Behind the scenes in South Africa

Nicky, You & the bus might have just stayed at home. The seething atmosphere of resentment - at liggers is here

I'm delighted this is a blog topic. We can now legitimately ask all those questions we've been dying to know about the setup for the World Cup, including, and to start with --



1. How many BBC and/or contractors and/or freelancers are working in full or in part for 5Live during the World Cup in South Africa?

2. How many of the above are non-sports journalists/presenters/producers?

3. How many programme hours are you delivering from South Africa?



Two more questions which will be ignored now doubt.

As ever this is probably about personal preferences.



I have said it elsewhere, but I am really enjoying Nicky Campbell's stuff from South Africa. Without actually being there I doubt we would have had, for example, Tuesday's phone in with representatives from South Africa discussing poverty with callers from the UK. It did make for uncomfortable listening at times, but certainly broadened the range of the phone in. I am definitely getting a wider picture from his reports.



I see that now the group stages are done, some staff will be travelling home (see Jacqui Oatley's twitter feed for example). On the whole the radio commentary of the matches has been good and I feel very well informed about all the teams, which is less so with the TV coverage



The bus seems a little unnecessary, as Nicky is doing similar stuff already.

RyanW some of your questions were addressed in the follwoing blog by Phil Bigwood



https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2010/03/world_cup_2010.html



As far as staffing goes, I'm pleased we have been able to reduce numbers compared to 2006. In terms of TV Sport, we'll be sending a total of 190 to South Africa compared with the 210 staff who travelled to Germany. For Radio, the numbers are 48 compared to 69 and News will also send fewer staff than the 57 they had at the last World Cup. This is despite the fact our output will have grown since then and we will be working in a much more logistically challenging environment.



We will be on air for many hours on TV and, as you'd expect, will be offering extensive services on radio, online and on the red button and across the BBC's News outlets.



We will be covering 32 games live on BBC TV and showing highlights of all the others and will have around 110 hours of domestic World Cup coverage across BBC1, BBC2 and BBC3. There will be over 100 hours of red button coverage and also over 100 hours of content on the BBC Sport website.



The website team in South Africa will also be providing live text commentaries, match reports, blogs, interaction with site users and also hosting Q&A's with BBC Sport pundits.



Radio are covering all matches live and total radio hours will be above 250, taking in all the 5 Live programmes being presented from South Africa during the World Cup. News will be providing coverage from 5.00am until at least midnight each day across all its outlets and platforms.



.......it is probably worth noting that a number of the people working on these services will be returning early or staying for a short duration.



We are satisfied that this number of staff is not large for an operation of this scale, in a country this size and with issues around transport and security.



The UK is regarded as one of the major World Cup players in broadcasting terms, yet some of our colleagues from Europe and South America will send many hundreds of people to the tournament, in excess of the numbers for the BBC and ITV combined.



I therefore believe the UK broadcasters run a pretty lean operation given the complexity and enormity of the event..

Thanks Fedster.



The BBC knows this is a sensitive issue and I am skeptical where these are the total numbers. I doubt these numbers include management and assorted hangers on.



Where does someone like Jon Sopel figure in these numbers for example? Is he part of the news contigent?



Further, why can't journalists file for TV, Radio and online? Duplication of service!



Are the 100hrs of red button and website content exclusive or as I suspect repurposed from another platform?

Without wishing to be a killjoy, would it be possible at some time after the tournament is over to provide a rundown of the expenses you BBC political/sports journalists are knocking up at this fanfare in South Africa.



I only ask because on the rare occasion you did cover 'other news' last week one topic just happened to be 'MP's expenses after the election'!



Thanks

I hope all the BBC freeloaders will be coming back on the same plane as the England team. Apart from commentary on the remaining matches I don't want to hear any more from South Africa.

