[Steve in Pudsey]

It sounds like Kirsty is doing the Paxman role on BBC Scotland's coverage, so it could be that she will be in a separate location - eg the Seven/Nine set - which can be taken as an OS into both BBC Scotland and the Network programme.

I'm not entirely sure why the nations need to do their own programmes this time around, it's not like there are elections for national Assembleys and Parliaments taking place at the same time. The story of the night is going to be the national one on this occasion, although I guess the additional cost of mounting a full programme over regular opt outs isn't great.

One detail that stood out to me is that Radio Scotland is simulcasting the BBC One Scotland coverage overnight.

I note the lack of mention of local radio in the press release.

[Stooky Bill]

What struck me from the BBC's announcements is that Kirsty Wark will be on both the BBC 'Network' coverage and the BBC Scotland coverage. That will presumably take some co-ordination, especially as it seems she will have a prominent role on both

Shouldn't be too difficult, just a case of arranging what times she'll be in one place and what times she'll be in another. Sounds like it's a case of her reporting into network with updates of what's going on North or the border, they can probably be at pre arranged times

[interestednovice]

One odd thing with the BBCs coverage is that viewers in Wales and NI will get the national programme on BBC2, but Scotland have to watch it on the News Channel.

I don't know why they're either not putting it on BBC Scotland, or why those in the other two nations need it on BBC2. I imagine the former requires a bit of extra staffing to do, but then Cardiff and Belfast will need that too

I suppose the BBC, in classic BBC “avoiding audience confusion” style, decided that having the main UK-wide programme on a channel called BBC Scotland, but a Scotland-specific programme on BBC One Scotland at the same time, was just too confusing.

They also seem embarrassed about even having the BBC Scotland channel at all, at this point, so it’s hardly a shock that they are trying to pretend it doesn’t exist.

I imagine that, in reality, we will get a generic reminder during the coverage that “viewers across the UK can watch the (main) programme on the BBC News channel” and the BBC Two option will go unpublicised.

The BBC also do not like to draw attention to BBC Scotland being the spiritual successor to BBC Two Scotland because they don’t want to remind people that they’ve axed a service to create it.

[Stooky Bill]

I'm not entirely sure why the nations need to do their own programmes this time around, it's not like there are elections for national Assembleys and Parliaments taking place at the same time. The story of the night is going to be the national one on this occasion

They always do. The thing is that the network programme will be focusing on the national picture and that primarily means Conservative/Labour/Lib Dem. The won't be dealing so much with the SNP, Plaid Cymru, and of course in NI there's a whole different range of parties. Those parties in the nations are on a par with the national parties and 'battles' for seats are very different.

[interestednovice]

Another change is Jeremy Vine is doing the Swingometer from BBC Wales.

Interesting, will he be in a green screen studio or will he get to use the cavernous Wales Today bunker or even the atrium area? I wonder…

[JMT1985]

So I wonder when the BBC will kick out the national and London news from Studio B, to allow rehearsals for the big night - from what I gather, BBC London News will move into Studio D and BBC national news will be back into Studio E whilst they prepare Studio B for the night.

I am interested in seeing what ITV News will be doing as they have been using the same basic set design since the 2015 general election, with just some tweaks to it for 2017 and 2019, and also used for the 2016 referendum. I wonder what else they can squeeze out of Studio 1 there at ITN?

Where will Channel 4 be based for election night? Back at Riverside's Studio 1 I presume?

[RhysJR]

Good to have confirmation that the BBC coverage will be using Arthur as their them once again. Although, not as good as the 'clean' versions of yesteryear, personally I don't mind the remixed version used since 2019.

x.com 

www.youtube.com 

[steve]

I’d be surprised if the National tv bulletins moved out of B, surely not too hard to schedule rehearsals around two half hour programmes - the One will be in Salford by then after all. In 2015 and 2017 (I think?) the 10 came from the election set in the week of polling day anyway.

[LargelyALurker]

I suppose the BBC, in classic BBC “avoiding audience confusion” style, decided that having the main UK-wide programme on a channel called BBC Scotland, but a Scotland-specific programme on BBC One Scotland at the same time, was just too confusing.

They also seem embarrassed about even having the BBC Scotland channel at all, at this point, so it’s hardly a shock that they are trying to pretend it doesn’t exist.

I imagine that, in reality, we will get a generic reminder during the coverage that “viewers across the UK can watch the (main) programme on the BBC News channel” and the BBC Two option will go unpublicised.

The BBC also do not like to draw attention to BBC Scotland being the spiritual successor to BBC Two Scotland because they don’t want to remind people that they’ve axed a service to create it.

The end of BBC2 Scotland is a pain in situations like this. Having the network coverage only on the News Channel isn’t the end of the world, but usual issues about HD on Freeview as well as the convenience of having the main coverage on adjacent channels for flicking between them apply.

[Andrew]

I can't recall a previous election night on the BBC or ITV featuring a double-header, though I think Sky has done it in the past - perhaps in that uear that featured the cheesy intro with Adam Boulton turning towards the camera and posing?

Probably because there isn’t a clear successor to he who can’t be named

Clive is a strong presenter but more the sort you send to a war zone than politics. Like how you didn’t have Mark Austin hosting election night when he was at ITV

Laura has a strong political background but isn’t known as a strong main anchor

Merge the two together and you get a decent line up

Will be a bit strange when we get lengthy segments with the former political editor interviewing the current political editor though.