BBC Coverage

Just thought I'd start a thread just for the BBC coverage.

First impressions are that the titles were a bit rubbish. It's a bit disapointing that the whole program hasn't adopted a BBC News style. The studio is great (best feature) and graphics are OK. I feel they would have done much better with a static |B|B|C| dog.

Overall, I'm a little disapointed but I still think they've done an adaquate job.

It would be better if they had used a jazzed up Westminster Live theme. I also think they should have other political people, such as Mark Mardell and Nick Robinson in the studio, as well as Chris Eakin - he's done a great job on News 24 every morning covering the party press conferences. I've captured the Vote 2001 titles, but I think I'll delete it, as its not a good theme!

I have to say BBC has disappointed me so far. No virtual studio, the staircase is a poor idea. ITV graphics are far superior and innovative. ITV have been around more outside broadcasts with correspondents and done more interviews with politicians around the country.

I like the background image behind David Dimbleby - a faint image of the newsroom, with a purple tint!

I just saw Peter Snow's (I think that's his name) step thing --- I'm sorry, but It's really quite dorky!

Well I think the BBC's coverage is by far the best. And I especially like Jeremy Paxman, when interviewing MPs!

If that is the BBC's election gimmick, then it's very poor. And the BBC's graphics on the whole look very jaded, they should have done something more virtual. Dermot's House of Comons is far superior to Peters.

Yeah, but Peter's swingometer is far better! BBC decided not to take Prescott's speech live but stick with Straw and record it. ITV kept with it longest, Sky soon cut away after being ordered to 'crash into it' as the director said!

I have to say all of the networks have been very good this time.
I prefer Sky's it is more interesting and especially in the important seats it is faster and more interesting.
Going to cal my sister now, she is at Chester Town Hall doing the counting

I am not keen on the swingometer to be honest, it is very clever flying out of that board but come on BBC, you really should be using a VR studio!

Comparingthe graphics, I have to say i prefer the BBC graphics. They are a lot clearer. I don't think a virtual studio is required. I think it's just a bit of a novelty.

The BBC were innovators in the VR world many years ago.  Now that everyone else is using VR (so passé), the BBC have moved on and this time used a VR swingometer in a real set. Very clever.

I am sure I have seen presenters wandering around a VR House of commons in the past, probably on ITN before too, so that's not a new idea.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who show's what and the fastest, it's getting an understanding of the whole picture, and dashing around at 900 mph isn't really giving the big picture IMO.  No broadcaster can show everything at once, so stuff is turned around.  What one broadcaster shows first, another will be showing something else first, so all this talk of speed is really academic.  We all knew who had won by midnight anyway, so the declaration was a non-event.  BBC is normally best for analysis.

The atmosphere of the big studio gave a more exciting feel than ITNs (didn't see Sky) dead atmos small studio - there was no 'buzz'.

BBC had 'weightier' guests in the studio, and interesting to see coverage in the political HQ's on CNN & ITN with huge video screens with the BBC on.

(Edited by andyrew at 5:36 pm on June 8, 2001)