Launch BBC News: Studio B

[Moz]

I think the weakest bit was Huw straining to look at Katya Adler. The screen is too far behind him for him to see it…

Why does one think that he - and others by the way, not forgetting the BBC News at Six team - isn't straining his neck but looking off to one side at a monitor / screen at Katya Adler - or whoever to be honest - and the camera angles are doing their job in filling the 'illusion' of sorts. Very clever I think.

Because he didn’t seem to know where to look and seemed to be struggling. All seemed a bit awkward. Watch it back and see. 

I don’t think they have this right yet as Chris Mason didn’t appear on a screen at all, they just cut to him and back. Normally he’d have been on screen in the studio with Huw saying “our Political Editor Chris Mason there.”

[Steve in Pudsey]

I thought it was quite brave of Huw to present the entire bulletin without a back-up script (the standing parts anyway), what happens if the autocue fails?
Huw is professional and experienced enough to ad-lib but not every presenter is capable of that.

I can't imagine many presenters who can't ad-lib getting the opportunity to present the national news!

Is it not the case that everything is so integrated and automated that the prompter failing is probably a symptom of something more fundamental failing, so having the script for your link into a package that isn't going to play may not be too useful.

[valley]

Is it not the case that everything is so integrated and automated that the prompter failing is probably a symptom of something more fundamental failing, so having the script for your link into a package that isn't going to play may not be too useful.

I cannot speak for the BBC's workflow but generally prompter units are not quite as automated and integrated as other systems. Whilst the system will continually be pulling the running order and the latest scripts from iNews/OpenMedia/etc. (this link can definitely go wrong) most teleprompt issues I've encountered have been either human error (the operator gets lost or jumps a story by accident), to do with the computer it is running on (typically a Windows desktop / VM which can crash like any other device), the way it is being fed (accidentally over-patched on the router, etc.) or the head unit itself.

Most places have a backup system which can be routed to the head units quite quickly.

[DTV]

Just for note, as I haven't seen it mentioned, the News at One was as per usual - including an unReithed numeral in the titles (which might look better, but does add to the inconsistencies between bulletins).

[Steve in Pudsey]

How is the shot with the regions done by the way? Lining up 15 outside sources and contribution circuits seems like more hassle than it's worth.

[Markymark]

How is the shot with the regions done by the way? Lining up 15 outside sources and contribution circuits seems like more hassle than it's worth.

Surely it's just a BNCS salvo ?

[EDCanada]

Is it not the case that everything is so integrated and automated that the prompter failing is probably a symptom of something more fundamental failing, so having the script for your link into a package that isn't going to play may not be too useful.

I cannot speak for the BBC's workflow but generally prompter units are not quite as automated and integrated as other systems. Whilst the system will continually be pulling the running order and the latest scripts from iNews/OpenMedia/etc. (this link can definitely go wrong) most teleprompt issues I've encountered have been either human error (the operator gets lost or jumps a story by accident), to do with the computer it is running on (typically a Windows desktop / VM which can crash like any other device), the way it is being fed (accidentally over-patched on the router, etc.) or the head unit itself.

Most places have a backup system which can be routed to the head units quite quickly.

Is the BBC still using OpenMedia for the actual production of the bulletins, or have they gone away from it since that 2018 incident and just use it for news gathering?

[agentsquash]

I cannot speak for the BBC's workflow but generally prompter units are not quite as automated and integrated as other systems. Whilst the system will continually be pulling the running order and the latest scripts from iNews/OpenMedia/etc. (this link can definitely go wrong) most teleprompt issues I've encountered have been either human error (the operator gets lost or jumps a story by accident), to do with the computer it is running on (typically a Windows desktop / VM which can crash like any other device), the way it is being fed (accidentally over-patched on the router, etc.) or the head unit itself.

Most places have a backup system which can be routed to the head units quite quickly.

Is the BBC still using OpenMedia for the actual production of the bulletins, or have they gone away from it since that 2018 incident and just use it for news gathering?

Still OpenMedia.

[Steve in Pudsey]

How is the shot with the regions done by the way? Lining up 15 outside sources and contribution circuits seems like more hassle than it's worth.

Surely it's just a BNCS salvo ?

The more I think about it I suspect regions record a couple of minutes of their presenter gurning at the camera and upload it to a server for London to access.

[Blubatt]

I unfortunately didn't watch it live, but seeing the clip on TV Live's YouTube, I have to say its going to take some getting used to. It looks good, and it looks unique and grand compared to ITV, Channel 4, and Sky News' studios. One does think, however, there will be (eventually) one last tweak to this studio, when the BBC News department as a whole refreshes its graphics. I can see it from the first shot that the all black BBC News Logo with the globe in the corner is probably a transitional look.

However, it does look good.

[Chud]

Does anyone know if the balcony area is wide enough for a desk and chairs/interview area? Would be a good area to use at election time.

[DTV]

Does anyone know if the balcony area is wide enough for a desk and chairs/interview area? Would be a good area to use at election time.

Unless there are some serious perspective tricks being used, I doubt so. It looks like it is only wide enough for a single person to walk around.

[Joe]

Yep, no married people allowed up there.

[TVFan]

Yep, no married people allowed up there.

Why?

[CantGetIn]

I cannot speak for the BBC's workflow but generally prompter units are not quite as automated and integrated as other systems. Whilst the system will continually be pulling the running order and the latest scripts from iNews/OpenMedia/etc. (this link can definitely go wrong) most teleprompt issues I've encountered have been either human error (the operator gets lost or jumps a story by accident), to do with the computer it is running on (typically a Windows desktop / VM which can crash like any other device), the way it is being fed (accidentally over-patched on the router, etc.) or the head unit itself.

Most places have a backup system which can be routed to the head units quite quickly.

Is the BBC still using OpenMedia for the actual production of the bulletins, or have they gone away from it since that 2018 incident and just use it for news gathering?

The BBC got rid of ENPS and put everything into OpenMedia. I think it will be in place for some time to come. Sky news also use the system. I believe the system was pretty new when that incident occurred.