An argument has broken out between Ulster Television and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord Alderdice, over who was to blame for poor television pictures of Queen Elizabeth's visit to Stormont.
Viewers on UTV, BBC Northern Ireland and Sky News could see only the queen's hat during most of her address in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings. She was obscured by Assembly members as she delivered her speech.
The live pictures of the Stormont visit last Tuesday were taken by UTV on a "pool" basis and supplied to other broadcasters. UTV blamed the poor pictures on restrictions placed on its crew by Assembly security staff, who dictated the camera position.
Lord Alderdice said he would not allow his staff to be scapegoated for UTV's failure to obtain a clear view. The company was obviously embarrassed by the poor quality of its coverage, he said.
"To obviate their embarrassment, they have sought to blame Assembly staff and have made a number of quite untrue claims," he added. Stormont staff had given the broadcaster full assistance as to the best places to take shots and had discussed any difficulties, he said.
"They took their own advice and discovered too late that they were mistaken. The only thing they requested which they did not receive was the right to place a camera right in the middle of the floor of the Great Hall where Her Majesty and all would have had to parade around. That, it seemed to staff, was inappropriate."
Lord Alderdice said he was requesting an apology from UTV. He made other criticisms of the press. "One other member of broadcasting staff was speaking so loudly during one of the speeches upstairs in the gallery that it was initially thought an intruder was trying to disrupt the proceedings."
UTV has strongly defended itself: "If we had been allowed to put a camera where we requested, in order to get a clear view of the queen making her speech, these problems could have been avoided and would not have inconvenienced anyone.
"UTV had expressed concern to the Assembly that if members were allowed to gather around the queen she would be obscured, which is what happened," a spokesman said.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesman confirmed that the camera positioning had been imposed rather than agreed.