Mike Giles

Another thing P&ID wanted to perpetuate in TVC studios was mains powered cue lights, years after Special Projects low voltage devices were common and when we refurbished TC5 for Sport’s exclusive use, they wanted to maintain the “BOF phone”, despite the fact that the Drake comms system provided a far more elegant solution. Logic eventually prevailed!

Colin Hassell

We had one of those ‘phones’ as a kit on OBs – I remember rigging it in a Scanner for Brian Barwick to use at an FA Cup Final.

But I’m sure we called it ‘Bough’ as in Frank Bough.

Paul Thackray

I also believed it was Bough Phone and originated at Lime Grove?

Hugh Snape

Interestingly a telephone FX unit was used in the news intake area at Bush (or it might have been BH) to filter out the LF “Heartbeat” sound on international calls whichI think was caused by the devices used to meter them.

Paul Thackray

The heart beats were indeed charging info.

In the 80s correspondents started to use a frequency shifter made by Comrex, the send end shifted up 250Hz and the receive end down by 250Hz. The net result was lose a little bit of HF (not noticeable) but gained some LF (very noticeable) because of the extra base, the sound was more natural and less telephonic. The side effects on the heartbeat was they were shifted so low (as added after the up shift) they were no longer noticeable and easy to filter out.

Barry Cobden

It was called the Bough-Hart phone, later shortened to Bough phone. It originated in Studio G at Lime Grove for Grandstand.

Frank Bough was, of course, the presenter and Alan Hart the editor (producer.) He later did other things.

A PFL (Pre-fader listen) of Frank’s mic was sent to the equipment an then on to a phone instrument, IIRC it was a modified Trimphone.

When Alan’s phone was lifted the editor’s mic ended up in the presenter earpiece, rather like a switched talkback with Production Talkback being the default.

Thus they could hold a two way, private conversation, usually while on a VT or OB, about what was coming up.

I hated the rig for Grandstand. You had to be in, on duty, by 08:30 on a Saturday morning.

John Howell

Also there were 2 variable attenuators (volume controls!) on the Sound Desk which made signals quieter when rotated clockwise. The theory being, I suppose, that if you wanted more from an attenuator you turned it ‘up’! However with every.other control on the desk being ‘normal’] it could be a hazard in the heat of the moment.