2019 GENERAL ELECTION PPBs

This is simply the 'PPBs' (party political broadcasts) of the NI + UK parties covered in our exam. PPBs are legally required short videos broadcast on national free-to-air 'terrestrial' TV channels (mainly the BBC + ITV). (short Wiki)

Unlike the US, in the UK parties aren't allowed to buy broadcast (TV or radio) ad space. The laws were written long before social media made them look so outdated, but the tradition remains that the parties (different selections with different videos/messages in England, Wales, Scotland and NI; eg the SNP aren't broadcast outside of Scotland or the NI parties outwith NI, while the Scottish Tories and Labour are semi-independent of the London HQ).

They're easy to mock, but quite revealing and so useful to gain an understanding of where parties stand - or at least on what they'd like to focus. They're often very light on policy and also often lead on the personality of leaders...

The 2019 GE (general election) PPBs...

At the time of writing this, I don't think the UK nationals had aired yet...
They've all done lots of vids for social media though...

Tories still have 'webcameronuk' as their channel URL!

Labour's channel is more policy-focused, less on the cult of personality, and in contrast to the Tories they focus on multiple issues. But...that isn't necessarily smart marketing.










A few articles you can read:

(SOURCE: BBC)

The story of the party election broadcast (2015)
- why were a bulldog's testicles so widely discussed in 1997?!

Party election broadcasts: How have they changed and do they still matter? (2019, Oct)

- started on radio in 1924, by 1959 they were on BBC and ITV TV channels and established as normal.

Ofcom sets the rules for the broadcasts, which include the fact a party must be contesting at least a sixth of the seats in the election to qualify for a slot. They must also have a running time of either two minutes 40 seconds, three minutes 40 seconds, or four minutes 40 seconds. ... 

These traditional post-teatime news slots make up for the ban the parties face on buying other TV and radio advertising. 

However, as the Electoral Commission has pointed out, "electoral law was written long before campaigning went digital", so rather than one channel with one guaranteed audience, you are looking at internet advertising with spending on the rise across multiple platforms - especially social media.

(From the history of the BBC site)

First heard on radio in 1924, how have these broadcasts evolved and influenced the public's perception of politicians?

More recently, Party Political Broadcasts have been devised and made independently of the BBC or, indeed, any other broadcasters. Party machines have taken control of the whole process and as production styles and values have evolved, so the costs of making them have risen astronomically. But is it worth the effort and money?

(SOURCE: CAMPAIGN, the marketing industry magazine)

A strange history of the party political broadcast

Their feature picks out some of the oddest examples from the 70+ years they've been on TV...

The Green Party’s slightly bizarre ‘boy band’ election broadcast for the 2015 general election cast Farage, Cameron, Clegg and Miliband as members of an all male pop group.

(SOURCE: IRISH NEWS)
Which NI parties are winners with their election broadcasts?Can you guess which party is being discussed here in this informal analysis of the April 2019 NI PPBs?!

Play parks, the arts, the armed forces and even dog fouling gets a mention, and while there is talk of a push for a border poll the party do not refer to Sinn Féin by name, instead the spectre of the party lingers like Lord Voldermort - who must not be named.

...