Parliament's online video service
17 March 2016
There has been some recent interest in Parliament's use of Betacam tapes for recording of public proceedings. In February 2015, Parliament migrated to server based recordings with the introduction of a new media asset management system.
The video tape recorders which Parliament had used over the previous decade were finally decommissioned some months later in November 2015. Sony announced in the same month that it was to end production of Betcam video tape in 2016.
The UK Parliament is one of the biggest originators of live video coverage in the UK with (on occasion) up to 19 meetings taking place at the same time and up to 100 hours of live output in a single day emanating from 35 locations across the Parliamentary estate.
The move from tape recording has been challenging due to the scale of the operation, but the introduction of a new digital system paved the way for a re-launch of Parliament's online video service at www.parliamentlive.tv . This makes live and on-demand coverage available across mobile and tablet devices as well as PCs. It also offers MPs and the public the ability to mark the start and end of a speech and share on social media. We also now provide a live index of contributions in the Commons Chamber which runs alongside the video stream. This means users can quickly search for questions and speeches made in the Chamber.
A brief history of Parliamentary Recording
The Commons debated televising its proceedings on an experimental basis again in October 1972, the main argument in favour being that it would make Parliament more relevant to ordinary voters. But old fears about television 'trivialising' Parliament remained and MPs voted to reject the experiment, as they did when broadcasting was debated for a third time in February 1975.
Even after the House of Lords was televised in 1985, there was still considerable resistance from MPs over extending this to the Commons. When Members debated an experiment in late 1985 it was narrowly rejected by 275 votes to 263. In 1988 MPs debated televising the Commons for the eleventh time in 22 years.
Prior to the debate the Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, asked why Mrs Thatcher opposed the reform. "My concern is for the good reputation of this House," replied the Prime Minister to Labour chants of "frit, frit, frit", shorthand for "frightened".
In a free vote there was a majority of 54 in favour of a six-month experiment. Preparations were slow and a committee dealing with the broadcasting arrangements did not report to the House until May 1989. The first proceedings to be televised were the Debate on the Address in November 1989, and the first televised speech was by Ian Gow, a Conservative opponent of the experiment.
Initially broadcasters could only show a close-up of each speaker or a wide shot, but this was relaxed after a few weeks to allow reaction shots. Televised proceedings led to a substantial increase in the number of news reports featuring the Commons, and in July 1990 the House agreed to make the experiment permanent.
Important occasions such as the Budget and resignation speeches by ministers were all broadcast live on television.