[Chud]

If they are replacing the screens, surely they’ll take the opportunity to replace the catwalk with something more akin to Studio B and the Breakfast/Sport set? I wonder too if they might keep the same camera system but make changes to the layout/position of the ‘tracks’?

That said, it’s not entirely clear why they’re renewing/renovating Studio E given current levels of usage requirements. I can see the possibility of Newsnight moving to Studio C or E post-cuts, if they want to move to a fully automated camera system and utilise a smaller studio. Likewise, maybe they move the News Channel to E and mothball C, or move a World Service channel into C. Otherwise, is there actually a need to bring the studio back online?

I’m still hoping they will use a studio for the UK opt.

[Keith]

That said, it’s not entirely clear why they’re renewing/renovating Studio E given current levels of usage requirements. I can see the possibility of Newsnight moving to Studio C or E post-cuts, if they want to move to a fully automated camera system and utilise a smaller studio. Likewise, maybe they move the News Channel to E and mothball C, or move a World Service channel into C. Otherwise, is there actually a need to bring the studio back online?

I suspect that C is also overdue a refurb, as it's set hasn't really changed since the move from TVC. Parts of the gallery may also be due an upgrade to tech that's still actively supported.

I'd like to think that once E has been updated the news channel might return to using it, at least for the 9am to 6pm (UK time) output. There might be a case for The Daily Global and The Context to still use C. As studios A and C are the same size there is an argument for then putting a new set into A, and once done converting C into a green screen studio. (Maybe they could install the 'Ikea set' into A once it's completed touring the regions, which would probably suffice for some UK opt-outs.)

It would be nice for UK opt-outs to utilise one of the studios, where there's less background sound. The cameras in that studio could even be static, to avoid them going down a track unexpectedly. I'm guessing most of the existing NBH studios probably require a technical/gallery upgrade though to enable them to be operated on a skeleton crew.

[Brekkie]

If they are replacing the screens, surely they’ll take the opportunity to replace the catwalk with something more akin to Studio B and the Breakfast/Sport set? I wonder too if they might keep the same camera system but make changes to the layout/position of the ‘tracks’?

That said, it’s not entirely clear why they’re renewing/renovating Studio E given current levels of usage requirements. I can see the possibility of Newsnight moving to Studio C or E post-cuts, if they want to move to a fully automated camera system and utilise a smaller studio. Likewise, maybe they move the News Channel to E and mothball C, or move a World Service channel into C. Otherwise, is there actually a need to bring the studio back online?

The way Newsnight is going they'll probably be presenting out on the street soon ala Local TV. They really should rename it when they ditch the in depth reports and investigative journalism in "late-Spring".


As for E - sounds like as I thought they'll essentially replace the catwalk screens and add a tower.

[ginnyfan]

I'm repeating myself, but the only reasonable thing to do is to make studio E, which at the heart of the newsroom, the home of their 24 hour news channel. That can be a start of a revival of this channel that's currently on life support.

Please BBC, do something right.

[Rolling News]

I’m still hoping they will use a studio for the UK opt.

I agree. It always looks like BBC News is being presented via a Zoom call when they come from the balcony.

Although I've a feeling that's here to stay, as they don't do UK opt outs on any sort of regular schedule (apart from 13:45-14:00 weekdays), and I presume it's easier and possibly cheaper to fire up the balcony set for anything from 5 minutes up to 3 hours than one of the 'big' studios.

[South]

The value for all refurbishment is the interesting point to the tweet, I would imagine the changes which are being made to E will be similar to those in D, with the introduction of a tower and hopefully a refresh of the camera system. There is clearly no further budget for anything else at the moment so would not expect any significant changes to sets or studio usage until atleast 25/26 financial year.

[Lec_Ver16]

It will be interesting how the tower is going to work with the TOTH and the camera shots. I have the feeling that the towers look a little bit unnatural on a circular set like D.

[interestednovice]

The value for all refurbishment is the interesting point to the tweet, I would imagine the changes which are being made to E will be similar to those in D, with the introduction of a tower and hopefully a refresh of the camera system.

I was about to post something very similar!

We know they added a tower to D, and that looks OK but a bit out of place. It also wasn’t that long ago that E got larger screens to the side of the presenter, so the difference between that shot and a tower is not huge in terms of utility.

Arguably, if they can only afford to refresh part of the set, it makes more sense to swap out the catwalk screens for a B-style continuous panel. The existing catwalk has burn-in now and is made up of the original panels from when BBC News first moved to NBH. The large bezels also do date the set somewhat.

As has been speculated here, it also makes little sense to reconstruct a set around the ageing Furios at this point if they will need replacement fairly soon. But it doesn’t necessarily sound like they are replacing them? That’s probably fine if they will work for another 5 years or so.

On the point about automation, E shouldn’t be any more difficult to operate than C. It’s a VizRT, Furio-equipped studio with a Mozart automated gallery.

[DTV]

The value for all refurbishment is the interesting point to the tweet, I would imagine the changes which are being made to E will be similar to those in D, with the introduction of a tower and hopefully a refresh of the camera system. There is clearly no further budget for anything else at the moment so would not expect any significant changes to sets or studio usage until atleast 25/26 financial year.

I imagine this is the logic, but it's a short-termist understanding of costs that is endemic to a lot of the public sector at the minute (Treasury-brained in policy-speak). Extended maintenance of an ageing set + half-refurbing it, only to install a full new set at a later date, will be more expensive in the long run than just installing a new set now. It's a false economy - cheapskating it now, will only cost more tomorrow.

[interestednovice]

I agree with you on that logic, although I do wonder if it might be possible to install the ElectricFriends cameras in the same space as the existing Furio tracks. If that is the case (a big if admittedly) they could more easily be replaced later as a “modular” component of the set.

However, it does still mainly to make sense to either have a “new set” or “old set”. It’s clearly easier to update a set if you are going for rip-out-and-replace, and the “new set” then clearly lasts longer.