The BBC Follows the Poll Sam Pollock Tells You How the General Election Will Be Covered in Up-To-The-Minute Broadcasts
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The BBC Follows the Poll Sam Pollock tells you how the General Election will be covered in up-to-the-minute broadcasts IN TELEVISION ON the evening of Polling Day, October 8, BBC Television embarks on the biggest and most complex operation it has ever undertaken-an operation dwarfing even its effort on the occasion of the last General Election in 1955, which was itself a record. No fewer than fifty-seven cameras-twenty more than in 1955-will be mobilised for the task of giving the viewer not only the speediest results service possible, with a continuous flow of authoritative comment, interpretation, and analysis, but of enabling him as results are declared, and without moving from his armchair, to make a nation-wide tour of keypoints and centres of interest in the electoral battle. As in 1955, the headquarters and hub of the operation will be the London studio (equipped for the occasion with nine cameras-the normal maximum complement of the largest studio is four), from which at 9.15 p.m. Richard Dimbleby will again introduce the most experienced pair of election commentators and .analysts in Britain: David Butler, whose standing as a psephologist (a word many of us first became acquainted with in connection with his work) has practically made him Britain's 'Mister Election'; and Robert McKenzie, whose British Politi- cal Parties has become a standard work on our party system-not to mention his distinction as a commentator on world affairs. As the results come in, Butler and McKenzie will help the viewer more fully to appreciate their significance with a running fire of comment IN SOUND and analysis, with sidelights on local backgrounds and personalities, with an equally full service of results, comment, analysis footnotes on ' swings' and trends as they emerge. In assessing the latter, MEANTIME, and Polling Day ' actuality,' lacking only visual illustration, will be David Butler and his backroom team-mates will be assisted by one of the available for listeners. Preceded by the of the voting latest electronic which will provide the studio team with a story day's computers, from reporters throughout the in Britain at the Polls complete analysis of the significance of each result within seconds. country (Home Service, 9.15 p.m.), broadcasting of results will start at about 10 p.m. and continue until after 4.0 a.m. The centre of this operation will be four Reactions Throughout the Country desks in the News Room at Egton House, each of which will have its of At the party headquarters, to interview leaders and report will alphabetical quota constituencies, and will receive and check the Press reactions, Association be Kenneth Harris and Derek Hart, who will also appear in the studio tape notification of results before passing them to studios for from time to time. Derek Hart will not be the only member of the broadcasting. Tonight team taking part. Also in the studio will be Cliff Michelmore, Every quarter-hour from 11p.m. summaries of the state of the parties, who will present interviews, reactions and comment, from all parts of the compiled at another desk in Egton. will be broadcast, and there will be country. Amongst other Tonight regulars who will form part of the corps expert comment on and interpretation of trends and ' swings,' contributed of reporters deployed throughout Britain will be Alan Whicker, Fyfe by Dr. Norman Hunt, Guy Eden, Hugh Benington, Stephen Parkinson, Robertson, John Morgan, and Trevor Philpott. Robert Kee, David Cole- and Walter James. As with television, it may not be possible to offer man, and Raymond Baxter are other TV personalities who will swell the these regularly during the spate of results, but they will be broadcast from ranks of a band of reporters such as has never before been mustered for time to time as the opportunity occurs. one television operation. And of course all the BBC's regional head- In the Light Programme, the service on Polling Day is designed more quarters will once more be making their frequent contributions of for those who, while wishing to keep abreast of the election battle at local comment and analysis throughout the night. In addition, well- intervals, do not want the full, continuous, and detailed information known figures, among them Lord Boothby, Herbert Morrison (recently provided by the Home Service. On Election night the Light Programme made a Life Peer), and Alan Bullock, will be dropping into either the will pursue its normal course until the News Summary at 11.30 p.m. London or regional studios to give their reactions. After this News Summary, listeners to the Light will be offered