Software glitch disrupts BBC News

A software glitch Wednesday forced BBC News to replace its live news programming with recorded materials for about an hour on its TV news channels.

The glitch also forced the media outfit to move its News at Six and News at Ten from its usual location, New Broadcasting House to the Millbank studio.

The technology glitch affected OpenMedia, a new computer system rolled out across BBC News outlets over the past six months.

Reports however say OpenMedia supplier, Annova has been helping to investigate the fault just as engineers are believed to have addressed the problem.

BBC News Home Editor Mark Easton shared on social media that he was rushing across London to the Millbank studio.

The BBC website has been unaffected by the issue.

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From about 15:00 BST, the BBC News Channel and BBC World News were unable to broadcast live, relying instead on recorded material.

OpenMedia was designed to make it easier for reporters and other staff to share scripts, running orders and contacts.

One of its promised benefits is to provide “stability and reliability”.

This is not the first time BBC News has faced problems with the introduction of new technology, as robot-operated cameras refused to stay centred on presenters in the past.

 

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