“Production Company – BBC
Programme – Springwatch 2010
Facilities – Transmission (TX) Ltd”
For the 2nd year running, TX was chosen to work with the BBC for Springwatch – one of its biggest outside broadcasts.
Over three weeks, May-June, TX were tasked to supply specialist cameras and equipment to the wildlife documentary series. Filming took place 24/7 and footage streamed live into the homes of over 4 million viewers each night for three weeks while podcasts were continuously uploaded alongside blog posts and twitter feeds from the presenters and on-line viewers.
This year, it was nature itself that dictated when filming would end. Although filming officially finished last week, a Sparrow Hawk has nested on top of one of TX’s cameras which has required TX to keep some of its equipment on site until the chicks have flown the nest. The warden at Pensthorpe nature reserve, where the series is filmed, believes the Hawk focused in on its choice of location, knowing the heat from the camera would act as a thermal blanket to help incubate the eggs. Details of the importance of heat in the incubation period is talked about online by Chris Packham, one of the presenters.
It would seem the true stars of the show are the wildlife. The BBC has once again succeeded in its aim of allowing its audiences to ‘discover nature and witness real life events as they happen.