BBC Push To End "Television"

This is a sort of draft based on expected news event that the Radio 1 Big Weekend will not be /  has not been on televison on any scale expected from previous such events. Plus speculation that this is a deliberate BBC policy to move the audience away from "television" as we know it.

As of today Sunday I have looked at the Observer TV guide which shows Mumford and Sons on BBC4 next Saturday night. But nothing on BBC1 or BBC2.

Mostly my expectation is based on various conversations while the Radio 1 Academy has been in Devon. They are so keen on online - YouTube Live Lounge ,  VEVO , their own visual channel on the iPlayer that the subject of television rarely surfaces, as in BBC 1/2/4.

News still seems a bit different. Evan Davis spoke at a session about how to tell stories in a digital age. He still sees a secure future for news on TV and also for newspapers. This is something to come back to. This next week is mostly about music though similar patterns may relate to news later.

Inow understand that the aim of the Radio 1 Academy is to encourage young people into careers. I had been looking for how the knowledge related to a local situation. So I am interested in how the Phoenix and Devon can use sound and video production in social media without all the resources of a big truck.

The most immediate issue is how open to be. I noticed discussion on Phonic FM about making comments closed on Youtube or similar. Personally I favour open comments and I find of the web to be polite and supportive. But this is clearly something to discuss.

My idea of digital storytelling is to publish interim bits and pieces and check the response. For one thing the shared information could change the story.

Just my opinion now, this is a blog after all, there could be a lot more from the Big Weekend if BBC4 changed the schedule. There may be another time to watch an old edition of Top of the Pops. Maybe they will get some feedback.

Perhaps there is a generation of Radio 1 listeners who never watch "television" so finding stuff on YouTube or the iPlayer is normal. No doubt there will be a boost for the Radio 1 channels after the event. But should we all be forced towards YouTube just because the Big Weekend is not on BBC1 or BBC2? Could the movies be shown on some other date? Anyway, more of this on Tuesday when the Radio Times will reveal the BBC4 schedule for Sunday. The @wenotno show is on @phonicfm from 12 -2 when the Radio Times has had a thorough study. This is investigation.

So far there is no clear public statement on BBC policy to get rid of "television" but there are obvious questions looking for an answer.

For example what happens to the income from VEVO assuming there is some? Is there income from YouTube RED in the USA? Could any UK channel get the same sort of deal? What is Amazon doing? Will the iPlayer work outside the UK or will the BBC just work with other platforms?

Comments and link suggestions welcome. Updated versions of this story coming soon.


Story so far

Question to Dev on Access All Aerials

Interview with Dan Gooding, Executive Producer from BBC Learning for Executive Producer for Radio 1 Academy

Sound from Telling Stories in the Digital Age

Linking Radio 1 Academy , Networked Learning, and Arts Management

This post is a way to make some links, quite short but too long for a tweet.

I am still sorting through slides and photos from the Networked Learning Conference in Lancaster. I did not get permission to do any video but there was some recording and it may turn up on YouTube soon. Informal discussion during the conference suggests that attitudes to video are changing and I think there will be enough from similar places to extend the playlist.

The Radio 1 Academy is in Exeter at the Phoenix where Phonic FM is in the basement. My chat with Dan Gooding yesterday is now on YouTube, sound only. The lighting is dreadful in our studio. I am still a bit surprised how far the Radio 1 and BBC Learning are away from classic TV in their approach. I still think some of the Big Weekend could turn up on BBC2 or similar but this is clearly not a priority compared to YouTube Live Lounge or the Radio 1 channel on iPlayer.

I am still part of a MOOC on arts management. We have moved on to phase two but I am still thinking about phase one and transitions. Clip below with extracts from video and discussion on Phjonic FM. If an Arts Centre becomes a media centre then it needs a full range of studio resources. Somehow the Phoenix at the moment is an extension of the BBC truck parked outside. This is obviously not normal but the interesting thing will be to work out what resource is suitable for something to continue.

So later there will be video from the Radio 1 Academy of the talks and discussions. Also at least the keynotes from the Networked Learning Conference. It could be possible to work out how to make more video depending on resources. Cameras are getting better value so quite a lot is possible.

Most of the Exeter discussion is about music and music video but tomorrow I hear the session on digital storytelling will also cover news.

Meanwhile I will keep playlists updated

Radio 1 Academy in Devon

Networked Learning Conference 2016 

Amazon Video in UK now? YouTube Red?

Based on news reports on radio I have checked the BBC news page.

It seems the new Amazon video approach will be available in UK from launch on the same basis as USA, Germany, Austria and Japan.

So what is happening with YouTube Red? Will it launch soon in the UK? Will they tell us anything at all about plans?

I am not sure if I should switch to Amazon. It could be a way to improve production. But I need more info. Eventually no news about Red UK would suggest that it will never happen so Amazon could be the only option.

Can'r find the actual Amazon page. Any clear info welcome.

More about moving online

At #NLC2016 the keynote today from Sian Bayne was all about space. I think she was saying that the campus is no longer that essential for learning to happen. I need to check my notes to find a suitable quote. Some photos of slides but needs some work so will wait till next week. Thomas Ryberg has tweeted a summary of one section -

Fetishisation of the campus and discursive othering of 'distance education'

But will this mean less money spent on buildings anytime soon?

Meanwhile I am still thinking about phase one of the MOOC about Arts Organisations. There was a clear statement about expansion being mostly online in future but phase two seems to be more general in the transitions to consider. I may wander off design for a while.

Next week Radio 1 Academy are in Exeter. Not sure how much theory there will be but they are surely into video. Academics still mostly into journals and books I think. Springer papers collection not yet quite ready from two years ago but still keenly awaited. It is not about technology so much that the theory is even better with a few years to edit.

Sorry got to stop now, not used to getting up early and have to pack.

#shootersinabaralloneword - Imagination in Phoenix during Radio 1 Academy

This is to try to explain some random musing. Yesterday I met Ben Tallamy near the Phoenix and expanded on an attempt last year to interest the Shooters In A Bar to record interviews and casual performance in the Bike Shed Theatre during the Dark Times.

Turns out they are shooters who happen to be in a bar. Main interest is short films. They probably do not think of anything filmed in a bar without a plan.

Previously I have done a lot of casual video, music performance and also around interviews intended mostly for sound. I realise the production values are very low level.

While Radio 1 is presenting an academy I guess there will be a budget for existing kit and /or extra bits and pieces. So my question is how to use this time to try out another level.

Lighting in the Phonic studio is near to terrible. Where else in the building is good for interviews. How to get equipment close by?

Not sure what access there will be. If there is sunshine the open area near the bar is ok for lighting. Is it too far away from sound recording?

Shooters in a bar could be a joined up word, if only as an imagined plan to be further developed over the summer. Radio can extend into video interview and short performances for online. Might even spin off a short film, whatever that is.

scope of #NLC2016

This is a short post, just a bit longer than a tweet. Need this to explain a bit what I think is happening.

I will be at #NLC2016 next week in Lancaster. It covers networked learning as something relating to universities and adult learning, general public discussion, whatever you want to call it. I think the Lancaster connection started in the Business School ( not the right name but a general description) mostly Management Learning . Now it is mostly in the Education part. So this might be an advance, it could be more central to the university. but most of the papers I have looked at so far don't deal with the organisation level aspects very much. So I wonder what happened to ideas like the learning company? If it has moved on to leadership will this turn up in the conference? What is happening on other sites?