Tigers in a tankTUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY
WHY DO CATS HATE WATER?
..or should that be ‘DO cats hate water’? Kev has sent this picture to me to prove that - on the contrary - they seem to love it. It’s a bit of an odd photo, though, Kev - don’t you think? What exactly are those tigers swimming in? What’s going on???
(Trivia from Christmas: Tigers don’t just have striped fur - they have striped skin too!)
HOW THE NIGHTSHIFT WORKS
It has been subtly drawn to my attention that there may be still be listeners to the programme who are unaware that it isn’t ‘live’. So today’s blog will mostly be taken up with an explanation of how the programme is constructed and how the pre-recording timetable works. Insights like these are comparatively rare; most people - yes, even BBC people - prefer to keep the rituals, conventions and methodology of their jobs secret, thereby increasing the aura of mystery about whatever it is they do. I, on the other hand, am totally fearless and have nothing to hide. If you believe that.....
Anyway, this is how it all works.
MONDAY
To the studio for 0530-ish. Lots of setting-up work to do - emails, texts, phone calls, printing, the presenter's ‘desk’.....On-air at one minute to 6 to introduce the news....then 30 minutes ‘live’......including the weather and any listener feedback I have time to mention.....
Off-air at 0630.....a cuppa (courtesy of Railton) and a biscuit (courtesy of Railton’s Mam).
At about 0645 I begin to pre-record Tuesday’s Nightshift. If I had to listen to each track of music, the programme would take as long to pre-record as it does to broadcast - and the job would be undoable. So, although I do choose to listen to my favourite tracks, I usually spend the time recording the ‘spoken word’ items of the programme (known as ‘links’) and ‘slot’ them in between the tracks of music on my computer. (Incidentally, almost all the music is chosen for me; I have almost no say at all in the music I play, except for listener requests, which often have to be recorded into the computer. I do that after about 1000.)
The programme is usually ready by about 0930, just in time for me to vacate the studio so that Jonathan Miles can take over ‘live’.
Later at home, I begin researching and producing the next programme to be pre-recorded. Home is where I keep all my notes, clippings, cuttings, emails and copy-texts; all my digital files are kept on my Mac here at home, too - including each programme’s ‘running order’ and, of course, notes for the blog, which I also draft and post from home.
TUESDAY TO FRIDAY
The pattern is more or less the same for the rest of the week, with the obvious proviso that, because I do not work on Saturdays or Sundays, I must pre-record two programmes twice a week. Thus, on Thursdays I pre-record the Nightshifts for Friday and Saturday; on Fridays, I pre-record for Sunday and Monday. By the end of the week I’m sometimes not sure what day it is.
AND THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS....
Until 0600, The Nightshift is NOT ‘live’. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot request a record to be played the night you are listening - unless you don’t mind it being played until after 0600. Otherwise, you will need to give me a day’s notice at least. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.
Also, of course, there’s no point in telephoning during the night. Until 0530, I’m simply not there.
In many ways, these arrangements are not ideal for either of us - you or me. As I have said before, I very much miss the ‘live’ interaction I used to have with my listeners. But, for the present, it is neither affordable nor feasible to broadcast The Nightshift ‘live’.
Sorry.
BOB’S YER UNCLE, FANNY’S YER AUNT
The sixth question in this nine-parter is.....which town lies on the coast opposite Coquet Island?
CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
ianstuartrobinson@googlemail.com
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN
NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.
WHY DO CATS HATE WATER?
..or should that be ‘DO cats hate water’? Kev has sent this picture to me to prove that - on the contrary - they seem to love it. It’s a bit of an odd photo, though, Kev - don’t you think? What exactly are those tigers swimming in? What’s going on???
(Trivia from Christmas: Tigers don’t just have striped fur - they have striped skin too!)
HOW THE NIGHTSHIFT WORKS
It has been subtly drawn to my attention that there may be still be listeners to the programme who are unaware that it isn’t ‘live’. So today’s blog will mostly be taken up with an explanation of how the programme is constructed and how the pre-recording timetable works. Insights like these are comparatively rare; most people - yes, even BBC people - prefer to keep the rituals, conventions and methodology of their jobs secret, thereby increasing the aura of mystery about whatever it is they do. I, on the other hand, am totally fearless and have nothing to hide. If you believe that.....
Anyway, this is how it all works.
MONDAY
To the studio for 0530-ish. Lots of setting-up work to do - emails, texts, phone calls, printing, the presenter's ‘desk’.....On-air at one minute to 6 to introduce the news....then 30 minutes ‘live’......including the weather and any listener feedback I have time to mention.....
Off-air at 0630.....a cuppa (courtesy of Railton) and a biscuit (courtesy of Railton’s Mam).
At about 0645 I begin to pre-record Tuesday’s Nightshift. If I had to listen to each track of music, the programme would take as long to pre-record as it does to broadcast - and the job would be undoable. So, although I do choose to listen to my favourite tracks, I usually spend the time recording the ‘spoken word’ items of the programme (known as ‘links’) and ‘slot’ them in between the tracks of music on my computer. (Incidentally, almost all the music is chosen for me; I have almost no say at all in the music I play, except for listener requests, which often have to be recorded into the computer. I do that after about 1000.)
The programme is usually ready by about 0930, just in time for me to vacate the studio so that Jonathan Miles can take over ‘live’.
Later at home, I begin researching and producing the next programme to be pre-recorded. Home is where I keep all my notes, clippings, cuttings, emails and copy-texts; all my digital files are kept on my Mac here at home, too - including each programme’s ‘running order’ and, of course, notes for the blog, which I also draft and post from home.
TUESDAY TO FRIDAY
The pattern is more or less the same for the rest of the week, with the obvious proviso that, because I do not work on Saturdays or Sundays, I must pre-record two programmes twice a week. Thus, on Thursdays I pre-record the Nightshifts for Friday and Saturday; on Fridays, I pre-record for Sunday and Monday. By the end of the week I’m sometimes not sure what day it is.
AND THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS....
Until 0600, The Nightshift is NOT ‘live’. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot request a record to be played the night you are listening - unless you don’t mind it being played until after 0600. Otherwise, you will need to give me a day’s notice at least. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.
Also, of course, there’s no point in telephoning during the night. Until 0530, I’m simply not there.
In many ways, these arrangements are not ideal for either of us - you or me. As I have said before, I very much miss the ‘live’ interaction I used to have with my listeners. But, for the present, it is neither affordable nor feasible to broadcast The Nightshift ‘live’.
Sorry.
BOB’S YER UNCLE, FANNY’S YER AUNT
The sixth question in this nine-parter is.....which town lies on the coast opposite Coquet Island?
CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
ianstuartrobinson@googlemail.com
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN
NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.
4 comments:
Dear Ian,
No offence was taken over your comments regarding holidays. Taking you to task was the last thing I had intended.
Thanks for the information as to how your show is put together. No wonder you have bother remembering which day is which.
I think the photo of the tigers is lovely, how i wonder did they get them to sit so still. ?
Gilly....I'm sorry if your comment was meant to be serious but - - every time I read it (which is often) I roar with laughter. Thankyou for brightening my day BIGTIME :-)) Incidentally, the little girl is very pretty.
ian what do you mean?i,m serious..
don,t leave me in suspense
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