CONTENTS
Terms of Reference
Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Review of broadcast Prime Ministerial
debates in 2010
Were the 2010 debates a success?
Viewing figures
Figure 1: Election debates on BBC/ITV achieved
much higher audiences than typical BBC current affairs programmes
in 2010
Figure 2: Audience breakdown for each Prime
Ministerial debate by quarter-hour
Informed audiences
Box 1: Sample of evidence of how the 2010
Prime Ministerial debates served the public interest
Increased voter turnout?
Expectation that the debates will happen
again
Reservations about the success of the debates
The debates "presidentialised"
the general election
Debates dominated the campaign
The public expectation of election debates
in 2015
Chapter 3: Regulatory context
The regulatory frameworks in outline
Ofcom and its licensed broadcasters
Box 2: The PPRBs stand apart from the broadcasters'
wider election coverage
The BBC Trust and the BBC
The impact of the regulatory framework on
participation in the debates
In the beginning: An idea for a television
programme
Determining who has a realistic prospect
of becoming the Prime Minister
Achieving due weight within each debate
Achieving due impartiality with respect to
the coverage of other political parties
Summary
Challenges to the regulatory framework
Chapter 4: Proposals for change
Proposals to make the debates independent
of the broadcasters
Box 3: The US Commission on Presidential
Debates (CPD)
Reforms to the debates under the editorial
stewardship of the broadcasters
Better working between the broadcasters involved
in the debates
Voter information and encouraging the public's
interest in the electoral process
A clearer, better communicated set of processes
and principles
An online portal or hub for the debates
A 'wash-up' and review exercise following
the broadcast of the debates
Proposals for change to specific editorial
aspects of the debates and their format
Gender and ethnicity of the debate moderators
Greater involvement of the public
Box 4: Evidence received on ways to involve
the public in the debates
Audience to ask follow-up questions?
An increased role for the moderator
Conclusion
Chapter 5: Summary of recommendations
Appendix 1: Select Committee on Communications
Appendix 2: List of witnesses
Appendix 3: Call for Evidence
Appendix 4: References
Appendix 5: Summary of the Broadcast General
Election debates in 2010
Appendix 6: Prime Ministerial Debate—Key
Principles agreed 21 December 2009
Appendix 7: Prime Ministerial Debates—Programme
format agreed by all parties 1 March 2010
Appendix 8: Chancellors' Debate—Programme
format
Evidence is published online at http://www.parliament.uk/hlcomms
and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020
7219 5314)
References in footnotes to the Report are as follows:
Q refers to a question in oral evidence
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