Latest news with #broadcasting
BBC News
an hour ago
- Health
- BBC News
Bedfordshire hospital radio station celebrates 50 years on air
A hospital radio station is looking to the future as it celebrates 50 years of Health Radio (BHR), formerly Hospital Radio Bedford, is doing a live outside broadcast from The Harpur Centre in Bedford from 10:00 BST until 17: Chris Jones said the 50-year milestone was "an amazing achievement" and thanked those who had been part of the station since has also been broadcasting to Luton & Dunstable Hospital since its station closed in January, and hopes to soon be available on digital radio in the area. To mark half a century of broadcasting, the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Mrs Camilla King and Deputy Lieutenant Ms Deborah Inskip are cutting the birthday of the first presenters, Frank Palmer, is broadcasting from 14:00 with a recording of the original broadcast from 1975. Bedfordshire Health Radio has been broadcasting to patients, originally just to hospital beds, and to the wider community about matters relating to health and started in a caravan before moving into a temporary cabin and, since 1995, has been operating out of a basement studio inside Bedford Hospital's south is run by a team of volunteers, has 35 presenters and raises money through fundraising now broadcasts online to a much wider audience and will soon be on local DAB digital Jones said they were in the process of getting a DAB licence from added they had produced a magazine about the station, which will be distributed across the Luton and Dunstable hospital. BHR collaborates with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Healthwatch has also forged ties with Bedford College and various charities such as the Tibbs Dementia Foundation. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
TNT Sports stepping away from NBA TV
June 27 - TNT Sports will relinquish oversight of NBA TV operations, it was announced today by TNT Sports Chair and CEO Luis Silberwasser. After a 17-year run with TNT Sports, day-to-day operations will revert to the league on Oct. 1. "We made several proposals to continue to provide services and operate the NBA TV network and related digital assets," Silberwasser wrote in a memo to employees of the Warner Bros. Discovery cable unit, as reported by Sportico. "However, we were unable to agree on a path forward that recognized the value of our expertise, quality content and operational excellence that our fans and partners have come to expect from TNT Sports." In July 2024, the league announced a new 11-year agreement with the Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video to broadcast approximately 75 games on linear television in addition to all national games being available on streaming services. TNT's agreement called for a minimum of 15 games on broadcast television. TNT will continue to generate digital content for the league through Bleacher Report and House of Highlights and maintain editorial control of the Inside the NBA studio show. The highly popular program that features Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and Ernie Johnson will air on ESPN and ABC. --Field Level Media
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘A three-week drama in daily episodes': curtain to fall on free-to-air Tour de France coverage
When the last rider rolls across the Tour de France finish line in Paris on 27 July it will mark more than the end of the world's most prestigious bike race. Once Gary Imlach and team have wrapped up, it will conclude four decades of free-to-air Tour coverage for British TV viewers. While the sport, and the technology used to broadcast it, have transformed since the 1980s, the excellence of the ITV programme (previously on Channel 4) has been constant. Just as British and Irish interest in the race has cycled through eras – from Sean Kelly to David Millar, to Chris Boardman and later Mark Cavendish, to Team Sky of Wiggins, Froome and Thomas – the on-air cast has naturally evolved. Nick Owen and Richard Keys first presented the highlights: Owen in '86, Keys in '87 and '88. Phil Liggett, for a time, doubled as presenter and commentator, and Liggett and Paul Sherwen were succeeded by the more cerebral – and no less popular – Ned Boulting and Millar on commentary. In an increasingly fragmented industry, though, Imlach is established as the face of cycling on terrestrial TV, blending journalistic rigour with a drily humorous style, a long way from the banterverse of much contemporary sports coverage. As he nears the finish of his own Grand Tour it seems apposite to ask the question put to countless out-of-breath stage winners down the years. How does he feel? 'There's a mix of emotions,' Imlach says. 'Sad that it's ending but grateful, too, because you can't complain after a 35-year run from what I initially thought was a freelance job. There's also a sort of a determination: we can't let the fact it's our last Tour get in the way of doing a good job. Inevitably, I've also been thinking about people who are no longer here like [director] Steve Docherty, who shaped the show for so long.' Coolness under pressure is another Imlach attribute; essential when the increasingly fierce French summer heat occasionally causes his iPad to shut down while live on air. How does he describe his approach? 'The first principle of covering TV sport is the first principle of medicine: Do no harm. Don't get in the way of the sport. But if you are going to add something, make sure it's of value.' In 1986, Brian Venner, the show's original executive producer, was tasked with its creation. The core team he assembled has shown remarkable staying power and some of the seasoned crew at Vsquared TV have been involved for decades. A deep well of knowledge, both of the Tour's unique intricacies and creating daily live coverage and highlights shows, is thus brought to bear. 'Adrian Metcalfe, head of sport for Channel 4, asked me to develop it,' Venner says. 'The Tour never had proper coverage in this country. When I worked at the BBC I'd followed a stage and was excited by what I saw, so when Adrian asked me I leapt at the chance. 'We developed various things technically, and things which saved money. We built a truck that had everything: A commentary position in the back, satellite dish on top, the whole thing in one. We even organised a chef. He went out every morning to the markets and came back with lunch.' Brian's son James joined in 1992. With Carolyn Viccari, who began as Brian's assistant and would become executive producer, overseeing complex planning and logistics, James Venner – like Brian an early adopter of new technologies – became a senior producer and remains responsible for the London operation. What makes the Tour special? 'As you get close to it, you realise what an incredibly tough sport it is,' James Venner says. 