Just as a follow-up, I would stick the numbers in the right eighth of the screen which is visible to 16:19 (ie, digital) viewers and on the scroller, something like this:
http://www.ukfree.tv/styles/images/misc/idea1.jpg http://www.ukfree.tv/styles/images/misc/idea2.jpg (Sorry, I don't have the right font installed, but you get the idea I hope) Brian Butterworth www.ukfree.tv > > (Like George, I'm also a producer in the interactive TV > department at > > the BBC ;) > > > > > I'm assuming that the Ceefax system, WAP system and XML feeds are > > > driven from content from the website. > > > > It's fair to say that all four come from the same system - > obviously > > the web gets the full story whilst other platforms may get > "cut down" > > versions. I say "cut down" - content is written according > to a style > > guide in order that the story makes sense in different > situations. So > > BBCi gets the first four paragraphs of a story, and journalists > > writing a story will know to get the full sense of the > story done in > > four paragraphs, then anything below it is extra information. > > > > Or something like that - I'm not a content producer so it's not my > > forte. I'm more into systems and processes. > > Preferably evil ones! > > > > > Currently, as each webpage is published it will be considered for > > > inclusion on the feeds that provides Ceefax (and WAP and > XML feeds). > > > Each page will be one of: > > > > > 1) A web page that has more priority over one that exists > > > in the page > > > numbering pool. The least important page is dropped from the > > > numbering pool and is allocated the ejected page's number. > > > 2) Be an update for an existing story, where the existing > > > story's page > > > number is reused. > > > 3) Rejected because of relative unimportance. > > > There is, in effect, a database of Ceefax Page Numbers > > (CPN) which are > > > references to the web page they were created from. > > > > There is a database, however stories are assigned numbers > on the basis > > of their editoral priority - and a priority at the time you're > > watching. > > > > That means that a top story is always 103, whilst the fifth most > > important story is always 107. > > This is not correct. Page 102 lists the stories in 'most > important' order, viz: > > http://www.ceefax.tv/txtmaster.php?page=101&subpage=0&channel= > bbc1&search_string=101&fontsize=2 > > The order shown right now is 107 113 104 108 109 110 116 124 > > > What's important here is that the definition of what's the > top story > > will change during the day - maybe even during the hour. And > > naturally it's all automated, based on the editorial priorities the > > editor of the section decides (and priorities are made cross > > platform), which can change in a matter of minutes. > > Yes. I proposed that the pool of numbers expands to around 300. > > > I think that's where the problems come in - the lack of > stability does > > prevent the promotion of content by a specific page number, > which is > > why for Ceefax, they'll only promote what they know is present at a > > number all the time - the main news headlines on 101 for example. > > It's also one reason why BBCi doesn't assign page numbers to > > individual stories (there are other, more boring reasons as well!) > > News headlines are on 101, 102 is the news index, viz: > > http://www.ceefax.tv/txtmaster.php?page=101&subpage=0&channel= > bbc1&search_string=101&fontsize=2 > > http://www.ceefax.tv/txtmaster.php?page=102&subpage=1&channel= > bbc1&search_string=102&fontsize=2 > > > > Of course that's how it's done now, and that doesn't need > to always be > > so in the future. > > > > > When the channel is used on analogue (as it will be for > > another five > > > years) pressing TXT and the number will give you the page too. > > > > In some regions only - Border's switching off next year for example! > > > > > As the MASSIVE TEXT that you have on News 24 and World is a > > headline, > > > which too can reference a CPN. Also breaking news can > > indicate that > > > stories are online before on air. > > > > As I understand it, the massive text (I like that term!) is > manually > > edited into a graphics system - it's quicker and more flexible that > > way. > > Again, it's only a question of the person in charge of the > MASSIVE text (it's about two a half inches high on my TV) > just needs to look up the right number. > > > Actually it's also rare that stories break online before TV > - that's > > mainly because it takes longer to write out a story than it does to > > quickly pick up a microphone and talk. > > I do recall occasions where News 24 has been linked to the > "online studio" and an important news story has been heard > over the PA system. I have often seen headlines appear on > the news.bbc.co.uk latest box and not appear on News 24 for > some time afterwards. > > And, as I said before, if there is no online content then > there is no real issue about having a number to link to it > because ipso facto there is no content to link to. > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.10/626 - Release > Date: 14/01/2007 20:29 > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.10/626 - Release Date: 14/01/2007 20:29 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
