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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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Location: Leicester
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 Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:58 pm Post subject: Studios |
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Chris Evans mentioned today that the breakfast show will be coming from the studio that Steve Wright uses, at least for the next few weeks. Apparently Radio 3 are using the studio he's been using.
I know Steve Wright does a lot of pre-recording for his show and I suspect that Evans is moving because the Radio 3 breakfast show runs until 10am and this would get in the way too much.
Does anyone know why Radio 3 are having to borrow studio capacity from Radio 2 and whether any other shows are affected?
I wonder if we'll get a glimpse of Steve's studio on the webcam during breakfast. I don't think I've ever seen a webcam view of it. I wonder if Janice Long uses the same studio and if that's why we never see her, either.
Rob |
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Helen May
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Rob,
Have no idea why, and I'm not sure where Radio 3 are normally. I don't think they are even in the same building but I could be wrong.
I've not had Matthew Bannister on this week, apart from when I've been driving) so haven't noticed if he's been in the same studio. Breakfast, JV and Drive usually go out of the same one, Steve's is further down the corridor.
H
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mark occomore
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe they are decorating it or working in the studio. I think they are still building around Western House, so maybe they can't broadcast with the noise going on. Does steve have a special studio? |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Helen,
Alex uses that studio, too.
Rob |
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mark occomore
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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I remember reading the engineers when he worked at Radio 1 used to have to wire up extra cart machines for his shows. It's different now he doesn't use them. I THINK  |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| mark occomore wrote: | | Maybe they are decorating it or working in the studio. I think they are still building around Western House, so maybe they can't broadcast with the noise going on. Does steve have a special studio? |
No, Chris Evans specifically said that Radio 3 are using it.
Early Breakfast and Ken Bruce use the same studio (with the web cam getting a side view of the presenter's back). Paul O'Grady uses it at weekends.
Alex Lester, Chris Evans, Jeremy Vine and Simon Mayo use a second studio (with the web cam behind the guests looking at the presenter throught a sea of microphone stands).
Steve Wright is the only weekday, daytime presenter to use the third on-air studio ("continuity suite" in BBC-speak) to broadcast from. I gather that Steve does a lot of pre-recording for his show so he effectively gets the studio for the day. I've never seen a webcam view of this studio and I wonder if it even has one.
Radcliff and Maconie come from a studio in Manchester, of course.
We used to get a webcam view of Alex Lester when he was in Birmingham, but not Janice and this pattern has continued in London. I wonder if Janice won't allow it contractually or if she's just used studios that weren't equipped in both locations.
Rob. |
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ColinB
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| mark occomore wrote: | | I remember reading the engineers when he worked at Radio 1 used to have to wire up extra cart machines for his shows. It's different now he doesn't use them. I THINK |
Cart machines? The only place you'll find them these days is in skips and museums along with analogue tape machines, mixers and those quaint things called "grams". |
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Fred
Joined: 04 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 11:41 am Post subject: Re: Studios |
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| Rob wrote: | Chris Evans mentioned today that the breakfast show will be coming from the studio that Steve Wright uses, at least for the next few weeks. Apparently Radio 3 are using the studio he's been using.
I know Steve Wright does a lot of pre-recording for his show and I suspect that Evans is moving because the Radio 3 breakfast show runs until 10am and this would get in the way too much.
Does anyone know why Radio 3 are having to borrow studio capacity from Radio 2 and whether any other shows are affected?
I wonder if we'll get a glimpse of Steve's studio on the webcam during breakfast. I don't think I've ever seen a webcam view of it. I wonder if Janice Long uses the same studio and if that's why we never see her, either.
Rob |
I don't expect the webcam will be much different (other than the webcam positioned in a different place), the on-air studios are all identical, with the exception of the newsreader's studio, which is a scaled down version of the main ones.
I know that BBC London are in a different studio as well for the next few weeks, due to work going on in their studio. Maybe Radio 3 have moved for the same reason?
| Rob wrote: | | We used to get a webcam view of Alex Lester when he was in Birmingham, but not Janice and this pattern has continued in London. I wonder if Janice won't allow it contractually or if she's just used studios that weren't equipped in both locations. |
I know that the BBC have to put signs up outside their studios saying "you're entering a webcamed area" etc. and that part of the guidelines regarding the use of webcams in BBC studios state that no presenter or guest is forced to appear on webcam if it is against their wishes.
