DE
Havelock House has been extended several times over the years. As bits of the local TV business were scaled down in recent times, vacant space in the building found itself occupied by the expanding UTV Media empire (UTV Internet, Tibus, U105, etc)... though bits of the building really were no longer needed (e.g. there's a large woodwork shop for set building).
Their original main (very small) studio has been used as tape/film storage for years, they also have the current large-ish studio used for UTV Live and UTV Life, and a smaller studio (which was for many years their "large" studio) which is now a 4-waller green screen studio mainly used for filming local ads. Upstairs they also have the continuity studio, which is also for short news bulletins.
Now with UTV Internet gone, U105 sold off, UTV Ireland going, playout and other services being centralised to ITV... the only thing they really need to house is a newsroom, a couple of edit suites, and a news studio.
Their original main (very small) studio has been used as tape/film storage for years, they also have the current large-ish studio used for UTV Live and UTV Life, and a smaller studio (which was for many years their "large" studio) which is now a 4-waller green screen studio mainly used for filming local ads. Upstairs they also have the continuity studio, which is also for short news bulletins.
Now with UTV Internet gone, U105 sold off, UTV Ireland going, playout and other services being centralised to ITV... the only thing they really need to house is a newsroom, a couple of edit suites, and a news studio.
VM
Okay. We get it. UTV will be **** now ITV has bought it. We hear you.
Init. This sort of rambling is harking back to 2002/2003.
Imagine the thread if TV Forum was around when Granada bought LWT.
ITV install trusted suit to ensure the downscaling goes smoothly.
Okay. We get it. UTV will be **** now ITV has bought it. We hear you.
Init. This sort of rambling is harking back to 2002/2003.
Imagine the thread if TV Forum was around when Granada bought LWT.
KE
Init. This sort of rambling is harking back to 2002/2003.
Imagine the thread if TV Forum was around when Granada bought LWT.
Or when Carlton bought Central! That would have been very interesting!
Okay. We get it. UTV will be **** now ITV has bought it. We hear you.
Init. This sort of rambling is harking back to 2002/2003.
Imagine the thread if TV Forum was around when Granada bought LWT.
Or when Carlton bought Central! That would have been very interesting!
JK
I remember from reading a book on UTV the studios at Havelock House are:
Studio 1, a 2,500 Sq Ft studio which was opened in June 1993 as part of their huge rebranding as UTV. It could have audience seating of around 100 which was key for their flagship talk show "Kelly" which since 1989 had to use Studio 2. Studio 1 was redeveloped towards the end of 2009 to turn it into a news studio as local audience based entertainment shows were being faded out then on UTV.
Studio 2 - opened in 1964, it measured around 1,600 Sq Ft and was their main general purpose studio until Studio 1 was opened. This was a very small studio. In the book I read it said the Kelly Show had to cram a very small set into this studio. The audience seating was built up against the studio doors and many of the audience where very close to the hot lights. Wide angle camera lenses and a specially constructed set made it look larger on screen. Today this studio is a wall to wall green screen studio.
Studio 3 - this was the original studio opened in 1959 and measured near 1,200 Sq Ft and was home to all of UTV News output until they decided to move into the slightly more spacious Studio 2 some years later. This is now a green screen studio.
There are also two small continuity studios with a green screen backdrop. I remember seeing Julian Simmons in one of them in a behind the scenes clip from around 2004/2005 which is on YouTube now.
UTV studios are nothing compared to the more spacious three studios the BBC have in Belfast.
Hope this helps.
Studio 1, a 2,500 Sq Ft studio which was opened in June 1993 as part of their huge rebranding as UTV. It could have audience seating of around 100 which was key for their flagship talk show "Kelly" which since 1989 had to use Studio 2. Studio 1 was redeveloped towards the end of 2009 to turn it into a news studio as local audience based entertainment shows were being faded out then on UTV.
Studio 2 - opened in 1964, it measured around 1,600 Sq Ft and was their main general purpose studio until Studio 1 was opened. This was a very small studio. In the book I read it said the Kelly Show had to cram a very small set into this studio. The audience seating was built up against the studio doors and many of the audience where very close to the hot lights. Wide angle camera lenses and a specially constructed set made it look larger on screen. Today this studio is a wall to wall green screen studio.