'It's the incredible scenery, the theatre in which it takes place. And as a challenge in TV, it's as complex as the Olympics but it moves every day. 'Doing any live TV you're on the edge, frankly. With this you're on the edge but you don't know if all the wiring and glue will hold. Professionally it's a tremendous challenge and a very satisfying one. From a sporting point of view it's this immensely hard thing, these brilliant athletes in the most wonderful backdrop.' TV affects cycling like no other sport. Sponsors want exposure, ensuring all those doomed breakaways, and James Venner explains how the introduction of Eurosport's pan-European coverage changed the race in the Lance Armstrong era. 'The teams could watch as they drove around and Armstrong used to play on that, he'd make it look like he was suffering. The camera would come in and get the big shot of him suffering on the climb. Other teams would say on team radio: 'Attack now, he's in trouble!' Then, of course, he wasn't in trouble. He'd forced them to attack too early.' As the end approaches James Venner shares Imlach's sadness. 'Nothing is for ever … You'd like to go on, and there's sadness that the team we've built has got very good at doing it. It's the last time we might see some of them.' Why do those team members, just like fans, become addicted? 'The drug analogy might not be the most diplomatic,' says Imlach. 'It's a three-week drama delivered in daily episodes. There's the bigger overall picture, but every day you have a self-contained story. There are all sorts of layers and complexity but I think anybody can enjoy it.' Imlach's break came via an NFL assignment. 'Mike Miller, Channel 4's commissioning editor for sport in the 80s and 90s, gave me a job doing travelogue pieces on cities where NFL games were played. He said to Brian: 'You should get somebody doing what Gary Imlach's doing on the NFL.' 'Brian took him at his word. I'm not sure it was entirely popular because the highlights were only half an hour and it was mainly hardcore cycling fans watching. I don't think they appreciated some ignoramus popping up with a piece about a fleet of motorised profiteroles in the publicity caravan.' The Tour has had its share of scandals, including the British-branded version involving Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins. Considering how a complex saga developed over time, is there anything Imlach would do differently? 'Hard to tell without going back and double-checking everything,' he says. 'Certainly there isn't just one Sky story. There's the story Sky told about themselves and there's the story that leaked out around the edges. It leaked out after the fact, we addressed it after the fact, but, like everybody else, we didn't get satisfactory answers out of the principals. 'Having declared this project of transparency, when it came to account for the discrepancies between what they'd said and some of the contradictory evidence that subsequently seeped out, Dave Brailsford never really did.' Brailsford denies wrongdoing and appeared at a 2016 House of Commons select committee hearing. There have been speedbumps on the way. It was Channel 4's acquisition of Test cricket that prompted the move to ITV in 2001. Like Test cricket the world's greatest bike race will soon move behind a paywall. The good news for cycling fans and Francophiles across the UK, though, is that Imlach and co have a final crack at it. When the race rolls out from Lille on 5 July, for one last time, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘Love you all, it's been a privilege': Joe Duffy presents last Liveline as he retires from RTÉ
The Taoiseach and President led tributes to Joe Duffy as he presented his last Liveline programme on RTÉ Radio 1 on Friday. The veteran presenter is retiring from the station after 37 years, signing off as one of the most influential and popular broadcasters in Irish media. He has hosted Liveline, which frequently attracted more than 400,000 listeners, since 1998. During a special live show on Friday afternoon, RTÉ's Shay Byrne read out a message from President Michael D Higgins , who praised Duffy's 'lifelong commitment to justice, equality and public service'. The President extended 'the warmest of thanks on behalf of the Irish people for your remarkable contribution to public life, one that you have shaped with empathy, insight and an unwavering commitment to the voices of ordinary people'. READ MORE He continued: 'Through your work, you have borne witness to the struggles and triumphs of the Irish people, often giving voice to those on the margins and creating a space in which silence could be broken and solidarity expressed, reminding us that behind every headline is a human story, reminding us too that our society is strengthened by the lived experiences of its people.' Earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin called in to the show, telling Duffy: 'You were and are the voice of the people.' Noting how influential the programme was, Martin said there were many afternoons where a civil servant would run into his office saying a certain topic was 'on fire' on Liveline, meaning the Government would have to 'do this, that and the other'. Martin said he and Duffy go way back, saying: 'You taught me a few things when I was a student activist.' Before Duffy quipped: 'You forgot them quick enough then.' On a more personal note, Martin thanked Duffy for his 'extraordinary' acts of kindness, adding: 'That has touched our family quite a lot.' Recalling how they were both at a crab fishing competition in Courtmacsherry in Co Cork years ago, Martin said that Duffy had, unbeknown to him, taken photos of him holding his young daughter Leana while they looked out to sea. The Taoiseach said it was 'one of the last great days' his family had with Leana, who died in 2010 from a cardiac condition when she was just seven years old. After Leana died, Duffy sent him the photos. 'That's something [my wife] Mary and I have always treasured, and we thank you,' Martin said. [ Micheál Martin: 'You will always say you have the kids you lost' Opens in new window ] At the start of the show, Duffy noted he wasn't 'allowed' into the studio until 'about two minutes' before they went on air. There were many familiar faces in the crowd including long-time friends and colleagues Brenda Donohue and June Rodgers, and several Liveline listeners who the show helped over the years. Duffy joked that he recognised a number of people in the audience from Crime Call. Live music was performed by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band and the Camembert Quartet, who opened the show with a special rendition of Thank You for Being a Friend, among others. Duffy noted the Liveline would be open as normal on Monday, even if he wasn't there. Signing off for the last time, he kept it short and sweet: 'Love you all, it's been a privilege.'
