Stephen Neal
@stephen-neal.bsky.social
BBC Studios Live Studio/OB director. Love a green sofa at 7 on BBC One & Eurovision any time. Ex-BBC News/BBC Three/Look East. Speak Swedish. Once an engineer.
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Language models are terrible at counting (part 12381...)
It's concerning how many workflows/copilots etc. these tools are now creeping into, despite making small numerical errors all over the place (which a causal eye might not catch).
Below from GPT-5 and Sonnet-4.5:
It's concerning how many workflows/copilots etc. these tools are now creeping into, despite making small numerical errors all over the place (which a causal eye might not catch).
Below from GPT-5 and Sonnet-4.5:
October 29, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Language models are terrible at counting (part 12381...)
It's concerning how many workflows/copilots etc. these tools are now creeping into, despite making small numerical errors all over the place (which a causal eye might not catch).
Below from GPT-5 and Sonnet-4.5:
It's concerning how many workflows/copilots etc. these tools are now creeping into, despite making small numerical errors all over the place (which a causal eye might not catch).
Below from GPT-5 and Sonnet-4.5:
Busy little day - I may sound like a scratched record but I love our team. The One Show Production Management, Editorial, Guest Producers, Presenters and just as importantly our amazing crew always pull it out of the bag.
October 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Busy little day - I may sound like a scratched record but I love our team. The One Show Production Management, Editorial, Guest Producers, Presenters and just as importantly our amazing crew always pull it out of the bag.
Fascinating joint talk by the IET and the RTS on 100 years of TV. John Logie Baird’s grandson gave a fascinating talk, amongst others.
October 2, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Fascinating joint talk by the IET and the RTS on 100 years of TV. John Logie Baird’s grandson gave a fascinating talk, amongst others.
Crikey. Just realised that this month marks the 30th anniversary of me getting my first job directing live TV… (Look East BBC Regional News in Norwich - the best possible place I could have started!)
June 6, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Crikey. Just realised that this month marks the 30th anniversary of me getting my first job directing live TV… (Look East BBC Regional News in Norwich - the best possible place I could have started!)
Looks like DuoLingo is out as a language learning tool...
Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI
Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI
Duolingo is making some AI-focused changes.
buff.ly
April 29, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Looks like DuoLingo is out as a language learning tool...
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Lots of news from US, and this is especially significant.
The DoJ suspends a lawyer for candour to the court when answering judge’s questions.
This is important, as any lawyer has duties both to client and to the court. The system breaks down otherwise.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
The DoJ suspends a lawyer for candour to the court when answering judge’s questions.
This is important, as any lawyer has duties both to client and to the court. The system breaks down otherwise.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
April 6, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Lots of news from US, and this is especially significant.
The DoJ suspends a lawyer for candour to the court when answering judge’s questions.
This is important, as any lawyer has duties both to client and to the court. The system breaks down otherwise.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
The DoJ suspends a lawyer for candour to the court when answering judge’s questions.
This is important, as any lawyer has duties both to client and to the court. The system breaks down otherwise.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Lots of terrible & misinformed takes on Poland tonight, proving once again how shallow the coverage of Poland by most international media is: this time based on an out of context misreading of Tusk’s remark on nuclear & a misunderstanding of his comments on military training. 🫠
March 7, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Lots of terrible & misinformed takes on Poland tonight, proving once again how shallow the coverage of Poland by most international media is: this time based on an out of context misreading of Tusk’s remark on nuclear & a misunderstanding of his comments on military training. 🫠
After watching 2 hours of #Melodifestivalen in 25p it's SO nice to watch the Brits at 50i... #EmperorsNewClothes
March 1, 2025 at 9:06 PM
After watching 2 hours of #Melodifestivalen in 25p it's SO nice to watch the Brits at 50i... #EmperorsNewClothes
Reposted by Stephen Neal
I've heard anecdotally that the US Embassy in Paris is attempting to make similar demands of its partners/suppliers. Which sounds like it might be tricky in a country where Equality is literally the second word of the national motto?
#LibertéEgalitéFraternité
#LibertéEgalitéFraternité
'Not one step back': Spain responds to Trump's anti-diversity demands
Several Spanish ministers have voiced their opposition to the news that the US embassy in Madrid is demanding that its Spanish suppliers prove they don't have DEI policies.
www.thelocal.es
February 25, 2025 at 8:24 AM
I've heard anecdotally that the US Embassy in Paris is attempting to make similar demands of its partners/suppliers. Which sounds like it might be tricky in a country where Equality is literally the second word of the national motto?
