News Coverage Local elections coverage May 2022

[Stuart]

Huw Edwards is still presenting the Elections coverage on the News Channel this evening.

Bananas are really the answer for sustinance (as proved by Dimbleby), not croissants!

[DTV]

I’m sorry, but who it who said BBC Cardiff Central had very few choices in terms of set up. It’s outstanding. That building is not dark and soulless, it’s completely versatile. The BBC Wales Today special is knocking it out of the park.

I didn't say it had few choices in terms of set-up, I just said it looked awful. Which, having just looked at how the are using it for the Wales Today special set-up, I stand by 100%. There are clearly many choices of presentation area - all of which were clearly not designed with being a presentation area in mind. The ridiculously large LED wall in the lobby has to be filmed with awkward distant upshots to get it in frame (not to mention its idiotic shape). The barrier on the sofa balcony area is far too tall and opaque - meaning that, as with the lobby, you can't actually see any of the newsroom. The main election set itself is just some incredibly basic, cheap looking desks, photo blow-up backdrops and a monitor on a stand - hardly knocking it out of the park, more the kind of thing you'd expect from a regional election special in the 90s.

I'm clearly of a different view to a lot of other forumers, but to me Central Square is just the anti-NBH - its evil twin - everything they got right in W1A, they got wrong in CF10. I will give them this, though, at least they've remembered to light the election set properly, which they still haven't managed for their regular news set.

[Stuart]

Sky News are using flags for England/Wales/Scotland on their lower thirds.

This is useful until they get to Northern Ireland, where the official flag is the Union Flag of the UK.  However, they have opted for a rather 'ISIS-esque' black flag with the letters 'NI'. 

[Brekkie]

I'm clearly of a different view to a lot of other forumers, but to me Central Square is just the anti-NBH - its evil twin - everything they got right in W1A, they got wrong in CF10.

Certainly is the anti-NBH but not the evil twin of the partnership. Looks amazing tonight for the election coverage and they have a building with a significant number of presentation spaces which offer far more than a bog standard block of traditional studios and feel fit for the BBC Wales of today. Meanwhile at NBH and Salford it's always felt like there have been compromises made which affect not just big event coverage but day to day coverage too.

[JAS84]

Sky News are using flags for England/Wales/Scotland on their lower thirds.

This is useful until they get to Northern Ireland, where the official flag is the Union Flag of the UK.  However, they have opted for a rather 'ISIS-esque' black flag with the letters 'NI'. 

Couldn't they have used the Ulster banner as used by the national football team, or the St Patrick saltire?

[Teilifís]

Sky News are using flags for England/Wales/Scotland on their lower thirds.

This is useful until they get to Northern Ireland, where the official flag is the Union Flag of the UK.  However, they have opted for a rather 'ISIS-esque' black flag with the letters 'NI'. 

Couldn't they have used the Ulster banner as used by the national football team, or the St Patrick saltire?

They could've done that...but the "flag of Northern Ireland" is incredibly controversial, as it's seen as a unionist symbol. Especially in the context of this election, and the result it is seemingly yielding, being as generic as possible isn't a bad move on the part of Sky News.

[CantGetIn]

[quote="aaron_scotland" pid='80030' dateline='1651801851']
Where is Curtice located? Is he is in Elstree?

---

It is on the "bridge area" between NBH and Egton wing. 3rd floor. It is a temporary set up, I think the area will become a refurbished meeting space once they are finished.

https://flic.kr/p/dfvGMT

But on the opposite side of this photo.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Having him in a separate position meant he could easily contribute into the NI programme.

Where were the news bulletins from? It looked to be in front of a screen rather than a CSO or Studio A

[Steve Williams]

Where were the news bulletins from?  It looked to be in front of a screen rather than a CSO or Studio A

Pretty sure they were in Studio A, because Sarah Campbell joined Martine Croxall at one point to talk about the Jubilee.

Always a bit of fun when they talk about other news during election coverage, of course the great benefit of the coverage being simulcast on the news channel is that they have the weather during it and I used to love it when David Dimbleby had to introduce it, not as exciting when Huw does it as it's something he does regularly. It reminds me of how in Roger Mosey's book he says that when he was Controller of Five Live he got David Dimbleby to do a show for them and the bit Mosey enjoyed the most was hearing Dimbleby link into the travel and the like.

Nice to hear many outings for Huw's two election catchphrases, "what I'd like to do now is" and "my colleague". I do love how he calls everyone his colleagues, including all the regional political editors making their annual appearance on the network. One of the great things about the local elections is catching up with who all the political editors are at the moment.

[Critique]

Always a bit of fun when they talk about other news during election coverage, of course the great benefit of the coverage being simulcast on the news channel is that they have the weather during it and I used to love it when David Dimbleby had to introduce it, not as exciting when Huw does it as it's something he does regularly. It reminds me of how in Roger Mosey's book he says that when he was Controller of Five Live he got David Dimbleby to do a show for them and the bit Mosey enjoyed the most was hearing Dimbleby link into the travel and the like.

Similarly, since Covid happened elections seem to be the one day a year that Jo Coburn presents from Studio E and does something resembling a standard news channel shift. I'm not sure if it was the same last year but this year there was even a standard BBC News branded 9am hour (as it's simulcast on BBC Two). There was nothing out of the ordinary in her links to the weather and the bit of non-election news they covered in the time I was watching, but as it's someone I associate with presenting something quite different it just seems strange!

[Brekkie]

Nothing stops the weather does it, though it is a useful equivalent of a commercial break for the BBC.

[Stuart]

Nothing stops the weather does it, though it is a useful equivalent of a commercial break for the BBC.

During WN simulcasts, it often is used as a UK filler for commercials being shown elsewhere.  I think bried UK-only stories and trailers pad out the rest of the time.

It makes for rather seemless junctions for both services.

[Brekkie]

How much of the local election coverage has been on World? Expect it with general elections but for local elections feels like that is cost cutting to the extreme, though the NI elections can be justified more.

[Newsroom]

How much of the local election coverage has been on World?  Expect it with general elections but for local elections feels like that is cost cutting to the extreme, though the NI elections can be justified more.

I believe World only joined Annita when it was announced that Sinn Fein had won. I'd not seen much else across the weekend.

[Langham]

I just stumbled upon the BBC's Northern Ireland Assembly election coverage. Have you ever heard such a dark and treacherous theme to start an election programme? Especially that rapid drop in pitch at the end! Probably suits the situation there now

Best appreciated with headphones.



Gives me Winning Lines vibes