February 2005 Archives
February 12, 2005
Newstastico!
This week has seen the bbc.co.uk homepage in a newstastic frenzy, as the big red button got pressed over three different events. Early in the week it was coverage of Ellen MacArthur's record-breaking sailing voyage, the coverage of which seemed to divide the BBC's audience between those who thought there was enough coverage, and those who thought there had been simply too much. Almost immediately after that, the announcement of a wedding dominated the homepage and the television schedules,...
February 11, 2005
Here is the news you may have missed
A very sharp front page from The Independent today. Although not as dry as the Bristol Evening Post's take on yesterdays events: Tetbury Man To Wed...
BBC Complaints site in RSS
So I've mentioned before that the BBC has launched a new Complaints site. From my point of view the most important thing over the next couple of months is to monitor how much mail the BBC receives, and how much publishing is done on the site, which is acting as a central hub for official responses. Both of those will give me a good idea of how likely the site is to impact on the resources I have available to...
February 7, 2005
How The F.A. Cup lost lustre (Part XXIV)
The perceived heresy of the F.A. contemplating having the final of the F.A. Cup on a Wednesday has excited a lot of comment in the media in the last couple of weeks. The usual old suspects are trotted out for explaining the lack of lustre in the old lady of English football - Manchester United being allowed to opt out to pursue their farcical dreams of being World Club Champions, unlimited replays being axed, the draw not using a velvet...
The first day at the Broadcast Centre
So today was my first day in my new office home, the Broadcast Centre within the BBC's White City complex. The building, despite having some snagging left to do, is great. I just wish it was nearer home. The meeting room closest to me has been named after Alan Turing, and I certainly can't complain about that. It was a strange day altogether though - it wasn't just the first day in the new building. By chance (perhaps) it...
February 6, 2005
Farewell to Bush
Friday was the end of a personal era for me, as it was my last day working in Bush House. When I joined the BBC's New Media department in 2000, I was told that in four-to-five years we would be moving to new offices in White City. It seemed as far off to me then as the proposed move of BBC New Media to Manchester later this decade seems now. On Monday morning though, reality will dawn, and I...
February 4, 2005
BBC Complaints feedback loop
So, it is early days, but we are seeing the first fruits of the feedback loop between the new BBC Complaints site and the Points of View message board. This week the BBC changed the announced broadcast of Match of the Day from Wednesday to Tuesday in order to accommodate the highlights of the Arsenal - Manchester United match. This sparked a chorus of complaints - some of which went through the new online complaints channel, and the BBC published...