Election 2010 – Technology’s Role in the Coverage

Leaving aside the standard technology which we often take for granted (TV Cameras, Broadcast Satellite, Radio ISDN technology), this could be a great year for watching the Election – as boring as it might be given the nothingness of the campaign, we are in for a real treat when it comes to the coverage.

At the recent General Elections in the UK, the BBC among others went absolutely tech mad – it was fantastic.  I can recall the use of Holograms by CNN or the BBC (I can’t remember) during the US Elections, but for the BBC in the UK election the key tech was the touch screen interface to a big screen TV, and also a ‘white room’ which was totally interactive.

In this ‘white room’ the reporter could walk around, over a map of the UK, point into the air and on screen be pointing and guiding graphs and charts across the screen.

I’m not overly excited about this election, however the coverage looks like it will have something to offer.

Not only do we have SKY vs ABC News 24, we also have Seven vs Nine in what appeared like being a comical coverage, given the way it’s been promoted.  However, Nine has released a ‘behind the scenes’ video of the technology they plan to use on the night.

The video below shows Nine’s Michael Usher in a green studio which allows Nine to interactively place Michael anywhere – this is very like the BBC idea, but perhaps without the interaction from Michael with what he’s standing in – it does look impressive.

Expect Nine to have their Mega touch screen down in Canberra for the coverage in the Tally Room, but the big question is, what do Seven, SKY and ABC have to offer?

Looking forward to it – question is – how does the type of coverage, or the technology used affect what you choose to watch?