Hi all
You know the tv vans with sat. dishes on top racing to next tv story breaking
what is wages, conditions, usual stuff?
and artics with outside broadcast eq. onboard anyone have exp. with this?
is it all glam but no shine?
I’m guessing the driver is a rigger come jack of all trades like corporate/music work?
many thanks
I remember being told that the driver is usually a technician as well.
I’ve got a friend who does it, very good money but you have to do much more than drive, you have to rig too, and although he’s been to a lot of glamorous places, Barbados to cover Miss World etc, he says it’s not a lot of fun trudging the length of Wentworth golf course with 50kg of cable across his shoulder in the pouring rain.
When I left school, I was offered a job by the BBC as a trainee Outside Broadcast engineer doing those sorts of things - I remember the interviewer telling me that I’d spend 5% of my time somewhere glamorous, and 95% of it sitting on a hill in a rainstorm trying to put up a temporary aerial to get a signal back.
I turned it down to ‘work’ - sorry, go on the payroll for, BT - often wonder how different things might have turned out…
Gary
Long before my LGV driving days I did a stint as a technician with the BEEB on the outside broadcast units. The drivers are all techies and they do many other jobs too, including building the OB trucks in-house.
They do not employ drivers, unless they happen to be techies also.
.
gram67:
Interesting thread this, I work for BBC Radio outside broadcasts as a Rigger/Driver. Driving is only a small part of the job, once on site, which can vary from Any Questions to Glastonbury, you have to rig the cable infrastructure between trucks and venue and also get involved in light technical work. I’ve been staff for 7 years, previously freelance on the TV side.The BBC sold their TV OB’s nearly 4 years ago, they are now owned by SIS, a company formed to cover horseracing. TV is alot more competitve than radio for obvious reasons and there are a number companies out there providing OB services. It is quite difficult to get on this sort of work, is handy to know someone as the freelance world can be very protective. Learning how to rig cabling etc effectively is quite an art. It suits some but not all, as previous posters have suggested it’s certainly not glam, you’re out in all weathers as work has to be done regardless, but there are some bonuses seeing behind the scenes and getting to places the public generally don’t get see.
The News side is totally separate, the engineers drive some of the vans, but they do use freelance rigger/drivers for their larger vehicles and when jobs require bigger effort.
Hope this is of help.
Harry, who is your mate working on OB’s, it’s quite a small world?
thanks for replies especially this one
im not looking to change my job just wondered if grass was greener
i dont suppose you would give me/us a general idea of pay, benefits etc, is there opportunity to earn 45k+?
qwerty123:
i dont suppose you would give me/us a general idea of pay, benefits etc, is there opportunity to earn 45k+?
I think he’s already answered this one.
The majority of the work is freelance, most companies keeping a skeleton full time staff effort, hiring in as and when required.
Money wise it’s anywhere between £180-£300 a day, but you may have to pay your expenses out of this rate; hotels, meals etc, depends on the company and where you’re working.
The Beeb used to take on half a dozen holiday relief drivers each year for six months to learn the ropes, they then had the opportunity go out into the freelance world with basic skills to make a go of it, this no longer happens.
ok thanks for replies, very interesting, like music /corporate/european work it’s more of a lifestyle choice which does not suit everyone, and you dont know if it suits you until you’ve tried it sadly
Well covering Miss World would not be every ones cup of tea.I will just keep the day job.
Saaamon:
qwerty123:
i dont suppose you would give me/us a general idea of pay, benefits etc, is there opportunity to earn 45k+?I think he’s already answered this one.
i wonder how much debt this guy is in 