TV Politics - TV's new political agenda.
John Plunkett - Broadcast Magazine
15 March 2002
As under 45-year-olds increasingly drift away from TV politics dominated
by white, middle-aged men engaged in arcane debates, what should broadcasters
be doing to make viewers tune into political coverage again?
STUART BURRAGE, MANAGING DIRECTOR AIRBORNE TV
"Take the show outside, an OB next to Stonehenge perhaps. It's amazing
what fresh air does for your constitution. Open with a live PA from a
band like Starsailor. Stick your MP across a table from say Sean Hughes
or Jo Brand. Mr Dimbleby asks each person the same question and each panellist
gives their view. The 100-strong audience votes for whomever they judge
to offer the most practical solution. If the MP loses, what the hell is
he doing there in the first place? A forfeit is then incurred by the MP
- the wish list is too long to include here"
TIM HINCKS, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ENDEMOL UK
"Under 30s are much cleverer and more sophisticated than the people
who run TV. They're the first generation to love TV without hang-ups and
engage with it emotionally rather than intellectually. Stories, characters
and narratives are the key. Politicians have no power any more and we
have no real power over them. My format would be: in tandem with a broadcaster
we set up a new, real political party. The radical policies and seductive
candidates are directly voted for by viewers. It'll be a soap opera that
changes the world. Which broadcaster is brave enough?"
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