[UTVLifer]

The lack of any Saturday coverage from the BBC is surprising though not unexpected, especially as only 4 out of the 10 metro mayor results will be announced on Friday

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[Keith]

The lack of any Saturday coverage from the BBC is surprising though not unexpected, especially as only 4 out of the 10 metro mayor results will be announced on Friday

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It wouldn't surprise me if there's a UK opt-out or two on the news channel on Saturday. Given that the Europe schedule www.bbc.co.uk  indicates pre-recorded programmes for most of the back half-hours in theory the UK could opt not to show these programmes, instead having live news coverage that focused on the local election results.

BBC News Europe - Schedules, Saturday 4 May 2024
This is the daily broadcast schedule for BBC News Europe
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

For the coverage on BBC One on Saturday it's worth noting that Breakfast is on until 10am. It also looks like the evening news for next Saturday is scheduled to be 15 minutes, rather than 10 minutes (as per the last two weekends).

[Brekkie]

The lack of any Saturday coverage from the BBC is surprising though not unexpected, especially as only 4 out of the 10 metro mayor results will be announced on Friday

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Is there a stipulation over what votes should be counted first - I'd guess broadcasters, probably quite rightly, get no say in that. Whilst they'd probably like the bigger polls counted first I guess there are practicalities in getting multiple smaller polls out of the way first. It does highlight how although it might have been easier for voting admin wise holding a general election on the same day may not have been the best idea - although in that case I think the votes for Parliament would take priority.

[Stuart]

Whilst they'd probably like the bigger polls counted first I guess there are practicalities in getting multiple smaller polls out of the way first. It does highlight how although it might have been easier for voting admin wise holding a general election on the same day may not have been the best idea - although in that case I think the votes for Parliament would take priority.

Had the FTP Act not been repealed, it was intended that LEs in many areas and the GE would be held on the same day in May. Quite a logistical exercise for the authorities as well as broadcasters reporting the results.

You'd be looking at a stream of results coming out over a period of days, with different meanings and for different purposes. I suspect they'd want to complete the parliamentary results before anything else.

It would be a problem for the media to try to present that all at once without completely baffling the viewers. I think you'd need different teams presenting them and an array of clearly different graphics on screen to illustrate the results.

[DTV]

The thing is, this isn't a hypothetical - GEs and LEs have been conducted on the same day six times in the past 50 years, including every GE from 1997 to 2015. Parliamentary seats get counted first, then local council seats. The media report the general election results, with the council results an afterthought only - particularly on the Thursday and Friday. Fundamentally, the only interest the national media really has in local elections is what they can tell you about the national political picture (even if they are an imperfect guide) - when national elections are going on alongside them, locals are superfluous. The most they get is a page tucked away on the BBC News website.

[Stooky Bill]

This is a bit of light relief in the election campaign, and relevant to this forum.

One Mayoral candidate in London has a manifesto policy of bringing back Ceefax. Today he presents his own version of Bamboozle...

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[Gibsy]

Sky News coverage, recently announced:
www.skygroup.sky 

VOTE 2024: How to follow the local & mayoral elections with Sky News | Sky G…
Sophy Ridge, Mark Austin and Jonathan Samuels to front two days of special cover…
  Source: www.skygroup.sky

[Milkshake]

Can people please do a qoute so if the page disappears we still have ref:



Mod edit: excessive requoting of online content removed. Please do not requote entire online articles.

[Brekkie]

That is just not good internet etiquette to quote an entire article. Most interesting bit is the schedule which suggests they're putting their focus on the Friday daytime coverage.

[interestednovice]

I think that makes sense as isn’t Friday, during the day, expected to be when the large majority of results actually come in? I know in my own area, which is having an election, we are not going to have results until Friday afternoon as they are not counting overnight.