BBC Election 2015

A reminder that the BBC goes into 'Broadcasting Purdah' at 0030

8. Polling Day
There will be no coverage of any of the election campaigns on polling day,
from 00.30 until polls close at 22.00 on TV, radio or bbc.co.uk. However,
online sites will not have to remove archive reports. Coverage will be
restricted to factual accounts with nothing which could be construed as
influencing the ballots.
No opinion poll on any issue relating to politics or the election may be
published until after the polls have closed.
Whilst the polls are open, it is a criminal offence to publish anything about the
way in which people have voted in that election.

(2015 Election Guidelines)

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the 0030 headlines - not a soundbite in sight!

BBC have posted a behind the scenes type article about the election set, complete with construction time lapse - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32592297

Yes, after 6 weeks of intense rhetoric, it's absolute bliss this morning !

Right at the start of the time lapse, on the right hand side of the studio, there looks to be perminant audience seating.
Where is the election studio then? Given the vast nature of previous sets, I assumed it would be in part of the George Lucas Stage at the film studios - but the seating looks like Studio D at BBC Elstree.

No national coverage for Birmingham tonight - seems odd given they do 9 counts at a single venue, which you'd think would offer quite good value, as it were.

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/bbc-under-fire-no-show-nationals-9197571

It is indeed BBC Elstree Studio D. I think this was confirmed way back last year when the BBC covered the local and European elections from there to test doing the show from a new 'hub'.

Studio D is a similar floor area to TC1 - home of the previous couple of General Election sets.

The BBC Elstree site has far better connectivity and resilience than the Elstree Film site where George Lucas is (even taking into account the additional circuits and semi-temporary redundant power the BBC have put in to Elstree Film for resilience for live programmes) It also has more space for additional technical areas - such as the various hubs that are built for elections (that do the upstream switching of OBs to the main gallery, and also route feeds out to other areas making election programmes in the BBC - like Wales, Scotland and RTE, who also traditionally use a BBC studio for some of their coverage)

Studio D was home to the Muppet Show in ATV days. You may draw your own conclusion about the irony of using it for a show featuring loads if politicians and wannabe politicians.

Here's a (slightly naff) look behind the scenes at BBC Wales's coverage - last election broadcast from Llandaf (unless we get a second election this year!)

Sorry if it has been mentioned earlier but I have just noticed that BBC Parliament will be showing BBC Scotland's Election Night programme through the night. Given the potentially exciting situation in Scotland this is very good as not everyone has access to BBC Two Scotland.

More views of the BH projections