I watched BBC Newshour today!

[supernova]

:bounce: I went to the WUNC open house at their new American Tobacco studios. :bounce: :D

I got to watch Robin Lustig do the news.

When I got there I followed the signs to the studio. The AT campus is really beautiful. If you haven't seen it, go look. Anyway, I walked down to the warehouse and made a right at the waterfall. They have extended the water all the way down between the warehouses so you get the feeling of being on a little river walk. Oh, and they're not finished. Even as I walked by, painters and others were stripping and painting other bay doors for the other tenants.

I was shown into a large hall that I guess will be used for performances and banquets. They had coffee and all kinds of danishes and scones set up from Symposium Cafe, another warehouse tenant. :D They had room for about 200 or so and I think there were close to that many there. You got your food and sat at one of the round tables.

They had set up a camera in the studio and were showing that on a large screen for everyone. Robin was also sitting in the studio nearest the banquet hall, er sitting in front of a large window into the hall, actually. I wonder if it felt rather odd to be on display like that! :rofl:

After the show we were able to tour the studio... extremely nice digs. I wouldn't mind working there! I don't mean that it looks ultra posh or anything, just that it looks very functional, with all the space and accomanying equipment that you would need.

The Newshour boss took questions from the audience and Robin did too for a little bit. After I toured the studio I introduced myself to the boss (I can't remember his name now! Argh!) We talked about the quality of news and how MSM here is so limited in what it can present.

He said they all had a really nice time being here and might want to do it again. :-) They couldn't get over how friendly everyone was.

[ananda]

1. How peachy keen for you..

.. while America just died.

[supernova]

2. You're not very old, are you?

America isn't dying. Let's not hyperventilate. We got work to do.

[mzteris]

3. way kewl

(Can I say that? Or am I too old? :rofl:)

I would have loved to have gone and taken my son, but A) we had vet appts for 2 of the dogs and the cat for shots, etc; and B) well - to be honest - I'm not sure I could've gotten up that early!

[supernova]

4. Ha! I went to the 9:AM broadcast.

:-) I couldn't get up that early, either.

There were a few kids there. The BBC folks were really impressed with that. So, you and your son would have fit right in.

They had such a good time, they might be back. Who knows? :shrug:

[mwooldri]

6. I hope they do come back :)

They got to see NC hospitality ... in kind of the same way I saw NC hospitality when meeting my then pen-pal's family I stayed! I bet a lot of the BBC crew live and work in and around London for the most part and as such are probably used to the stand-offish attitude that a lot of people in SE England exhibit (don't bother me and we won't bother you attitude - but if you bother us most likely we'll like it!) - trust me I'm from there!

I too had to settle for just listening to Newshour. The 9am newscast is often a repeat of the 7am Newshour you can hear on your XM radio (1/2 the time we're listening to XM, 1/2 the time to WUNC in the house when it comes to radio - depends on whether I have brought the XM in the house or not).

But one thing that struck me. I thought Robin Lustig was about to pull a Jeremy Paxman on John Edwards ("are you going to run for President in 2008?") - John didn't take the bait but Robin did push the envelope a bit, didn't he?

[supernova]

7. Yes, he did

there was a LOT of laughter in the room when that was going on. :D But JE is too smart to fall for it. :-)

I'm glad that they do ask those sorts of questions though and don't let people weasel out of answering.

[kimpossible]

5. That's great

I had to settle for listening on the radio. I'm glad you were there to watch for us!

[Triana]

8. The ATC is awesome!

We go into Tyler's there quite a bit for dinner and drinks. They're improving/adding to it all the time. Highly recommend a visit for anyone who hasn't been. Duke has some offices in there too I think. What an awesome place to work!

[froshty1960]

9. Jealous

Oh, how I envy you! It sounds like it was great. I listened to the broadcast and loved it.

[supernova]

10. Hi Froshty!

:hi:

I was glad I listened to the 7am broadcast because when I got there I could concentrate on my surroundings.