Tvc Handbook.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE BBC TELEVISION CENTRE THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION . for Britain and the world THE BBC TELEvrsroN CENrnr, openedin June designedto meet not only the needsof today, but of 1960, is the hub of Britain's national television net- the future too; it is equipped to meet possiblefuture work. It housesthe world's seniortelevision service in developments such as colour television and trans- the most up-to-date, self-contained broadcasting missionsby 625-line definition. Meantime, the Centre centre in Europe-the fust in Britain to be designed is already the western terminal of a vast complex of specificallyfor television. ri(ithin its studios are pro- vision circuits that span Europe, with Eurovision in duced programmesnot only for the BBC's own net- the west of the continent and Intervision beyond. work, but also for use in many parts of the world: Every year, the Centre is visited by television BBC television material is exported to more than executivesfrom broadcastingorganizations through- seventy countries. The Television Centre has been out the world, and more and more it is becoming a venue for international assembliesconcerned with the nrnorc<< nftelcwicinn Its significancelies largely in irs extensiveequip- The Main Entrdnce by night ment for production by electronic methods. Apart from programmesproduced in the studios,the Centle 40 ft (rr.5 m) high and this is surmounted by a houses equipment for the transmission of films and gilded bronze figure of Helios, the all-seeingSun God apparatuswhich enablesprogrammes to be recorded of Greek mythology. Two reclining bronze figures and reproducedat a later time. over the pool of the fountain represent Sound and The Centre occupies a site of r3, acres (5.4 hec- Vision. The sculptor is T. B. Huxley-Jones. tares),located roughly mid-way betweenWestminster In the main entrancehall there is an abstractmosaic and London Airport. fts main feature is an imposing mural designedby John Piper. circular building, containing studios and offices, and from this radiate a scenery block, a restaurant block, TheMain Block and-now under construction-an 'East Block' The Main Block of seven planned to accommodate television talks production storiesrises r ro ft @3m), is ft (r50 m) in diameter,and covers and topical film handling, as well as eqgineering and 5oo an areanearly twice the sizeofthat occupiedby house-servicemaintenance workshops and stores.The St. Paul,sCathedral. There are about four hundred offices, providing final development of the whole site will be a 'tail' or accommodation for nearly spur at the northern end. three thousand people with dressing rooms for between five Beyond a colonnade flanking the front entrance is a and six hundred artists. central court, dominatedby a fountain with an obelisk Four production studios and a programme presentatron area have so far been brought into operation. The CentreCourt From the seventhfloor, there is a wide panoramic view stretching the length and breadth of London. tions from all sources,including the BBC regions,the To the north-east, on a clear day, the area ofAlexandra news centre at Alexandra Palace (later to be trans- Palace,where BBC Television began in 1936,can be ferred to the spur), outside broadcasts,and automatic seen and-to the south-east-the lofty aerial at studiossuch asthe one at Vestminster which provides Crystal Palace,the biggest of the BBC transmitters. immediate facilities for reporting on Parliament. The Through Crystal Palace and the twenty-dne other presentation suite incorporates a small studio for television transmifting stations of the BBC rhe announcements and interviews. televisionservice reaches 99 per cent ofthe population There is an International Contlol Room which has of the United Kingdom. already handled programmes from all European Corurecting the Centre's seven floors, the main stair- capitals, and will be an important link rvhen television casewith its cantileveredsupport is one of the archi- comrnunication by satellite is established. Elsewhere tectural featuresofthe building. The sixth floor inclu- in the Centre a room has been specially fitted out as des a direction suite and conference rooms, and the an international commentary area, in which com- fifth, a script library. There are production offices on mentatorsfrom overseascan watch important events severalfloors. being televised in this country and can add their oun The presentation suite on the foulth floor is a focal descriptions in their own languages to audiences point ofthe entire television service.It has a Central hundreds and even thousands of miles away. Control Room, which handles programme contibu- A Central