AudioMedia - March 2009 - (Page 16) w h a t ’s u p UK whatsupuk@audiomedia.com Hitting Your Own Headlines Cut backs and slim-downs are the order of the recession, and the big TV companies are doing just that in order to claw back some massive debts – and making their own news headlines while doing so. here is an odd phenomenon in the media when those in it start talking about their particular medium, which is almost as bad as people talking about themselves. This can be selfcongratulatory or merely navel gazing, but what we’ve seen over the last couple of years is television or radio making the news headlines, often topping the running order over political and social affairs. That’s happening in 2009, but as part of the general coverage of the recession. Commercial broadcasting has been hit by the downturn in advertising revenue, leaving ITV plc, Channel 4, and Five to reduce operations and staffing levels. ITV has been making the most drastic changes, shedding 1,000 jobs in the past year, with another 500 expected to go this month. The network is also looking to further slim down its facilities, with the studios in Leeds under threat. The broadcaster has further sold its 70 percent share in band manager JFMG to Arqiva for £1 million, and is rumoured to be looking to offload social networking website Friends Reunited. Even with this injection of cash, ITV is nowhere near covering its massive debt or £2.6 billion pension fund. C4 is cutting back on its operations by taking the outsource route, contracting Red Bee Media to handle its play-out, engineering, and graphics requirements, which it hopes will make annual savings of between 10-15 percent. In the middle of last year, C4 abandoned its plans to launch several radio services on the second national DAB multiplex, and by the end of 2008 there was even talk of the broadcaster merging with the third commercial network, Five. There has been no further word on that, but Five is likely to axe 115 jobs this month. T The BBC, while not affected directly by what Thomas said the scale of the changes would be is described as the worst advertising recession greater, resulting in a higher number of job losses. for over ten years, has been slimming down In London 98 posts will be closed, while, initially, 76 under a programme called ‘Fewer, Bigger, Better’, positions across the post operations in Bristol and which began in 2007. A new problem for the Birmingham were under threat. As many of the post Corporation is that the additional trim expected jobs involved are still required at these production by selling off BBC Resources did not happen as centres, staff will be offered the opportunity to completely as planned. transfer to the BBC rather than take redundancy. BBC Outside Broadcasts was sold to BBC Resources held meetings with SIS, but BBC Studios was taken off the the unions during late February and will market at the beginning of 2008. Like OBs, be instigating a ‘preference exercise’, the studios and post-production operations under which discussions will be held were put out to a bidding process, and with staff in the areas designated for although there was interest in the former cuts. These will determine whether from the Pinewood Group and the BBC personnel are willing to take redundancy was talking to a preferred bidder for the or if they can be re-deployed within latter, both have been retained within BBC the BBC. The affected positions within Resources. That decision prompted the post production include editors, company to draw up a major re-structuring assistants, colourists, support, current Mark Thomas, Chief Executive p la n to ma i nta i n o pe rati o n s a n d operations, the stock and hire shop, tape at BBC Resources. remain competitive. recycling, and engineering. The Chief Executive of BBC Resources, Even though there will be fewer personnel to run Mark Thomas, said the decision not to sell BBC Post them, the facilities within BBC Resources still need to Production and BBC Studios meant, “we are left with be updated to remain competitive and offer the best a different future from the one we expected for BBC service. At the end of the year, BBC Studios opened Resources. We are still a wholly-owned commercial a new HD studio, bringing to three its number of subsidiary of the BBC and need to act accordingly.” upgraded facilities. BBC Post Production is following Redundancies were planned for BBC Studios in the trend and recently announced its second 5.1 the areas of vision mixing, audio, safety, resource audio suite. The Blue Theatre works alongside the management, cameras and support staff, with a existing Red Theatre at Television Centre, and is loss of 36 posts. equipped with a Digidesign Pro Tools HD digital Retaining BBC Post Production within Resources audio workstation in combination with an Icon has given the BBC the opportunity to finish a D-Command controller. re-examination of its longer-term post-production The demand for 5.1 audio on TV programmes is needs. This division is also being restructured, but increasing as it is seen as the best accompaniment for high definition, and the BBC HD channel will be increasing its services to nine hours a day during 2009. The ideal situation is to have spangly new surround mixes for programmes, but the reality is often that the budget won’t stretch to 5.1 or the post-production process is too well advanced to accommodate a full multi-channel mix. In these cases BBC Post Production is offering a new stereo to 5.1 up-mixing service, based on TC Electronics’ UnWrap technology. Chris Graver, who is in charge of the up-mix operation, said up-mixed soundtracks for certain genres performed with ‘sufficient care’ were difficult to distinguish from original 5.1 mixes. Graver added that up-mixing took less time than creating 5.1 from nothing, and the whole process was “extremely cost effective”. In these straitened times, producers will be happy to hear that, and the BBC will be keen to bring in new business, although it is probably keener to keep out of its own news headlines in the future. ∫ AUDIO MEDIA MARCH 2009 The new Blue Theatre at Television Centre. 16
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