[Stuart]

There are three galleries along the back wall of the newsroom, belonging to A, C and E, though A's has long also controlled output from J (since the Outside Source days) due to it not really being a true studio. Although there were originally plans for galleries to be able to control multiple studios, this was dropped for cost reasons.

Do the likes of Studios L, 34D (Arabic) and 54D (Persian/Newsnight) all have their own dedicated galleries?

[Alx321]

So how long will it be before BBC London weekends move into B?

[m_in_m]

So how long will it be before BBC London weekends move into B?

It's surprised me that network and London weekend bulletins sharing a gallery team hasn't happened. I presume by both gallery teams also do weekend shifts on the news channel so it might not happen if it is already as efficient as is feasible.

The weekend bulletins don't have the benefit of a weather forecast to change the graphics around on and swap presenters so would probably require a different way of opening the London programme e.g. the lead story from the catwalk or the central totem.

[Worzel]

Do the likes of Studios L, 34D (Arabic) and 54D (Persian/Newsnight) all have their own dedicated galleries?

54D certainly does, it sits next to the studio.

[Deejay]

L, 34D and 54D have dedicated galleries, as do K, M and P. These are all (in the main) used for World Service tv programmes, though 54D is also used by Newsnight, K does Focus on Africa (with the studio actually being in Nairobi) and M is also used for The Catch Up on BBC Three.

44D has been reimagined as a flexible production space but I don’t know what gallery kit it uses. F is now being used by the streaming team and is switched to line on whichever stream needs gallery playout facilities at the time.

[DTV]

As you say, they do now have a problem because they’ve added Studio J, it being created as a “studio” rather than just a contribution area but with no extra gallery means they are now effectively a gallery short. Luckily, due to the fact the original use of Studio J was designed to be flexible, any gallery can call up Studio J’d output easily so any gallery can be used - which adds a degree of flexibility.

Is this correct? From what I recall, only A's gallery can 'control' output from J - hence why Outside Source had to come from Studio C when BBC London returned to Studio A for several months last year. All galleries can take that output, but only in the same way they can take finished output from any studio if they wanted?

[interestednovice]

I thought any gallery could, but I am not certain. I can’t remember why I thought that was the case.

It’s possible only A can.

I do know only Studio E’s gallery can control the newsroom trundle cam, so there is precedent for certain newsroom facilities to be locked to a studio.

I’m sure back when it was a weather studio, there was full use of all the cameras in the J area from E though (rather just a locked-off shot, as would be the case if only minimal usage of the space was available from other galleries) and when the Victoria Derbyshire news updates came from there, Victoria was in Studio B (so Gallery B) but the inserts again used facilities in J.

[Steve in Pudsey]

J doesn't have much to control, a couple of locked off cameras and a mic. I suspect it's just a wallbox and the individual outputs can be picked up by any gallery. They certainly wouldn't have staffed A to be able to take the weather from J in E and C.

[DTV]

J doesn't have much to control, a couple of locked off cameras and a mic. I suspect it's just a wallbox and the individual outputs can be picked up by any gallery. They certainly wouldn't have staffed A to be able to take the weather from J in E and C.

No, certainly. But my understanding was that the only gallery that could fully control J (i.e., switch cameras, etc.) is Gallery A, hence Outside Source not being able to use J if other programmes were using A. This is why weather and a lot of other content from J never involved anything more than a locked off shot.

[all new phil]

It's surprised me that network and London weekend bulletins sharing a gallery team hasn't happened. I presume by both gallery teams also do weekend shifts on the news channel so it might not happen if it is already as efficient as is feasible.

The weekend bulletins don't have the benefit of a weather forecast to change the graphics around on and swap presenters so would probably require a different way of opening the London programme e.g. the lead story from the catwalk or the central totem.

Or - heaven forbid - the same presenter could do both!