BBC Northern Ireland

Infobox BBC Nation or Region
name = BBC Northern Ireland


headquarters = Belfast, Northern Ireland
area = Northern Ireland (also widely available in the Republic of Ireland)
nation =
regions =
tvstations = BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC Two Northern Ireland
tvtransmitters =
launched =
closeddate =
replaced =
replacedby =
radiostations = BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Foyle
radiotransmitters =
keypeople =
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland]

BBC Northern Ireland ( _ga. BBC Tuaisceart Éireann) is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.

The organisation is one of the three "national regions" of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content. BBC Northern Ireland currently employs 700 people, largely in Belfast.

Television

BBC Northern Ireland operates two television stations;
*BBC One Northern Ireland
*BBC Two Northern Ireland

Prior to 27 October 2006, BBC Two NI was a digital only service while BBC Two Northern Ireland was available on analogue transmission. Since 28 October 2006, "BBC Two Northern Ireland" has been the on-air name for both services which have been merged.

BBC Northern Ireland has its own team of continuity announcers which introduce all programmes on BBC One and BBC Two in Northern Ireland.

BBC Northern Ireland makes some of its own programmes itself. However, unlike the radio stations, the television stations' content is for the most part identical to that broadcast by the BBC One and BBC Two channels in England. Some network programmes may however be time-shifted in order to make room for more local programming. Most local programmes are broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland.

Regional television

* "BBC Newsline" is the regional news service. Its main presenters are Noel Thompson, Donna Traynor, Rose Neill, Sarah Travers and Mark Carruthers. The main bulletin is from 18.30-19.00 with shorter bulletins at 13.30 and 22.25. Summaries are also broadcast during "Breakfast" and the early afternoon (all the BBC regions broadcast their own regional news simultaneously before all the networks reconnect to the national network for a national weather broadcast);
* regional political programmes, notably "Spotlight", "Hearts And Minds" and "Lets Talk";
* regional arts programmes;
* regional weekend chat shows;
* specialist coverage of events such a visit by Her Majesty The Queen, or a cross border vist by a dignitary such as the President of Ireland, or a distinguished overseas visitor such as the US president. There is coverage of the Orange parades on 12 July, St. Patrick's Day parades on 17 March, etc.

Networked productions

As well as programmes intended purely for a regional audience, BBC Northern Ireland also produces programmes for national consumption on the BBC's channels across the UK. The main part of BBC Northern Ireland's network productions are in drama and comedy (http://www.bbc.co.uk/nidrama). Most recently, this has included producing the high-profile drama series "Messiah".

BBC Northern Ireland is also involved in co-productions with other broadcasting networks, most notably from across the border with the Republic of Ireland's RTÉ.

Republic of Ireland

BBC One and Two Northern Ireland are widely available across the border in the Republic of Ireland, usually on cable, MMDS or Sky Digital (UK & Ireland), but also directly via analogue or digital terrestrial as far south as Dublin. The main provider of Cable TV in Ireland, Liberty Global Europe owner of Chorus & NTL (UPC Ireland) have over 600,000 subscribers (Aug 2006) and Sky Digital have over 465,000 subscribers (Jan 2007) in the Republic of Ireland, all of whom receive BBC Northern Ireland 1 & 2, BBC3, BBC4 and BBC News 24 are also available.

The two channels can also be received 'free-to-air' via satellite throughout northern Europe.

Radio

BBC Northern Ireland operates two radio stations:
* BBC Radio Ulster, on 92-95 FM and 1341 Medium Wave, which broadcasts throughout Northern Ireland, and
* BBC Radio Foyle, on 93.1 FM and 792 Medium Wave, which broadcasts to the North West of Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland also takes part in the 'Regionalisation' of some of the BBC's national radio output. For example, on Thursday nights, Radio 1 splits the home nations with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland broadcasting their own shows showcasing regional talent, with Zane Lowe still being heard in England. The Radio 1 Session from Northern Ireland is presented by Rory McConnell.

Online

BBC Northern Ireland's online service provides News, Sport, Schools, Learning and Programme information for television and radio programmes. It provides a streaming audio service for Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle as well as every programme on demand for up to a week after transmission. bbc.co.uk/northernireland/ is part of BBC Online and operated from the Belfast base. It also provides multi platform interactivity for TV programmes including the annual Schools' Cup Rugby union and Gaelic Athletic Association finals.

