Local TV

Big Centre TV kicked off production at its Walsall studios yesterday with The David Hamilton Show. Guests included Jona Lewie, Ed Stewart and Jackie Trent.

Having someone like David Hamilton on board is all very good, but I hope it's not going to be some sort of 'Sound TV' style channel relying on old stars from the 'golden age' of TV (those still not in prison).

I believe it's connected to Kaleidoscope, the archive TV organisation so that could be the route they're going down

Decades Radio, one of David Hamilton's other employers have been posting messages asking listeners to be in the audience for his show on Big Centre TV.

Made (on a shoestring) in Leeds has a new locally produced programme, Magic'd, with a local magician who goes by the name of Tommy Magic (yes, really) doing a bargain basement Dynamo act in the shopping centres of Leeds.

Could have been a nice little show, had they thought about the sound - there's so much background noise that the dialogue is unintelligible. It looks like the sound is coming from a shotgun mic on top of the camera taking the main wide shot, which explains why it's so bad. A tie clip mic on the magician connected to a cheap Flash based recorder in his pocket/belt, sync'd up in post would have made all the difference.

I would have been embarrassed to put it on YouTube, let alone broadcast it on a licensed TV service that wants to be taken seriously.

I really hope not but think you could be at least half right. Think a couple of the new programmes look promising but not a fan of their presentation package at all especially their dated 80's Central wannabe font...interested to hear what others think.

Their barker does look quite promising, very few has-beens! Seems that it's coming from a place that trains students in media production which presumably explains how they could get up and running so quickly.

As long as there's no Blair Witch-esque sequences of swaying microphones set to a rejected track from Aphex Twin, I'm perfectly happy

I don't see the problem with the font but the idents etc aren't that great. The seem to be imitating the London Live idea of local landmarks in garish colours. That said it looks nice on their testcard slate.

The rest of their promo is very slick though

Yes! Sorry, I was trying to think of what the ident reminded of...London Live! Not a fan of it but maybe it'll grow on me.

I get more of a retro-teletext style look to the graphics, looking a bit like the Central News 1988 Titles. Big Centre has Bob Hall, former Sports Presenter at Central as Head of news, and Mike Prince as head of programming. Why not be a bit Central?

I understand Marverine Cole, an ex MT reporter will be one of the journalists, alongside a young journalist from the Shropshire Star.

Manchester's Your TV now "very unlikely" to launch.

http://m.broadcastnow.co.uk/5082822.article

Wow. They must be trying to close the channel down. A magic show. Eeek!