Never Mind the Ballots

Louis Barfe anticipates an election night of frantic radio retuning

Despite my growing political disillusionment, I still love election nights. Friends are invited round, beer and takeaways are purchased, and an occasion is made of the whole strange sideshow. This time, listeners seeking election results coverage have the choice of Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio Five Live, the World Service, Radio Scotland, Radio Wales, Radio Cymru (curiously no Radio Ulster) and all the local stations.

I am pro-licence fee, but is it prudent to fund so many takes on the same thing? Even if it allows punters to switch between offerings like camera angles on a DVD. OK, Radio 4 and Five Live, you're allowed to sit up all night with your graphs, coloured pencils and ill-considered predictions. You, too, World Service, and anyway, you're funded by a direct grant from the Foreign Office. But oh dear, Radio 2 - you're forsaking Mark Radcliffe for this?

Nonetheless, the Radio 2 coverage (10pm Thursday-2.30am Friday) will probably be the best of the lot, led by the rather good Jeremy Vine. He's seen off the naysayers who wondered whether he was the right man to replace Jimmy Young - like JY, JV can go from bedside manner to probing interviewer in the blink of an eye. Incidentally, we share a hometown, but none of the above constitutes nepotism.

With James Naughtie at the helm, Radio 4's coverage (10pm Thursday-6am Friday) will be like the Today programme allowed to stay up late because there's no school in the morning. Meanwhile, Five Live's offering (10pm Thursday-6am Friday), anchored by Peter Allen and Jane Garvey, is using the services of Nicky Campbell (who also wanted Jimmy Young's job, but didn't get a sniff at it, thank Cribbins).

Campbell fitted perfectly on Radio 1 at the arse end of the DLT/Simon Bates era and, as Wheel of Fortune host, he was partially responsible for bringing Carol Smillie to what passes for the national consciousness. Now, though, he wants to be taken very seriously indeed. Sorry, Nicholas. I can't.