The Royal Wedding Day

I think that Telegraph article sums it up best - ITV News were the success story, Sky had a dignified coverage today and BBC seemed rather bland. But the viewing figures will say that the BBC were by far the best, simply because a majority of people will have watched it on BBC One regardless.

I read something about they will loose £8m ? in Ad's but wouldn't have played ads during the ceremony anyway. They wont get them back its either a loss to ITV or 'written off'.

The evening on BBC News has been weird. Annita presented 6:30-6:37 then Simon took over until 7:00. I didn't see the rest be when I glimpsed at 8:20pm Joanna was on and now it's the Royal Wedding Highlights. I just a huge mess!

BBC London News and ITV Evening News were doing the same last night.

From watching myself and talking to a few people around me, the boxes along the bottom row were used as follows (l-r) yesterday evening between 5pm and 8:30pm:

BBC (don't know the presenter, female, short hair, and couldn't tell which programme it was for) then at 6:30pm BBC Look North (Harry Gration),
BBC London News (Riz Lateef) then after 7pm BBC News channel (Tim Wilcox)
Channel 5 News (Matt Barbett and later the update presenter)
Sky News (Jeremy Thompson until about 8pm)
next two: ITV News - Alistair Stewart and whoever was co-presenting (empty by 7pm)
next three: from approx 7:30pm Australian and TVNZ (identified by someone from New Zealand stood next to me)
last two unused all the time we were there except a brief 2-way for Fox News on the very end (see below)

On the second level idenitfied MSNBC studio (from logos, but no activity), above 5 News, Fox News (Amy Kellog in left hand studio above ITV News, at one point talking to someone on the level below), CNN (Richard Quest) above where TVNZ were. From having watched CNN earlier in the week they have another studio somewhere in the complex but couldn't tell which one.

Global (Canada) were above CNN, and the far top left studios were BBC Radio studios.

There were other studios in use too (but not all) and Dermot O'Leary was spotted in one of them talking to a woman with blonde hair but she never turned round so couldn't see who she was.

I know they can claim them back when it's due to a breaking news story, but don't know about a planned news story. Extra complications too in that they couldn't simply move them to primetime (if they could, they could easily make up 20 minuntes by airing 12 minutes every hour, rather than the maximum of 40 minutes from 6-11pm) and 6-9.25am is considered separate, so they couldn't overload Daybreak with ads (though I suspect it may have taken the ads lost from Lorraine).

Ive had a chance to watch all three stations coverage.

The BBC showed today that throwing money at an event wont necessarily result in providing the best coverage. The BBC missed a trick by not having double headed presentation as Huw came across very dull. Mind you his two guests didn't help him...they were truly awful. It was a mistake not having Dimbelby involved in some capacity as we struggled to hear an alternative voice which was in contrast to Sky and ITV. I got the feeling that the BBC were broadcasting to two billion people and no me... as in they felt the weight on their shoulders and took the hard line approach to it.

ITV as has been said won the day. Their coverage was nothing short of superb. All the plaudits have gone to Mark Austin, Julie Etchingham and Philip Schofield and deservedly so but I felt James Mates did a fantastic job of covering the service and he also deserves enormous credit. Their set was perfect, their commentary was perfect and their light hearted approach was what was required for such an occasion. Also unlike BBC their guests were top notch. When I first tuned in I couldn't believe my eyes seeing Andrew Neil on ITV. How did the Beeb let him slip through their fingers?

Sky were the big surprise for me today. Looking at their coverage beforehand when I saw it was to be fronted by Eamonn Holmes, Kay Burley and Charlotte Hawkins I was expecting a glossy approach by them. It was quite the opposite with Sky letting the pictures tell the story to viewers. Sam Simmonds worked well in the crowds and she is a welcome return. Alastair Bruce OBE is unquestionably the king of royal events and he showed it again today. He takes the viewer through the events so eloquently and with such knowledge. However, I was disappointed that there were no lives for Colin Brazier and Dermot Murnaghan who didn't feature at all and I felt Sarah Hughes who has been Sky's royal correspondent for many years could have played a larger role. It was also great to get an exclusive insight by Paul Harrison and Tom Bradby as to what went on inside the abbey.

I havn't got a chance to see any other channel's take on the day yet but all in all presentation wise my first royal wedding lived up to expectations. It was extravagant and at some points totally unnecessary(BBC) but that is the royal wedding, they don't come around to often.

I didn't really mean in terms of £££, I meant what Brekkie says below.



Yeah this is what I meant, Ofcom (well I think there the ones who overlook this type of thing) would surely make an excpetion, considering probably around half the coverage would have been restricted from having ad's.

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I see ITV are still using them face mic's on tonights NAT, even though there not that much of a crowd now?

EDIT

I'm watching the replay E!'s coverage and enjoying it a lot. Very fun but also informative thanks to Angela's royal insight. They also had an amazing view of the palace behind. Dermot was with them too.

Not sure if this has been posted before, but here's a photo of the press pass that was created for accessing the various media zones (Canada Gate, QEII etc). Produced by Sky on behalf of the UK Broadcasters Pool.

http://www.networkfirst.tv/Royal_Wedding_Press_Pass_01.jpg

PS: Great to see ITV getting such positive comments (for a change)!

I watched the coverage from all three main channels but I have to say that I thought ITV won hands down in terms of the quality of coverage. I must admit I wasn't really expecting that from ITV but I think Philip Schofield and Julie Etchingham had excellent chemistry got the right mood and tone. I thought it was hillarious with Mark Austin being swamped by the crowd on the Mall.

I thought Sky News did really well with their coverage with some good guests and it was great to see how people celebrated the wedding throughout the whole world.

Even though I thought BBC's coverage was very competent I believe it was too formal I personally felt Huw Edwards should have had a co-presenter alongside which could have improved the tempo and coverage. I don't think it was too dull however ITV had a excellent studio and great guests. I deteste people who suggest just because I think ITV won this equates to BBC Bashing. It does not whatsoever I think ITV got the tone just right and the team worked really well together just as much as the BBC and Sky.

Colin was in the same position as Sam Simmonds, in the crowds in front of the palace, from 6am until lunchtime, so did do some lives. Dermot presented Sunrise from the Buckingham Palace studio with Anna Jones. As for Sarah Hughes, she'd been on the sofa in the studio from 6am and was there until after 4, and arguably played a large role in the studio based coverage with Eamonn and Charlotte.

As for your remark about the ITV studio being perfect, I'd disagree slightly. If anything it looked cheap, using furniture you'd expect to see in a conservatory, not on a national broadcaster. Arguably, it worked, but could have been better.