This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/08/lady-thatcher-tv-websites
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Lady Thatcher: TV stations and websites clear decks for tributes | Lady Thatcher: TV stations and websites clear decks for tributes |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| In death as in life, Margaret Thatcher has evoked strong reactions, with TV, newspapers and radio stations across Britain clearing the decks to pay tribute to one of the most formidable and divisive British political figures of the 20th century. | In death as in life, Margaret Thatcher has evoked strong reactions, with TV, newspapers and radio stations across Britain clearing the decks to pay tribute to one of the most formidable and divisive British political figures of the 20th century. |
| Both the BBC and ITV have cleared part of their schedules for obituary programmes, while newspapers are planning bumper coverage in tomorrow's editions. | Both the BBC and ITV have cleared part of their schedules for obituary programmes, while newspapers are planning bumper coverage in tomorrow's editions. |
| The BBC's news anchor Huw Edwards eschewed a black tie despite the controversy generated more than a decade ago when Peter Sissons wore a burgundy tie in a broadcast announcing the death of the Queen Mother. | |
| Edwards wore a blue paisley tie for live rolling coverage of the former PM's death on the BBC News channel and BBC1. | |
| The BBC said there was no requirement that news presenters wear a black tie, only that they should be soberly dressed to reflect the occasion. | |
| A BBC News spokesman said: "The guidance is to be soberly dressed, as appropriate." | |
| Sissons provoked a storm of protest when he wore a burgundy rather than a black tie in the news broadcast announcing the Queen Mother's death in 2002. | |
| The newsreader, since retired, later said that he went into the newsroom with two ties - a black and a burgundy - and was told by the head of TV news to wear the burgundy. He said it was the BBC policy not to wear a black tie for any death but the head of state. | |
| BBC1 is planning two-and-a-half hours of Thatcher specials with Edwards hosting an hour-long programme at 4pm. A further 90-minute obituary, Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister, is scheduled after EastEnders at 8.30pm, replacing a Panorama special on sharia councils and new documentary series The Prisoners. | |
| Jeremy Paxman will front a Newsnight special on BBC2. | Jeremy Paxman will front a Newsnight special on BBC2. |
| ITV is sticking with its primetime schedule but is running an hour-long documentary at 10.35pm – Margaret Thatcher: The Woman Who Changed Britain, presented by Alastair Stewart and produced by ITN. | ITV is sticking with its primetime schedule but is running an hour-long documentary at 10.35pm – Margaret Thatcher: The Woman Who Changed Britain, presented by Alastair Stewart and produced by ITN. |
| Newspapers scrambled to change their online front pages with hefty pre-planned obituary packages when the announcement was made just before lunchtime on Monday through the Press Association. | Newspapers scrambled to change their online front pages with hefty pre-planned obituary packages when the announcement was made just before lunchtime on Monday through the Press Association. |
| The immediate reaction across the spectrum of left- and rightwing press was one of respect for the passing of the country's first female and longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century. | The immediate reaction across the spectrum of left- and rightwing press was one of respect for the passing of the country's first female and longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century. |
| The tone was also respectful, initially at least, across social media. | The tone was also respectful, initially at least, across social media. |
| Twitter saw more than 1m mentions of Thatcher in the first four hours, quickly becoming a "trending topic" in the UK and US. That compares to 7m mentions of the new Pope in the 24-hour period after his name was confirmed by the Vatican in March. | |
| Les Hinton, the former chief executive of News International, owner of the Sun, one of Thatcher's biggest champions, tweeted: "Did long interview at home with #Thatcher in 1974. She was in Opposition & unpopular. I was 30 & socialist. Embarrassed how she dazzled me." | Les Hinton, the former chief executive of News International, owner of the Sun, one of Thatcher's biggest champions, tweeted: "Did long interview at home with #Thatcher in 1974. She was in Opposition & unpopular. I was 30 & socialist. Embarrassed how she dazzled me." |
| Sun Online published a sombre "Thatcher dead" on a black background, with the subhead "Britain's first female PM dies from stroke aged 87". | Sun Online published a sombre "Thatcher dead" on a black background, with the subhead "Britain's first female PM dies from stroke aged 87". |
