BBC Week 18 Week Commencing 2/5/2015

Programme Information Television & Radio

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THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS TELEVISION & RADIO / BBC WEEK 18

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SATURDAY 2 MAY Irish Cup Final BBC Two NI & BBC Radio Ulster

SATURDAY 2 MAY - SUNDAY 3 MAY Dawn Chorus  NEW BBC Radio Ulster

SUNDAY 3 MAY Sunday Politics BBC One Northern Ireland Election 2015 – The Interviews BBC One Northern Ireland

TUESDAY 5 MAY The NI Leaders’ Debate BBC One Northern Ireland The NI Leaders’ Debate: Reaction BBC One Northern Ireland

THURSDAY 7 MAY Election 2015 BBC One Northern Ireland The Polls Have Closed – Election 2015 BBC Radio Ulster

FRIDAY 8 MAY Election Breakfast BBC Radio Ulster

Places of interest: Portmore Lough, County Armagh (Dawn Chorus)

EDITORIAL 2015 / BBC WEEK 18 ______

SATURDAY 2 MAY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 18 ______

The Irish Cup Final Saturday 2 May BBC Two Northern Ireland & BBC Radio Ulster, 2pm

The showpiece of local football, the Irish Cup Final is live on BBC Two NI and BBC Radio Ulster as Glentoran take on Portadown on Saturday 2 May from 2pm.

Glentoran have lifted the cup 21 times compared to Portadown’s three, and for the first time since 1995 the game takes place at the Oval.

On BBC Two Northern Ireland, presenter Stephen Watson will be joined in studio by David Jeffrey, with Stephen Baxter joining Jackie Fullerton on commentary.

On BBC Radio Ulster Michael McNamee will be presenting all the action live. He will be joined by former Glentoran player and manager Scott Young and former Portadown player Philip Major. Joel Taggart will be joined on commentary by Liam Beckett.

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SATURDAY 2 MAY – SUNDAY 3 MAY ______

Dawn Chorus  NEW Saturday 2 May – Sunday 3 May Live on BBC Radio Ulster from Midnight bbc.co.uk/radioulster

BBC Radio Ulster is joining forces with RTE to broadcast one of nature’s most beautiful sounds – the dawn chorus live on air from Saturday 2 May at midnight until 7am on Sunday 3 May.

Presenter Anne-Marie McAleese, along with ornithologist Dot Bleakley will be at the RSPB’s Portmore Lough in County Armagh to link up live with RTE’s Derek Mooney and his guests at Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve in County Cork. There will also be links with NRK, Norway’s national broadcasting service, and other experts and listeners across Ireland.

Ann-Marie said: “One thing’s for sure, it’s going to get very noisy as the birds hit their morning crescendo! And it’s just so exciting to be involved in a radio extravaganza that’s never been done before - a cross border joining of broadcasting hands, with people and birds. However this isn’t just a dawn chorus on these shores – we’re also linking up with Norway – so I’m thinking of it like a Eurovision Song Contest for our feathered friends. Join us from midnight on Saturday when the race is on to see who will be the first to tweet - and where!”

This beautiful natural phenomenon that hails the start of a new day is at its peak at this time of year, and our experts will be on hand to help identify which birds can be heard during the clamour and cacophony the programme will bring live to listener’s ears from each location.

As Dawn Chorus begins at Midnight and finishes at 7am on Sunday 3 May – the race is on to find out which bird will be the first to tweet - and where!

The programme is part of BBC Radio Ulster’s year-long 40th anniversary celebrations.

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SUNDAY 3 MAY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 18 ______

Sunday Politics Sunday 2 May BBC One Northern Ireland, 11:35am.

In this specially-extended Election week edition of Sunday Politics, Mark Carruthers hosts a round- table discussion with key representatives of the five larger parties to explore their policies and ask how they think they’ll fare in that Thursday’s Westminster Elections.

There will be another opportunity to see this programme at 11.35pm on Sunday 2 May.

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Election 2015 – The Interviews Sunday 2 May BBC One Northern Ireland, 5.15pm

BBC Northern Ireland offers viewers another opportunity to hear the big political interviews of the Northern Ireland election campaign, presented by Mark Carruthers.

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TUESDAY 5 MAY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 18 ______

The NI Leaders’ Debate Tuesday 5 May BBC One Northern Ireland, 8pm

This is the most unpredictable election for a generation, commentators say, and Northern Ireland parties could hold the balance of power.

Two days before the general election, Noel Thompson hosts a debate between the five main party leaders in front of a studio audience made up mostly of grassroots supporters and some floating voters.

The NI Leaders’ Debate is on Tuesday 5 May, BBC One Northern Ireland at 8pm.

UK-wide audiences will be able to see The NI Leaders’ Debate later the same evening following BBC Newsnight on BBC Two (regional variations may apply). The BBC News Channel will also simulcast the programme at 8pm on Tuesday 5 May.

Northern Ireland audiences will have another chance to see the debate on BBC Two Northern Ireland at the later time of 00.05am following Stormont Today.

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The NI Leaders’ Debate: Reaction Tuesday 5 May BBC One Northern Ireland, 9.15pm

Tara Mills presents a special programme immediately after The NI Leaders’ Debate getting reaction from the three smaller parties, together with an audience of invited guests as well as analysis from political experts.

The Northern Ireland Leaders’ Debate: Reaction is on Tuesday 5 May on BBC One Northern Ireland at 9.15pm.

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THURSDAY 7 MAY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 18 ______

Election 2015 Thursday 7 May BBC One Northern Ireland, 9.55pm

On election night on Thursday 7 May, Mark Carruthers, Tara Mills and Political Editor Mark Devenport will be live on BBC One Northern Ireland from 9.55pm through to 6am the following day, bringing viewers coverage and analysis of the Westminster election results as they come in from the 18 constituencies.

Joining Mark Devenport to analyse the results Political Editor Mark Devenport in studio will be elections expert Nicholas Whyte.

Mark Simpson and Gareth Gordon will be at the King’s Hall as the results come in for the four constituencies. There’ll be reporters at all the other Northern Ireland counts and Stephen Walker will be in London giving viewers the overall picture across the UK.

The BBC’s pan-UK TV results programme, Election 2015, hosted by David Dimbleby, supported by Nick Robinson, Jeremy Vine, Emily Maitlis and Andrew Neil, will be broadcast on BBC Two Northern Ireland from 10.30pm and on the BBC News Channel.

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The Polls Have Closed - Election 2015 Thursday 7 May BBC Radio Ulster, 10pm

On Thursday 7 May William Crawley presents an election night special live on BBC Radio Ulster from 10pm-2am as the polls close and the first General Election results for Northern Ireland start to come through.

There will be conversation, analysis and interviews with winners and losers as William is joined by political commentators to discuss the wider implications of the General Election results for Northern Ireland.

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FRIDAY 8 MAY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 18 ______

Election Breakfast Friday 8 May BBC Radio Ulster, 6am

Wake up to the General Election results from the tightest contest in years on BBC Radio Ulster.

Who has topped the poll in Northern Ireland and will any party look set to have the numbers to govern at Westminster?

In this special Election programme Noel Thompson and Karen Patterson will be joined by pollsters, number crunchers, journalists and commentators and listeners will be asked to join the conversation, too, by phone, text or on social media.

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