#LibertéEgalitéFraternité
#LibertéEgalitéFraternité
Whenever I hear Sanne's amazing performance of 'Undo' I always wonder what would have happened if the lyrics had been better. "Undo my sad"...
February 15, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Whenever I hear Sanne's amazing performance of 'Undo' I always wonder what would have happened if the lyrics had been better. "Undo my sad"...
Watching Mello with my husband - here come the quotes :
She's still singing and I've already forgotten it.
This is awful. (It went direct to the final)
Are the frame accurate cuts meant to distract from the Pringles on his jacket?
She's still singing and I've already forgotten it.
This is awful. (It went direct to the final)
Are the frame accurate cuts meant to distract from the Pringles on his jacket?
February 15, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Watching Mello with my husband - here come the quotes :
She's still singing and I've already forgotten it.
This is awful. (It went direct to the final)
Are the frame accurate cuts meant to distract from the Pringles on his jacket?
She's still singing and I've already forgotten it.
This is awful. (It went direct to the final)
Are the frame accurate cuts meant to distract from the Pringles on his jacket?
When is SVT commissioning 'Min talkshow'? The world needs more Shirley Clamp in it.
February 15, 2025 at 7:24 PM
When is SVT commissioning 'Min talkshow'? The world needs more Shirley Clamp in it.
Reposted by Stephen Neal
📌URGENT: The Associated Press is one of the foremost news operations in the world. Without it, most media entities could not survive.
📌Well, the AP has now been barred from the White House.
I'd suggest very strongly that any media that gets its news from AP takes a damn stand here in solidarity.
📌Well, the AP has now been barred from the White House.
I'd suggest very strongly that any media that gets its news from AP takes a damn stand here in solidarity.
February 14, 2025 at 10:43 PM
📌URGENT: The Associated Press is one of the foremost news operations in the world. Without it, most media entities could not survive.
📌Well, the AP has now been barred from the White House.
I'd suggest very strongly that any media that gets its news from AP takes a damn stand here in solidarity.
📌Well, the AP has now been barred from the White House.
I'd suggest very strongly that any media that gets its news from AP takes a damn stand here in solidarity.
Reposted by Stephen Neal
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night @matt.cymru
www.tvbeurope.com/live-product...
www.tvbeurope.com/live-product...
How BBC Wales returned live to 1985 - TVBEurope
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
www.tvbeurope.com
February 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night @matt.cymru
www.tvbeurope.com/live-product...
www.tvbeurope.com/live-product...
Reposted by Stephen Neal
“Forget the myths the media's created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.”
Scoop: The databases powering DOGE.gov are insecure, and people outside the government have already pushed their own updates to the site to prove it:
www.404media.co/anyone-can-p...
www.404media.co/anyone-can-p...
Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website
"THESE 'EXPERTS' LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN."
www.404media.co
February 14, 2025 at 11:42 AM
“Forget the myths the media's created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.”
I read the NYT article last night. It's a long read but fascinating. And jaw-dropping.
For many years it was my job to report on the Murdoch empire, and this NYT very long read on the family legal feud is incredible. At heart though it captures the Zeitgeist and ugly truth - that society is being dicked around by a tiny handful of very wealthy people
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/m...
Inside the Murdochs’ Succession Drama
More than 3,000 pages of documents reveal how years of betrayals led to a messy court battle that threatens the future of Rupert’s empire.
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I read the NYT article last night. It's a long read but fascinating. And jaw-dropping.
Reposted by Stephen Neal
My favourite fact about Iceland is that we have many, many crime writers but only one forensic pathologist, and he was so busy answering all of their questions that he decided to have a small seminar for writers to get some peace.
It immediately sold out so he had another one that also sold out.
It immediately sold out so he had another one that also sold out.
July 3, 2023 at 12:04 PM
My favourite fact about Iceland is that we have many, many crime writers but only one forensic pathologist, and he was so busy answering all of their questions that he decided to have a small seminar for writers to get some peace.
It immediately sold out so he had another one that also sold out.
It immediately sold out so he had another one that also sold out.
Reposted by Stephen Neal
I've written this thread up as a blog post with some more details:
Why some DVLA digital services don't work at night
dafyddvaughan.uk/blog/2025/wh...
Why some DVLA digital services don't work at night
dafyddvaughan.uk/blog/2025/wh...
