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 ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Among other tweaks to coverage, the broadcaster added announce positions in the ...
22/07/2026
The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia's sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in...
22/07/2026
From a retrofitted broadcast bus to packed Match Day Live! events, Bennett detai...
22/07/2026
TMRW Sports has named Brendan Donohue as President, Flag Football, where he will lead the company's professional flag football business in partnership with ...
22/07/2026
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) designed and produced soundtracks for nine projection...
22/07/2026
Harmonic has announced a $25,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) fo...
22/07/2026
Telemundo has announced it has acquired from UC3 exclusive U.S. Spanish-language...
22/07/2026
The Rest Is Football, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, ...
22/07/2026
Sports Studio has announced a partnership with TheSoul Group to distribute Free ...
22/07/2026
Daktronics has concluded its 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day hybrid event combining virtual sessions with hands-on host school visits across the countr...
22/07/2026
FOR-A America will exhibit at the MMCA Show in Pensacola, Florida (July 21-24), marking the company's first appearance at the house of worship AV event. FOR...
22/07/2026
The New York Yankees have selected Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to connect Ya...
22/07/2026
Calrec will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.C47) with demonstrations of its IP-native audio ecosystem built around the Argo console range, and will announce two ne...
22/07/2026
Solid State Logic has announced the appointment of Algam EKO as its distributor for SSL large format consoles in Italy, covering the Live, Broadcast, and Studio...
22/07/2026
FloSports has announced the launch of the FloSports Channel, a free ad-supported streaming channel premiering on Prime Video in the U.S. on July 21. The channel...
22/07/2026
Banana Ball TV (BTV), the broadcast operation of the Savannah Bananas, has insta...
22/07/2026
SiriusXM and Audacy have announced an agreement bringing 42 Audacy sports, news, and talk stations from 29 U.S. markets to SiriusXM. Twenty-three Audacy sports ...
22/07/2026
The collaboration produced more than 500 short-form videos across four cities th...
22/07/2026
At 2,600 sq. ft., the new home of digital content houses a main studio, podcast space, and an auxiliary control room
NFL franchises are accelerating their prod...
22/07/2026
Library now available in Engine Player
Another of Eduardo Tarilonte's popular sample libraries has just been moved over to Engine Audio's Engine Pla...
22/07/2026
All-in-one mic & DSP interface overhauled
Cloudvocal have just refreshed the design of their all-in-one mic, audio interface and DSP processor, introducing ...
22/07/2026
The final boss of the lost dual-op-amp circuit
Electro-Harmonix have just introduced the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2, which they say offers their latest take on t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
A poisoned spy, a secret war, and a small English city contaminated by a deadly chemical weapon. Available on Sky Documentaries from 4 AugustWednesday 22 July 2...
22/07/2026
Audio at Parity: Comscore Launches Transcript-Level Targeting and Measurement wi...
22/07/2026
Arvato Systems and Lobster Enter into a Partnership and Combine the Integration Platform and Managed Services
Flexible integration solutions for cloud, hybrid...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
Playing a part in the democratic process, dock10 was able to work to very tight deadlines to bring the leaders debates to the screen
