A significant new audio and visual archive of historic election coverage released as part of a research project by the BBC and University of Sussex. It includes film material from every election since 1950, archive documents on the development of election broadcasting and oral history clips with politicians and presenters. For example see this clip which describes how Harold Wilson asked for an episode of Steptoe and Son moved on the night of the 1964 vote.
See more accounts of behind the scene preparation iluding a photograph of journalists covering the election in 1955.
Also available: copies of the election editions of every Radio Times since 1922.
In 1935 it was announced that between 10pm and 4am the BBC will be announcing results interspersed with a programme of light music from the Victor Olof Sextet. Also added was the note that viewers should not ring up: ‘Do not make telephone inquiries about the election results such inquiries cannot in any case be answered.’
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