The Newsroom

The Royal Baby

It's a boy! Announced at 2030 on Monday 22nd July 2013. (July 2013)

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WE
Westy2
What puzzles me is that the Six presenter or the regional presenter(Nick Owen in my case!) will say 'You can follow the royal story on the News Channel', suggesting no BBC ONE coverage, but BBC ONE switches anyway.

Don't the controllers talk to the BH & regional newsrooms?
TM
Telly Media
I think one of the best things about ITN's coverage is that they don't have a 24-hour news channel to fill time for anymore. At 3pm yesterday, I switched the BBC News channel on and they had Matthew Amroliwala in the studio, Jane Hill at Buckingham Palace and Simon McCoy at the hospital, even though as it turned out the baby didn't appear for another four hours. As much as I like the BBC and ITN News, I think ITN's coverage edged it because they weren't waiting around as long as the BBC were, and the only people I can remember seeing were Alastair and Mary in the studio, and Tim Ewart outside the hospital. I think the BBC's problem is overstaffing during events like this, Newswatch has had complaints about overstaffing during the Mandela coverage. I think ITN benefits from being much smaller than the BBC, because on the whole it gets the balances right.


That’s a really interesting take on things Sam, and I’m inclined to agree with you. As a commercial broadcaster, ITV can’t always afford to clear its schedules as often or as easily as the BBC because it risks losing ad revenue. In fact, up until the end of last week, the network hadn’t taken any firm decision on whether it would cut to rolling news coverage or not, in the event of the royal birth. It was only after Kate was admitted to hospital that any serious discussions took place between ITV and ITN. For the most part, I think ITV called it right. The only minor hiccup being Mary Nightingale getting cut off before the end of the initial news flash during the ad break in Coronation Street.
Last edited by Telly Media on 25 July 2013 12:24am
SW
Sam Walker
The only minor hiccup being Mary Nightingale getting cut off before the end of the initial news flash during the ad break in Coronation Street.
Was she cut off? I watched it from the newsflash at around 8:45 until the beginning of News at Ten (including Coronation Street) and I don't remember seeing Mary get cut off. From what I can remember she said something like 'join us for News at Ten' (I think this was before they added the 9pm news special) and then they went back to regular adverts.
WE
Westy2
The only minor hiccup being Mary Nightingale getting cut off before the end of the initial news flash during the ad break in Coronation Street.
Was she cut off? I watched it from the newsflash at around 8:45 until the beginning of News at Ten (including Coronation Street) and I don't remember seeing Mary get cut off. From what I can remember she said something like 'join us for News at Ten' (I think this was before they added the 9pm news special) and then they went back to regular adverts.


Hmm, another organisation changing its mind last minute.

Surely they must have known they were going on air at 9 rather than 10 a lot sooner?
TM
Telly Media
The only minor hiccup being Mary Nightingale getting cut off before the end of the initial news flash during the ad break in Coronation Street.
Was she cut off? I watched it from the newsflash at around 8:45 until the beginning of News at Ten (including Coronation Street) and I don't remember seeing Mary get cut off. From what I can remember she said something like 'join us for News at Ten' (I think this was before they added the 9pm news special) and then they went back to regular adverts.


I meant the original news flash from Monday night which ended with Mary mid-sentence. There's a clip of it on page 6 I think ...
SW
Sam Walker
Did anyone see this clip on the BBC News channel at around 11:20 on the Monday?
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