GB News: a thread so you never have to watch it

[DaveCinzano]

I dimly remember a housemate watching something obsessively on that channel.
Pretty sure it wasn't topless darts. Was there another USP?

The trampolining dwarf doing the weather?

 

[Raheem]

I dimly remember a housemate watching something obsessively on that channel.
Pretty sure it wasn't topless darts. Was there another USP?

Italian stripping housewives and a dwarf on a trampoline doing the weather.

 

[8ball]

The trampolining dwarf doing the weather?

I do remember that. Surreal times. It wasn't that, though.

It wasn't something risque.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I do remember that. Surreal times. It wasn't that, though.

News Bunny then!

 

[DaveCinzano]

.

 

[8ball]

News Bunny then!

Maybe. It's all a bit fuzzy.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Pardon my complete ignorance of TV production, but are robot cameras part of the reason why it's all descending into hilarity?

As others have mentioned, they shouldn't be, as they are wildly used in the industry, but they certainly seem to be for some reason.

The other thing I learnt is all or most of their regional reporters don't have OB vans, nor have a camera and/or sound person with them, they are literally on their own in a car with their equipment. There was one clip I saw, when they went to a reporter, who hadn't arrived at wherever he was due to be, because of traffic, and he explained the panic at having to find somewhere to pull over, set-up his camera on a tripod, clip-on his mic, and fire-up the laptop with a SIM card to connect him with the studio over the mobile phone network, rather than the traditional satellite up-link set-up. That probably explains a lot!

Which presents a challenge to urbs, if anyone encounters them on the street, give urban75 a shout out, before kicking over their tri-pod.

 

[cupid_stunt]

And, that ^^^, explains this sort of thing...

 

[cupid_stunt]

This from The National (Scottish paper)...

What followed is yet more car-crash television.

While the reporter tries to beckon fans wearing Saltires and Lion Rampants over to talk to her, they’re apparently more interested in talking to each other. Quelle surprise.

The reporter is of the opinion that these Scots won’t talk to GB News as it’s “too early, they’re not on the beer yet”.

We are of a different one.

Fucking hell!

 

[cupid_stunt]

 

[NoXion]

Except that the Galactic Empire had competent engineers...

 

[existentialist]

I guess it will probably happen at some point, but I'm feeling the lack of some genuine insider feedback from the GBN trenches...

 

[moochedit]

Except that the Galactic Empire had competent engineers...

Well you say that but what about that small thermal exhaust port?

 

[Doodler]

Bet Andrew Neil was hoping that GB News would build an audience of affluent Times and Telegraph readers. Early days!

 

[moochedit]

I guess it will probably happen at some point, but I'm feeling the lack of some genuine insider feedback from the GBN trenches...

You mean like a bitter ex staff member dominic cummings style?

 

[existentialist]

You mean like a bitter ex staff member dominic cummings style?

I wasn't thinking of anything quite that dramatic, but that'd do. I think suppose I shall just have to be patient.

 

[NoXion]

Well you say that but what about that small thermal exhaust port?

That was a failure of leadership, not engineering. There were more than enough interceptors stationed on the Death Star to utterly overwhelm the small force of Rebel fighters, but due to the overwheening arrogance of the rest of the Imperial leadership, Darth Vader was only able to deploy the handful of squadrons under his direct personal command.

 

[glitch hiker]

Well you say that but what about that small thermal exhaust port?

Didn't happen, it was thermite instead. The X Wings were holograms

 

[glitch hiker]

Bet Andrew Neil was hoping that GB News would build an audience

I'll bet!

 

[brogdale]

There speeling!

 

[existentialist]

There speeling!

View attachment 274205

"We don't need spelling experts. Bloody intellectuals, and their insistence on us doing it their way"

 

[cupid_stunt]

A couple of minutes of Dead Ringers take on GBNews from about 15.20 -

Dead Ringers - Series 21 - Episode 2 - BBC Sounds

With an online audience, new topical comedy known as the Broadcasting House variant.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[bemused]

I feel sorry for Rosie Wright who has been dragged around the country this week trying to prove how much the London based TV station cares about everyone else - she's by far the best presenter on the channel and is buried in a Saturday morning

 

[DaveCinzano]

Poor old Albert Speer

 

[cupid_stunt]

 

[SpookyFrank]

There speeling!

View attachment 274205

Shcome mishctake shcurely?

 

[cupid_stunt]

I guess it will probably happen at some point, but I'm feeling the lack of some genuine insider feedback from the GBN trenches...

This seems genuine, they are quoting names, but it sounds about right.

GB News staff PoliticsHome spoke to agreed Sunak's interview was a success, largely because it was not a tech-intensive operation. But as one said: “When it comes to the live TV side, it's a clusterfuck.”

They described scenes of chaos that far outstrip those creating so much mirth on social media. “There’s just shit coming at you from all sides,” said one.

One of the biggest problems they cited was the fact that the station’s operating systems don’t work with computers that use a firewall, meaning they can lose guests seconds before going on air. DiNA, a tool which should allow journalists to broadcast on several platforms at once, was also described as “horrendous”. One staffer said: “Nothing works. Then they do a reboot overnight, so all the things you thought you knew are now bollocks."

This has been compounded by logistical problems with getting guests into the Covid-secure working environment. Host Alex Phillips was heard by staff venting about the lack of story choices available as a result of all this – with a heavy focus on lockdown fallout – as “shit”.

“So you go - ok, we need to go to social,” says one member of staff: “But that’s emails from Mike Oxlong and Cleo Torres.” [The channel has been plagued by people emailing with spoof names].

Another problem has been the lack of staff numbers. It has left some members of the team working 15-hour days, some starting in the early hours of the morning.
“They urgently need to recruit,” says one staff member. "But how the fuck do you recruit if you’re drowning in things to do already?"

After A Chaotic First Week, Does GB News Have A Future?

After months of fanfare about its launch, GB News managed to pin down the much sought-after Chancellor Rishi Sunak for an interview with Andrew Nei...

www.politicshome.com

 

[marty21]

Bet Andrew Neil was hoping that GB News would build an audience of affluent Times and Telegraph readers. Early days!

Aren't those sort of people more remain-y .

 

[cupid_stunt]

Audience figures are dropping off, after the interest created by their launch -

Tuesday (share of viewing)

6am – 9am
GBN = Great British Breakfast 0.046M (1.5%)
* Yesterday 0.079 (2.5%)

8pm - 9pm
GBN = Andrew Neil 0.072M (0.4%)
* Yesterday 0.153M (0.9%)

Figures from broadcast, via a third party, because their site is subscription only.

Bit of an update on viewing figures -

The average audience between 6am and midnight was 74,000 on Monday, 63,000 on Tuesday and 59,000 on Wednesday.

The station is averaging around 42,000 viewers during the day and about 91,000 during peak hours.

I assume that peak hours figures is basically the average for the Andrew Neil show, which no doubt was inflated with the Sunak's interview, and also explain the average figure on Wednesday not dropping by more.

The spoof Twitter feed GBNewsFails, meanwhile, which documents the sound disasters, lighting oddities, misspelled chyrons, misbehaving graphics, lost connections to remote guests, and confused presenters, has almost 70,000 followers and climbing - meaning that, unless those BARB figures reverse direction soon, on average more people are mocking than watching.

SOURCE: Telegraph (pay walled)

 

[Doodler]

Aren't those sort of people more remain-y .

The Telegraph readers will have been Leavers mostly, some of the Times readers too. If GB News can't reach them it will be stuck with adverts for funeral plans and We'll-Pay-Peanuts-for-Your-Shit-Car.com (if they're lucky).