Ask The Audience

rupahuq Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:55:52 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

For a programme that's only been going for 4 weeks Question Time Extra has already managed to draw in some of the blogosphere's big names for its continuation of the real Question Time debate on News 24 after the main event. Iain Dale, our own dear Alex Hilton and yesterday little ol' me have been on now. As a show constructed around viewer's responses though, the real stars are the audience. Yet Radio 4 presenter Eddy Mair argues that there is too much interactivity on the beeb. "What makes listeners or viewers or, heaven forbid bloggers think they have the faintest idea about broadcasting?" he demands. 




In an article here Mair rails against interactivity which began with phone ins and escalated via email to texts. For Mair
It's a pathetic attempt by broadcasters to "appear" engaged with their audience. What could make a listener feel more important and valued than being asked - constantly - what he or she thinks?
He opines
The BBC is the worst offender. In a wilful misunderstanding of what public service broadcasting entails, putting the public on air as often as possible in as many different forms as possible is now the goal.

In a multi-platform age all this is bound to expand. Is the PM programme's Mair demonstrating cultural Canutism? Typical BBC elitism? An upholding of Reithian principles? or just an understandable desire not to be subject to pub rants on Radio 4?

Answers not on a postcard bit via a post here if you want to pitch in. More on my BBC adventure here.



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Ask The Audience | 3 comments (3 topical)

Re: Ask The Audience (#1)

by WillParbury on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 11:25:22 AM GMT

I think the reith principles of educate, inform and entertain should be the cornerstone of public service broadcasting. Just because a viewer has thought of it doesn't mean it can't be complete and utter garbage.

Afterall the blogsphere is all user generated content and while there is some good stuff on there, there is a lot of rubbish as well.


Re: Ask The Audience (#2)

by ChrisPaul on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 05:09:14 PM GMT

Clearly mainstream media ought to be interactive and reactive as well as being proactive. This is hardly a new phenomenon for braodcasters. Lots of strong formats are based on audience Points of View such as the show of that name, Question Time with QT Extra extending this from the studio to the whole audience, Gardeners World, Any Questions, Any Answers, and these are just the most obvious examples. Newspapers have letters pages don't they? Why should broadcast media be any different
 
Radio Five Live has a very high quotient of phone in content and often gets callers who are better experts than the ones they hire. A day or two ago, Friday, they had an extremely effective GP speaking about teenage pregnancy who had simply called in "off the street" whereas an expert hairdresser talking about weave problems was useless - and he'd been booked.
 
There is of course an issue with more and more audience generated content as jobs are cut ... especially when that content is free ... but interactivity is very very important if you want to build a brand for a show, a blog, a paper.
 
The same ought to go for political parties, natch. 


Re: Ask The Audience (#3)

by Tim Callaghan on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 10:44:33 PM GMT

I think programmes that give an opportunity for viewers comments are great - arguably this is democracy and freedom of speech in its truest form. After all there are plenty of game shows and 'talent' shows for people to express their views in the form of a vote (for a price) so why not allow people to express and debate their views about things that really matter.


Ask The Audience | 3 comments (3 topical)