The Newsroom

The BBC announce Local Election plans

Co-presented from London & Edinburgh (March 2021)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
DT
DTV
Also, though unsurprisingly, they are using the multicoloured hexagon branding again. It used to be that local elections would use a similar style to that used in the previous general election and then that would be replaced after the next general election. But with the hexagon branding being used across 3 general elections, I suppose it has now become recongnisable as the BBC's election symbol. By my count, this is the ninth outing for it - and that's not including the hexagonal derivatives for the EU referendum or US elections.
AN
Andrew Founding member
In the past, London mayoral debates would be pre-recorded and scheduled as an opt-out of network.

Yes its very modern day ITV to just shoehorn it into the regular 6:30 news slot rather than doing a separate programme
SW
Steve Williams
Yes its very modern day ITV to just shoehorn it into the regular 6:30 news slot rather than doing a separate programme


Pretty sure that won't be the last debate in this campaign, not least because the one last night didn't feature all the candidates.
LL
London Lite Founding member
Yes its very modern day ITV to just shoehorn it into the regular 6:30 news slot rather than doing a separate programme


Pretty sure that won't be the last debate in this campaign, not least because the one last night didn't feature all the candidates.


Riz Lateef mentioned at the end that they would be another debate with Sian Berry and Luisa Poiritt.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Presumably social distancing makes doing more debates with fewer candidates a more attractive option than trying to get everyone together on a single occasion?
DT
DTV
In 2016, the London debate was after the News at Ten and only featured the 'leading' candidates (Con, Lab, LD, UKIP, Grn). I expect this time they'd only do four or five parties max, as there are about 20 candidates who've announced an intention to stand.

Other regional debates were also after the News at Ten but varied in length. I suppose it's difficult for the regions as there is no consistency in where these mayoralties are - some regions cover two mayoralty areas, while others cover none.
AN
Andrew Founding member
DTV posted:
In 2016, the London debate was after the News at Ten and only featured the 'leading' candidates (Con, Lab, LD, UKIP, Grn). I expect this time they'd only do four or five parties max, as there are about 20 candidates who've announced an intention to stand.

Other regional debates were also after the News at Ten but varied in length. I suppose it's difficult for the regions as there is no consistency in where these mayoralties are - some regions cover two mayoralty areas, while others cover none.


There is always a half hour somewhere that can be opted out of, Monday at 8:30, Tuesday at 8:30, Wednesday at 7:30 are all throwaway programmes at the minute, so regions could opt out of one or more or none
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Doing the debate in their own slot has the benefit of not being at risk of being pre empted if there is a ministerial broadcast about Covid, as has happened a couple of times. I suspect those very droppable shows are there for a reason.
LL
London Lite Founding member
Doing the debate in their own slot has the benefit of not being at risk of being pre empted if there is a ministerial broadcast about Covid, as has happened a couple of times. I suspect those very droppable shows are there for a reason.


There's also a higher audience for the 6.30 slot than shoehorning it in a late slot after the Ten.

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