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Mark Mayhew
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Richard Allinson made some jibes about the radio web-cams during his show today.
He was referring to the fact that the web-cams are not working properly-folk were writing in to the show asking why they couldn't see him in action. |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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Location: Leicester
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Mark Mayhew wrote: | Richard Allinson made some jibes about the radio web-cams during his show today.
He was referring to the fact that the web-cams are not working properly-folk were writing in to the show asking why they couldn't see him in action. |
Yes, I heard him say that they had moved studio. It wasn't clear if it was a last minute change or if it was planned, either way the webcam was showing his previous studio - empty!
Rob |
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Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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Rob,
JV has just said he's in Ken's studio today as some 'building work' is being done in his which is also CE's.
H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
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ColinB
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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Tony Blackburn appeared on BBC1's Breakfast this morning talking about his upcoming debut as the POTP host. He mentioned that the show would be recorded "as live" until January, when he'll then be able to do it live.
The reason, apparently, is that there's a lot of pressure on studio space at BH and Western House at the moment due to building work, with the knock-on effect that Radio 2's studios (along with those of other networks) are fully booked for live transmission work until the new year. |
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mark occomore
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Apparently Radio 1 are having to do the same seat swap for some shows. It won't effect Moyles this week as he's away on tour with his breakfast show. |
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mark occomore
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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Helen May
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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It must be wherever Radio 3 is that is having the building work done as JV later said they were using his normal studio.
H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Helen May wrote: | | It must be wherever Radio 3 is that is having the building work done as JV later said they were using his normal studio. |
There have been quite a few comments by other presenters, too. So Radio 3 are broadcasting from one studio and Radio 2 are working out of two studios. Just goes to show how much recording goes into Steve Wright's show that he gets his studio from 09:30 until transmission at 14:00, to the point where Jeremy Vine has to "hot swap" into Ken's studio.
As a hospital radio presenter, might I say that it's nice to see the professionals having to work like we do. Only they get longer bulletins than we do to change over in - we only get two minutes!
Rob. |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Which hospital radio do you do Rob?
I used to do the same myself over in Merseyside in my younger years
Great to be back in Leicester yesterday by the way it brought back some very happy memories and a great gig last night
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Helen May
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob wrote: | | Helen May wrote: | | It must be wherever Radio 3 is that is having the building work done as JV later said they were using his normal studio. |
There have been quite a few comments by other presenters, too. So Radio 3 are broadcasting from one studio and Radio 2 are working out of two studios. Just goes to show how much recording goes into Steve Wright's show that he gets his studio from 09:30 until transmission at 14:00, to the point where Jeremy Vine has to "hot swap" into Ken's studio.
As a hospital radio presenter, might I say that it's nice to see the professionals having to work like we do. Only they get longer bulletins than we do to change over in - we only get two minutes!
Rob. |
Rob
There are other studios on the same floor as R2, the other side of Ken's studios, but from memory they are smaller so would probably not be of use for any shows who have guests.
I wonder where Simon Mayo's show will come from tonight? Ken's I guess.
H
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kengeo
Joined: 21 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| The only time I've seen Steve Wright on webcam, was the CIN Music Marathon a couple of years ago, when all the presenters shared the same studio throughout the day. |
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Helen May
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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I'm almost sure that was in the old studios Kengeo, and I think it was the one that Ken Bruce used at the time. It was a big studio, much bigger than the one Breakfast, JV and Drivetime used in the old building.
H
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Gnasty Gnome
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Helen May wrote: |
JV has just said he's in Ken's studio today as some 'building work' is being done in his which is also CE's.
H |
Probably extending it to accomodate Evans' ever-inflating ego!  |
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mark occomore
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| A lot of commericial radio studios hot swap seats. It can be done at Radio2, as a lot of the production is done else where. The studios can be set up for this. |
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Ian Robinson
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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| mark occomore wrote: | | A lot of commericial radio studios hot swap seats. |
Do they? I thought a lot of commercial stations only have the one studio - they can't swap, even if they wanted to! Even local BBC radio stations tend to just have the one studio nowadays. |
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Lord Evan Elpuss
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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They seem to do that on 6 music too. Most of their shows seem to come from the same studio, working like a 'hot seat'.
