Election People Apart from the professional politicians, for whom Election Night is always a nail-biting mixture of hope. ioy and despair, the hottest seat after the count surely belongs to the man who is heading BBC Television's £^admjimes results marathon. Jenny Rees talked to anchorman Alastair Burnet for whom ... BBCtv and Radio 23 Feb. -1 March This is Election Issue- There's a lot of J� a ' top nurse ' election, XOOI Pallisers election people, plus interviews with the people, on the and full theatre involved^ background places details of the BBC programmes in Election 74 Poll sisters 6 Jill (above right, and cover) doesn't claim to be Britain's ' top nurse' for whom Nationivide launches the search on Wednes- day (BBC1). But Eithne Power asks : What's in nursing for Jill? Pottptaces 12 RADIO TIMES' Election 74 guide - a full list of the constituencies, old, new and amended, with a computer-estimate of how they voted in 1970. Poll programmes... 17 ... from BBCl's Midweek Special on Saturday night, BBC2's Mid- week Specials (Mon-Wed), through to BBC1 and Radio 4's full, live coverage on Thursday night/Fri- day morning, results and news on all channels and wavelengths throughout Friday and BBCl's final round-up of Election 74 on Friday night. Past pollsters 48 'HERE WE HAVE isn't it? ' he says. ' Butler and tum of its own, he says. ' You an election coming McKenzie with their psepho- get enmeshed in the coverage in the middle of logy, and Robin Day with his during the campaign. But of a crisis between the Govern- interviews ... it was good to course, something that happens ment and the Unions. We be against them-but it's very in the outside world can sud- haven't seen anything like this good to be with them.' denly pull you up. As in 64, since the war,' says Alastair Demanding and exacting as when Khrushchev got booted Burnet. the TV marathon may seem to out in Russia. That kind of A century ago, people like Phin- An award-winning television anyone watching (and it is) thing catches you out.' eas and Glencora of The Pallisers journalist, he's presenting the that's not how it feels to Burnet But back on the home front, (Saturday BBC2) held the power. General Election results mara- on the night. ' If I weren't in here we are with our General Liz Dickson and Stanley Olsen thon on BBCtv (Election 74, the studio, working and involv- Election in the middle of the ask five Pallisers players about Thursday 10.0 pm BBC1) for ed, I'd be waiting and watching National Emergency. And yet the onscreen people they portray. the first time since he crossed anyway. It's the greatest peak a low turn-out wouldn't sur- over from ITV. in politics.' prise Burnet: ' Turn-outs have Local radio 53 ' It's a great television turn, An election has a momen- been falling really )* � 4 Election When all hell The man who puter. He does. We'll be- People lieve him, not it, if there's breaks loose calls the race doubt.' ///// he Professor of Mathemati- � since the 50s,' Reporter this is Although Economics at says. ' The Conservatives Michael Graham cal Warwick, their Pyatt's is the say they can get Cockerell (left) fifth BBCtv Gen- Pyatt computer's to the poll better is one of those who'll mouthpiece, interpreting people just eral Election, he still than Labour. But with the be out with a its predictions. A man to staked lurks in the background. Labour Outside whom computers are more three-day week, BBCty Broadcast If anyone would be hard people, having nothing unit at of the key con- than mere machines, he's one hit by a computer failure, else to do, may turn out stituencies to catch the excited about the BBC Pyatt's the man. one. 'It's and fast.' in greater numbers. There declaration. Editor Mike Townson large are Labour who AIf we Tre allowed inside organisers says: Graham's the man fancy their chances.' count, we all have for the who calls the race. We Graham Pyatt: he's the No one knows why turn- to the Declaration of s,ign don't understand the com- computer's mouthpiece out figures are falling. Sometimes we're ' Sjcrecy. Britain isn't politically out in th� cjgld, hanging apathetic. People just about. I never wear a vest don't in put politics first -just 4 beavy "overcoat! ' their which is one lives, The annougicement is al- reason why the Conserva- ways a real human drama, tives have a better track he says. 