Northern Ireland news thread

Both BBC NI and UTV providing reasonably extensive coverage of the G8 summit and President Obama's visit to Belfast.

UTV have had a special UTV Live Tonight at 10.15pm this evening with Paul Clark in Belfast and Alison Fleming in Enniskillen, followed by a special 'The Issue' with Yvette Shapiro.

UTV are on air tomorrow morning for Obama's visit - a start time hasn't been specified, but I'd imagine it'll be in and around 08:30. There's also one-hour editions of UTV Live Tonight on Monday and Tuesday at 22:30.

BBC One NI has live coverage from 08:30 on Monday morning with Noel Thompson, plus extended Newsline bulletins at 13:30-14:00, 18:30-19:30 and 22:25-22:45.

On Tuesday there's a Spotlight Special audience show at 22:40 on BBC One.

RTE covering Monday's events in Morning Edition from 09:00.

Thanks for that info.

On the radio, BBC Radio Ulster's providing rolling coverage throughout the morning and early afternoon. Can UTV start at 8:30? I thought they'd have to wait until 9.25. Unless they've come to an arrangement with ITV, however.

Evidently not . . . UTV not starting until 09:25 and therefore have missed the 'Obama emerging from Air Force One' moment at Aldergrove.

Well it seems theres been yet another presenter transfer in Belfast. As Sarah Travers settles into her new role as presenter of UTV's magazine show, her predecessor Tina Campbell has just popped up presenting the late BBC Newsline bulletin!

A real shame Tina Campbell has moved on from UTV. One of the most capable broadcasters and journalists to grace Havelock House in recent years.

I guess the writing was on the wall when she was sidelined to Studio 3 duties a few years ago.

Tina has been reading the news on BBC Radio Ulster for quite a few months now. I wondered how long it would be before she arrived on television.

Jim Fitzpatrick has left now and I heard that Austin O'Callaghan has left also. I had heard that Sarah Travers asked to work less as her father suffers from alzheimer's and she was refused and that is why she left the BBC.

Also interested to see Siobhan McGarry reappearing on UTV, it's been a while since she was a regular on the station. With Sarah Clarke heavily pregnant there will an opening for another female to anchor UTV Live.

I always liked Siobhan McGarry during her time at UTV; very competent and down-to-earth. Some of the stick she gets for her show on Downtown Radio is a little harsh.

I reckon it'll be a combination of Ali and Rose sharing the spoils in Studio 1 at Havelock House during Jar-Jar's maternity leave.

OK, I could just about cope with Aidan Browne shaving off the moustache in 2006, but now he's given up on the quiff?!

EDIT: And is it just me, or has he got a bit more, er, camp?! And when did UTV get rid of those lovely Oliver Jeffers Progressive sponsorship stings on the weather? Sad to see they've gone after a decade in use.

Seeing the evidence for myself over the holidays, Tina Campbell has settled in nicely at BBC Newsline, and is a fine addition to the team. If I was at UTV, I'd be rueing her slipping through their fingers.

A bit O/T but still within BBC NI, but is it just me or is Keith Burnside sounding really old when on Radio Ulster newsreading duties?

How many studios do BBC Northern Ireland have for news and current affairs - nothing comes from the Newsline studio apart from Newsline, as far as I can tell, with Sunday Politics coming from a set that doesn't look like it's specifically made for it (there are some design elements that don't quite fit), and 'The View' and 'Stormont Today' (which uses some old N24 era BBC News music for the titles) from sets that both look quite different?

BBC Newsline comes from a Studio at BBC Northern Ireland HQ (forgotten it's name), The View and Stormont Today come from a Studio in Stormont, the set is just switched around. Not Sure about Sunday Politics Northern Ireland, It could possibly be struck up every week from a corner in the Newsline Studio which is a lot bigger than it looks on TV at around 18x10m or one of the smaller studios at BBC Belfast, I'd be surprised if it is permanent. Recently I've been looking at the practicalities of all of NI Current Affairs output coming from BBC Belfast as part of my research for an upcoming Studio Mock.

Also interesting the 1999 era BBC N24 Music is a new thing for Stormont Today which was synced with the Daily Politics up until the last Daily Politics rebrand.

In UTV news, Alison Fleming is leaving to join LK Communications...