Apparatus Room on the third floor is the technical nerve-centre of the network, dealing with the origination, assembly, and distribution of The Moin Entrance Holl televisionprogrammes. r-' Music and gramophone libraries in the Centre have possible comfort and facilities, green rooms, make-up vast resourcesand so havethe third floor areasdevoted and hairdressing salons and showers, and these areas to wardrobe, make-up rooms, wig-making, laundry are so arranged as to give easy accessto the studios and so on. The wardrobe holds in stock some t6,ooo and so contribute to the general streamlining of pro- llems. duction. In the basemenr are viewing rooms, a The production bigger studios in Television Centre photographic suite, a band practice room and a large have observation rooms from which it is possible to semi-automatictelephone exchange. watch what is happening in the studios without inter- fering with rehearsals or productions. There are simi- TheStudios lar observation places adjacent to the studio control Four ofrhe sevenproduction qowin rooms and here again, by quietly watching the work of studiosare use. Studio 3, for general purposes, the producer and his team, the onlooker gets an and Studio 4, for Iight enteltainment, music and qyciting glimpse through the observation windows of drama, are each roo ft x 8o ft x ft high (3o what is going on behind the scenes of television. 4o m x 23 m x r3.5 m). Studio 2, for general purposes, Accommodation for artists on the ground floor and and Studio 5, specially designed and serviced in the basement includes dressing (ooms with all for schools pro- grammes, are each 7o feet x 5o feet x 33 feet high (2rm x r5m x rom). The other three studios wi.ll be brought inro opera- Presentotion Strrdio from the Control Room tion as they becomeequipped and of these, Studio I j- will be the biggestin the Cenrre, measuring rog x ft choosebetween waitress service and self-servicecafe_ roo ft x 54 ft high (33 m x m x 16.5 m). 30 It is teria, overlooks its own garden, beyond which are the intended for light entertainment and music pro_ spreading trees and extensive lawns of a municioal grammes and will be able to accommodate an audience park. of six hundred. The Scenery Block, covering nearly an acre, accom_ Studio 6, for generalpurposes, will be the samesize modates the Design Department. Here the scenerv. as Studios 3 and 4. serdngs, and properties are made and supolied for Studio 7, for talks and discussionprogrammes, will television programmes. Completed ,ienery i, be the samesize as Studios z and 5, assembledin a setting area from which it is moved In addition to these studios in the Centre itself, either into a scetery runway>which has direct access there are three others in nearby Lime Grove, as well to all seven studios, or into vans for convevanceto as the BBC's Television Theatre at Shepherds Bush. outlying studjos. In the lofty scenic anists studio, 8,ooo individual setings and 37o backcloths are Sceneryand Restaurant Blocks completed annually. There is storage space in the sceneryblock for 4,ooo scenicitems, piecesof Thc Restaurant 5,ooo Block, where staff and artists can furniture and roo,ooo small propertres. Stdr Dressing Room BBC TeleViSiOII begaoon 2 November1936. since then the initialsBBC w havecome to have a special meaningto the world at large. BBC televisionwas the first in rhe feld, Today its lesources are greater than those of any other television service. Its programmesrepresent all that is most modern in televisionthought. BBC televisionis a public service.Its aim is to makegood programmes popular, and popular progrunmes good. Its only concernis the viewer. A refiedrso, in Studio 3 Lighting in Studio 4 ond (right) Main Reception shov/ing the lohn Piper murcl Coner of the Properties Store {:: i: t't lr 't Radio liftes gil'gs full details of the whole week,s programines in BBC Television and Sound, wi!h articles,notes. and picti.rreiabout eachday'i RadioTimes outstandrng broactcasts.trom newsagents,every Thursday, price 5d. Annuar subscflptron:tntanct 35s. od.r overseas33s. 6d., and pro rata. Tie Listenerand BBCTelevision Review prcvides stimulating and infofina- trve co[lmenr on current affairs) lilerature, science, and the arts. It TheListener includes talks broadcasrin BBC-tv and Sound. From newsagenrs,every Thursday. price 6d. Annual subscripdon: inland DIIC l clcrision 39s.o8., overseai .nelic\r 375.OO,) and pro rata. Further details of the above journals and of books and pamphlets connected with BBCTelevision and Sound broadcasts can be obtained from BBCPUBLICATI0I{S, 35 MaryleboneHigh Street, London, W. | . P'btishedb' rhe B'ninhB/oadcanins **-x:;';:,,yi,'X::::;""I::J.,"#:r.'*:#:::,K;1.,it,j,,'",,oin E,statutb' D,'denshint.r! Ld., Fr.