A round-up of the week’s stories and observations.
- WED 1ST MAY (12.45PM)
Sunak confirms Radio Teleswitching to continue until June 2025 - WED 1ST MAY (1.05PM)
STV news programming blacked out by second strike - THU 2ND MAY (12.15AM)
Fault affects Big Ben bongs on BBC Radio 4’s Midnight News - FRI 3RD MAY (1AM)
Not even live election coverage gets in the way of the 12.48am Shipping Forecast - FRI 3RD MAY (2.05PM)
Bryan Dobson retires from RTÉ after 37 years - FRI 3RD MAY (7.25PM)
BBC East Midlands mocks up channel logo - FRI 3RD MAY (9.30PM)
Steve Wright wears BBC One ident jumper in 1986 TOTP - SAT 4TH MAY (10.30PM)
ITV 1’s “Saturday Night” on-screen branding - SAT 4TH MAY (11.10PM)
Doctor Who interrupts Match of the Day briefly
Wednesday 1st May
12.45pm Sunak confirms Radio Teleswitching to continue until June 2025
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reconfirmed the June 2025 switch-off for Radio Teleswitching from BBC Radio 4 LW transmitters.
Sunak’s statement on the matter was in a response to a query at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions.
The BBC ceased separate BBC Radio 4 schedules on LW on 1st April.
BBC Radio 4 transmissions on LW are expected to continue until Radio Teleswitching is switched off in June 2025.
1.05pm STV news programming blacked out by second strike
Journalists at STV have gone ahead with today’s planned strike action after the latest pay offer put forward by the company was rejected by staff.
The strike coincides with the broadcaster’s annual general meeting.
On-air impacts of the strike:
- ITV Border News shown instead of STV News during Good Morning Britain.
- 1.55pm edition of STV News replaced by programme promotions.
- 6pm edition of STV News replaced by Sean’s Scotland.
- 10.35pm edition of STV News replaced by Scotland Revealed Moments.
- 10.45pm edition of Scotland Tonight replaced by Peston.
Thursday 2nd May
12.15am Fault affects Big Ben bongs on BBC Radio 4’s Midnight News
The live feed of Big Ben’s bongs was affected by a sound fault on tonight’s Midnight News on BBC Radio 4.
The build-up to the bongs was similarly affected.
With thanks to Andrew Burdett for flagging.
Chris Aldridge responded to Andrew’s tweet on the matter: “It took us all by surprise Andrew! The feed had been tested with the live chimes at 2330 and 2345 and all was well…we tried to keep calm and carry on. Engineers currently investigating.”
UPDATE (6.15PM): audio from Big Ben was impacted again on the Six o’Clock News.
Friday 3rd May
1am Not even live election coverage gets in the way of the 12.48am Shipping Forecast
BBC Radio 4 briefly exited live overnight coverage of the local/mayoral elections at 12.48am, to bring us the Shipping Forecast.
During BBC Radio 4’s brief break from the election programme, it could still be heard online and on BBC Radio 5 Live.
2.05pm Bryan Dobson retires from RTÉ after 37 years
RTÉ presenter Bryan Dobson has signed off on RTÉ Radio 1’s News at One for the final time, as he retires from RTÉ after 37 years.
During the programme, Taoiseach Simon Harris paid tribute to the long-serving presenter.
7.25pm BBC East Midlands mocks up channel logo
BBC East Midlands Today has mocked up a BBC One logo for a graphic trailing its Sunday politics programme.
The BBC One logo lettering featured in the graphic was discontinued over two-and-a-half years ago and should never be used with the current BBC blocks logo.
We hope BBC East Midlands Today will destroy this unapproved branding and use only approved branding assets going forward.
9.30pm Steve Wright wears BBC One ident jumper in 1986 TOTP
In a repeat of a 1986 edition of Top of the Pops on BBC Four tonight, presenter Steve Wright is seen wearing a jumper featuring imagery of the BBC One mirror globe symbol.
Saturday 4th May
10.30pm ITV 1’s “Saturday Night” on-screen branding
As marketing goes, does it get any more pointless than this?
ITV 1 has been displaying “Saturday Night” text in the corner of the screen all evening.
Where’s the supporting campaign for the programming?
This odd DOG text was shown last Saturday evening too.
11.05pm Doctor Who interrupts Match of the Day briefly
The announcer introduced Match of the Day and the titles rolled. But all was not as it seemed.
Out of nowhere, the tardis appeared and we had some brief flashbacks of Match of the Day presenters from the 60 and 70s.
The current presenter Gary Lineker then appears in a brief scene alongside the Doctor in a virtual Match of the Day studio. Pundit Ian Wright featured as a hologram.
Match of the Day’s proper titles then played out and the programme continued normally.
The new series of Doctor Who launches next Saturday evening on BBC One.
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Acknowledgements
PICTURED: STV logo. COPYRIGHT: STV Group.