Playing a part in the democratic process, dock10 was able to work to very tight deadlines to bring the leaders debates to the screen
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: June 17, 2024 Updated: June 18, 2024
Playing a part in the democratic process, dock10 was able to work to very tight deadlines to bring the leaders' debates to the screen
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Playing a part in the democratic process, dock10 was able to work to very tight deadlines to bring the leaders' debates to the screen
https://www.tvbeurope.com/live-production/the-quay-to-downing-street-how-dock10-produced-the-leaders-debates title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Since first appearing in 2010, television debates have become an essential part of the process in UK election campaigns, with leaders' performances seen as potentially game-changing in the race to Number 10. While next month's General Election was not unexpected, its timing came as a surprise to many. The team from dock10 studios needed to respond rapidly.
Based at the heart of Manchester's Media City, the dock10 facility was chosen to host the two debates produced by ITV and MultiStory Media. To find out more about how the process worked, TVBEurope talked to dock10's head of technology operations, John O'Shaughnessy, who explained how the studio was able to react so effectively: At dock10 we are used to working to late production requests and tight deadlines. The hugely skilled team and highly flexible facilities enable us to achieve this. Having worked on many Leader's Debates for itv, stretching back to 2015, as soon as we were aware of the election date we starting to design and plan based on previous events. We engaged with the ITV production and news teams as soon as feasible and adjusted the plans to suit desired variations.
John O'Shaughnessy, head of technology operations, dock10 Continuing, O'Shaughnessy clarified exactly what role dock10 played in proceedings: Primarily as ITV's studio provider of technical facilities and staff. This included diverse transmission & connectivity lines to ITV and third party providers, along with all ancillary facilities (production offices, green room, audience handling & seating, dressing rooms etc.). Also, bespoke and shared pool' feeds and communications were distributed across the Media City site and to ITV's spin' room housing the press and candidate support teams.
Given the importance of the debates in the democratic process, the fact that they might very well have an influence on who forms the next UK Government, it is crucial that everything works as planned. How big was the team behind the two debates, and how many studios/galleries were used?
For the main Transmission days, the total team varied from 56 (head-to-head) to 70 (7-way) personnel, said O'Shaughnessy. This was made up of operational crew, technology team, back-office management, co-ordination & scheduling, audience handlers & local security. These numbers exclude ITV production staff and the multiple external teams of security personnel.
The debates were held in one studio and its associated three galleries (production, lighting/vision and sound). All technical facilities were controlled through a master control room linked to two central technology areas, hosting 100+ racks of equipment.
O'Shaughnessy then outlined the technology that was used for both programmes, which included:
Sony HDC-3500 cameras with assorted lenses, pedestals, Jimmy Jib & Furio Dolly
Sony MVS-8000 Vision Switcher
Calrec Apollo Audio Mixer and assorted Hydra2 I/O boxes and network
Riedel Artist & Bolero comms system
Tait facility wide comms system
EVS XT3
Autocue
Multiple centralised facilities (incl. routers, ,multi-viewers, broadcast network, glue)
On-screen graphics included Ross XPression for simple name captions etc. with Perpetual DOG/watermark keyed via the vision switcher.
Finally, considering a question about the most challenging aspect of working on the debates (apart from keeping the fact that dock10 was the location under wraps, prior to the event), O'Shaughnessy answered, The request to deliver within a few days along with an already busy studio schedule over a half-term school period resulted in challenges over equipment and staffing resources. Both were accomplished through precise planning, organisation and a fantastic team effort.
MediaCity to host first debate of 2024 General Election
Most recent headlines
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/01/2026
A still from OBEX by Albert Birney, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance...
02/01/2026
Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Wint...
02/01/2026
NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunsh...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
Playing a part in the democratic process, dock10 was able to work to very tight deadlines to bring the leaders debates to the screen
