The Northern Ireland Election Thread

The correspondents at the post counts so far are:

BBC NI

Balmoral - Yvette Shapiro

Ballymoney - Shane Glynn

Derry - Kieran Tourish

Ards - James Kerr

Banbridge - Conor McCauley

UTV

Ards - Letitia Fitzpatrick

Balmoral - Fearghal McKinney

Ballymoney - Ivan Little

Banbridge - Jane Loughrey

Derry - Mark McFadden

Dromore - David Morgan

Omagh - Jeanie Johnston

Newtownabbey - Tracey Magee

Both channels have their own mini-sets at each count.

UTV have gone all out - there's OBs left right and centre this time around.

Possibly same if not more than BBC?

Peter:
"UTV have gone all out - there's OBs left right and centre this time around.

Possibly same if not more than BBC?"

I think Noel mentioned that the BBC were at each count as well.

Controversial - the UTV set says "Derry" at the Foyle count

UTV are very careful about that. it has Londonderry in the titles.

So they go and do both, unlike BBC.

HA HA HA!

What is Big Ian doing with Big Ivan?!? I'm glad I'm taping this

It was quite funny - even when BBC Newsline tried to pretend they were in another location by having Maggie in the other side of he corridor when Shane was at the other site, shame big Ivan just walked past when he was in the back of Shanes shot a few minutes earlier!!!

First result in already... DUP 1, Sinn Fein 1

In a Quark Xpress lesson so the TV sets are off

Weird seeing Mark Carruthers and Mike Nesbitt wearing glasses...

BBC Newsline had a bit of a slip up missing most of the Jeffrey Donaldson interview... Noel is starting to get on my nerves now.

I get the impression the BBC graphics package is from somewhere else, as for some reason the table in the bottom right showing seats so far always seems to have NORTHERN IRELAND on it beside the clock. Well d'uh - we do know we are in NI!

Maybe the system was used somewhere else before here?

Peter:
"Maybe the system was used somewhere else before here?"

Perhaps Wales - the primary colours for the three main parties and green for Plaid Cymru?

The "passport photo" graphics for the MLAs is a clever gimmick though.

That's because it was an interview he was giving to UTV...

I was under the impression that the BBC NI system was a NI branded version of that used for the English elections back in May, they used the same barcode logo did they not for their "Vote 03."

I've been watching bits and bobs of the coverage and up until now, presentation-wise, UTV have failed to impress me. They do seem to have the OB distribution down to a tee though and the BBC mistake with the locations and Fergal walking inbetween does sound hilarious! Overall, I'm not particularly taken by the BBC NI set but their graphics have impressed.