[interestednovice]

So the virtual studio has been scrapped? I’d assume they’d want to keep it for elections or such. If it’s not used it could be storage?

I don’t think that Studio A has actually been scrapped as we haven’t heard anything about that.

My best guess is, although I am only guessing, that the confusion results from how the UK feed of the NC is now handled. The UK feed for the NC has no dedicated playout (unlike the global feeds which Red Bee produces). UK “playout” is really just a router and switching system at NBH, which puts the different galleries on air at the appropriate time.

Studio J, the balcony studio used for UK opts, has no dedicated gallery - since it was originally designed as more of an “insert” studio (remember it was originally envisaged as purely a weather balcony). Studio J therefore can only get on-air by running through the gallery of another studio. If a studio’s gallery is “in use” in this way, then it cannot simultaneously broadcast a programme - so it effectively blocks the actual studio from being used.

I believe this is what is happening, and references to A being “renamed” J were really just that Gallery A was being used to produce the UK opt from J, which in turn puts A “out of action” as a studio because it then has no gallery.

During the time Studio B was mothballed, of course, that gallery was available so they could run Studio J from there if they wanted to. Now that B has been brought back into use but only for certain programmes at certain times of day, it could still used as a free gallery at other times.

Assuming no gallery upgrades are going on, but the set in E is being refurbished (which it seems may now be happening?) then Gallery E could also be used to put J on air.

So I think it’s less that Studio A can’t be used and more that, since lately it had been the most convenient gallery, it wasn’t being used. The actual studio is still there and operational as far as I know.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have bothered 😕

Well I liked it, thanks for your effort!