We started out looking down on the main tv news room. It is divided into 3 sections for those working on world news (BBC World Service), domestic news and social media (website,Facebook, Twitter). These sections are not obviously delineated. People work in teams within these sections. There is a place on the floor where you see 2 red lines. If you cross over them you will be on live TV, as there is a news studio nearby on the floor (underneath our feet as we looked down from the reception area).
Here is a photo of said news room.
On another level higher up off the news room there is a separate open studio for doing the weather forecast.
They do have a "green room" where they can do broadcasts and project scenery on the walls as if the reporter is actually in a specific location. It is all trickery since the reporter is not actually in that location. I think green refers to the color of the walls or lighting in the room. We were not shown this room.
Many people work for the BBC. Reporters are sent out all over the world. Local translators are used to help communicate information to the reporters,
The dressing rooms downstairs for guests who will be on programs are quite bare. They would be used by guests who would be interviewed, who would be getting ready to perform live in studio or even actors getting ready to record dramas on the radio.
We saw a studio for BBC 4 radio where live concerts are performed. They are sometimes put on live TV simultaneously. We heard about Eric Clapton playing there. He was paid very little to play there (as are all musicians), but he reaped the benefits of the concert with increased record sales thanks to the publicity.
We went into a studio where they record radio drama. Basically there were standing microphones in a circle plus a sound affects table with many things on it to make noises. Volunteers from our group were asked to read a script or do the sound effects. Tom volunteered to read a part. Our 2 tour guides helped to coordinate the "production". I was able to get a photo before the action started.
The actual building has 3 sections, classified according to age. We saw the downstairs of the oldest section. There was a display of the microphones used to record the annual Christmas radio message by the king (George VI). In the basement were the radio studios for BBC 4, including the drama studio seen above and the concert studio mentioned earlier. I believe this part of the building dates back to the 1930s. Part of this building got bombed during WW2 during a news broadcast. We listened to a dramatization of that event on the guide's Ipad. You could hear how he continued to read the news despite chaos around him. Here is that building (now rebuilt). They think the BBC building was targeted to be bombed.
Opposite this section of the building is another wing added later. We did not visit it. On top is a conical structure dedicated to those hurt in the bombing of the building. It sends off a beacon of light every evening.
The newest part of the building is glass. We entered here for the tour. We had to go through security. The news room and many tv studios are located here (written about earlier above ie main news room and weather studio).
I would highly recommend taking this tour. Be sure to reserve in advance.
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