Buckingham Palace press releases
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CHRISTMAS BROADCAST AND THE QUEEN'S BROADCAST TO THE ARMED FORCES
21 December 2006THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN
The Queen will make a broadcast to the Commonwealth on Christmas Day 2006. It will be produced this year by Independent Television News, the producer will be Angela Frier, MBE and the director will be Laurence Vulliamy.
The Queen's Broadcast this year focuses on the relationship between different generations, what old and young have to offer each other, and how all faiths highlight the need to nurture and guide young people, and to encourage respect for elderly people.
The broadcast was recorded at Southwark Cathedral.
In the United Kingdom, the broadcast will be transmitted, both on television and radio, at 15.00 GMT on Christmas Day. In Commonwealth countries, local times will dictate the precise broadcasting arrangements.
The Queen's broadcast will also be available on the Internet from 15.00 GMT on Christmas Day. The text version will be accessible through this web site and an audio visual version will be carried on the news site of ITV.
The Queen's Broadcast to the British Armed Services
The Queen will also record a message to the Armed Services and their families, both in this country and on postings overseas, for broadcast on Christmas Eve. This message will be distributed through the British Forces Broadcasting Service, and will be available to listen to and download from this web site (from 3pm on Christmas Day). Read more about accessing the broadcast from this web site.
The radio message will be broadcast in full on the British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) radio network at 06.04 GMT on Sunday, 24th December 2006 and will be available for all other broadcasters from 07.00 GMT on Sunday, 24th December 2006.
To enable the message to reach as many troops and their families as possible, extracts of the message will be played during the "Merry Christmas from BFBS" family television show, which will be broadcast on the BFBS1 television network on Saturday, 23rd December 2006 at 17.35 GMT.
The full text of the message will be available under embargo of 00.01 GMT on Sunday, 24th December.
Podcasting
For the first time, members of the public will be able to access The Queen's Christmas Broadcast via podcasting.
The Christmas Broadcast will be available from 15.00 on Monday 25th December on this web site.
Read more about subscribing to the podcast.
The Christmas Broadcast will be available as both streamed media which visitors to the site can just 'click and play', and as a podcast. Listeners can subscribe to the Christmas Broadcast podcast in advance, using the link on the home page, and will automatically receive the Broadcast on Christmas Day.
Notes for Editors
Distribution
For further information on national and international distribution by ITN of the Christmas Broadcast, please contact ITN International on (tel: 00 44 20 7430 4668, fax: 00 44 20 7430 4138, Email: itn.international@itn.co.uk
There will be video links through to the Broadcast on the following sites: http://www.itv.com/index.html and http://itn.co.uk
Photographs
One embargoed (for use from 0001 on Friday 22nd December) photograph of The Queen recording the Christmas Broadcast at Southwark Cathedral is available from the Press Association (tel:
020 7963 7155). Another embargoed photograph, to accompany the Christmas Broadcast, will also be made available on Christmas Eve for use on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, also from the Press Association.
The text of the broadcast to the Armed Services will be available from the Press Association from 0001 Christmas Eve onwards; the radio broadcast version will be available from BFBS, Richard Hutchinson on 01494 878709 and at richard.hutchinson@bfbs.com.
