BBC bosses are promising to deliver licence fee payers “the most comprehensive coverage” ever of a General Election campaign by doubling the time given to regional news bulletins.
Viewers in England will see the post 10pm regional news programme extended to 15 minutes, Monday to Thursday, from January 2015 until the beginning of June.
The extra time will allow extra time to cover both local and national issues in what is expected to be one of the most fiercely contested and unpredictable elections in modern history.
James Harding, Director of News and Current Affairs, said: “This will be one of the most keenly contested, unpredictable and consequential elections in the history of this country and nothing will be more important to voters than the issues where they live and work.
“These extended bulletins will allow us to follow ever more closely a campaign which is going to be being fought out constituency by constituency across the United Kingdom.”
Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC, said: “This extension of our coverage will be a vital contribution to the national debate and I am delighted that we have been able to respond in this way.”
Plans for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be announced in due course.