Control Freaks! [no 24 hour live coverage - report]

[Loukas]

Control Freaks!!

CELEBRITY Big Brother chiefs are planning to SCRAP 24-hour coverage of the show — to avoid another fiasco like the Shilpa Shetty racism row.

And bosses will censor the footage viewers can see when the Channel 4 reality show returns on January 2.

The last series of Celeb BB was cancelled after the storm two years ago when Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara were accused of bullying Bollywood star Shilpa, 33.

A show source said: “Fans will be royally short-changed. What used to be a reality show has turned into a farce.

“They’ve scrapped the 24-hour feed for many reasons but the main one is to get more control.

“It’s now just an entertainment show where punters can see celebrities doing silly tasks.

“If the show isn’t 24 hours then it’s lost any caché it once had. Now it’s more like a watered-down version of I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! than anything else.”

Fans will still be able to watch live feed from the show for a few hours a day on Channel 4 and E4.

They can also see the main programme on Channel 4 and spin-off shows Big Brother’s Little Brother, Big Brother’s Big Mouth and Diary Room Uncut.

Our source added: “The spin-off shows are still around but there’s only about ten minutes of footage in each one.”

In previous years, viewers could watch celebrities round the clock using E4’s red button feature with a 15-minute delay on the live feed.

But bosses insisted they were making the changes in response to popular demand.

A spokesman for Channel 4 said: “Last summer we found that rather than watching live streaming on red button, viewers much preferred watching more bite-size video clips from that day’s action.

“During the series, there were almost 19million clips viewed — a 58 per cent increase.

“As they proved such a huge hit with fans, we’ve listened and responded to how viewers now consume Big Brother.

“We will still be showing all the other great shows that make up the Celebrity Big Brother experience.”

Jade, 27 — who is battling cervical cancer — publicly made up with Shilpa on Indian Big Brother this year.


Source - The Sun (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/big_brother/article2064305.ece)

[MarkWaldorf]

Noooo! :( I liked leaving the live feed on as I sleep.

[Billy]

There's going to be NO live at all? =|=|=|

[Matt08]

Originally posted by Billy
There's going to be NO live at all? =|=|=|

There will be live feed on E4, but only for a select number of hours a day. The only live feed which has been axed is the 24/7 red button live feed.

[MarkWaldorf]

C4 always f everything up.

[James]

Originally posted by Matt08
Originally posted by Billy
There's going to be NO live at all? =|=|=|

There will be live feed on E4, but only for a select number of hours a day. The only live feed which has been axed is the 24/7 red button live feed.

According to the listings it's live between about 12:00am and 6:00am. In other words night-vision footage of the housemates sleeping! :sad:

They should at least have put it on red-button for the evening.

[Loukas]

What about that sky channel.. The secret one.. that should still be their right?! :bigsmile:

[MarkWaldorf]

Originally posted by James
Originally posted by Matt08
Originally posted by Billy
There's going to be NO live at all? =|=|=|

There will be live feed on E4, but only for a select number of hours a day. The only live feed which has been axed is the 24/7 red button live feed.

According to the listings it's live between about 12:00am and 6:00am. In other words night-vision footage of the housemates sleeping! :sad:

They should at least have put it on red-button for the evening.

Oh phew, that's when I watch it most.

[Tom4784]

It's a tabloid so the integrity of the article is immediately called into question.

If it is true then it's no skin of my nose but it'll be annoying for those who watch the live feed.

[MarkWaldorf]

The schedules are out so we can see if they're lying or not.

[30stone]

Doesnt that make it a little pointless?

[Matt]

This is absolutely abysmal. It's one thing removing 24/7 feed access online, but to completely remove it is the worst move ever.

This move proves what I've mentioned recently, that Channel 4 no longer care about BB. It's like they want it to a die a slow death, despite them claiming it's still one of their most popular shows.

[Tom]

It never did I'm a Celebrity no harm ...

[supernoodles!]

what!that is crap!signals nearing the end of bb for me

[BigBrotherfan4ever]

I cant believe they have scrapped the Live Feed, to me this will be the end of BB, because avid fans like myself prefer to watch the live stuff rather than the edited version that Channel 4 give us.

Im not happy about this atall:devil:

[*mazedsalv**]

Omgg Imo this will lose a lot of viewers, people will be pissed not to see the HMs 24/7 because then we cant see everything that is going on.

[Tom]

Originally posted by *mazedsalv**
Omgg Imo this will lose a lot of viewers, people will be p****d not to see the HMs 24/7 because then we cant see everything that is going on.