Studio 3 - this was the original studio opened in 1959 and measured near 1,200 Sq Ft and was home to all of UTV News output until they decided to move into the slightly more spacious Studio 2 some years later. This is now a green screen studio.
There are also two small continuity studios with a green screen backdrop. I remember seeing Julian Simmons in one of them in a behind the scenes clip from around 2004/2005 which is on YouTube now.
UTV studios are nothing compared to the more spacious three studios the BBC have in Belfast.
Hope this helps.
DE
You're right about Studio 1 and Studio 2. However the Studio 3 you describe above is used as a tape/film storage room, or at least it was the last time I was in it... and very much not capable of being described as a studio. In fact I think it ceased to be regularly used as such in 1993.
The one continuity studio (not two) is fitted with green screens, as you say... and was described on air as Studio 3 on in-vision continuity for a while. Before that came into use, there was a continuity studio on the ground floor where Transmission Control was situated, before it moved to the top of the building.
BBC NI has five TV studios in use at the moment.
Studio B: which is used for BBC Newsline, Sunday Politics.
Studio C: which is used for live lunchtime and pre-recorded weather.
Studio 1: which is used for The View, and was used for Sunday Morning Live when it came from Belfast.
Studio A (Blackstaff House): which is used for Nolan Live, Spotlight Special, and entertainment programmes.
Stormont: a small studio space in the basement of Parliament Buildings.
Studio 1, B, C and Stormont all use the gallery in Broadcasting House... while Studio A uses an OB scanner to provide it with a gallery.
The one continuity studio (not two) is fitted with green screens, as you say... and was described on air as Studio 3 on in-vision continuity for a while. Before that came into use, there was a continuity studio on the ground floor where Transmission Control was situated, before it moved to the top of the building.
BBC NI has five TV studios in use at the moment.
Studio B: which is used for BBC Newsline, Sunday Politics.
Studio C: which is used for live lunchtime and pre-recorded weather.
Studio 1: which is used for The View, and was used for Sunday Morning Live when it came from Belfast.
Studio A (Blackstaff House): which is used for Nolan Live, Spotlight Special, and entertainment programmes.
Stormont: a small studio space in the basement of Parliament Buildings.
Studio 1, B, C and Stormont all use the gallery in Broadcasting House... while Studio A uses an OB scanner to provide it with a gallery.
Last edited by denton on 15 October 2016 1:19am
JK
Studio A is located on Great Victoria Street in Belfast and much larger than UTV's Studio 1. I think it is nearly 6,000 Sq Ft (5,000 Sq Ft usable studio space) and can have audiences of around 300. It was the home of some good shows on the BBC NI. Give My Head Peace, Anderson on the Box, PK Tonight (Patrick Kielty), and now is home to Nolan Live as you say. I remember the Children in Need NI output from there back in the 1990s.
I take it Studio C is a green/blue screen studio?
I take it Studio C is a green/blue screen studio?
DE
Yes Studio A, in Blackstaff House on Great Victoria Street, is much larger than anything UTV has... Give My Head Peace has just recorded a one-off special in it the other week... look out for that a few weeks before Christmas.
Studio C in Broadcasting House is permanently set up for green screen... Studio B has virtual-reality green screen at one end... and a hard set at the other.
Studio C in Broadcasting House is permanently set up for green screen... Studio B has virtual-reality green screen at one end... and a hard set at the other.
PE
We can't be having that, it must only have been thought about since ITV bought the company.
It was thought about a few years ago actually, when they started selling off things they invested in.
Then the potential move to Titanic Quarter cropped up after that. Havelock just became unfit for purpose.
peterrocket
Founding member
They had toyed with the idea of moving a few years ago.
We can't be having that, it must only have been thought about since ITV bought the company.
It was thought about a few years ago actually, when they started selling off things they invested in.
Then the potential move to Titanic Quarter cropped up after that. Havelock just became unfit for purpose.
JK
Studio A should be used more by the BBC with network programming. It is in a prime location, minutes away from the Europa Hotel and in the heart of the city.
It is a very good size, perfect for talk shows, game shows, panel shows and sitcoms, shame they do not give more network shows a chance to make it there as Scotland and Wales have a lot of network shows they make.
It is a very good size, perfect for talk shows, game shows, panel shows and sitcoms, shame they do not give more network shows a chance to make it there as Scotland and Wales have a lot of network shows they make.