Win, or - of course lose - the coverage has been piss-poor. There hasn't been "Every game from ground" unless you've had access to be God knows what. The only people 5-Lite serve are yourselves. £500+/night suites, the usual spread-eagle pundits in the wrong place, a bus going nowhere etc. Most could have been achieved from White City, better could have been achieved with consultation. As for Wimbledon... an episode from "The Good-Life" on a loop

Totally agree with the sentiment of many of the comments regarding BBC staff. I am a regular listener to 5 live, especially in the morning. However since the World Cup started I have gone over to radio 4. The lads at a junket attitude of some of the reporters just turned me off. Hearing Nicky Campbell rambling on about being in a bar / restaurant/ etc overlooking the sea / mountains and telling us all about the great "party" him and the rest of the BBC team are having is not what I want to hear in the morning when what I really want to hear is the news. Phil Bigwood's comments of justification do not cut the ice. 190 people to cover an event is not lean and comparing the BBC numbers to others is not on - the BBC is paid for by the taxpayer! You may be satisfied with the number Phil - we are not! The whole event has been blown out of proportion and over hyped. Listening to the same old Germany stories, for instance, over the last few days has been a real turn off. Now England are out can you please get back to doing what you do best - reporting the news. Tell Nicky Campbell and the rest that the jolly is now over and they should come home !

There's almost nothing worse than them saying "Of course it is wonderful to be here for my job" or "I know how lucky I am to be here...." or variant.



I actually feel today that the general comments from Germany have been incredibly controlled whereas I just know what would have been broadcast had England defeated Germany last night.



I am sure listening and viewing stats for the non-England matches has been lower so why not cut the support team a bit now that England are out? The matches can still be broadcast but the rest is unnecessary. We don't need Campbell, Vassos or Colin out there now, plus all the other assorted hangers-on.

Maybe I should not be surprised, but it still amazes me how arrogant some posters on this blog are, I am also a regular listener to 5live and since the World Cup has started I have been hooked to the stations output. Baz who is this “we” you are referring to when you say “You may be satisfied with the number Phil - we are not!” do you actually known the feelings of all the 5live listeners or are you merely being arrogant and thinking vast numbers agree with your point of view.



If there really is so much anger at the likes of Nicky Campbell being sent to the World Cup, than why have different 5live controllers over the years, persisted with this policy? Maybe they have a better understanding of what the listeners want, and don’t just refer to blogs and messageboards to find out what the public want. Surely 3 controllers could have not got it wrong in this regard.



I was initially surprised that only 190 people were there to cover the event, so I think the BBC have been really restrained in sending people to South Africa, and I am surprised the quality has not suffered that much.

Fedster, where do you live?

Three controllers have followed the same practice. Of course they have Fedster. The more staff they send to an event, the better the excuse for them to go on the hooly to "check how it is all going along".



It is naive of any of us to think anything other than the Olympics, World Cup, Ashes, Wimbledon or any other major sporting event is top heavy with BBC worthies on freebies.

"Fedster, where do you live?" asks Ryan.



Well certainly not on the same planet as the rest is us for sure. Sorry, shouldn't say 'us' should I. He'll get offended. How about me!

Fedster is obviously a BBC stooge !

There are far too many of AVK's 'favourites' out in South Africa.

What on earth is Colin Patterson the so called 'entertainment correspondent ' doing there for a start and why is it necessary for Vassos Alexander to be out there to present the sports news.

There are also too many sports presenters and pundits and why do we need 2 different commentators at the same game ?

Do they get tired after 22 and a half minutes or something !

"They're coming home, 5live's coming home"

Well at least Nicky and Vassos are.

True bliss this morning not to hear Nicky Campbell raving on about his wonderful job and how he's surrounded by wonderful people in a fantastic country!

If you love your life and work so much Campbell and are usually the first journalist at any military outside broadcast interviewing those troops who say 'the right things' then join up yourself and set a good example.



After all if they can raise the retirement age to 66 then they can raise the maximum age that one can enlist to serve in HMF perhaps to 55! I've always thought that if up and coming mainstream parliamentary politicians and journalists had to do compulsory national service then there might be a marked change in foreign policy that may result in less service personnel needlessy dying!