Launch BBC News: Studio B

[Skygeek]

Just a thing on the ramps. It may not have occurred to you - and that's fine - that it's very useful for correspondents with physical disabilities, like Frank Gardner and Sean Dilley.

Folks like them don't get much of a look-in on U.S. TV (I know - I lived there for eight years and spent a lot of time in newsrooms), and speaking as a wheelchair user myself, on the tiny handful of occasions I did live studio work for Sky a number of years ago, I had to do it from the (ramped) Sunrise area because the main desk was up steps on a platform. 

I don't fault Sky for this (after all, they put me - and at one time, the aforementioned Sean - on-screen, so they can't be accused of being discriminatory), but it was a visual deviation even for viewers who don't pay attention to pres things, so personally I welcome the Beeb's choice here to (literally) level the playing field.

[Dylan2001]

Just a thing on the ramps. It may not have occurred to you - and that's fine - that it's very useful for correspondents with physical disabilities, like Frank Gardner and Sean Dilley.

Folks like them don't get much of a look-in on U.S. TV (I know - I lived there for eight years and spent a lot of time in newsrooms), and speaking as a wheelchair user myself, on the tiny handful of occasions I did live studio work for Sky a number of years ago, I had to do it from the (ramped) Sunrise area because the main desk was up steps on a platform. 

I don't fault Sky for this (after all, they put me - and at one time, the aforementioned Sean - on-screen, so they can't be accused of being discriminatory), but it was a visual deviation even for viewers who don't pay attention to pres things, so personally I welcome the Beeb's choice here to (literally) level the playing field.

I heard what happened to Frank Gardner. Something in Saudi Arabia?

[Skygeek]

Just a thing on the ramps. It may not have occurred to you - and that's fine - that it's very useful for correspondents with physical disabilities, like Frank Gardner and Sean Dilley.

Folks like them don't get much of a look-in on U.S. TV (I know - I lived there for eight years and spent a lot of time in newsrooms), and speaking as a wheelchair user myself, on the tiny handful of occasions I did live studio work for Sky a number of years ago, I had to do it from the (ramped) Sunrise area because the main desk was up steps on a platform. 

I don't fault Sky for this (after all, they put me - and at one time, the aforementioned Sean - on-screen, so they can't be accused of being discriminatory), but it was a visual deviation even for viewers who don't pay attention to pres things, so personally I welcome the Beeb's choice here to (literally) level the playing field.

I heard what happened to Frank Gardner. Something in Saudi Arabia?

Personally, I'd argue that's not really relevant to the subject at-hand. Google is your friend.

[Jon]

Although it’s very dated and pompous by todays standards, I’ve said before the BBC sets have always seemed a bit underwhelming for me as someone who doesn’t remember anything earlier than the 90s virtual sets. I think this set has the same kind of gravitas as that set but it’s obviously much more contemporary. I agree there are parts of it that are a bit bland and maybe it look even better with the red swapped with blue?

Sorry if it’s been mentioned but do we know if the Sunday Morning programme is going to move to this new studio? Although I’d guess they’d wait until the new presenter is installed. It seems a shame to only use it for two bulletins.

Also I imagine in time Studio E and other sets will be updated to make everything a bit more uniform with better screens, different desk etc. Although you wouldn’t count on it with the BBC these days.

---

On the ramps, I didn’t even notice them. Now I have noticed them, I think they don’t even look out of place. So I guess they’re only a problem if you’ve decided to make them a problem. The tracks all over the place stick out far more to me.

[Markymark]

If touchscreens added any real value to this kind of broadcasting, surely Weather would have been all over it? I could see them dragging stuff around to show how the picture changes like Sky do on the football, to get back some of the more tactile aspects they used to have with the magnets.

That they haven't suggests it's a gimmick that doesn't add anything

Or as I suspect, it's not a touch screen ?

Any more than the switch that <insert celeb name here> operates to turn on the Christmas Lights at <insert venue here> isn't the actual switch ?

[scottishtv]

I think we should remember that whilst it's modern and fresh for BBC News in terms of global design it's still about a decade behind what others have been doing.

Perhaps it's for the international thread, but as a pres fan I'd love to see some of these other bulletins that are already 10 years ahead of this new-look BBC studio. I thought I'd seen virtual versus real, huge theatres of news with massive screens versus smaller studios with newsroom backgrounds, fake brick walls versus glass boxes etc. Which would you suggest I watch to see a glimpse of the future?

[Steve in Pudsey]

If touchscreens added any real value to this kind of broadcasting, surely Weather would have been all over it? I could see them dragging stuff around to show how the picture changes like Sky do on the football, to get back some of the more tactile aspects they used to have with the magnets.

That they haven't suggests it's a gimmick that doesn't add anything

Or as I suspect, it's not a touch screen ?

Any more than the switch that <insert celeb name here> operates to turn on the Christmas Lights at <insert venue here> isn't the actual switch ?

But then they do have a touchscreen on the election set for Reeta's bits, so building one in makes sense?

[DTV]

Just a thing on the ramps. It may not have occurred to you - and that's fine - that it's very useful for correspondents with physical disabilities, like Frank Gardner and Sean Dilley.

Folks like them don't get much of a look-in on U.S. TV (I know - I lived there for eight years and spent a lot of time in newsrooms), and speaking as a wheelchair user myself, on the tiny handful of occasions I did live studio work for Sky a number of years ago, I had to do it from the (ramped) Sunrise area because the main desk was up steps on a platform. 

