London Live

I'm not a fan of the music or the titles. The old music worked fine but always followed an ident, so you ended up hearing it twice.

I'd go straight from the promo into the news theme with fresh titles focussing on some of the landmarks of London - perhaps incorporating a shot of Big Ben showing the time of the bulletin (8.30, Noon, 5.30, 6.00 (weekends) and 9.00 (headlines).

I can't seem to find it now but last week LL we're showing a video made up of Instagram photos sent in by viewers - it was pretty good, incorporating collections of similar shots of Big Ben, St Paul's, The Shard, Underground stations signs etc. That sort of thing could work - it's very London and could be refreshed regularly to reflect the changing seasons, different landmarks etc.

Think someone has beaten them to that idea.

Just caught the 9pm headlines. A bit disappointed. After the improvements of the last few days, they seemed to have slipped back into the old bad habits. Just 2 stories in the bulletin - the conviction at the Old Bailey of 2 child killers and the hunt for a thug who stabbed a bus driver in Penge. On the surface good local stories, but the 2nd happened last summer!

As this is their only primetime news bulletin, surely they could put a bit more effort into it - extend it by a minute or so to include a few more stories? They could find the time by dropping some of the endless promos that book-end every commercial break.

At the moment it's hardly worth the 5.30 presenter staying on to present it.

Didnt NEWS AT TEN do the current time on Big Ben? How about using the corner angle -thingys...

Using those as overlays over the image transitions. Or using them as wipes between still images around the city. Here is what Im trying to describe. CP24 uses a simple text based opening with still images. LL could use their little corner-things with text. I think they way they use them, adds a little energy and dynamism, with out being too OTT like their old openings. Sorry you might have to click thru to Youtube to watch.

This evening's news headlines.

This is certainly a bit raw and not as professional. But as a concept I think its actually brilliant. I dont speak Malay, but it seems this anchor is doing a walk and talk through the newspaper/website newsroom and is debriefing the reporters about the stories they are working on. Seems quite energetic, different and edgy. And inexpensive. This is certainly something London Live could have done in some fashion. Maybe a bit cleaner, but the access to all the reporters to pull into the newscasts and debrief them on air can fill loads of air time but also informing and engaging as well, rather then endless talking head interviews.
But im a fan of the walk and talk raw style. They could solve the wobbly camera by using a stedicam and have a couple of other people with shoulder cams as the explored the newsroom of the Evening Standard and the Independent. Anything is better than the dead drab padded 2 story broadcast from the brick cell.

Since Monday, I've noticed that London Live is starting to take some video from the LBC studio during the news. They showed Boris's interview earlier in the week, however the extracts for Call Clegg showed Nick Ferrari asking him questions, but Clegg only had audio with a picture of the deputy PM instead.

Yes I noticed that.

A partnership with LBC was part of the original London Live licence bid - but LBC seemed to cement its links with ITV News London instead, with the editor Alex Chandler tweeting about the 'special relationship' between the two.

Looks like there may have been a shift in alliances.

I've really been enjoying London Live's news output this week. This is how it should have been from day 1.

Breakfast opening titles.

Nice they are "trying" to do news. I just find it all a bit sleepy and still a heavy reliance on the endless interviews and talking heads rather than actual on the ground reporting.

One element of the old London Live continues tonight.

Who's joining us for tonight's edition of @LondonLive News? And because it's Friday we have live music for you! Join us from 5.30.

— Alex Beard (@AlexBeardTV) March 6, 2015