About the BBC - Laura Murray

About The BBC Blog over Christmas

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:50:51 +0000

Today is my last day as editor of the About the BBC blog. It's been a real pleasure and I leave you in the very capable hands of Bridget Middleton.

The blog will be closed over the Christmas period from Friday 24 December until Tuesday 4 January and during this time you won't be able to post comments as we cannot moderate during this period.

We'll re-open in the new year.

Merry Christmas!

Laura.

The Editor's blog - Access All Areas

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:46:45 +0000

Kevin Bakhurst, the controller of the BBC News Channel and the BBC News at One and the deputy head of the BBC Newsroom, has blogged today about how the BBC is exploring disability issues, ahead of Friday's United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

To read Kevin's blog in full and to post a comment, head over to The Editor's blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC Blog

Internet Blog - feedback on BBC Red Button

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:50:02 +0000

"Today the BBC Trust published its review of the BBC's interactive television service, BBC Red Button. The BBC Trust regularly reviews BBC services, inviting public opinion to assess how well our services are performing and what, if anything, should change.

This review follows a public consultation undertaken in late 2009, which produced over 5,600 responses, and included a study of the BBC's own research into how viewers engage with the service."

John Denton, the BBC's Managing Editor of TV Platforms has blogged about the feedback received on BBC Red Button. To read John's blog post in full and to make a comment, head to the Internet Blog. You can read the full review on the BBC Trust website.

BBC One HD Launch Tonight

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:27:12 +0000

The BBC One HD channel launched with the One Show at 7pm this evening.

Watch this specially made short video, featuring Danielle Nagler, the head of BBC HD inside the BBC One control room, where the channels are broadcast.

There is also a helpful BBC One HD FAQs page.

Laura Murray is Editor of About the BBC Blog

BBC Internet Blog - BBC ONE HD: test transmissions

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:29:38 +0000

"So... many of you have found the test transmissions!

I've also noticed there's been a lot of speculation about what we are up to for the last few days and we thought it would be a good idea to let you know what's been happening and will be happening before BBC One HD launches on Wednesday".

Andy Quested, Head of Technology for BBC HD & 3D, BBC Future Media & Technology, has blogged today ahead of this week's BBC One HD launch. You can read the blog in full and comment, on the BBC Internet Blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC Blog

Radio Blog - Three evenings of joy at The Roundhouse

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:09:07 +0000

"I woke up on a high this morning. As well as Liverpool fighting their way out of the relegation zone, I experienced three amazing gigs at the BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Three iconic Radio 2 artists. Three very different, but equally ecstatic, audiences".

Bob Shennan, Controller of BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music has blogged about this experience at the BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms. To read the blog in full and to make a comment, head over to the Radio Blog.

Jeff Smith, the Head of Music at Radio 2 and 6 Music, has also blogged about the Radio 2 Electric Proms, join in the discussion.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC blog

BBC Internet Blog - Changing how BBC Online works with suppliers

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:32:55 +0000

"As outlined in March’s Strategy Review, there are changes coming for BBC Online. A proposed 25% cut in spend by 2013, and a rationalisation of 400 websites to make way for fewer, clearly-defined, products will impact audiences and the BBC itself.

External suppliers to BBC Online, critical to the success of the service, will naturally be thinking about what this means for them, and it’s important that we are clear".

Jonathan Kingsbury, Head of External Supply for BBC Future Media & Technology

To read Jonathan's blog post in full and to leave a comment, head over to the BBC Internet Blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC Blog

Roger Mosey blog - A Capital Idea

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:29:30 +0000

"This is a post with lots of initials in it. So stand by for not just IOC and LOCOG but OBS, EBU, ODA and BBC - because I want to explain a bit about what we do week in and week out on the BBC 2012 project, and how it takes many cooks to create this particular broth".

Roger Mosey, BBC Director of London 2012, has blogged about the unique challenge of working on the BBC 2012 project and explains how the BBC works with the partners involved.To read it in full and to leave a comment, go to Roger Mosey's Blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of About the BBC blog

Radio Blog - HD sound for the Electric Proms

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:53:43 +0000

"You may have heard that we offered an extra high quality (320kbs AAC) online audio stream for the last week of the BBC Proms this year (read about the experiment on the BBC Internet blog). The feedback we received was almost universally good. Listeners really appreciated the richer sound quality which made a fairly obvious difference even to the casual listener. Well, I can now confirm that for the first time for non-classical output, we'll offer the same higher quality audio stream for this year's BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms concerts".

Chris Kimber, Managing Editor at BBC Audio & Music Interactive, has blogged about the benefits of HD sound to the listener. To read the blog post in full and to make a comment, head over to the Radio blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of About the BBC Blog

Radio Blog - Sir Michael Lyons on new licence fee settlement

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:22:08 +0000

"In this week's edition of the BBC's in-house newspaper 'Ariel', the main feature is about the heavy workload the BBC's chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson, now has as a result of the recent cull of executive board members. One of her three main responsibilities, it said, was preparing for the renegotiation of the licence fee which was expected to start in 2011 and take a considerable amount of time.

