The Guardian is reporting that 8,000 broadcast journalists will descend on London for this month’s royal wedding, which is expected to attract 2 billion viewers worldwide.
Despite the severe strain placed on newsgathering budgets by the recent glut of major foreign news stories, UK and overseas broadcasters have committed considerable manpower and resources in one of the world’s most expensive cities to cover the Westminster Abbey wedding. “This will almost certainly be the biggest team of broadcast crew and reporters ever assembled for an outside broadcast in London,” says a senior BBC source.
The Guardian predicts around 140 OB trucks will be stationed in Green Park, the media hub, plus cameras will film from vantage points in commercial buildings which have been rented out for up to £120,000.
All broadcasters will be reliant on the pooled live feeds inside Westminster Abbey provided by the BBC, Sky News and ITN, which will share the costs and the rights income. But they will have their own reporting teams and cameramen outside the abbey and there is certain to be fierce competition to provide the best commentary, get the first live shots of particular incidents and find the most compelling human interest stories.