Baroness Thatcher has died

For whose benefit is the news? And what will it actually say?

It seems like they are just pandering to the Daily Mail. This isn't going to make the Daily Mail change their editorial/business stance and start supporting the BBC, it is just going to make people who do appreciate the BBC think less of it. As a BBC supporter, this kind of thing disappoints me. It is more about avoiding criticism than serving the audience and staying impartial.

ITV might have a studio going spare overlooking St Pauls.

I disagree. It's a major news story, and This Morning does cover the news and serious topics, but I'm sure there are many viewers who want to keep abreast of what's going on - who's there, what's happening, all that - but don't neccessarily want to watch the whole thing. It's a bit like when Jimmy Young used to cover the elections or the Budget on Radio 2, giving regular updates when stuff happened and playing records when there wasn't.

I remember them doing the same exact thing after the 2001 election, This Morning was on at 10.30 as usual but they crossed over to the election studio for a couple of points when things were happening. It's a big enough story to reflect but not big enough, certainly for the ITV audience, to justify showing the whole thing in full when BBC1 are doing the same thing. Pip certainly has the skills to flip between the two, I remember him having to link to newsflashes during Going Live in the Gulf War.



They're not hiding anything away. The chart is the list of records released by the Official Charts Company on which that song will be included. Radio 1 then use that chart as the basis of an entertainment programme. It is entirely their prerogative what they play and how long they play it depending on what they think is right for their audience. Nobody else matters. I suspect most regular Radio 1 listeners don't care.



Well, it wasn't a repeat, it was the official obituary made at some point over the last few years and sat on the shelf waiting to be shown when she died. It said nothing about when she died so I'm assuming Marr didn't need to update it and therefore is still recovering at home.

The difference is though unlike the election or the gulf war this isn't a story which will develop while they're on air - it's an entire event which people will either want to watch in full or not - just dipping in and out at selected moments just doesn't seem to be doing either the coverage of the funeral justice or This Morning justice.

I don't think so. I think people will want to see who's there and what they're wearing and maybe see a bit of procession, but not sit through all the hymns and the readings.

There might be some people out there who are interested enough to see how this massive national occasion is going, but couldn't watch the whole thing.

People in that situation though will likely be happy to wait for the news later or will dip in and out of continuing live coverage as they see fit. And although I've made it clear I'm no Thatcher fan I think the coverage has to remember it's a funeral, not a fashion parade - and it should be presented from a news angle, which also allows it to cover any protests and the like that crop up on the day.

Now they don't need to and This Morning will keep that audience for the duration.

I think Steve was suggesting that might make people interested, he's not suggesting it will be presented in that way.

I agree. It is celebrating someone's death. It is distasteful.

If the song Ghost Town by the Specials had been pushed into the top 5 because of the news, there wouldn't be the same issue because it wouldn't be personal in the same way. I think the BBC should have made that distinction.

Though if a pro-Maggie song gets in to the charts, the BBC will be in a difficult position if they play it and not DDTWID.

How about devil woman by cliff. Problem is people do this all the time.

Andrew Marr's opening line was rather odd: "Margaret Thatcher was Britain's only woman Prime Minister".

Anyone know if the NC is simulcasting the funeral, as the Wednesday NC listings have not been updated?

(Thought the Beeb's policy was to simulcast whether us punters liked it or not?)