Election 93

1993's election programme was the last whilst YSTV's home was the P/X/002 studio, although like many election nights it was presented and controlled on location in Goodricke College where the results were announced. In a spooky bit of prescience (see the Interregnum), the control room was uprooted to G/046 for the Election Night programme. At that time G/046 was something to do with the Psychology department, with lots of bizarre wooden ceiling-height cubicles. The equipment was set up in a long bank facing the windows. It was anchored from G/045 next door, so there were lots of running cables out of windows and climbing through windows between studio and control room, and as the results were being announced in Goodricke dining room, it meant it was relatively easy to grab people for interviews.

There were three sets in G/045: a "link" set (one or two people behind a desk providing updates, cheesy banter, waffle, etc between events), a panel run by Steve-the-News-producer with various contentious political types from around campus arguing with each other, and a comfy set for interviews. All the graphics were generated by a BBC micro, and there was lots of publicity, much of which was used on the set itself. Some of this would later be used to decorate the P/X/002 set which was used for Trivial and Closure (and cause much confusion in later years when trying to identify the programmes!).

The only footage the YSTV Archive is known to hold is some clips in 1992-3's Review of the Year and Closure.

John Thompson recalls: I remember interviewing candidates on the comfy sofa and not knowing who anyone was or what they stood for. To get round this, I simply started each conversation by asking "So, tell everyone who you are and what your policies are".. ..which worked well until one chap looked peeved and Chris Kwouk spoke in my ear intercom and said "That's your new SU President"...

The G045 studio

The control room

More photos are on the Election 93 Gallery page.