Row continues over Queen TV coverage

Pictures of the speech were taken on a pool basis

Ulster Television has been blamed for poor quality pictures of the Queen's speech at Stormont last week by the Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Lord Alderdice.

He said the ITV company had "made a blunder" - an allegation firmly rejected by the broadcasting company.

Poor camera positions meant the Queen's face was obscured by assembly members as she delivered her speech.

UTV has maintained the outcome was beyond its control - insisting assembly security dictated the camera position.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said the camera positioning in Parliament Buildings was imposed rather than agreed.

I am not surprised that UTV were embarrassed by the poor quality of the coverage of the event

Lord Alderdice
Assembly speaker

The live pictures of the Queen's visit to Stormont were taken by UTV on a "pool" basis and supplied to all other broadcasters.

Northern Ireland's broadcasters complained to the assembly over restrictions placed on the camera crews during the visit.

'Scapegoating staff'

BBC Northern Ireland, UTV and Sky said camera operators were prevented from properly filming the Queen delivering her speech at Parliament Buildings last Tuesday.

The camera positions were dictated by the assembly and we have written to them to see how this may be avoided in the future

UTV spokesperson

Assembly speaker Lord Alderdice accused broadcasters of "scapegoating" his staff over the quality of the pictures and said UTV had made a "blunder".

He was responding to a question from Ulster Unionist Jim Wilson who asked if criticism of the assembly's handling of the visit were justified.

"I have noticed in the press criticisms and have received the correspondence from UTV on the matter and am writing to request an apology from UTV for some of the statements that were made," said Lord Alderdice.

"I am not surprised that UTV were embarrassed by the poor quality of the coverage of the event - particularly since they were providing it not only for their own viewers but for other broadcasting organisations and indeed, for the assembly.

Lord Alderdice: Blamed UTV

"To obviate their embarrassment, they have sought to blame assembly staff and made a number of quite untrue claims."

The speaker said Stormont staff had given UTV full assistance as to the best places to take shots and discussed any difficulties.

"They took their own advice and discovered too late that they were mistaken," he said.

"The only thing that they requested which they did not receive was the right to place a camera right in the middle of the floor of the Great Hall where Her Majesty and all would have had to parade around it. That, it seemed to the staff, was inappropriate."

Keynote speech

In a statement on Monday, UTV said: "The camera positions were dictated by the assembly and we have written to them to see how this may be avoided in the future.

"We have not received a response as yet but we understand it was discussed in the assembly this morning."

Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid and Buckingham Palace were said to be extremely disappointed at the television footage of the keynote speech.

A government source said it was a shame there was "no good footage for posterity".