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  • Ein Heldenleben
    Full Member
    • Apr 2014
    • 6732

    Originally posted by smittims View Post
    Most of us have heard these incidents over the years. Does anyone else remember when Edward Seckerson tipped his coffee into a bank of faders and put Radio 3 off the air for 15 minutes?
    Wasn’t it Tom Crowe ? I only ask because I’m not sure Ed as a contributor would have been in a position to do that but who knows?
    I do know some one once split a can of coke over a desk and that cost a fortune to sort out as it’s so sticky. At one stage there were so many incidents drinks were banned. That led to a sort of peasants’ revolt as you could be in an operational area for hours with no caffeine. So in a brilliant BBC compromise they bought in coffee cup holders set at knee level on the sound desks . And that was the problem - people were constantly banging their knees into them so they removed them.

    Final point . The old (I’m talking 1930’s to 80’s ) radio mixing desks were vertical and you had a wooden desk in front of you perfect for scripts and coffees. In the 70s horizontal desks came in with a small wood or Formica area in front for scripts but also perfect for a coffee - all ready to be knocked over the faders.

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    • french frank
      Administrator/Moderator
      • Feb 2007
      • 30226

      Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
      Don’t know the system in radio but in TV there used to be several separate checks to ensure the correct programme was lined up and you had to view the first two minutes to check it didn’t have the wrong ident no. on the front. I guess things are just automated now.
      I thought I'd posted this I read a few years ago that R3 would be almost entirely automated at the weekends - no one at home to notice anything. So a mistake made in the preparation was lodged in the system.
      It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

      Comment

      • Nick Armstrong
        Host
        • Nov 2010
        • 26519

        Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
        I think he’s pretty unflappable isn’t he ? Done a lot of live work himself and seen it all before. Fuming gets you nowhere.
        You may well be right. I hope so. I imagine the baronial roast beef was savoured somewhat less than usual this lunchtime however…
        "...the isle is full of noises,
        Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
        Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
        Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."

        Comment

        • Ein Heldenleben
          Full Member
          • Apr 2014
          • 6732

          Originally posted by french frank View Post
          I thought I'd posted this I read a few years ago that R3 would be almost entirely automated at the weekends - no one at home to notice anything. So a mistake made in the preparation was lodged in the system.
          I think the play out system is pre programmable but I would have thought there’d be a small team in to cover eventualities like the wrong tape being played out. There was a live announcement after the incident so there was definitely an announcer in and they would almost certainly have had a technical operator with them. When this happens the problem is finding the right programme and that’s when you need things like duty tape clerks (as they were once called ). These days I guess you just key the Programe ident number into the server and discover …..it’s not there .

          Comment

          • cria
            Full Member
            • Jul 2022
            • 84

            He tweeted @ 12.03

            Comment

            • french frank
              Administrator/Moderator
              • Feb 2007
              • 30226

              Just found a LinkedIn for Bill Nicholls, formerly chief producer for TTN, among a number of other R3 duties, where he mentions responsibility for "Automation of transmissions for weekend afternoon and evening schedules". That's what I remember hearing about. I'd gathered it was a cost-cutting necessity which involved no more than a skeleton studio staff.
              It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

              Comment

              • Nick Armstrong
                Host
                • Nov 2010
                • 26519

                Originally posted by french frank View Post
                a skeleton studio staff.
                "...the isle is full of noises,
                Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
                Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
                Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."

                Comment

                • Ein Heldenleben
                  Full Member
                  • Apr 2014
                  • 6732

                  Originally posted by french frank View Post
                  Just found a LinkedIn for Bill Nicholls, formerly chief producer for TTN, among a number of other R3 duties, where he mentions responsibility for "Automation of transmissions for weekend afternoon and evening schedules". That's what I remember hearing about. I'd gathered it was a cost-cutting necessity which involved no more than a skeleton studio staff.
                  Very interesting - “ a digital playout” specialist .Talk about finding a niche. Often with these things there’s just as many people employed on transmission as before esp IT engineers - the real saving is in the people who used to look after the tapes and move them around the building. The big savings are in getting people to multi - skill e.g. drive their own sound desks like DJs or shoot , record and edit their own material on video . I’m not sure they’ve ever been real savings in playout systems when the set up , huge softwares licence and maintenance costs are taken into account.

                  Comment

                  • eighthobstruction
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 6427

                    ....Could be Rob Cowans rucksac finally found gumming up the works....
                    bong ching

                    Comment

                    • french frank
                      Administrator/Moderator
                      • Feb 2007
                      • 30226

                      I see this on one of the R3 Facebook pages:

                      "I have rung the BBC duty office who told me that they are aware of this problem and are trying to fix it but as it's Sunday there's no human input available at Radio 3."



                      PS Nick - I've met that Mr S Baldrick, you know. We were both defeated candidates in the same election
                      It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                      Comment

                      • oddoneout
                        Full Member
                        • Nov 2015
                        • 9139

                        Originally posted by french frank View Post
                        I see this on one of the R3 Facebook pages:

                        "I have rung the BBC duty office who told me that they are aware of this problem and are trying to fix it but as it's Sunday there's no human input available at Radio 3."



                        PS Nick - I've met that Mr S Baldrick, you know. We were both defeated candidates in the same election
                        And the divine is evidently having the day off - or has been sacked as not diverse enough...

                        Comment

                        • smittims
                          Full Member
                          • Aug 2022
                          • 4061

                          No human input available? Sounds like my energy suppliers: the unthinking machine...

                          Comment

                          • Quarky
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 2656

                            The episode with Ben Watts arrived at last, Yesterday. A worthwhile programme, I thought. I guess it's the way many Jazz and Pop musicians develop.
                            More please.

                            Comment

                            • Philidor
                              Full Member
                              • Feb 2021
                              • 14

                              Is it me or is this programme getting worse? At the least, the guests should surely have a genuine passions for, and therefore a (more than superficial) knowledge of classical music.

                              Comment

                              • Philidor
                                Full Member
                                • Feb 2021
                                • 14

                                Indeed. Another guest with clearly no particular passion for classical music.

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