BBC News Channel General Discussion

SK

Skygeek 2 March 2015 8:42am

And does this include people who dont know they are doing a major obit rehearsal, and are then called in to bh from whatever they were doing at home at the time?

In my experience at the Beeb, no. A small skeleton team (4-6 when I was on Radio 4; presumably more for telly) put themselves forward in lieu of overtime or a day off. I never got a chance to do it myself, though.

NG

noggin Founding member 2 March 2015 10:02am

Skygeek posted:

Hatton Cross posted:

And does this include people who dont know they are doing a major obit rehearsal, and are then called in to bh from whatever they were doing at home at the time?

In my experience at the Beeb, no. A small skeleton team (4-6 when I was on Radio 4; presumably more for telly) put themselves forward in lieu of overtime or a day off. I never got a chance to do it myself, though.

Yes - the people involved know they are involved. It is more a training exercise than a simulation, though you do get fake 'wires' etc.

In gallery terms you were scheduled for it and didn't volunteer, as they wanted as many as people as possible to have done it.

CR

Critique 2 March 2015 12:19pm

Hatton Cross posted:

And does this include people who dont know they are doing a major obit rehearsal, and are then called in to bh from whatever they were doing at home at the time?

I can imagine that there'd be many risks associated with calling people in because someone big had died, only for them to be told a few hours later it was all a training exercise!

IS

Inspector Sands 2 March 2015 3:42pm

HarryBNF posted:

Which was a coincidence that each time they played that story on the News Channel, the report following was about #TheDress which too was reported by David again. "David Sillito reports, again"

Which is one of the reasons why it's unusual to have a reporter appear in an obituary package....

Firstly if the reporter is appearing in another report or if they aren't on shift on the day and it needs updating (which they normally do) then the obit can be revoiced. Secondly: because obits can be on the shelf for years and the reporter might have left by the time it goes out

BR

Brekkie 2 March 2015 5:54pm

noggin posted:

MDQ1 posted:

So do they just go over the package, script etc with all the graphics?

Major Obit rehearsals involve rehearsing the process from first breaking news coming in, to running the approved obituary package and the correct graphics, in some cases also rehearsing joining all the BBC (or these days just some) of the networks together first.

It's a rehearsal for everyone - producers, presenters, reporters, crew etc.

Why do I feel another black tie thread coming on. What do they know that we don't?

MC

mccanmat 3 March 2015 5:17am

Nick Higham used to do a lot of the obits didn't he? I always imagined when he goes that he would have done his own obit!

IS

Inspector Sands 3 March 2015 9:20am

mccanmat posted:

Nick Higham used to do a lot of the obits didn't he?

I'd have thought that's because he is Arts Correspondent

LX

lxflyer 3 March 2015 10:29am

Inspector Sands posted:

mccanmat posted:

Nick Higham used to do a lot of the obits didn't he?

I'd have thought that's because he is Arts Correspondent

He's actually a news correspondent - he may well cover some arts stories, but that's not his title.

MD

mdtauk 3 March 2015 11:17am

after the 9th September this year, her Majesty becomes the longest reigning monarch in history (according to Wikipedia) so it may be a rehearsal for such an obit scenario. Bringing the blinds down would be a good way to keep the public from starting to worry.

SP

Steve in Pudsey 3 March 2015 1:59pm

He was either arts or media correspondent for a long time. Many of the packages have been made a while!

SP

Steve in Pudsey 3 March 2015 2:03pm

mdtauk posted:

after the 9th September this year, her Majesty becomes the longest reigning monarch in history (according to Wikipedia) so it may be a rehearsal for such an obit scenario. Bringing the blinds down would be a good way to keep the public from starting to worry.

They rehearse a scenario of that nature every year. Apparently somebody at BBC news turned up for work while the Diana coverage was going out and offered his congratulations on the inventive scenario they had come up with for that year's rehearsal.

BR

Brekkie 3 March 2015 5:58pm

There is a royal funeral on the 26th March, but C4 have exclusive rights to that one.
http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/week-of-exclusive-live-programming-for-burial-of-king-richard-iii

(November 2013)