[Keith]

Is there a reason why radio/podcasts need the full oversized mic treatment, especially as they're increasing visualised, rather than just being able to use lapel mics as in TV?

I'm guessing that as there's Radio Devon branding present it's probably equipment from the radio station. I imagine that for English local radio stations its harder to justify hiring or buying smaller mics just for the occasion.

[James]

Yet another example as to why they shouldn't be messing about with this studio and its versatile set. Just give it the Studio D/E treatment instead.

Completely agree, looks great. And they've already kind of given it the Studio E treatment with that vertical screen there.

I'm guessing the new set install has been postponed until after the Election. Either that or Spotlight are just dragging their heels

[Steve in Pudsey]

Is there a reason why radio/podcasts need the full oversized mic treatment, especially as they're increasing visualised, rather than just being able to use lapel mics as in TV?

I think it's a way of saying "this is a radio show with pictures" to frame expectations that it won't be visually exciting. Lapel mics are a compromise of appearance vs performance.

[Stuart]

Completely agree, looks great. And they've already kind of given it the Studio E treatment with that vertical screen there.

I think that's just the plasma screen they sometimes use behind the sofa, but in portrait mode.

I'm guessing the new set install has been postponed until after the Election. Either that or Spotlight are just dragging their heels

Plymouth like to 'go rogue', so I wonder if they've hidden the flat packed IKEA set behind the bushes in the garden at Inglewood House, and keep moving it whenever Russell Sheath gets close to finding it. It's a very big garden.

[Spencer]

Indeed, they did some nice tinkering to turn it into a visual radio studio.

We even had the Plymouth version of a 'tower' at the start (OK, it was a bit small), and they went to the trouble of projecting the Radio Devon logo on to the coffee table, but unfortunately with the wrong BBC logo.

Yet another example as to why they shouldn't be messing about with this studio and its versatile set. Just give it the Studio D/E treatment instead.

The presenter sat on a tiny rostrum above everyone else, like a medieval queen, is a curious design choice.

[mcrdev]

Yet another example as to why they shouldn't be messing about with this studio and its versatile set. Just give it the Studio D/E treatment instead.

The new sets are just as flexible, if not more. This is the equivalent set up from Leeds today and it looks far nicer.

   

[Stuart]

The presenter sat on a tiny rostrum above everyone else, like a medieval queen, is a curious design choice.

I am thinking it was so that her eye line was compatible with the large plasma screen behind her as a full screen background.

That screen can change position, and they had rotated it so that the camera facing her was straight onto the image for head shots.

Leeds are using their whole set. Plymouth are just repurposing a very flexible 'soft area'. It's not the same at all. They can put in one of those Towers, without ripping out the rest of it. There is plenty of space.

[Mike]

I do think the ones in the standardised set do look marginally better (though within them some are better than others) than the offering from Plymouth. It looks almost like a game show than an election debate; and the recolouring of the cyc doesn't seem to have worked well, and the lighting is a trifle gloomy. There's also the mismatched bevels on the screens behind the guests which looks poor and the fact they're using the Politics England astons instead of the purple election ones.

That being said it's a radio programme which has been produced in a television studio for online streaming so you can sort of forgive that, except they are signposting people to watch it on the iPlayer.

[WMD]

On a more general note, are there no BBC English Regions election debate programmes this time?

[all new phil]

Leeds are using their whole set. Plymouth are just repurposing a very flexible 'soft area'. It's not the same at all. They can put in one of those Towers, without ripping out the rest of it. There is plenty of space.

Don’t make me tap the sign…

It’s great that Spotlight are so creative and use their space well, but the whole point of introducing a standardised set is that graphics and presentation styles can be standardised too. Up to now there’s presumably been a lot of duplication of resources. ITV have (still, I believe) a centralised team doing most of the creative work, helped by regions all having more or less the same kit. The BBC aren’t spending all this money standardising things for the sake of it.