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ColinB
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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| mark occomore wrote: | | A lot of commericial radio studios hot swap seats. |
Only the smaller ones.
| mark occomore wrote: | | It can be done at Radio2, as a lot of the production is done else where. The studios can be set up for this. |
Live output isn't done elsewhere, only edited production such as documentaries, etc.
As for studios being set up for hot swapping, how do you do that exactly? All that happens is that one presenter jumps into the last presenter's chair (during a news or commercial break) and assumes the same settings on the desk once mic levels have been set. That means that no switching or MCR patching is required.
Anyhow, it's much easier than it was in the old days, when a presenter/producer would bring in a stack of vinyl records, tapes, carts, etc. These days almost everything is accessed via the server, so all that's required is a new log-in to the system to pull up the show running order and files. |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:47 am Post subject: |
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| ruddlescat wrote: | Which hospital radio do you do Rob?
I used to do the same myself over in Merseyside in my younger years
Great to be back in Leicester yesterday by the way it brought back some very happy memories and a great gig last night |
Oddly enough, I'm in Leicester. How did you cope with the legendary one-way systems?
I'm on Radio Fox, the station based at the Leicester Royal Infirmary that also broadcasts to the Glenfield Hospital. I'm on the playout system for most of my programmes, but I also do some weekend stuff live.
Rob |
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Rob
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| ColinB wrote: | | mark occomore wrote: | | A lot of commericial radio studios hot swap seats. |
Only the smaller ones.
| mark occomore wrote: | | It can be done at Radio2, as a lot of the production is done else where. The studios can be set up for this. |
Live output isn't done elsewhere, only edited production such as documentaries, etc.
As for studios being set up for hot swapping, how do you do that exactly? All that happens is that one presenter jumps into the last presenter's chair (during a news or commercial break) and assumes the same settings on the desk once mic levels have been set. That means that no switching or MCR patching is required.
Anyhow, it's much easier than it was in the old days, when a presenter/producer would bring in a stack of vinyl records, tapes, carts, etc. These days almost everything is accessed via the server, so all that's required is a new log-in to the system to pull up the show running order and files. |
It requires a lot of discipline to "hot swap". The outgoing presenter has to be tidy and be ready to take all their paperwork, CDs and so on with them by the end of their last record.
The incoming presenter has to set up their mic EQ and level, adjust headphone volume, get the first items in the programme cued up, get their paperwork where they need it and change any other settings (some prefer fader start, others prefer button start, for example). These are non-trivial distractions when you're trying to concentrate on what you're going to say.
Ken leading into Jeremy's show is an interesting one because Jeremy previews his show immediately before the news. Does Ken drive Jeremy's preview or does Jeremy drive Ken's closing link?
Rob.
Last edited by Rob on Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:04 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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ColinB
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob wrote: | | As for studios being set up for hot swapping, how do you do that exactly? All that happens is that one presenter jumps into the last presenter's chair (during a news or commercial break) and assumes the same settings on the desk once mic levels have been set. That means that no switching or MCR patching is required. |
I would imagine that the set-up in the new BBC radio studios makes swap-overs much easier than in ye olden days.
I helped to set up the local cable radio station in Milton Keynes many years ago and with everything analogue (and with big knobs!) the personalisation of settings was certainly a faff around when hot-swapping. I didn't present, though I did run the control room desk now & then primarily on live speech-based stuff, but when I compare the modern computer-based installations like Galileo to the old stuff (Neve desk, Gates turntables, AKG D202 mics, Sonifex cart stack, etc) it just seems so much simpler.
