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US networks in despair as Buckingham Palace insists on wedding night lights-out
Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Editor19 Apr 2011
Buckingham Palace is caught in a furious row with American broadcasters over plans to plunge the building into darkness at the climax of their royal wedding coverage.
Lights illuminating the front façade of the Palace will be switched off at 12.30am, just as tens of millions of Americans sit down to watch prime-time evening bulletins presented from London.
Networks such as CBS, NBC and ABC have paid up to £50,000 to build temporary studios to cover the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29, with the Queen's official residence as their backdrop. But courtiers insist the lights must be turned off just after midnight to save electricity and let royal staff sleep.
US and Canadian broadcasters have asked for the lights to stay on all night, claiming their coverage will be damaged. A correspondent at one US channel said: "We all want to show off Buckingham Palace in all its glory, but that's obviously impossible if no one can see it."
Lengthy negotiations between courtiers and representatives of the networks resulted in the normal 11pm switch-off time being extended to midnight in the days leading up to April 29, and 12.30am on the big day.
A spokeswoman for the Palace said: "We have tried to be as accommodating as possible. There was a request to keep the lights on all night but there's nothing more we can do about that. There are residential concerns as well as environmental. We have staff living within the Palace facing The Mall. The decision won't change."
Thomas Kennedy, bureau chief with the Canadian Television Network, said: "This is an issue for everyone in the North American time zone. The Palace gave us a sympathetic hearing, but the answer was no." The row has overshadowed preparations for what will be the biggest TV event ever staged in Britain, with thousands of foreign correspondents and back-up staff pouring into London from all over the world.
The major US networks are sending their biggest names to front live coverage from the capital, including ABC veteran Barbara Walters who will be the co-anchor with main news presenter Diane Sawyer.
Their coverage will start from 4am east coast time as America wakes up to the biggest royal wedding for 30 years. The network's main ABC World News bulletin will be broadcast from London from April 27 to 29.
CBS is flying in its main anchor Katie Couric, while CNN's line-up will include Piers Morgan and British presenter Cat Deeley.
Broadcasters around the world have been caught in a frenzy of excitement about the marriage of the son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in what has been described as "like the moon landing with bridesmaid's dresses".
Tom Barton, programme manager for the Foreign Press Association, said: "The world's gone completely crazy. I did the arrangements for the general election but this completely blows it away." He said Univision, a Miami-based network that broadcasts to Latin America, had applied for about 50 press cards, while Australia's Seven Network is flying in up to 60 staff including hairdressers and make-up artists.
Brett Mason, the Europe correspondent for Australia's Network Ten, said: "There is enormous interest in Australia. The channel is clearing its schedules to broadcast live for seven hours on the day of the wedding." Demand for TV broadcasting equipment in London is so intense it has already led to shortages, particularly of components made in tsunami-ravaged Japan.
Reader views (10)
They should change their usual routine in honor of the wedding of their future king.They could have the US broadcasters pay extra for it... Then donate the money to the newlyweds favorite charities 
It could be a win win for everyone!!
- Sallie, Texas US, 26/04/2011 01:20
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It would be suitable to tactfully point out to the North American TV networks that the Royal Wedding has not been arranged just to impress their advertisers. On the other hand, this is a very rare occasion, and if this wedding is anything like the last one, partying will be going on throughout the night. I think the Palace should make an exception to the general rule here. The whole world will be watching… it would be a pretty stupid thing for the world-wide tv audience to complain out loud, in all the homes, pubs, clubs, and all the gin-joints in all the world to moan WTF when they see Buckingham Palace bathed in – darkness - when the world wants to party. This is our national shop window to the outside world. Does the outside world really care if a few Palace servants lose a bit of beauty sleep when they should be wide awake and prepared to keep feeding 50p pieces into the Buckingham Palace electric slot meter?
- Higgnoraimus, Birmingham, 20/04/2011 17:10
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Why dont the media just F@@@ Off....
- Old Ben, Londonistan, 20/04/2011 13:11
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Seems like codwallop to me, keep the lights on and market the UK proeperly. There will be plenty of time to sleep the day after. WIll all the guests be gone by 12:30am, I hope not, I expect Harry will just be warming up the party with a balcony show by then. Go Hazzer!
- ANDREW, Melbourne, 20/04/2011 01:19
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Surely the USA networks can find someone to do video effects? Just take some footage of Buckingham Palace floodlit earlier in the evening, and put your presenter in front of a blue screen in the studio. A bit of electronic magic, and everyone will see Buckingham palace instead of blue. It's not as if it moves around or anything!
- Nigel, London, 19/04/2011 17:59
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Michael Smith, Time in America is 6 Hrs behind England even more on the West coast, do you not know that the sun goes to the west
- peter, london, 19/04/2011 16:02
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I can imagine how impressed Her Maj. must be by having pesky media people in the even more pesky Colonies trying to dictate her routine! LOL - why don't they just use infra red? Make it nice and SPOOKY! Half of yanks think we still inhabit some Jack the Ripper style parallel universe so quite fitting methinks.
- Sarah Bradshaw, London, 19/04/2011 14:04
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What's the problem? Who on earth is going to be watching at 12.30am?
- Michael Smith, London England, 19/04/2011 14:00
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As nothing will be happening and there will be nothing to see at the Palace at that time, surely the US broadcasters can transmit at that time the recordings made during the times when something is happening - ie during the day.
- Patrick, Dalston, 19/04/2011 13:34
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That is the lamest excuse by a royal spokesperson I've ever heard! Since when have the Royals developed a green conscience?!
And bearing in mind the Royals are mainly about tourism, it's a very cynical way to treat the very people who enable them to live in the manner to which they're accustomed.
- jOHN bULL, Londonistan, UK, 19/04/2011 13:18
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