Most people only get to see the news on TV, but I got to experience it in real life!
Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC. It is situated on Portland Place; the closest tube station is Oxford Circus. The BBC made their first radio broadcast at Broadcasting House in 1932. The building was recently heavily refurbished. On Thursday the 20th of February 2020, I got the chance to visit, and was given a tour.
As you walk in, you are greeted by a gallery looking out onto the live newsroom, which you can see in the background of news broadcasts. This is split into two main areas; the left side is mainly domestic news and the right hand side is for international news. News is mainly received from news wires, such as the PA and Reuters. Researchers also scour the internet searching for information which has not hit the mainstream media. Twitter is a good source for upcoming stories. Directly beneath you is a broadcasting studio. The live newsroom is the largest of its kind in Europe. There is a hubbub of activity; people work here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in case a story breaks overnight. Here, people write for the BBC News website and app, and also create content for programmes such as News at Ten. This is also where many videos for the main news website are edited. A lot of the editing is done on laptops using Final Cut Pro. The BBC has many teams situated around the country, ready to report on a breaking story. The locations of these teams and the data they are sending in can be viewed on giant screens in the live newsroom. At the back of the newsroom, there is an annexe with many screens showing all the shots being filmed by the BBC News TV channel. Here, they are reviewed. The cameras in the main studio are not controlled by people - They are robotic. It is an amazing sight you have to behold!
The building has 9 floors above ground. Looking up in a stairwell, you are surrounded by walls of glass.The building is surprisingly modern. It cost over £ 1 billion to refurbish and move the BBC into Broadcasting House. The building is used for broadcasting BBC Radio 4 shows such as Today, and has been used to broadcast a plethora of programs, including the 2019 General Election Coverage. The building is also home to parts of the BBC World Service. The World Service is an essential part of the BBC, which enables people in countries without free speech to get news they wouldn't otherwise get. The Government has heavily invested over £85 million a year, and wants to help Britain increase its voice in a post-Imperial world. However, the Government is considering axing the licence fee, which is the source of about 76% of the BBC's income. The BBC is so lage it has many other sites! BBC Parliament is based at the Millbank and the BBC still maintains a presence at the historic Television Centre.
The BBC's broadcasting house is an excellent example of innovation. It is home to the BBC, and many of your favourite programmes.