a pro- The first result is expected soon after 10 p.m. Although it is not gramme of light music continuing throughout the night and early morning known where this will come from, there is always something of a ' race ' until about 4.30 a.m. This will be interrupted punctually every quarter- between Billericay, Cheltenham. Exeter, and Salford to be the first con- hour for up-to-the-minute news of the Election, including the state of the stituency to complete its count and declare the poll, with this year parties, and at the hour and half-hour analyses of results so far. Southampton challenging as an outsider. Of this first result, and of pretty The following morning the news bulletins at 7 and 8 a.m. will be well to be declared 11 every other likely by p.m., it can be claimed that no immediately followed by successive editions of Election Newsreel, taking one apart from the respective returning officers will be ahead of BBC the place of the usual two editions of the magazine Today. These news- viewers in knowing them. Through Outside Broadcast cameras they will reels will contain a full review of the Election so far, including analytical be at the of the count and the present completion declaration. reports by the BBC Parliamentary Correspondent, Roland Fox, who, with The early trickle of results is expected to develop into a flood between his colleague, Conrad Voss-Bark, will be following the course of the 1 1 30 p.m. and 2 a.m., averaging three results a minute at its peak. During Election throughout. They will also include ' 'actuality' collected by this period everything but the briefest comment and analysis will be sus- reporters in the field and reactions from foreign capitals. They will end pended, to be resumed with the less heavy flow of results which is with a review of the morning papers, thus giving the listener a complete anticipated until approximately 4.0 a.m., when the service closes down. overnight account of the whole Election so far. BBC Television will be on the air again at 6.30 a.m. on Friday to At 10 a.m. on Friday the Election story will be taken over by Network provide a situation report every half-hour and statement of the party Three, with further results as they come in and summaries of the state of positions. Then at 8 a.m. Richard Dimbleby and his team will continue parties every quarter-hour. If the Election has not been decided by 6 p.m., their service of results, analysis, Outside Broadcasts, and interviews, as on the Home Service will again take over. After the one o'clock news bulletin the Thursday, until 5 p.m. Throughout, the operation will be jointly con- in the Home Service on Friday there will be another Election Newsreel trolled from the gallery of Studio G by Grace Wyndham Goldie and giving up-to-date coverage on the same lines as the two in the morning. Michael Peacock. At 6.10 to 6.30 p.m. on Friday there will be a review Finally, after the 9 p.m. News in the Home Service, comment on the of the situation, and at 8 o'clock an Election round-up in which leaders Election and its result, from at home and abroad, will be presented in of the parties will take part. The People's Choice. Carlisle Denbigh (Denbighshire).... 'Radio Times' Chart for Recording the Con. 370 Nat. Lib. 4.641 Carlton (Notts.)............. Derby: Con. 6,857 North .................. Carmarthen Lab. 5,006 (Carmarthenshire) South ................... Lib. 3,333 (Lab. 3.069) Lab. 6.509 list the United Kingdom's 630 Borough and County constituencies, arranged in This is a complete of Carshalton (Surrey)........ Derbyshire: the results as are broadcast on Con. 11,505 North-East order for listeners and viewers who wish to record they alphabe';cal Cheadle (Ches.)............ lab. 17.344 in the in which they will be announced over Thursday and Friday/. The constituencies are shown form Con. 19,974 South-East................ Lab. 1,581 in this list is the name of the Party which won the seat and its Chelmsford (Essex) the air. Under each constituency Con. 5.149 West are given in brackets. Con. 6.756 majority at the 1955 General Election. Subsequent By-Election figures Cheltenham Con. 7.621 Devizes (Wilts.) STATE OF PARTIES AT THE DISSOLUTION, Chertsey (Surrey).......... Con. 2.075 Conservative 1 Labour � supporters 278 Liberal 6 Vacant seats 6 Con. 8,365 Devon: Conservative � supporters 339 Independent North .............. Chester (Ches.)............. Con. 5.226 BIRMINGHAM (cont.) Irigg (Lines.) Con. 11,002 (Con. 6.348) Dewsbury .« parking...................... Lab. 5,021 Lab. 15,047 Ladywood Chesterfield................. Lab. 7,417 A Lab. Barkston Ash Lab. 8.811 Jrighouse � 7.854 Doncaster « Northfield Spenborough........... Chester-Le-Street Con. 1.660 Aberavon (Glam.) ... (W. Yorks.) Lab. 2.884 lab. 1.626 Con.