BBC radio looks at politics in new light

Radio Five Live?s Anita Anand and the Asian Network?s Adil Ray will present a special simulcast programme from Glasgow’s Arches, on Argyll Street on Thursday 14th April 2005 at 10.00pm

They’ll be investigating the relationship between comedy and politics, and trying to inject a bit of humour into the campaign. There will also be music, live comedy and later in the evening (only on Five Live) Anita will also be speaking to senior figures form each of Scotland’s main parties while Adil (only on the Asian Network) meets more people from the Glasgow Asian music scene.

As well as more election news on Five Live, a major focus of the coverage will be new ways of reporting issues which appeal to listeners. Five Live wants them to set the agenda rather than politicians.

Three key one hour debates will be broadcast simultaneously on both Asian Network and Five Live. A final debate on the war in Iraq from Blackburn will be simulcast on Five Live, Asian Network and 1Xtra :

The full line up of Election Simulcasts is as follows

?April 14th ? Glasgow – Anita Anand/Adil Ray on politics and comedy in
?April 21st ? Birmingham – Simon Mayo/Sonia Deol on politics and music.
?April 28th – Blackburn Peter Allen/Nikki Bedi/on the war in Iraq.

Radio Five Live will have two ballot boxes in a new location everyday. Each morning on Five Live Breakfast, listeners will be told where the boxes are, they can then vote on the issues they want discussed on Five Live later that day. The ballot box will help highlight the everyday concerns of listeners, and give a human angle to the policy debate.