US networks in despair as Buckingham Palace insists on wedding night lights-out

Palace in focus: Cat Deeley is flying in to cover William's marriage to Kate Middleton
10 April 2012

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.

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