I don't fault Sky for this (after all, they put me - and at one time, the aforementioned Sean - on-screen, so they can't be accused of being discriminatory), but it was a visual deviation even for viewers who don't pay attention to pres things, so personally I welcome the Beeb's choice here to (literally) level the playing field.

The BBC have generally been quite good at this for a while, possibly because of having Frank Gardner as one of their high profile correspondents. The main desk section in the previous Studio B set also had a built-in ramp and the sets in Studio C and E are designed to be fully accessible for ordinary wheelchairs (I'm not sure if Nikki Fox's electric wheelchair could make it onto the main desk section). The TVC sets didn't have permanent ramps, but I think that they had them on hand as I remember seeing one next to the rostrum in one of the Barco sets when Frank Gardner was being interviewed in studio.

And, of course, these ramps don't just help in accessibility, they also help with moving chairs around. Though they are lower in the new set, the rostrums in the previous set are the best part of a foot in height - lifting office chairs isn't the easiest task in the world.

[Markymark]

Or as I suspect, it's not a touch screen ?



Any more than the switch that <insert celeb name here> operates to turn on the Christmas Lights at <insert venue here> isn't the actual switch ?

But then they do have a touchscreen on the election set for Reeta's bits, so building one in makes sense?

Yes, I've managed to keep dropping off to sleep this week during the 10pm news, so I might have missed something, but all Huw does is tap the screen, I've not seen any drag around happen, that would be difficult to 'proxy' ?

Telly's stock in trade is smoke and mirrors. I don't think all of Ros Atkins' screen taps were real either, some seemed to fire off before or after he'd tapped the screen ?

[Skygeek]

Just a thing on the ramps. It may not have occurred to you - and that's fine - that it's very useful for correspondents with physical disabilities, like Frank Gardner and Sean Dilley.

Folks like them don't get much of a look-in on U.S. TV (I know - I lived there for eight years and spent a lot of time in newsrooms), and speaking as a wheelchair user myself, on the tiny handful of occasions I did live studio work for Sky a number of years ago, I had to do it from the (ramped) Sunrise area because the main desk was up steps on a platform. 

I don't fault Sky for this (after all, they put me - and at one time, the aforementioned Sean - on-screen, so they can't be accused of being discriminatory), but it was a visual deviation even for viewers who don't pay attention to pres things, so personally I welcome the Beeb's choice here to (literally) level the playing field.

The BBC have generally been quite good at this for a while, possibly because of having Frank Gardner as one of their high profile correspondents. The main desk section in the previous Studio B set also had a built-in ramp and the sets in Studio C and E are designed to be fully accessible for ordinary wheelchairs (I'm not sure if Nikki Fox's electric wheelchair could make it onto the main desk section). The TVC sets didn't have permanent ramps, but I think that they had them on hand as I remember seeing one next to the rostrum in one of the Barco sets when Frank Gardner was being interviewed in studio.

And, of course, these ramps don't just help in accessibility, they also help with moving chairs around. Though they are lower in the new set, the rostrums in the previous set are the best part of a foot in height - lifting office chairs isn't the easiest task in the world.

Wrong of me to forget Nikki (perhaps because I don't know her personally, but I do know Frank and Sean), but you're absolutely right.

[RhysJR]

[Steve in Pudsey]

The BBC have generally been quite good at this for a while, possibly because of having Frank Gardner as one of their high profile correspondents. 

I think that embarrassment when Sports Personality of the Year failed to provide a ramp for Tanni Grey-Thompson probably focused a few minds too.

[Markymark]

I heard what happened to Frank Gardner. Something in Saudi Arabia?

Watch this programme,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p3p4

[RunVT]

The new studio is glorious and befitting of the flagship studio for the national broadcaster. If anything it has been long overdue for the BBC to have a grand, confident studio for the flagship broadcast.

The presentation style however leaves a lot to be desired.

The touch screen is just such a dreadful gimmick for broadcast news. It distracts the presenter and makes them turn their back to us. And it adds literally nothing, when the gallery controls (or could control) the graphics anyway. It never worked well on Outside Source, so goodness knows why they've decided to make a feature of it on the Ten now. There is also no need for Huw walk about the studio, again distracting him while he makes sure not to trip on the tram tracks. It doesn't add anything to do that and if anything makes things look under-rehearsed.

I quite like the view of the regional newsrooms but think it would work better if they make less of a "point" of it. All it needs is for the presenter to say "now it's time to join the newsrooms across the UK", we don't need them to point out "look! a live feed! here they all are behind me, a marvel of modern broadcasting".

And if they're trying to attract younger audiences to a scheduled nightly newscast (ignoring all the industry projections and trajectories...) then making a huge song and dance about including the *weather forecast* in the bulletin is laughably tone-deaf. Who, under 35, is tuning in to the news at ten for their weather information, when it's on every smartphone in the world as a core feature?

One step forwards (studio), two steps back (presentation and content).

[Markymark]

I quite like the view of the regional newsrooms but think it would work better if they make less of a "point" of it. All it needs is for the presenter to say "now it's time to join the newsrooms across the UK", we don't need them to point out "look! a live feed! here they all are behind me, a marvel of modern broadcasting".

TV generally seems to overuse 'Live' tags. It was fine in the 60s and 70s, when it was often genuinely an engineering marvel to see live images from a mountain top in Scotland, someone in New Zealand, or on the Moon. However today, come on. Even when they drag a studio camera 6ft the other side of the studio doors, up pops a 'LIVE' tag.

I can see my own front driveway in HD on my phone anywhere on this planet, it really isn't a big deal.