Reham Khan is leaving ST for a new job overseas. As she was going to be the post DQF local forecaster, this could lead to a reprieve for Kirsty McCabe was was supposed to leave once the Plymouth weather hub is in operation, or the return of Alexis Green or Sarah Farmer.
South Today's lunchtime bulletin was from Oxford today using the old Spinnaker Tower titles and the old music. Problem in Southampton?
JO
Justice Once
I hope that the current tinkering around behind the scenes at Oxford might mean that a new set is finally on the way soon. It's quite odd *still* having the old "breakfast bar"-and-laminate-flooring look on the Oxford opt, two-and-a-half years after Southampton changed their set to something more 'current'.
I suppose it's quite apt really that on those rare occasions when Oxford has to do a pan-regional bulletin, they use the old Spinnaker Tower titles, seeing as they also still have the "old style" set. Viewers in the rest of the ST region must think that something "wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey" has happened, when they see the old set and titles reappear...
JO
Justice Once
The Oxford opt wasn't the usual fully standalone half-hour this Friday, instead handing over to the Southampton edition at around 6:40pm as per Mon-Thurs. Does anyone know whether fully-separate Friday Oxford editions have been dropped permanently, or whether this is just whilst the current gallery refurb etc is going on?
Also, for a long time now it had been the practice (on the Oxford 6:30pm Mon-Thu programme) for the final opening headline before the title sequence to be a pre-recorded insert by the Southampton presenter, given that it is always a headline relating to story that will be covered in the pan-regional part of the programme.
However, on some/all evenings this week, *all* of the opening headlines were read out by the Oxford presenter, despite the fact that the final headline would still be relating to a story that would be covered in the Southampton pan-regional part of the programme. Again, is this change permanent or just during the current works?
Having the brief "tease" appearance of the Southampton presenter during the opening Oxford headlines has always struck me as a neat way of foreshadowing the subsequent structure of the programme. Now not seeing or hearing the Southampton presenter at all until after the 6:40pm-ish handover feels "wrong" to me.
The usual service from Oxford will resume when the new gallery opens, fear not. The current arrangements are somewhat limiting what is possible. Unfortunately however there won't be a new set as part of the current project.
The usual service from Oxford will resume when the new gallery opens, fear not. The current arrangements are somewhat limiting what is possible. Unfortunately however there won't be a new set as part of the current project.
A lot of the equipment was getting old and was not supported by the manufacturers any more, and because this included some very fundamental bits of kit like the vision mixer it became a higher priority.
When the gallery opened in 2005 it was all 2nd hand kit: a lot from the original Hull installation at BBC Leeds, some from Southampton. The kit being installed now is also mainly 2nd hand but is much newer; being sourced from BBC Manchester Oxford Road. It was in service there in Studio-B for about 7 years, but importantly is still current and supported.
Keep your eye on that twitter account mentioned earlier in the thread. You'll no doubt notice a similarity between our account names!
Many thanks for the explanation deejay - a shame they couldn't fit a new set at the same time. Even a refurb to the existing set with a black floor and an N6-style backdrop/desk would do wonders.
Many thanks for the explanation deejay - a shame they couldn't fit a new set at the same time. Even a refurb to the existing set with a black floor and an N6-style backdrop/desk would do wonders.
Seconded.
Such a solution worked well enough for Look East (both Norwich & Cambridge) and for Midlands Today, for a period before they each finally got "proper" current-style new sets.