'Theft all hell record. Audience figures breaks loose. All the world for party political broad- loves a winner so there's a casts are high.' rush to get that first inter- Perhaps what Burnet view. enjoys most is the second 1 There's the classic day of the results pro- technique of sticking a gramme: Moving-vans at microphone under his No 10, cars going back- nose. Some people have wards and forwards to and bigger feet, louder voices from the Palace. There's a and longer arms for that; lot of theatre involved.' it can be ungentlemanly.' a stiff Evening Standard. Just As BBC Political Editor, Sophisticated gin and tonic based at the House, bingo caller 'No pep pills, General Elections take on Meet 'the Blow- a more just a stiff gin personal meaning er ' - alias Jan him. ' and tonic at the for I've friends on Fairer. She'll be start,' says Hardiman Scott both sides,' he says, ' and and down it me a to see prowling up of his stint presenting gives twinge Studio TC1 and as the a friend lose his seat. It's Radio 4's Election Special telephonists take down sad to see the unreturned 74 (Thursday 10.30 pm). results on the specially Members their With him will be collecting prepared forms, Jan mur- Anthony King, Professor belongings.! murs them into her lip- of Government at Essex, microphone. Her ' mini- and Robert Carvel, Politi- Scott: Elections take on a broadcast! triggers into cal Editor of the London more personal meaning action everybody you see on your screen. I It's a lot of walking for a sophisticated bingo call- er. I wear flat shoes and take glucose tablets. I have to pull around a long cable for the mike, so I feel like a puppet on a string. After the last Elec- tion, I had cable fatigue.' Jan's other worry is food. You live on choco- late, cheese sandwiches and coffee - in any order.' Jan: her ' mini-broadcast' triggers into action every- one you see on your screen The and On ' switch talkback' he's Choice agony talking right into the ear- My the ecstasy drums of Burnet, Butler, ' The General McKenzie, Pyatt and Day Election prog- as they're talking to you. ramme is the He's got the producers' zenith in TV directing. It s decisions in his own head- the really big one,' says phones. But it's Keith who Keith who has makes it all Clement, ' happen. landed the plum this time. The joy, blatantly, is In the gallery of Studio the power. It's an agony TCI, Keith's facing a bank and an ecstasy.' of 25 monitor screens, con- trolling eight cameras and Keith Clement: he's the 24 Outside Broadcast units. man who makes it happen great national pageant.' Consuming A Fellow of Nuffield Col- Robin Day passion lege, Oxford, he's a do-it- I'll be in the General Elec- yourself enthusiast and studio every night tions, for David father of three small boys. this week work- Butler, the poli- Writing his seventh Gen- ing on the election pro- tical economist (above, at eral Election book, he grammes, so my choice is Nuffield College), who'll be won't be spending Election made for me. I start with doing his usual spot analy- Day reding up, but visiting a 9.5 am radio show, then sis of the results as they polling stations and Party on to the party press con- come in, monitored HQs. ' My late night in the ferences, then back to the through the computer, are studio is far from an or- studio to work on that not so much work as a deal,' he says. ' I'll be evening's programmes, in- consuming passion. doing my favourite thing, cluding extended News This is his eighth BBCtv getting constructive argu- (Monday and Tuesday General Election: They ments going, based on BBC1) and Midweek (Sat- make one feel part of the friendship and trust.' urday BBC1, Monday, Tues- day, Wednesday BBC2). We have had our own ( election programme' running all day and every day in our central control room - a bank of monitors which show us speeches being made by leading politicians all over the country. By the time we reach Election Night (Election Results Thurs- day BBC1), the back- ground to my interviews is firmly in my head, though I still face the in- terviewer's perennial pro- blem of when to follow up Master of the AH fed and a question and when to change the topic. You Swingometer watered... have to restrain yourself Bob McKenzie, To keep the' 600 from being ' clever,' from master of the or so people in chasing a side issue where Swingometer, and around the you have good supplemen- dashingly describes his Election Results studio tary questions and thereby role on the night as ' giv- TC1 fed and watered, running out of time to ask ing a spaced-out reflective Brian de Ville (catering a major question every- commentary.' manager at BBC TV body wants to know about.