Launch BBC News: Studio B

[DTV]

Given that apparently BBC London is going to move into Studio B, this means that, once all of this studio shuffle is complete, three of the five proper studios at NBH are going to be vacant. I do wonder what they'll do with them. Mothballing is probably the most likely option, but I suppose you could let the World Service use them (and reclaim some office space) or let Newsnight build a standing set in one of them. Also will be interesting to see where HARDtalk comes from. At present it tends to be recorded whereever is free, but if there are only two studios in regular use, there options will be much more limited.

[Mouseboy33]

I love this bit. Its so unnecessary and screams, look what we can do. It so OTT. I love it.  Even though the BBC version is actually LIVE, Newscaststudio noted, its not UN-similiar to what WSB Atlanta does for their storm coverage. Though it kinda seems unnecessary to have Huw walk over, they can just pull back from the desk and swing the camera round to the wall and show the video wall and do a slow tracking and panning shot. Huw doesnt need to pop over there. But its good thing they are trying new  things. LOL. Good thing Huw went on that health kick a few years back, they are gonna have him jogging all over the shop . Its brilliant. I love it. It does make the broadcast more dynamic and visually more interesting. It will be intersting to see which elements are dropped. I notice many broadcasters start off with many shots and elements that show off the new set for a few months and they are  eventually eliminated after a few months. So its likely things will settle down.

WSB 2 Atlanta - pre-recorded version.
 

[DTV]

PS - I love the new studio, so that's my only minor quibble.  Unpopular opinion though - I really like E still.  I know people think it's small and cramped but I think it's quite human-sized and was very welcome after the huge theatres of news (across all channels) of 10-15 years ago.

I'll second this. I like the new set, but I prefer Studio E - and not just because of that unbeatable backdrop. As I said the other day, this set is probably my third favourite network set, but the 2013 E set is definitely my favourite. I have a real soft spot for the styling of the original NBH sets and would have loved to have seen a refurbed B set - with the old three videowalls replaced by these new curved, high-pitch LED ones.

[Radio_man]

Given that apparently BBC London is going to move into Studio B, this means that, once all of this studio shuffle is complete, three of the five proper studios at NBH are going to be vacant. I do wonder what they'll do with them. Mothballing is probably the most likely option, but I suppose you could let the World Service use them (and reclaim some office space) or let Newsnight build a standing set in one of them. Also will be interesting to see where HARDtalk comes from. At present it tends to be recorded whereever is free, but if there are only two studios in regular use, there options will be much more limited.

He can BBC London news move into studio B? Surely it's impossible for their regional bulletin to immediately start whilst the News at 6/10 are effectively still in there?

[GraemeT]

If they tart up E for news channel with some of these new features I think we have a lovely mix

[DTV]

He can BBC London news move into studio B? Surely it's impossible for their regional bulletin to immediately start whilst the News at 6/10 are effectively still in there?

I remain sceptical of whether it will actually happen, but that is what the press release said. How the logistics will work, I don't know, but that is what has been said. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if BBC London ends up being read by the nationals presenter.

If they tart up E for news channel with some of these new features I think we have a lovely mix

I imagine that this is what will happen. The merged news channel is surely going to pick E over C. So I expect that soon we'll see the next part of the studio shuffle - programmes in E will decamp to the basement studios so a set in the style of the new B one can be installed in E.

[mdta]

With Studio E used for live updates for World News and News Channel - Studio C would still be needed for the pre-recorded content for various parts of the world - with the back half hours.

[harshy]

With Studio E used for live updates for World News and News Channel - Studio C would still be needed for the pre-recorded content for various parts of the world - with the back half hours.

They should put that new newsroom background in Studio C rather then the one from a massive height looking down which has been there past few months.

[Brekkie]

I wonder if London might only be used for the weekend bulletins, read by the national presenter - if indeed the weekend bulletins use Studio B. Just can't see it happening otherwise, especially as they already have to deal with the weather presenter coming in for the final few minutes and now have the shot of all the regional newsreaders too. Studio B doesn't seem to have been designed in such a manner that it's easy to shift from one show to another in a split second, unlike Studio E where they often have the network newsreader at the desk and the news channel presenter on the catwalk able to take over almost immediately.

[mdta]

With Studio E used for live updates for World News and News Channel - Studio C would still be needed for the pre-recorded content for various parts of the world - with the back half hours.

They should put that new newsroom background in Studio C rather then the one from a massive height looking down which has been there past few months.

Sure, a thing they could do now today - but if Studio C becomes a pre-record studio - the channel's branding should probably feature.

[Brekkie]

So of the main studios am I right in thinking now we basically have:

A - Virtual set, World back up
B - Network set
C - World News set
D - London set (for now)
E - News Channel set

And 54D for Newsnight / Sunday Morning, plus a few other smaller sets for other world services and the newsroom weather screen as well.

[all new Phil]

Regarding London sharing the studio - I think we overcomplicate that sometimes. There’d be no reason for them to hide that they’re together so embrace it and go with it. Have the London presenter stood on the catwalk when they show the regions. There always seems like a need to hide the way things like this are done - see also awkward pauses and wording when the NC and World are together. Nothing stopping it being rehearsed and produced as an hour-long programme if rehearsal time is an issue.

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So of the main studios am I right in thinking now we basically have:

A - Virtual set, World back up
B - Network set
C - World News set
D - London set (for now)
E - News Channel set

And 54D for Newsnight / Sunday Morning, plus a few other smaller sets for other world services and the newsroom weather screen as well.

Does anyone know if they could, in theory, build a physical set in A? That might be an option to avoid musical studios. I’m not sure how big it is.

[DTV]

Does anyone know if they could, in theory, build a physical set in A? That might be an option to avoid musical studios. I’m not sure how big it is.

Dimensionally, A is a near-exact mirror image of C, just with a load of VR tech installed. Even if you left the hard green cyc in, you could still get a good size physical set in. Though I doubt they will. I imagine that when the decamp from E happens, the News channel will come from the crappy VR set in A as it does sometimes anyway.

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So of the main studios am I right in thinking now we basically have:

A - Virtual set, World back up
B - Network set
C - World News set
D - London set (for now)
E - News Channel set

And 54D for Newsnight / Sunday Morning, plus a few other smaller sets for other world services and the newsroom weather screen as well.

Yeah, this is broadly right.

[Axolotl]

Might they just pre-record BBC London like the ITV equivalent?

[DTV]

Might they just pre-record BBC London like the ITV equivalent?

This is a possibility, but BBC News have always had a weird attitude to pre-recording this sort of thing.