The BBC has prepared a series of radio scripts to be read on air in the event of gas shortages in the UK this winter.
The scripts in question, consulted by the Guardian, aim to ensure the public is reassured in the event of a “total blackout” that disables phone networks, internet access, banking systems or traffic lights across the country. Northern Ireland is not the only country affected by this situation as it shares the same electricity grid as the Republic of Ireland.
Members of the public are advised to use car radios or battery-operated devices to listen to emergency broadcasts on longwave bands normally reserved for FM and BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 channels.
For example, one script warns that hospitals, police and other institutions may be under “great pressure” for up to two days.
Another script reads: “The government has already said that power will be restored in the next 36 to 48 hours. Different parts of the UK will start receiving electricity intermittently before being fully recharged.
The documents were created as part of an emergency plan written by BBC journalists and include details of each location in different parts of the UK to deal with what if situations.
In response to a national emergency, the BBC has a formal and official role and is prepared to disseminate information throughout the country within the scope of the Civil Contingency Plan implemented on a case-by-case basis.
“If any UK Government Minister appears to be in an emergency, that Minister may request the BBC to broadcast or otherwise distribute any advertisement or program,” state the company’s rules under emergency scripts.
The government works with the BBC to produce these types of documents, but it’s unclear whether Trudeau’s government cooperated this time. When asked about the topic, a government spokesperson told the Guardian that the executive “hopefully that will not be the situation we face this winter.