January 12, 2025 at 7:46 PM
I've written this thread up as a blog post with some more details:
Why some DVLA digital services don't work at night
dafyddvaughan.uk/blog/2025/wh...
Why some DVLA digital services don't work at night
dafyddvaughan.uk/blog/2025/wh...
Reposted by Stephen Neal
“It’s a telltale sign of technofascism when our communication systems are disrupted by changes in political power after every election. Protection for vulnerable groups online continues to depend on the political ambitions of the CEO or owner of social media platforms.”
January 11, 2025 at 1:44 PM
“It’s a telltale sign of technofascism when our communication systems are disrupted by changes in political power after every election. Protection for vulnerable groups online continues to depend on the political ambitions of the CEO or owner of social media platforms.”
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Meta says it's still rolling out changes to loosen content moderation—but it already updated its Hateful Conduct policy with big changes. For example...it explicitly allows calling someone mentally ill for being gay or trans now www.wired.com/story/meta-i...
Meta Now Lets Users Say Gay and Trans People Have 'Mental Illness'
Meta rolled out a number of changes to its “Hateful Conduct” policy Tuesday as part of a sweeping overhaul of its approach toward content moderation.
www.wired.com
January 7, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Meta says it's still rolling out changes to loosen content moderation—but it already updated its Hateful Conduct policy with big changes. For example...it explicitly allows calling someone mentally ill for being gay or trans now www.wired.com/story/meta-i...
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Dudley Simpson wrote the Blakes 7 theme tune in 1978.
In the years running up to it, elements of the theme cropped up in everything from Eurovision to a Japanese light entertainment show.
Was this just coincidence or were all 'borrowing' from an already established piece of music?
In the years running up to it, elements of the theme cropped up in everything from Eurovision to a Japanese light entertainment show.
Was this just coincidence or were all 'borrowing' from an already established piece of music?
December 30, 2024 at 2:28 PM
Dudley Simpson wrote the Blakes 7 theme tune in 1978.
In the years running up to it, elements of the theme cropped up in everything from Eurovision to a Japanese light entertainment show.
Was this just coincidence or were all 'borrowing' from an already established piece of music?
In the years running up to it, elements of the theme cropped up in everything from Eurovision to a Japanese light entertainment show.
Was this just coincidence or were all 'borrowing' from an already established piece of music?
Reposted by Stephen Neal
The details slowly emerging about the main suspect in the horrific Magdeburg attack contradict so much of what was posted online in the immediate aftermath.
This is why it's always wise to wait for the facts before rushing to post unverified information about these atrocities.
This is why it's always wise to wait for the facts before rushing to post unverified information about these atrocities.
December 21, 2024 at 11:40 AM
The details slowly emerging about the main suspect in the horrific Magdeburg attack contradict so much of what was posted online in the immediate aftermath.
This is why it's always wise to wait for the facts before rushing to post unverified information about these atrocities.
This is why it's always wise to wait for the facts before rushing to post unverified information about these atrocities.
This really doesn't bode well : www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BBC complains to Apple over misleading shooting headline
Apple's new artificial intelligence features falsely made it seem the BBC reported Luigi Mangione had shot himself.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 13, 2024 at 9:55 PM
This really doesn't bode well : www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Netflix UK has two old ITV dramas in its top four most-watched shows. Quite often there's a random Channel 5 doc called something like 'Behind the scenes at Christmas in Stoke-on-Trent' in the most-watched. I love how the British public just WANT terrestrial TV they don't know where to find it.
December 5, 2024 at 7:56 PM
Netflix UK has two old ITV dramas in its top four most-watched shows. Quite often there's a random Channel 5 doc called something like 'Behind the scenes at Christmas in Stoke-on-Trent' in the most-watched. I love how the British public just WANT terrestrial TV they don't know where to find it.
Reposted by Stephen Neal
Imagine how gay a song has to be in order to be considered the campest tune in Alcazar’s entire back catalogue. ‘Singing To Heaven’ is that icon, that legend. And former member Magnus Carlsson has g(r)ayciously recorded an updated version of it two decades later.
scandipop.co.uk/song-magnus-...
scandipop.co.uk/song-magnus-...
November 30, 2024 at 10:20 AM
Imagine how gay a song has to be in order to be considered the campest tune in Alcazar’s entire back catalogue. ‘Singing To Heaven’ is that icon, that legend. And former member Magnus Carlsson has g(r)ayciously recorded an updated version of it two decades later.
scandipop.co.uk/song-magnus-...
scandipop.co.uk/song-magnus-...