[AJB39]

You just wonder who makes the programming decisions within BBC NI. Their local coverage on BBC1 NI is starting at 1.15pm 15 minutes after the start of the sitting of the NI Assembly this lunchtime. The first item of business being the appointment of Speaker which is being missed by the local programme. Yes coverage is on BBC News and BBC Parliament and viewers can use their remote control but just seems silly to start a 2 hour plus programme after the start of an event. Interesting and does make sense that BBC News is now taking the local BBC1 programme.

They are constrained by having to show the National News at 1pm and again at 3.30pm and the Rugby at 4pm. They could have avoided such constraints by having the programme on BBC Two NI but they probably felt it was too big an event to have on BBC Two.