Doubt it, not a lot watch the live feed

[Redmond]

Originally posted by Tom
It never did I'm a Celebrity no harm ...

Live feed was never a major selling point of IAC. The concept of Big Brother is all about viewing things 24/7, the all seeing eye, seeing every word spoken, every action made. This just defeats the object of Big Brother.

[Spike]

Originally posted by *mazedsalv**
Omgg Imo this will lose a lot of viewers, people will be p****d not to see the HMs 24/7 because then we cant see everything that is going on.

Not really, live feed doesn't rate that well and with figures declining for the main show its only going to decrease more for the live feed.
However it is a bad move, there are some people who will be really upset by no live feed. We are supposed to be able to watch them 24/7 but now we can't and we really have to base our opinions on the edit of the highlights show.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Redmond
Originally posted by Tom
It never did I'm a Celebrity no harm ...

Live feed was never a major selling point of IAC. The concept of Big Brother is all about viewing things 24/7, the all seeing eye, seeing every word spoken, every action made. This just defeats the object of Big Brother.

Well if it was a major selling point then why has the live feed been edited a lot (ie switching rooms, sound dips etc) for the past few years, and if it was that big a deal then why are the ratings awful for the live feed on E4, let alone the Sky channel?

[Redmond]

Originally posted by Tom
Originally posted by Redmond
Originally posted by Tom
It never did I'm a Celebrity no harm ...

Live feed was never a major selling point of IAC. The concept of Big Brother is all about viewing things 24/7, the all seeing eye, seeing every word spoken, every action made. This just defeats the object of Big Brother.

Well if it was a major selling point then why has the live feed been edited a lot (ie switching rooms, sound dips etc) for the past few years, and if it was that big a deal then why are the ratings awful for the live feed on E4, let alone the Sky channel?

Because of the things you've mentioned, the constant sound dips and switching cameras. It never used to be that bad. When BB started the big thing was that you could watch 24/7, that is why it is called Big Brother which comes from the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four about a society under constant surveillance, where every word is heard and every move is watched.

But year after year BB are starting to censor more and more and now they have scrapped the feed altogether.

[Brekkie]

At the risk of coming over all Daily Mail, we need to make sure C4 know we're not happy with this:

http://help.channel4.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=C4_Author,Company={17DA52AB-5F09-4C2D-8163-BB7DCA6AD727},T=CONTACT_VE,VARSET_TITLE=CONTACTUSl


And another link for Big Brother complaints:
http://help.channel4.com/bigbrother/bb.aspx


It's no use complaining here unless you complain to them, so let them know how pissed off you are, so at least if it comes to nothing you can say you've tried.


I know in the summer I complained a couple of times about them not screening nominations in full, and a couple of weeks later they started putting them up online every week. I doubt the two were connected at all, but it did make my complaint feel worth while.

[BigBrotherfan4ever]

I have sent in a complaint to Channel 4, i dont reckon anything will be done about it sadly

[JOSHUAH!]

Its a stupid idea, I hope they aren't considering it for the main series in the summer too

[Fat.Rat]

i am getting sick of this, its like they really want to ruin the show!!!!:yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::y uk::yuk:

[BigBrotherfan4ever]

Originally posted by Fat.Rat.Sneez
i am getting sick of this, its like they really want to ruin the show!!!!:yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::y uk::yuk: Totally agree with you FatRatSneez, im so peed off about not having Livefeed:devil:

[rayheartbliss]

um..no live feed...no big brother at all

[Sam!]

I doubt that many people watch the live feed all the time anyway, I certainly know I have better things to do than watch people talk and stuff for hours on end.

[Sam!]

I do think that BB will lose its "indentify" if it gets rid of LiveFeed. Hense thats the whole point.

[Joelston]

Originally posted by Scampi
I doubt that many people watch the live feed all the time anyway, I certainly know I have better things to do than watch people talk and stuff for hours on end.

Well that IS what Big Brother is! About watching people! And you do the same by watching the highlights :laugh:

And I don't watch the live feed, but I know people do watch a lot of it and they are probably BB's most loyal audience...I don't see why their core fans should be alienated...I'm actually looking forward to seeing BB go down the pan now! haha

[Tom]

Originally posted by Redmond

Because of the things you've mentioned, the constant sound dips and switching cameras. It never used to be that bad. When BB started the big thing was that you could watch 24/7, that is why it is called Big Brother which comes from the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four about a society under constant surveillance, where every word is heard and every move is watched.

But year after year BB are starting to censor more and more and now they have scrapped the feed altogether.

