ITV and Sky News outline plans for December General Election coverage

ITV and Sky have both today announced their coverage plans for the 2019 General Election campaign and results.

Julie Etchingham will oversee a debate between PM Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for ITV.

“It has been a period of huge political instability and Sky News has been on the front line of making sense of that for our viewers. We will continue to do that, but this will be unlike any election in history. Sky News has spent months planning for this possibility and we have a fantastic set of plans to provide a new and fresh way of following the election, reflecting the very different and unknown territory we are all venturing in to.” – John Ryley, Head of Sky News

ITV will stage a live head-to-head debate on Tuesday 19th November between Conservative leader Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Julie Etchingham will moderate the debate. Later that same evening ITV will broadcast a live interview based programme in which other party leaders will be able to comment on the head-to-head debate and set out their own electoral offer.

ITV plans to hold another debate later in the campaign at which the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, the Brexit Party, the Greens, Plaid Cymru as well as Labour and the Conservative Party will all have the opportunity to be represented by their leader or another senior figure. There will additionally be separate live prime time debates in Northern Ireland and Wales. STV plan to hold a debate in Scotland.

ITV’s Tonight programme plans profiles and interviews with the leaders of the main political parties in Britain in the lead up to the 12th December vote. ITV’s Peston programme will provide its own insight into the latest developments each week. And Good Morning Britain as well as other ITV Daytime shows will offer their focus on the campaign.

Good Morning Britain will get into the election mood for ITV Breakfast.

Over at Sky News the network will create several new programmes to cover what they have branded The Brexit Election. The rolling news channel will be on the campaign trail through to Thursday 12th December. Sky News will broadcast part of its programming live every weekday from a different constituency. The Path to Power will take Mark Austin across the whole of the UK to meet voters in the towns and communities where this election will be decided, and where traditional political loyalties are being torn up.

Every day of the campaign Ed Conway will lead Campaign Check to verify the claims and counter claims of the politicians while Rowland Manthorpe will lead a multiplatform project called Under The Radar to shine a light on the ways voters are profiled and then served specific messaging to influence their voting intentions.

Every weeknight Niall Paterson will host The Campaign live from Sky News’ Westminster studio and look back on each day of campaigning and how it will influence the narrative as the election unfolds; and its an extension the EU didn’t need approve as Sophy Ridge’s Sunday politics programme will also air a Saturday edition, bringing twice as many in-depth interviews with the key players from Parliament across the weekend.

The additional election programming will be supported by regular slots offering extensive coverage including Kay Burley @ Breakfast and All Out Politics with Adam Boulton. BBC News and Channel 4 News have yet to publish details of their GE output.

“More details on all ITV’s comprehensive General Election coverage, in national and regional programming, including live overnight coverage of the results will be set out in the coming days.” – ITV

Kay Burley @ Breakfast will provide up to date coverage for Sky.