The compact size, low ceiling height and large air-conditioning duct of studio N6 – home to the BBC News Channel (until recently known as BBC News 24) – prompted the specification of the new light sources within purpose-built hollow overhead lightboxes. LEDs were chosen for, among other reasons, their low-maintenance requirements. “On top of that there would be no deterioration of colour gels or flickering lamps to contend with – we could simply change the colours via the DMX control,” said BBC lighting designer Dave Weighell.
The final design involves RGB X-Chips set into the footer of the rostra, while the news desk frontage and overhead lightboxes are also illuminated with X-Chips – the latter corrected to white in order to complement the flesh tones. For the header, more powerful X-Bar metre-long battens have been installed, containing 36 1W RGB LEDs and lamped with higher power Luxeon LEDs.
