GB News: Launch

[scottishtv]

On Twitter, Tom Harwood has promoted a piece he's written for a Daily Mail newsletter that states: "much of our studio is yet to be completed".

Article here for those interested.

[Worzel]

I think Gloria's had enough, judging by her latest quip on air!

[JayCasey]

This live bug has been up for several minutes now:



The reporter is in Birmingham, 130 miles away.

I can't get my head around this one, because none of the reporters were in Llandovery!!

[bbctvtechop]

Birmingham being located as Llandovery. And the reporter is outside a random halal meat shop. Wonder why they chose that particular location?

The Bedfordshire reporter is seriously glitching/jumping.

[Spencer]

Don't know about anyone else but I'm getting the feeling of a bit of hostility brewing between the presenters at the moment. The last 10 minutes have been like people gritting their teeth and quips at each other.

I really wouldn’t be surprised if before long we see a number of the presenters quitting. For those who’ve come from established, competent channels, it must be excruciating to have to put up with such an utter shambles. The working atmosphere must be terrible at the moment too with everything going wrong.

Being the face of this mess must be so embarrassing. There must be some who think that the sooner they’re not associated with it, the less worse their chances of being employed again elsewhere in the industry.

Maybe they’ll hang on in the hope that the technical problems get ironed out, but if, as I suspect, the entire operation’s infrastructure, run by people lacking experience, is fundamentally flawed, the wait might prove too long.

[VMPhil]

Am I right in thinking that when BBC News 24 launched it actually was only viewable in BBC offices as digital boxes had not yet been made publicly available?

You might be thinking of BBC Choice - that was digital only, and launched a few weeks before the general availability of Sky Digital. The launch programme was streamed on the internet, but for a few weeks after launch, you could only watch the channel if you somehow had a digibox before they went on general sale (presumably TV dealers, and internally within the BBC?)

As mentioned above, News 24 was available on analogue cable, but was obviously planned to be part of the BBC's digital offering. I think the launch of digital TV was delayed, so possibly News 24's launch timescale may have been developed with a 1997 digital TV launch in mind.

[william]

Don't know about anyone else but I'm getting the feeling of a bit of hostility brewing between the presenters at the moment. The last 10 minutes have been like people gritting their teeth and quips at each other.

Actually, I don't really buy that? They're under huge stress from all the faults, but I think there's chemistry between Gloria and Liam, for example. It often sounds too noisy when they talk over each other (but then the mic levels really are still all over the place; though they've seemingly solved the foldback issue for DTLs, so that's one step forward - I'd hazard a guess the conversation is more intelligible if you were sat in the studio).

Also, throughout daytime they do have a number of likeable, trustworthy presenters. To me, the majority of the regional journalists show enthusiasm and potential, even if in some cases they're severely lacking in experience. I'd like to think the more experienced presenters will mentor them a bit privately (and probably enjoy doing so).

The main problem for me (besides the overriding sense of bewilderment) is I've never felt so completely out of touch with the actual news…

[Justin]

Birmingham being located as Llandovery. And the reporter is outside a random halal meat shop. Wonder why they chose that particular location?

I doubt much consideration or care involved in the location. Disconcerting when that old woman in a mobility scooter stopped right behind her live shot, paused for a moment, and then turned around after seeing that she couldn't get through the gap that the reporter left on the footpath.

[Dogstar]

This live bug has been up for several minutes now:



The reporter is in Birmingham, 130 miles away.

I can't get my head around this one, because none of the reporters were in Llandovery!!

They were live in Llandovery... um... yesterday.

[XIII]

Thanks to Pdwill1976 on the DS ratings thread

Tuesday

6am – 9am
GBN = Great British Breakfast 0.046M (1.5%)
* Yesterday 0.079 (2.5%)

GBN = Andrew Neil 0.072M (0.4%)
* Yesterday 0.153M (0.9%)

Figures from broadcast.

For comparison on Tuesday:

Kay Burley on Sky News - 67,000
Great British Breakfast on GBN - 46,000
Breakfast on the News Channel - 38,000

Andrew Neil on GBN - 72,000
News Channel - 40,000
Sky News Tonight - 37,000

It does go to show how little the news channel are watched on a regular basis. It's only big news events which lifts them above 100,000.

[matthieu1221]

It's a shame that you don't actually learn much from the regional reporters. Half of the content seems to be anecdotal second-hand accounts of speaking to the pub owner or something of the likes. Maybe not having them have to appear every hour for the Nationwide segment and limit it perhaps to one late afternoon showing would leave them more time to find actual local stories to report on?

[Dogstar]

Thanks to Pdwill1976 on the DS ratings thread

Tuesday

6am – 9am
GBN = Great British Breakfast 0.046M (1.5%)
* Yesterday 0.079 (2.5%)

GBN = Andrew Neil 0.072M (0.4%)
* Yesterday 0.153M (0.9%)

Figures from broadcast.

For comparison on Tuesday:

Kay Burley on Sky News - 67,000
Great British Breakfast on GBN - 46,000
Breakfast on the News Channel - 38,000

Andrew Neil on GBN - 72,000
News Channel - 40,000
Sky News Tonight - 37,000

It does go to show how little the news channel are watched on a regular basis. It's only big news events which lifts them above 100,000.

This is true. I wonder if and how ratings account for reach? There are so many offices and public spaces that have news channels on them providing a degree of 'soft' viewership and brand outreach. Plus the views on apps, streaming etc. Although with the lack of news and pictures on GBN I can't imagine it being carried in such locations in its current format.

[Justin]

Halligan apologising for only being able to get Tory MP on to discuss benefits story, says Labour was invited but couldn't join due to technical issues!

[bbctvtechop]

Birmingham being located as Llandovery. And the reporter is outside a random halal meat shop. Wonder why they chose that particular location?

I doubt much consideration or care involved in the location. Disconcerting when that old woman in a mobility scooter stopped right behind her live shot, paused for a moment, and then turned around after seeing that she couldn't get through the gap that the reporter left on the footpath.

Obviously you're entitled to your own opinion. In my opinion, that location was deliberately chosen to show the halal butcher in the background. There are a multitude of locations one could have chosen to properly represent the second city, instead they chose a back street opposite a halal meat shop. Now, why would a right-wing news channel do that?

I missed the lady in the mobility scooter!

[Newsdog]

Do the regional reporters actually have the means to interview anyone? I notice they are all using AirPods which is fair enough but they have no microphones as far as I can see to interview anyone?