Back on topic, it looks like the building work at the Beeb is into its second large phase at Western House, if the tales of disruption are anything to go by. |
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ruddlescat
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Rob I didn't have a problem with the road system on Sunday as I learned from my mistake a few years ago
I came in on the M69 and took the outer ring road east and came in past Oadby and through Knighton where I lived for 3 years and then parked near Victoria Park which is handy for both the University and the De Montford Hall
Had a walk round the city and then went to the Manics gig in the evening
I used to broadcast on a hospital station just outside Liverpool called Radio Rainhill but the hospital closed several years ago
In the end I resigned because the management at the time thought I was guilty of bad taste as I used to keep playing 'I Love the Dead' by Alice Cooper from the album Billion Dollar Babies
The strange thing was that it was actually a hospital exclusively for patients with mental health problems and they all loved the stuff I used to play
Still I guess in life you win some and you lose some but its good to know that you hospital DJs are still doing stirling work
I believe Lynn Parsons began her career broadcasting on hospital radio somewhere in Berkshire 
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mark occomore
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I did notice Ken and Jeremy are hot swapping. Ken is probarly on the other mic as Jeremy takes to the desk. Jeremy said he can see Steve in the other studio and Chris said on Monday he could see Ken. So the studios are not linked? I wonder why that studio is so special, or only used to pre-record shows. |
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mark occomore
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Capital, Smooth Magic and Heart hot swap. |
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ColinB
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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We shouldn't forget that the main studios at BBC Radio (in Western House) aren't self-contained in the way that self-drive studios are out in most local radio stations or on lesser stations in the sticks. All the main studios are driven primarily from the desk in the control room with a sound engineer riding the desk (master levels, etc) and studio manager looking after things in general. The Radio 2 self-drive presenter doesn't do much more than make input selections and look after initial mic levels, etc.
Out in the sticks it's a lot different, with studios being completely self-contained and whose mixer output is what is distributed.
The BBC builds all its main network on-air studios with control rooms. |
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Helen May
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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| mark occomore wrote: | | I did notice Ken and Jeremy are hot swapping. Ken is probarly on the other mic as Jeremy takes to the desk. Jeremy said he can see Steve in the other studio and Chris said on Monday he could see Ken. So the studios are not linked? I wonder why that studio is so special, or only used to pre-record shows. |
No they aren't linked Mark, although each of them are in 2 parts and obviously have an inner link as well as separate doors to each.
H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| ColinB wrote: | We shouldn't forget that the main studios at BBC Radio (in Western House) aren't self-contained in the way that self-drive studios are out in most local radio stations or on lesser stations in the sticks. All the main studios are driven primarily from the desk in the control room with a sound engineer riding the desk (master levels, etc) and studio manager looking after things in general. The Radio 2 self-drive presenter doesn't do much more than make input selections and look after initial mic levels, etc.
Out in the sticks it's a lot different, with studios being completely self-contained and whose mixer output is what is distributed.
The BBC builds all its main network on-air studios with control rooms. |
I appreciate that a national presenter requires more production support than a local one, not least because the volume of phone calls, texts and emails is somewhat greater. But I do still wonder if the staffing of self-op programmes is a bit over the top; is the sound quality of a BBC national station actually any better for having an "engineer" working a desk? I've not noticed any issues with level on Smooth or Heart, for example.
And if Zoe Ball can share her studio with the sound engineer, why can't the other presenters who have to be driven?
In a BBC faced with a funding squeeze over the next few years, it seems to me that this is a cost that could be reduced.
Rob. |
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Helen May
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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It would get a bit crowded if there were to be guests Rob!
H
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ColinB
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob wrote: | | I appreciate that a national presenter requires more production support than a local one, not least because the volume of phone calls, texts and emails is somewhat greater. But I do still wonder if the staffing of self-op programmes is a bit over the top; is the sound quality of a BBC national station actually any better for having an "engineer" working a desk? I've not noticed any issues with level on Smooth or Heart, for example. |
I don't listen to Smooth or Heart so I wouldn't know, but I would imagine that the large number of "celeb" presenters on R2 is a good reason to have studio ops managed from the control room rather than the self-op desks. |
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob wrote: | | Ken leading into Jeremy's show is an interesting one because Jeremy previews his show immediately before the news. Does Ken drive Jeremy's preview or does Jeremy drive Ken's closing link? |
Is it ok to answer one's own question? I've been looking at the webcam at noon. Today's image showed Jeremy at the desk, so it looks like Jeremy drives Ken's last link.
Rob |
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