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
RTE legend Joe Duffy praises callers as he presents his final Liveline
Veteran broadcaster Joe Duffy has presented his final episode of RTE 's iconic phone-in show, Liveline, bringing to a close a distinguished 27-year tenure at the helm. During his last broadcast on Friday afternoon, the Ballyfermot native paid tribute to the callers who have shaped the programme over the decades. Mr Duffy, 69, is stepping down after 37 years with the national broadcaster. His long-running show, Liveline, has become a pivotal reflection of Irish life, serving as a unique forum for everyday grievances, facilitating the reunion of long-lost family members, and playing a crucial role in exposing societal injustices. Known for his plain-spoken approach as an on-air umpire for often heated debates, Mr Duffy has frequently expressed personal motivation stemming from the sensitive topics covered on the programme. These have included the tragic deaths of children during the 1916 Rising and the harrowing testimonies of survivors of institutional abuse. He has written books including Children Of The Rising and Children Of The Troubles. 'It will go on. Liveline is on today, but it's on on Monday as well,' Duffy told RTE Radio ahead of his last programme at 1.45pm on Friday. He added: 'It's the voices on Liveline; the less I talk the better, I find. 'We (the media) are still trusted. In the main we are still trusted, unlike other countries. 'They're all part of our daily discourse, which is great and I hope that continues.' During his last programme, Duffy was praised by musician Brush Shiels as 'a voice for the voiceless' and he was thanked by people whose lives had been changed because of him and Liveline. Irish premier Micheal Martin called in to praise his kindness, and said it would often happen that civil servants would run into him and say 'Liveline's gone mad, we've got to do this that and the other'. 'You were and are the voice of the people, you were authentic, you gave the people a platform, and I think you never left your roots,' he told the broadcaster. 'Your working-class background stood to you, the values that your parents and your family gave to you, I think, were the reason why you had a unique capacity to mediate between the people and authority to tell their stories.' When Mr Martin said 'I've known you going back to my student days, where you taught me a few things when I was a student activist', Duffy quipped: 'You forgot that quick enough now.' Mr Martin continued: 'Your personal acts of kindness have always been quite extraordinary, and something that has touched our family quite a lot.' Mr Martin said that Duffy had taken photos of him with his daughter Leana, who died aged seven in 2010, at a crab fishing competition in Courtmacsherry, which were now 'treasured' by him and his family. 'I think it's your kindness and your compassion that rings through on the radio.' Duffy joined RTE as a radio producer in 1989 and came to prominence as a reporter on the Gay Byrne Show. He presented programmes such as Soundbyte before taking over Liveline from Marian Finucane in 1998, attracting some 400,000 listeners to the phone-in programme. After Ryan Tubridy's departure from RTE in 2023, following governance and financial controversies at the station, Duffy became RTE's top earner on 351,000 euro. He said his working-class Dublin accent on the national broadcaster had prompted some 'green-ink letters' of complaint when he started, some of which were internal. Among Liveline's most famous episodes were callers giving their thoughts on the television series Normal People, people sharing stories of corporal punishment in Ireland over the decades, women phoning in about menopause and a row Duffy had with Brian Warfield, from the Wolfe Tones, about the song Celtic Symphony. Duffy said the only time he has been physically threatened during his tenure was over discussions about the closure of 'headshops', which sold drugs paraphernalia, where he said a man confronted him in a car park. Asked about whether he would run for the presidency in the autumn, Duffy said: 'I will not lose the run of myself.' 'I can see the Aras from Claddagh Green, I'd say that's the closest I'll ever get to it.' The Minister for Culture and Media Patrick O'Donovan tribute to Duffy for giving a voice to people. 'As the voice of Liveline since 1998, he has helped to start many important conversations in this country, to give a voice to those who were suffering and to those who were vulnerable. 'He has helped us to share in moments of national pride and national mourning, and he has been a consistent part of the daily lives of thousands of listeners across the country for decades. 'From challenging injustices, to celebrating moments of unbridled joy, for 27 years on Liveline and across 37 years with RTE, Joe's commitment to public service broadcasting has been unwavering. 'While he may be stepping back from the daily microphone, his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire.'