Programmes

Significant regional programmes

* "Good Morning Ulster", flagship breakfast news programme presented by Wendy Austin, Seamus McKee and Conor Bradford;
* "BBC Newsline", television news bulletins
* "Give My Head Peace", television comedy series
* "Spotlight" (not to be confused with the BBC South West programme)
* "Hearts and Minds" presented by Noel Thompson
* "Let's Talk" presented by Mark Carruthers
* "Sunday Sequence" presented by William Crawley
* "Talk Back" presented by David Dunseith
* "The Stephen Nolan show" presented by Stephen Nolan
* "Evening Extra", drive-time radio news presented by Mark Carruthers

Television news bulletins

* "Ulster Mirror" (1950s)
* "Scene Around Six" (1969-September 1984)
* "Inside Ulster" (September 1984 - 12 February 1996)
* "Newsline 6.30/Newsline/BBC Newsline" (12 February 1996 to date)

Selection of network programmes

* "Ballykissangel" (late 1990s)
* "Gunpowder, Treason and Plot", historical drama
* "Holy Cross"
* "Messiah" (Crime Drama)
* "Murphy's Law"
* "The Ambassador" (late 1990s)
* "Patrick Kielty Almost Live" [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/drama/ BBC Northern Ireland Drama] bbc.co.uk]

Languages

Although BBC Northern Ireland broadcasts primarily in English, there is some programming in the languages of Ireland, Irish and Ulster Scots.Radio Ulster carries a daily programme in Irish and there is an Irish language section on BBC Northern Ireland's pages, where reference is made to "BBC Thuaisceart Éireann". There are also occasionally TV programmes in Irish. Programmes are also broadcast in Ulster Scots.

There is a weekly radio programme for the Chinese community in Northern Ireland which broadcasts in Cantonese Chinese, called "Wah Yan Jee Sing".

Technical

The BBC television and radio stations are broadcast primarily from the Divis (500kW), Limavady and Brougher Mountain transmitters. Both transmitters receive the BBC stations via a satellite feeds and each transmitter has a wealth of relay transmitters to provide analogue service to areas not served by their respective main transmitter.

BBC Northern Ireland have a radio link from their studios in Belfast which allows mobile on-location News crews to hear the studio; the test tone is known as the "commbeep". BBC Northern Ireland has three main television studios located in Belfast. There are two small studios located in the BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast. These are home to BBC Northern Ireland's regional news & current affairs programmes. They are around convert|2000|sqft|m2|abbr=on each and are called Studio B and Studio 1. The largest of the studios is called Studio A which is located in the BBC Blackstaff House on Great Victoria Street in Belfast (just a few streets away from the BBC Broadcasting House). The studio measures convert|6000|sqft|m2|abbr=on and has facilities which equal those available in the main television studios in London. Studio A has been home to the award winning local sitcom Give My Head Peace, BBC Northern Ireland's contribution to BBC Children in Need, Question Time, Nolan Live and more.

Famous BBC NI broadcasters

Former BBC NI Broadcasters

* Patrick Kielty - chat show host now mainly working on network television
* Sean Rafferty - former presenter of "Scene Around Six" and "Inside Ulster", evening news programmes broadcast until mid-1990s, as well as BBC Radio Ulster news programmes, now a distinguished BBC Radio 3 music presenter
* Gloria Hunniford - former BBC NI presenter now well-known national personality working in network programmes based in London
* Suzanne Virdee-former News reporter and presenter of BBC Newsline and Inside Ulster and former radio presenter on BBC Radio Ulster now based in Birmingham presenting BBC Midlands Today.
* Colin Murray, BBC Radio One DJ started with BBC Radio Ulster as a presenter on the Across the Line programme.

Current BBC NI Broadcasters

* David Dunseith - journalist and presenter of Talk Back.
* Noel Thompson - presenter of BBC Newsline and Hearts and Minds
* Stephen Nolan - presenter of The Stephen Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster, Nolan Live on BBC NI TV and a weekend phone-in programme on BBC Radio Five Live.
* Gerry Anderson - presenter of The Gerry Anderson Show on BBC Radio Ulster, a unique and wacky voice in broadcasting without a script.
* Jackie Fullerton - BBC Northern Ireland's principal football commentator.
* Hugo Duncan - singer and presenter of music programmes on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle
* Donna Traynor - presenter on BBC Newsline
* Sarah Travers - presenter on BBC Newsline

Controversy

On the 16th March 2008, the Garda/Police across the border in the Republic of Ireland arrested 4 BBC journalists along with eleven other men arrested by gardaí in County Donegal as part of a probe into paramilitary activity. Police were forced to ram a van containing four BBC journalists after the driver allegedly failed to stop in County Donegal. It is understood the vehicle was not being driven by any of the journalists, who were investigating dissident republican activity. All of the journalists were released. Four other men arrested in a follow-up search are still being questioned.

The arrests were made under Section 30 of the Republic's Offences Against the State Act, which allows police to arrest any individual for up to 72 hours.

References

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=northernireland|title=BBC Northern Ireland
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radioulster/ BBC Radio Ulster]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7299939.stm BBC journalists arrested in Republic]