[Glomper]

Friday 11th May

No weather graphics, and virtually no lighting in the Weather cubby hole.

[rob1973]

Originally Posted by Glomper

BBC trained.

Many years as staff, large TV companies

I then spent years working at BBC TV & Granada, Manchester & Liverpool, ( and elsewhere) as a freelance, working with many excellent experienced competent staff members, who were pensioned off when the cheaper ex satellite kids became available.

We all saw the standards decline afterwards, but GTV is run by accountants, who are unable to put a price on competence and ability, and onscreen live production.

I wasn't replaced, I charged the normal relatively high fees for years, and was used continually because of my abilities, professional, technical and personal.

As I've mentioned before, I was lucky enough to be able to use my experience to rise up to Managerial level, as a TM and HOD.

My standards were (are) high, but I also praise when justified.

I've hired and fired.

Ultimately a seat on a Board.

I came into money, and so "retired" early, the best years of working in TV had ended.

Like you, a true broadcast Professional.

(You did ask !)

No more details.

Glomper, I cut my teeth at Granada Satellite. I did a year there before gonig over to GTV regionals. Even I could see back then with my still green eyes that it couldn't last.

For Granada Tonight (as it was then) the crew was HUGE!!
1 Technical Supervisor.
2 in ENG (on each shift...4 over the day).
1 on VT.
1 on Racks.
1 LD.
1 Floor Spark.
1 News Editor.
1 PA.
1 Director.
1 Vision Mixer.
1 Prompt Op.
1 GFX.
3 Sound OPs, 1 mixed, 1 did comms and grams and 1 on the floor.
4 maned cameras
1 floor manager and 4 VT editors, plus 2 in liverpool and then there was edit suites in Lancs, Chester...and a couple of others that I can't remember.
2 links trucks with an Engineer, Camera op and Sound op.
Tag onto that the presenters and a dozen journos and it's quite a call sheet.

Most of this lot were GTV lifers on the big money that working in TV back when there were 4 channels could command.

That's a lot of money for regional news which traditionally doesn't make enough to re-coup it's outlay. Something had to give. Now you may mock us ex sat kids but since leaving GTV I've worked for all the big hitters in an engineering capacity. Sky, BBC and most of the OB companies...heck, I even did a year at the Media City studios. Things move on...I'm not saying for better or worse but as I said on page one, the beeb are using Mosart that controls all the gallery equipment. But it's programmed by the journos. Personally I agree that the cost cutting has gone too far but I'm sure you'll agree that the crew list above is a bit big for regional news.

[Glomper]

Wednesday 23rd May.

Looks like they've got the "B" team in again today

Item had flash frames, they were edited out for next bulletin, but extra ones were added later in the cut down VT of the same item !

And you needed to be able to lip read this morning.

Later bulletin, London presenter for ages !

[OB racks]

Originally Posted by Glomper

Friday 11th May

No weather graphics, and virtually no lighting in the Weather cubby hole.

Look out of the window. It's Salford. It's p*ssing down.

QED. End of weather report.

[OB racks]

Originally Posted by Glomper

Looks like they've got the "B" team in again today

You don't mean the old "Studio B" team??

LOL

[Glomper]

Originally Posted by Glomper

Wednesday 23rd May.

Looks like they've got the "B" team in again today

Item had flash frames, they were edited out for next bulletin, but extra ones were added later in the cut down VT of the same item !

And you needed to be able to lip read this morning.

Later bulletin, London presenter for ages !

And at lunchtime today.........

NWT weren't there for the mid BBC News opt on BBC1 at 1pm !

Saw News camera shots being adjusted.

[Stigid]

I see nothing changes.

This mornIng on screen the name caption read....

PRESENTER NAME

6:25am bulletin.

[zing]

Where did Glomper go I wonder? Did he get fed up with it all?

[Steve9214]

Originally Posted by zing

Where did Glomper go I wonder? Did he get fed up with it all?

Maybe he is part of a secret cabal with an agenda to move the BBC Northwest newsroom to ...... Preston !!!

[ftv]

These opt-outs are produced on a shoestring with minimal staffing so the odd c*ck up comes as no surprise.

[Stigid]

It's a farce this Friday morning, someone keeps forgetting to fade up the presenters microphone at the beginning of the bulletins, and after the weather.

[Stigid]

Originally Posted by Stigid

It's a farce this Friday morning, someone keeps forgetting to fade up the presenters microphone at the beginning of the bulletins, and after the weather.

And yet again today, it has been happening regularly, but today the presenter was speaking, with no sound faded up at 8am, for what seemed like ages, possible 15 seconds !

[Stigid]

Tuesday 11th September... 6:25am

The worst cock-up of all.

No North West bulletin, nada, zilch.

Just 3 minutes of London News & Weather.

Still, the London presenter was no gargoyle !

[Paul_DNAP]

Nah, got a better one today - 1st October 07:55

Visuals cut to London news and weather, sound was from both London and North West for about 1 min, then the North west newsreader was faded down for a short while to leave pure London news. Picture cut to NW news, but it took a few seconds before they faded him back up again.

[Stigid]

Originally Posted by Paul_DNAP

Nah, got a better one today - 1st October 07:55

Visuals cut to London news and weather, sound was from both London and North West for about 1 min, then the North west newsreader was faded down for a short while to leave pure London news. Picture cut to NW news, but it took a few seconds before they faded him back up again.

Did you point this out to them ?

nwt@bbc.co.uk

They get very defensive when you do !!

[Paul_DNAP]

When the newsreader came back he had a look of "am I on telly or not?" puzzlement on his face, so I think they may have been aware of it.

[michael1152]

Originally Posted by Stigid

Did you point this out to them ?

nwt@bbc.co.uk

They get very defensive when you do !!

What do they say when you email them with all their mistakes?!

They should just admit to it and say theyre running breakfast on a shoestring with work experience people.

[Stigid]

This morning we had a lovely smiley face at 6:25am.

It wasn't the usual sourpuss NWT keep using....

However, it was a BBC London face, for a while, then we got misery guts after a while !

[Stigid]

They didn't even bother turning up this morning at 6:25.

Are they peeved at the extra money their Southern colleagues are getting to move to up Manchester ( I refuse to state Salford )

By the magic of the Internet, I can report they did turn up for 06:57 bulletin, but I bet they wish they hadn't !

Flashes, missing road graphics, "frozen" weather presenter, again, more white flashes !!!

Looks like it was press any button .........

On New Years Eve !

[The Magic Monkey]

Originally Posted by Stigid

( I refuse to state Salford )

That's a bit silly.

The BBC moved it's old Manchester operation, and parts of its London operation to Salford, not Manchester.

[mossy2103]

Originally Posted by Stigid

Are they peeved at the extra money their Southern colleagues are getting to move to up Manchester

They have moved to SALFORD - that's where Media City is located. Check out the local maps.

And this "extra money" is fair compensation allocated under HMRC relocation guidelines to cover additional expenses incurred in a forced move of your place of employment. The payments are time-limited as well as having a number of qualifying conditions. Payments above a certain level are also taxed (as per HMRC requirements).

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/relocation.htm#b

[ftv]

It is not unusual for the Belfast opt in Breakfast to go out in sound only over a caption.

[Stigid]

Saturday 5th January...

BBC Breakfast from Salford !!!!!

6am, we got to hear the main presenters mics over a VT food item for at least a minute !!!!!

A discussion about something.

[inothernews]

For a moment I thought you were going to complain the north west failed to opt out for the regional news at 6.25. Today is Saturday (I think)

[Stigid]

It didn't seem worthwhile to start a new thread, just for this one cock-up, as most would be asleep anyway.