Yes, there are a few of those but in most cases it's the message rule system.
Plus the ones which are ridiculous like Danny Baker, who is either margaret.rutherford or lord.reith depending on whether you want to email him at BBC London or at Five Live.
Yes, but I can think of two examples I've heard - both from Radio Devon - one is Matt Woodley who gives out his address as "matt@bbc.co.uk" - and John Govier who had "bigjg@bbc.co.uk". I always assumed that these diverted to a normal firstname.lastname address (eg matt.woodley or john.govier).
No, they'll go to inboxes specifically for the programme concerned which will be accessible by whoever works on the programme (producers, assistants etc).
If they have a personal e-mail account then they'll have a 'firstname.surname' address. However sometimes these are private accounts with non-obvious addresses so presenters and the like can actually use their e-mail for work without getting deluged with viewers e-mails or getting offensive/rude messages from stalkers and the like!
Of course many presenters aren't staff and only turn up to do their programmes so wouldn't have a personal account at all.
Plus the ones which are ridiculous like Danny Baker, who is either margaret.rutherford or lord.reith depending on whether you want to email him at BBC London or at Five Live.
Yes, a good example. They will be seperate e-mail accounts and wouldn't redirect to 'danny.baker@bbc.co.uk' (which almost certainly doesn't exist)
Yes - the BBC doesn't publish staff internal extensions for obvious reasons. There are PABX Switchboard operators (now outsourced to Siemens and not based in BBC buildings in many cases) who will take incoming calls from the public and route them to the right (usually) extensions.
Some people have "announce calls" bars on their internal extensions - so that PABX don't directly transfer calls from outside the BBC, and instead put the caller on hold and announce them to the person they wish to talk to, allowing busy people to divert these calls to more appropriate extensions.
Similarly many people in the BBC, normal employees, will have standard e-mail addresses. However on-air presenters/reporters and senior employees who are well known will usually have non-standard e-mail addresses to avoid their work inboxes getting flooded with e-mail from viewers and listeners, and particularly to avoid stalkers and other abusive e-mails getting through.
The BBC used to print an annual phone directory of internal extensions - but this has long since been discontinued as a waste of money now that most people have access to the online phone book on Gateway (the BBC internal intranet site).
Similarly BBC diaries used to have the main external switchboard numbers for all BBC buildings, along with their DDI prefix, but the BBC no longer produce an internal diary (another cost saving) - which is a bit annoying.
Anyway - given the appalling state of the BBC VOIP system at the moment even if you did know the right extension and the right DDI prefix to dial it externally you'd still not be guaranteed that the phone on the BBC desk you were dialling would actually ring...