Live from Budapest: BBC Sport lead director for the World Athletics Championships Matt Griffiths talks fresh production and overheating trucks By Heather McLean
Wednesday, August 30, 2023 - 09:36
Print This Story
Presenter and former athlete, Jeanette Kwakye, talks to Great Britain's 1500 metre gold medalist Josh Kerr for the BBC in the Mix Zone on Wednesday 23 August at the World Athletic Championships 2023
Standing in the shade of the BBC's OB van in the TV compound for the World Athletics Championships 2023, Matt Griffiths, lead director for the BBC on the championships, spoke to SVG Europe as the EMG truck's air conditioning unit roared in protest at the 34 degree heat.
The BBC has been covering the Budapest games using the dirty integrated feed from World Athletic Productions - the joint venture between ITN and governing body, World Athletics and adding in its own content and commentary to give the programming a BBC flavour.
There were roughly 74 BBC crew on site during the championships, which, Griffiths says, is nothing really when you consider the size of the operation .
Our presentation's here, we've got Gabby Logan leading the presentation. Jenn [Jeanette Kwakye], of course, is doing the mornings, she's been in the mix zone. And then we've got Sarah Mulkerrins in the mix zone when Jenn is presenting. We've got Michael Johnson, Denise Lewis, Jess Ennis Hill, Colin Jackson, Andrew Cotter, Steve Cram, Steve Backley, and so it's the full team.
The BBC World Athletics Championships presenter line up was solid, with Gabby Logan, Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis among others. Pictured here live at the stadium on Wednesday 23 August
BBC production
As director, Griffiths, supported by exec producer Alasdair MacIntyre, is working to make the world feed feel like a fresh BBC production. He notes: We're trying to make it look as bespoke as possible. We're here for a reason; we're here because we want to get across to the people at home the energy and the excitement, what it's like to actually be at a big event. That's why we come here en masse. That's why we've got a studio right on the track.
The BBC had two of its own ISO's, Griffiths says, one of which was a head on the track home straight, which means the broadcaster can, do our own close ups for joining points and do our own ISO's of Brits and stuff, so we make sure we get everyone .
He adds: We've done little bits of our own coverage of some of the field events when people aren't being covered. For example, Holly Bradshaw didn't make a clear jump so she didn't make the integrated feed, but we have our own camera so we actually put together a couple of her jumps, which is good. And we'll continue to do that throughout the championship.
Matt Griffiths, lead director for the BBC on the World Athletic Championships 2023
Capturing atmosphere
As to how the championships has gone, Griffiths says: It's been brilliant. The crowds have been fantastic, and that's all coming across to people at home. We could've done [this production] in a green screen studio back in Salford, but you just wouldn't get that atmosphere, he adds.
Griffiths continues: You wouldn't get that live feel you get when you're actually at an event, and it's such a crazy big event. We just had to be here. I mean, look at the first three days; I didn't expect a medal in the 400 mixed relay, but we did and we got KJT's [Katarina Johnson-Thompson's] medal, Zharnel's [Hughes] medal, I mean, all those things. It's just fantastic to be here. We got Zharnel and KJT in the studio after they got their medals, and that was a beautiful moment, so we wouldn't have got that [if we hadn't been here].
Katarina Johnson-Thompson won gold in the heptathlon, while Great Britain took silver in the mixed 4x400m relay. Heading into the home straight in third spot, Yemi Mary John capitalised on a fall from Femke Bol of the Netherlands in the last 10 metres to grab the silver in 3:11.06, taking 0.13s off the previous British record.
Zharnel Hughes took fourth place in the 200 metre race, vowing to bring his A game for Paris 2024, but then medalled with a bronze in the men's 100 metre final.
Hot trucks
As to whether there had been any challenges in Budapest, Griffiths says, Oh, now you're asking! . He goes on: No, it's all run really smoothly, exactly as we planned. It's been fantastic. The weather caused a few issues on the first couple of days nobody expected that torrential rain and our truck has been really struggling with the heat, actually. We've been spraying down our air conditioning units every five minutes because it's so hot. I think we measured it about 50 degrees at one point.
But technically, so far, it's all worked as we planned. We've been planning our studio for about six or seven months, and that's what come together really well. It's in a nice spot, just overlooking the big finish, so it's gone very well so far.
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Live from Budapest: BBC Sport lead director for the World Athletics Championships Matt Griffiths talks fresh production and overheating trucks By Heather McLean 