I am aware of that you know, no need to be patronising. But if you have enough time to watch the live feed for hours on end then its time to get a job or get a life. Theres more to life than the BB live feed which hardly anyone watches.

[Joelston]

haha why are people saying that those who watch the live feed have no life?

Are you not just as bad for tuning in EVERY NIGHT for 13 weeks to watch?

[Tom]

Originally posted by Joelston
haha why are people saying that those who watch the live feed have no life?

Are you not just as bad for tuning in EVERY NIGHT for 13 weeks to watch?

Who said we tune in every night? I certainly don't, I've got better things to do than plan my life around a TV show which clearly a lot of people do on here. its quite scary actually.

[Fat.Rat]

i loved the live feed!! cos i can tell you, that when i did watch the feed there was good parts that they didnt even put in the highlights show!!!

[Tom]

I know, I'm not daft. I've seen the live feed before but I can take it or leave it. But of course some things wont end up in the highlights, I mean it can't be easy to condense 24 hours into 1.

[LaLaLand]

I'm not too fussed tbh. We're still getting brief installments of LF, say in 2 hour segments a few times a day, which is good enough for me!

P.S: What about the secret channel? Will that just be blank then? :S

[Brekkie]

Nobody watches it all the time (I hope not anyway), but the ability to be able to dip in and out of it ads so much to the show - and at one point E4 got more viewers for people sleeping than they did with regular programming at that point.

[Looweez]

It won't be so bad if it's just for CBB, maybe it will be unpopular and they will bring it back for BB10. :puzzled:

[Redmond]

Originally posted by Tom
I know, I'm not daft. I've seen the live feed before but I can take it or leave it. But of course some things wont end up in the highlights, I mean it can't be easy to condense 24 hours into 1.

So that is the point of the live feed, so we can see the stuff not in the HL and see the full picture.

It doesn't mean people watch the live feed 24/7. But people are always reporting on it, recording it etc so have it there if anything interesting is happening and we can go back and check.

To say its sad is just a poor argument, you are posting about it on a BB fansite afterall. :tongue:

What sets BB apart from all other reality shows is the fact you can watch 24/7 and know what is happening every moment. It is why the name Big Brother was used.

They already have the streaming up (the test card is on the secret channel) plus they'll have it running for those sorting out clips for the site. So it wouldn't cost them anymore to make it available on the red button.

It is just another excuse to take more control of the show.

[James]

I have sent in a complaint to Channel 4...

All the complaining that has gone on over the last few years, to Ofcom, the press, Channel 4 etc, is probably the main reason they've axed the 24 hour live feed. C4 just can't be bothered with the flack they get about Big Brother anymore. The irony is that it is the biggest fans of the show who complain about it the most.

[andyman]

Might be 24hr live feed with BB10.

[Conor]

I cant see it as a major loss tbh

I'd rather watch the housemates talking and doing stuff over watching a zoomed in shot of one of the light fittings while a track of birds singing plays :whistle:

So yeah... massive loss for E4... ...

[Brekkie]

Originally posted by andyman
Might be 24hr live feed with BB10.

C4 have already indicated they don't plan to bring it back.

[Tom]

Originally posted by RedmondSo that is the point of the live feed, so we can see the stuff not in the HL and see the full picture.

It doesn't mean people watch the live feed 24/7. But people are always reporting on it, recording it etc so have it there if anything interesting is happening and we can go back and check.

To say its sad is just a poor argument, you are posting about it on a BB fansite afterall. :tongue:

What sets BB apart from all other reality shows is the fact you can watch 24/7 and know what is happening every moment. It is why the name Big Brother was used.

They already have the streaming up (the test card is on the secret channel) plus they'll have it running for those sorting out clips for the site. So it wouldn't cost them anymore to make it available on the red button.

It is just another excuse to take more control of the show.

But you don't know what happens every moment and thats the point. The live feed is still heavily edited no matter how you look at it. They control what room we see and what camera we see it from (if at all and it isn't pre recorded clips of the rooms), they control what we hear (sound dips in mid conversation etc) and they can cut the live feed off at any point (e.g. Fight Night 2).

BB is no longer about watching 24/7 and it hasn't been for some time. That concept was lost years ago, because its no longer new. They now want us to watch the highlights show.

[BigBrotherfan4ever]

Does anyone have the email add for C4 because i want to write & complain, about not having the livefeed, i know it wont make much difference, but i will feel better if i write & tell them how angry im feeling as avid of the show, & not been giving the opoion of watching the LF