REMEMBRANCE Sunday and all was relatively quiet across the politics shows. With most high-profile figures attending constituency or national services, the usual frantic fight for Monday’s headlines was subdued.
A fitting mark of respect, certainly, but also a chance to draw breath before the fray ahead. 2019 is set to be the biggest small screen election in modern history, to be fought on phone, tablet and television like never before.
With Channel 4 yet to declare its plans, here is what is lined up so far:
November 19: first out of the blocks is ITV, with a head to head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, hosted by Julie Etchingham.
November 22: Question Time leaders’ special from Cardiff. Two hours long, split between Johnson, Corbyn, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and the Liberal Democrats’ Jo Swinson. The Greens and The Brexit Party will have a separate programme. Fiona Bruce in the chair.
November 28. Sky News debate with leaders of Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems. To date only Jo Swinson has accepted.
November 29: BBC seven-way debate from Cardiff including SNP, Brexit Party and Plaid Cymru. Nick Robinson hosting.
December 6: BBC hosts second Johnson-Corbyn clash in Southampton. Nick Robinson presents.
December 9: Question Time special for voters under 30. Hosted by Emma Barnett.
December 10: BBC Scotland, Scotland Leaders debate from Glasgow.
In sum, viewers could spend hour upon hour immersed in political coverage. The question is, do they want to?
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Broadcasters are in a tricky position. Accepted wisdom, and vox pops, would have you believe that the public is sick of politicians. Yet increased viewing figures show the appetite for politics is growing. From January to March, as Theresa May's leadership suffered successive defeats in the Commons, the BBC Parliament channel pulled in a record 3.5 viewers million a month.
TV marketing body Thinkbox publishes a monthly list of the top 50 programmes. In the figures for October 21-27, news bulletins took nine spots, with the BBC’s Six O’Clock News leading the way with audiences of four million plus. While no-one is suggesting news is a serious rival to the likes of Strictly (6.8 million viewers live) or His Dark Materials (7 million) or the Bake Off final (7 million), the demand is there.
An alternative way to measure how important the TV debates have become is to look at the amount of time and energy parties spend fighting about them. The Liberal Democrats are threatening legal action over Jo Swinson’s exclusion from the head to head debates, citing the 2010 clashes between then party leader Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Gordon Brown as precedent. If the third party had a place then, the party argues, why not now?
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, whose party is the third largest at Westminster, is similarly annoyed at being left out of the head to heads. “What are you scared of?” she asked messrs Corbyn and Johnson last week. A Scottish Conservative “insider” yesterday gave his backing to the First Minister, telling the Mail on Sunday cheekily: “For us, the more Scots see of Nicola Sturgeon the better. Her relentless focus on more constitutional division just helps drive up our support.”
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It is not solely up to the parties, however. Communications regulator Ofcom’s rules state that: “In determining the appropriate level of coverage to be given to parties and independent candidates broadcasters must take into account evidence of past electoral support and/or current support. Broadcasters must also consider giving appropriate coverage to parties and independent candidates with significant views and perspectives.” In short, size matters.
Broadcasters want to make compelling television that pulls in a decent level of viewers. Ratings are particularly important on commercial television where ad slots still have to be filled, often in lucrative prime time periods.
If only the broadcasters knew what makes for must-see political TV. In general, lots of voices talking at once puts viewers off, and big personalities make for bigger ratings. Live debates rely in the end on what happens on the night: the unexpected question that throws politicians off their game; the irate audience member; the skill of the presenter in moving matters along.
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One innovation we probably won’t be seeing more of is Kay Burley’s “empty chairing” of Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly last week. Mr Cleverly said he was not booked to go on her Sky News breakfast show; Ms Burley said he had told her team he would do it. “Where on Earth is he?” she asked. More than 20 complaints have been made to Ofcom.
As the fighting over representation intensifies in the run up to the debates, British broadcasters and viewers can at least console themselves that it could be worse. In the US the debates involving Democrat presidential hopefuls started with 20 participants and coverage had to be split over two nights. The moral of this story for politics anoraks everywhere? Be careful what you wish for.
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