General Presentation/Logistics Questions

Not working in the tv or media industries, I often wonder how certain things are done. As these questions are possibly common to more than one news organization's output, I thought to post in a separate thread, as opposed to getting lost in one of the current mega-threads. Please forgive me if some of these questions are naff.


What happens when the link to the presenter's earpiece fails and he can't hear the gallery any more? How does the gallery get their instructions across? Is there a back-up method of flashing big messages across autocue???

People like John Simpson and Adam Boulton are known as Editors. Does this mean that they are actually responsible for editing the content of reporter's work? Are they editors in the true sense? If not, why are they called editors?

What are the reporting structures? eg Simpson is the World Affairs Editor. Does that mean that he's Mike Wooldridge's boss (Mike is World Affairs Correspondent)? Or are these titles just all grandiose or for public consumption?

"Animate Charisma"! Remember that from the BBC News in the late 80's eras. What was charisma again?

Do foreign news correspondents on assignment always stay in big fancy hotels when reporting from a capital city?

Obviously it depends on size, but what is the average hourly cost of the live running of a news studio? (Let's say News 24 for example). All-in per hour??

How long does it take to devise and implement a new "look" for a channel? For example, we discussed the fact that the BBC's David Lowe "era" commenced in May 1999. To achieve that deadline on-air, did the BBC start to float enquiries one year in advance? Two years in advance? Six months?

I guess it's just like any business, really. All takes time to do.

coooeeee,

dunno if you've noticed (well I presume you haen't as you started this thread) but there is actually a forum called The TX Suite over on metro that deals with interesting little technical type things like how the old regional systems worked and iconic 90s microphones.

Not that I'm trying to be a "who made you a mod" type, just that people do seem to forget it is there despite it being in the forum menu on here

</end>

Some very interesting questions. Firstly I remember Andrew Wilson showing us Sky's facilities when in Chile. The team lived in tents and used portaloo's. When in capital cities they do stay in nice hotels and I believe Sky have a policy of only letting the same gender share rooms in hotels. As regards earpiece breaking. Usually the floor manager will step in but if there is a communication failure with the floor manager then there is mayhem! Regarding editors etc, the terms given are just on a corespondent level and do not necessarily apply behind the scenes. For instance its hard to see Nick Robinson co-ordinating BBC News's political team while he is in downing street etc.

Well I'd contribute to who question (BBC). Who is Mr Peter? He works at tv centre and has received my parcel which presumably wasn't ever delivered (by him).

I believe "editor" is largely an honorific title in TV news these days, simply referring to the most senior reporter on a particular topic. In days gone by, they probably had more of an editorial role (and probably still retain a bit of input now) but it's probably mostly for effect.

Actually, Magoo, I've had a PM from a very credible source (thank you again), which suggests that the role of "Editor", whilst not physically editing and correcting copy, script and verbage, does however have a large role to play in suggesting and directing the overall editorial content of the news agenda within his/her portfolio.

What is foldback?

Speakers to allow you to hear things - e.g. audio from VTs.

Also known as monitors / wedges.

Is this what allows guests and studio audiences to hear callers on a tv show without causing the microphones to pick it up causing an echo.

The microphones will still pick it up, but provided you're listening to the same thing it will drown it out and you won't hear it on the broadcast. They're normally fed from aux outputs on the sound desk so that they can have any combination of sources routed to them (for example leaving out the presenter mics so they can't feed back).

I've never done Studio sound, so I'm sure others can fill in more details. I have done a 14 mix band before though (i.e. 14 different mixes of audio for foldback).

Thanks for that.

Thinking about it, I don't remember knowing it happen. If it does it's probably not as serious as you'd imagine, the presenter can just read on until the next package when it can be sorted. Obviously the floor manager is the next line of communication from the gallery to the floor, but if the mics are live they can only relay limited information. The other way they could contact the presenter is by messaging them on their computer. Newsroom production systems have the ability to send a user a 'topline' message (so called because they flash up at the top of the screen).

There are normally some directions/instructions put onto autocue: ' VT Next', 'Turn' etc but you wouldn't use it for ad-hoc instructions to replace talkback. If they're reading the script then that's what's in front of them, breaking it up with messages would interrupt that. When the newsreader isn't on air messages can be relayed by the floor manager of course. Also with autocue there's always the risk of doing a Ron Burgundy!


It was the name of the DVE (Digital Video Effects) unit that made the headline images whiz into frame and back out. Presumably one of these: http://www.tv-bay.com/FORSALE/Editing__and__Effects/Questech/Charisma/23715.html


I wouldn't say necessarily 'fancy'. All news programmes/channels work to a budget, they won't be taking out rooms in 4 star hotels unless it's absolutely necessary - i.e. there's nothing else left.


Just the studio operations, not including any content?

Yes, from what I remember from my brief time doing sound, the various sources on the desk are set up into groups - mics, outside lines, playback devices etc and then they are fed to the appropriate earpieces, foldback speakers etc. So you'd send the playback devices to the floor but not the mics and if you wanted you could feed the playback devices to the earpiece but not the floor (which might be useful if you had a guest in the studio). The AUX sends can be switched to pre mix so that they can be heard on the floor even when not faded up, for example if the presenter wanted to hear a preview of the next package.

The only exception to this is the audio sent to a remote guest/reporter's earpiece - this is a what is known as a 'mix-minus'. The desk sends them the output but subtracts the audio coming from that source so they can't hear themself but can hear everything else.