Northern Ireland news thread

Sudden thought...

Will BBC NI's coverage of the Stormont election be getting a simulcast on BBC Parliament for those of us over the water who have Freeview but no Sky?

From what I can see Parliament aren't taking it, but it might be on red button, or even online!

I'm slightly confused as to how the studio was set up for the Election Debate last night. When it is used for UTV Live, there is a continuous line of "UTV Live" text printed on the backdrop. However last night there was nothing except UTV logos printed on the backdrop. In the image below, you can just about make out the end of the backdrop with UTV Live printed on it (the far left of the image). Then there's some glass blocks and then another backdrop.

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/utvdebate.jpg

Is it simply the same set up as for UTV Live, but with a different curtain pulled across? If so, why do they not pull it across for UTV News bulletins so they don't have UTV Live scrawled across the set?

Isn't it a CSO set?

It's a cyclorama so there could be two of them, but even then it's still expensive enough to have two produced when the clean one will be rarely used.

Chances are it's the one "curtain" so to speak but half printed UTV live and the other half is clean - that way half of the studio is UTV live and the other half is clean, and they just push it round on the rails to cover the studio walls, depending on what half they need, if you see what I mean.

I understand now! Thanks Peter!

The opening shot on tonight's UTV Live showed a new desk for the election so it looks like they won't be using the usual studio setup on Thursday. It also helped me to understand the layout of the studio on Friday night for the debate! If I get a chance later on I'll upload a cap.

The wide shot showing the new desk:

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/studio1.jpg

And here's the blank backdrop:

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/studio2.jpg

I see the blank curtain did make an appearance, mustn't have enough of the LIVE backdrop to wrap around! The election desk looks alright. I see the base of the desk is the one that was used for the debate, but the set looks a bit bland but i'm guessing there will be a few plasmas around it.

The logo on the front looks like it is election 2007 beside the ballot box they've used in the reports.

Does anyone else think the BBC's Vote 07 opening music sounds very much like something ITV News would produce.

The late news came from Studio 1 tonight with Audra. Obviously because they have an election results update at 11pm. Is this the first time it has come from the main studio?

I see they've finally got round to changing the CSO backdrop for the sports segment on UTV News & Sport on Saturdays. Now if only they could change the UTV News backdrop to have the left plasma instead it would look much better...

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/utvsport_cso.jpg