Behind the scenes

As well as looking at the stories there are the logistics of making sure the camera crews, reporters and technical resources are in the right place at the right time.

Our satellite truck

The editorial coverage area of Points West is roughly an area enclosed by the River Severn up to Cheltenham, across to Cirencester, Swindon, Marlborough, Devizes, Warminster, Yeovil, Taunton and Minehead.

With such a big patch to cover we have camera crews and reporters working out of Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Swindon and Taunton - based at BBC local radio stations.

Our satellite truck (or SNG as it's called) can beam back pictures from anywhere in the region or even Europe, while the TV car can beam pictures back from anywhere in Bristol where there's a line-of-sight to our transmitters.

Working on graphic design

Our graphic designer leads the team that produce all the maps and still pictures you see on screen.

For the hard-of-hearing, our news bulletins are subtitled.

This is either done by cutting and pasting text from the scripts or by a live stenographer.

The stenographer listens to the programme and uses a special keyboard which generates the Ceefax subtitles you see on screen in real time.

The programme is put to air by the team in the TV gallery.

This is a darkened room with nearly 30 video screens.

The monitors are used by the director to see all the cameras, graphics, video play-in machines and outside broadcasts.

In the gallery, there's a Technical Manager who looks after the lighting, Production Assistant (timings), Producer (responsible for the editorial content), Director (directs the cameras and presenters), Vision mixer (selects the pictures you see), Autocue operator (for the lunchtime and main programme) and the sound engineer (makes sure you can hear everything).

Directing the news

Once the programme is over then there is another meeting - this time to discuss what was good in the programme or what didn't work as well as it could have - and how we can make it even better tomorrow!