| Mail Online cleared its section "above the fold" for a tryptch of photos: the memorable shot of Thatcher in tears after leaving Downing Street after more than 11 years; a photo of the PM with her husband Denis; and a more recent picture of her immaculately turned out with her hallmark pearls and a blue suit. Below the fold, it continued the story with an obituary chronicling her life from grocer's daughter to Britain's first woman PM. | Mail Online cleared its section "above the fold" for a tryptch of photos: the memorable shot of Thatcher in tears after leaving Downing Street after more than 11 years; a photo of the PM with her husband Denis; and a more recent picture of her immaculately turned out with her hallmark pearls and a blue suit. Below the fold, it continued the story with an obituary chronicling her life from grocer's daughter to Britain's first woman PM. |
| Perhaps mindful of the generations who did not live under Thatcher, the Mail left two-thirds of its second row of stories devoted to its more typical menu of celebrity news. | Perhaps mindful of the generations who did not live under Thatcher, the Mail left two-thirds of its second row of stories devoted to its more typical menu of celebrity news. |
| It later updated its online splash to a more reverential: "Mother, wife, stateswoman, legend ... Farewell to the Iron Lady" on a picture of the No 10 front door. In a banner headline across the top it declared: "Baroness Thatcher to be honoured with biggest funeral for a PM since Churchill dying peacefully of a stroke at 87". | It later updated its online splash to a more reverential: "Mother, wife, stateswoman, legend ... Farewell to the Iron Lady" on a picture of the No 10 front door. In a banner headline across the top it declared: "Baroness Thatcher to be honoured with biggest funeral for a PM since Churchill dying peacefully of a stroke at 87". |
| Telegraph.co.uk sported the single-deck headline "Baroness Thatcher dies, aged 87" and a photo of an ageing, yet happy-looking, Thatcher waving ceremoniously to photographers. | Telegraph.co.uk sported the single-deck headline "Baroness Thatcher dies, aged 87" and a photo of an ageing, yet happy-looking, Thatcher waving ceremoniously to photographers. |
| Lord Tebbit, the former Conservative party chairman whose wife was injured in an IRA assassination attempt on Thatcher in Brighton, led the tributes by politicians of her generation with a piece lamenting: "Would that we had another Margaret Thatcher to lead us now!". | Lord Tebbit, the former Conservative party chairman whose wife was injured in an IRA assassination attempt on Thatcher in Brighton, led the tributes by politicians of her generation with a piece lamenting: "Would that we had another Margaret Thatcher to lead us now!". |
| Over at the Daily Mirror, which fought many a battle with Thatcher in the 1980s, the tone was also one of homage with three photographs dominating the "above the fold" area. "Margaret Thatcher Dead: Iron Lady Passes Away After Suffering A Stroke", it said. | Over at the Daily Mirror, which fought many a battle with Thatcher in the 1980s, the tone was also one of homage with three photographs dominating the "above the fold" area. "Margaret Thatcher Dead: Iron Lady Passes Away After Suffering A Stroke", it said. |
| The Guardian opted for the strictly neutral "Margaret Thatcher dies aged 87" with a live blog, comment, photo galleries and archive material. | The Guardian opted for the strictly neutral "Margaret Thatcher dies aged 87" with a live blog, comment, photo galleries and archive material. |
| Despite their diametrically opposed political views, the Guardian's late columnist and Thatcher biographer Hugo Young was one of the few journalists she apparently tolerated. "She developed abrasiveness into an art form. She despised consensus," was one his observations pulled from the archives. | Despite their diametrically opposed political views, the Guardian's late columnist and Thatcher biographer Hugo Young was one of the few journalists she apparently tolerated. "She developed abrasiveness into an art form. She despised consensus," was one his observations pulled from the archives. |
| In the US, her death was also marked on newspaper websites. The New York Times site led with a photo gallery entitled "Margaret Thatcher Dies; Remade Britain". | In the US, her death was also marked on newspaper websites. The New York Times site led with a photo gallery entitled "Margaret Thatcher Dies; Remade Britain". |
| The death of one of the most significant prime ministers of all time failed to dislodge a campaign to follow a member of an Australian boy band from the top slot on Twitter trends in the UK, with #thatcher trailing #followmeluke. | The death of one of the most significant prime ministers of all time failed to dislodge a campaign to follow a member of an Australian boy band from the top slot on Twitter trends in the UK, with #thatcher trailing #followmeluke. |
| • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". | • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". |
| • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook | • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook |