
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
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
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...
24/01/2026
Masami Kawai Selected as the 2026 Merata Mita Fellow; Isabella Madrigal and Tsanavi Spoonhunter Named 2026 Graton Fellows During Native Forum Celebration in Par...
24/01/2026
The MC-55A Peregrine aircraft will give the Royal Australian Air Force information superiority and serve as strategic assets for future Australian Defence Force...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
RT and Virgin Media Television kick off comprehensive free-to-air coverage of t...
23/01/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 29 July, 2025 - Yospace, the global leader in Dynamic A...
23/01/2026
WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Powe...
23/01/2026
Tight set up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions into Grand Central...
23/01/2026
Evolving production: The PSA on bringing squash to more viewers at the Tournamen...
23/01/2026
AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim R...
23/01/2026
NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Story...
23/01/2026
Spotify's annual Best New Artist celebration honors the rising stars whose talent, creativity, and dedication have propelled them to the music industry'...
23/01/2026
Coalition military forces operating across the vast geography of the Indo-Pacific rely on interoperable, secure data links to share intelligence, surveillance a...
23/01/2026
Artist rendering of L3Harris Technologies' AERIS next generation airborne early warning and control solution....
23/01/2026
The U.S. Air Force AMP Increment II aircraft at L3Harris' facility in Waco, Texas. L3Harris has modernized C-130 avionics since 1985, delivering digital coc...
23/01/2026
Paramount is transforming its operations by unifying the media supply chains of their top brands into a scalable global pipeline.
This transformation enhances ...
23/01/2026
Every delay costs. When a subtitle fails QC, even the smallest issue can mean missed deadlines, extra vendor costs, or frustrated teams. The new Accurate.Video ...
23/01/2026
Multi-year deal utilizes Nielsen's full suite of local audience marketing in...
23/01/2026
New York, NY January 21, 2026 - Neptune BidCo US Inc. (the Issuer or the Co...
23/01/2026
ALT Systems, Inc., a leading system integrator and technology solutions provider for the media and entertainment industry, today announced the launch of PixSpan...
23/01/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) will mark a major milestone for Pro AV-over-IP at ISE 2026 with the official launch of Internet Protocol Media Experi...
23/01/2026
KRK, a leader in professional studio monitoring for nearly four decades, will unveil the all new V Series Five at the 2026 NAMM Show, offering attendees an excl...
23/01/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced Steve LLamb, Vice President of Technology Standards and Solutions for Cin...
23/01/2026
IBC today announces that the call for Technical Papers is now open for the IBC2026 Conference, inviting innovators from across the global media, entertainment, ...
23/01/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Asharq News, the leading multi-platform Arabic news service owned by the Saudi Research & Media Group (SRMG), has expanded its c...
23/01/2026
At the SET Expo 2025, a consortium including Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Motorola, and Rohde & Schwarz successfully demonstrated a real-world proof-of-concept ...
23/01/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the appointment of Gwen Braygreen as Executive Vice President and...
23/01/2026
Alfalite, Brainstorm, Dejero, Domo Broadcast Systems, FOR-A, KitPlus, Ontario Soluciones and RGB Spectrum partner to demonstrate revolutionary integrated soluti...
23/01/2026
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer experience and engagement, expands its team to ignite a new era of professional-grade pro...
23/01/2026
LOGIC media solutions, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Partner specialising in AWS-based media workflows, is one of the official launch partners of the ne...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
23/01/2026
Friday 23 January 2026
Sky appoints Lisa Clark as Commissioning Executive for SNL UK
Lisa Clark headshot
PNG (468KB)
Lisa Clark joins Sky as Commissioning E...
23/01/2026
Back to All News
Pavane' Drops Teaser Ahead of February 20 Debut - A Tende...
23/01/2026
FY2025 Full Year Results...
23/01/2026
RT is delighted to announce that the RT and F s ireann / Screen Ireland supported short film Retirement Plan has been nominated for Best Animated Short at th...
22/01/2026
SVG Students To Watch: Chuck Luarasi, Curry CollegeThe Massachusetts native is cutting his teeth with Harvard Athletics, Cape Cod Baseball LeagueBy Brandon Cost...
22/01/2026
Follow the Money, Episode 4: Talking Tech, Sports, and Private Capital With Sam ...
22/01/2026
Fever pitch: WRC is back for the start of the 2026 season with Rallye Monte-Carl...
22/01/2026
FloSports Prepares To Broadcast Outdoor Hockey Game Amidst Brutally Cold Tempera...