BBC TV Studio B, New Broadcasting House, Manchester - 1981

The BBC North West of England Television News Studio until 16th May 1981 was Studio N in Broadcasting House, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, but on 18th May it then moved to Studio B in New Broadcasting House, Oxford Road. Studio B was much larger than Studio N and so half of it was used (eventually a third) for the news studio, the other half/two-thirds for all manner of local and national programmes, including travel, childrens and breakfast/daytime productions.

This video shows the Studio B gallery, sound cubicle and John Mundy rehearsing the mid-afternoon regional news. The cameraman in the studio is Malcolm Carr, and the cameras used in Studio B at that time were Philips LDK25s, although this video was filmed entirely with an amateur JVC G-71 camera and recorded on JVC's first colour portable VHS recorder. The G-71 used a single vidicon tube, hence the picture lag.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• BBC
• Studio B
• New Broadcasting House
• Manchester
• Oxford Road
• John Mundy
• LDK5
• television

[CHANNELMICHAEL]

I do love this video, I imagine both Pebble Mill and NBH had very similar specifications for design. Thanks for posting!

[unhban]

@CHANNELMICHAEL Thanks! Yes and no - Pebble Mill had a more open feel as it was basically built around a quadrangle with floor-ceiling windows. Also virtually the whole of the front was windows too. Studio B at Pebble Mill was long and thin so most of the time the cameras were pinned against the back wall, on the fire lane tut tut, and there was only a smallish area at the far end for interviews, cookery etc. When I started at the Beeb I worked at PM, very enjoyable doing PM at One etc!

[doubledeckers]

Nice video and pretty unique I should think!

[CHANNELMICHAEL]

@unhban Ooh fascinating, I always assumed they based the NPCs off The Mill, ah well, learn something new everyday. B at Oxford Road looks fairly spacious, must have learnt from the mistake of Studio B at the Mill as an aside; there was meant to be a studio C at Pebble Mill but they didn't account for a substation that they couldn't move when drawing plans! Once again, thanks for posting this!

[RET80]

Something about the old tube cameras that really made them look unique and atmospheric.