Well hardly had the paper hit the Corporation's corridors than her load suddenly got considerably lighter. On Wednesday the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the licence fee would be frozen for six years. The negotiations were over before they had started."

Roger Bolton the presenter of Feedback blogged on Friday about the new licence fee settlement. You can read his blog in full, listen to his interview with Chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons and make comments on the Radio Blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC Blog

BBC licence fee settlement

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:09:12 +0000

"This is a tough settlement, but it's also a settlement that delivers certainty and stability for the BBC and licence fee payers through to 2016/17. It reflects the centrality of the licence fee in securing and safeguarding public service broadcasting. We recognise the importance of securing such a settlement at such an unprecedented time".

Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the BBC Trust

Today Chancellor George Osborne unveiled details of the Spending Review in the House of Commons. Above is a quote taken from a statement from the Chairman of the BBC Trusts in response to the announcement of a new licence fee settlement.

You can read the Chairman's statement in full on the BBC Trust website.

BBC Internet Blog - why it's important for the internet to remain neutral

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:51:32 +0000

"There have already been a couple of incidents where access to BBC iPlayer was seriously restricted at certain times of the day. But this is broader than the BBC safeguarding online access to the public services we provide. Along with many other organisations, we recognise the benefits and endless possibilities that come from everyone being connected - sites like theyworkforyou, Mumsnet, and Audioboo have become highly valued democratic and social tools for so many people, while others like Facebook, youTube and Skype have become essential parts of our everyday lives - all having emerged as a result of the open internet. It's exactly these sorts of services that inspire people to go online in the first place, something which we try to help people with through BBC websites such as /connect and initiatives such as 'First Click' - our recently-launched media literacy campaign".

Erik Huggers, Director of BBC Future Media & Technology has blogged today about internet neutrality. You can read the blog post in full and make comments on the BBC Internet Blog.

Read Martin Wilson's blog about BBC First Click and Bequi Sheehan's blog about what Radio 2 are doing to encourage us to get online.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC blog

BBC Disclosures Quarter One - April to June 2010

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:02:04 +0000

“The BBC has for some time now recognised that we must change and work harder to convince the public that we are spending the Licence Fee wisely. That is why over the last 15 months we have become both a more transparent organisation and a better value organisation, committed to serious reductions to senior manager numbers and pay.

“We are focussing relentlessly on delivering quality and better value. We are bearing down on costs right across the organisation so as much investment as possible goes into high-quality programmes. Whilst some expenses are necessary to do the job, the evidence shown today shows real and significant progress on that journey – we have cut expenses by a fifth and are reducing our pay bill by a quarter.”

Caroline Thomson, BBC Chief Operating Officer

Today we have published details of salaries, expenses and gifts, for the BBC's senior staff. The disclosures show the divisions of the BBC which report directly to the Director-General, Mark Thompson.

For more detail around today’s disclosures, read the real story behind BBC executive and talent pay and the press release.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC Blog

Read the blog Caroline Thomson wrote last year about the BBC Disclosures - April to June 2009.

BBC Internet Blog - Inside a Radio Outside Broadcast Truck

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:26:25 +0000

"On 28th September, Audio & Music Director Tim Davie officially launched the new fleet of Outside Broadcast Trucks, at the BBC Media Village in W12. You can read Tim's thoughts on the new BBC Radio blog.

These six, brand new trucks are for use across BBC National Radio. They are equipped to mix audio at Outside Broadcasts like the main stage at Glastonbury or the Proms season, as well as programmes like Any Questions for Radio 4 and bands for Friday Night is Music Night on Radio 2."

James Smith is Portfolio Manager, Development and Delivery, BBC Future Media and Technology

You can read James' blog post in full and leave a comment on the BBC Internet blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of About the BBC Blog

Radio blog - the view from abroad

Laura Murray Laura Murray — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:11:14 +0000

"In 2001, I moved to Connecticut for 2 years and while I appreciated so much of American life, almost every evening I would go to the computer after putting the children to bed and listen to programmes such as Today or In Our Time on Listen Again (as it was once called). On returning to the UK, I can recall that my first decision in this job was to confirm that I wanted our domestic networks to continue to be available for free online across the world. It did not cost significant money and there was no clear way to commercialise the services, so it was an easy decision to make.

On this theme, an article published in the LA Times this week not only drew attention to the strength of radio but gave a perspective on how Radio 4 is perceived beyond our shores."

Tim Davie, Director of Audio & Music at the BBC reflects on the appeal of Radio 4 abroad. To read his post in full and to make a comment, head over to the Radio blog.

Laura Murray is Editor of the About the BBC blog