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 Homepage of The Media Show, Radio4's weekly look at the media. Wednesday 1.30pm. |
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Have your say |
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Voting Talent Shows |
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Lionel Barber, Editor of The Financial Times |
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Local Television |
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Comments on today's programme |
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Strictly Come Dancing/X Factor:
I don't watch such programmes, but couldn't help taking an interest in your debate regarding the 2 TV talent programmes 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'The X-Factor'.After quoted complaints from judges that the public are voting-off the 'wrong' contestants I am forced to observe that they, and certain people on your show, seem to have missed the point of these shows. I refer to Steve Hewlett's comment about voting going against the 'fundamental underpinning of the show'. What is that ? Who has declared it and where is it stated ? Depending on the answer to those questions dictates which voting criteria is wrong and which is right !The bottom line is that they are TV entertainment. If they were not entertaining, then viewing ratings would drop and eventually the series would be shelved. This inescapable fact directly relates to what each show aims to achieve and how the various 'performers' are assessed; this is far more pertinent to 'The X-Factor', as the aim of picking the winner is for them (I believe) to be a commercial success, but is still valid for 'Strictly Come Dancing'. More importantly, when I checked the Website for each programme I could find no definitive statement declaring what the aim of the competition was. For example, aside from the entertainment matter, for 'Strictly Come Dancing' are contestants assessed on their improvement over the weeks as well as pure dancing ability ? If assessment should be based solely on ability, as the judges seem to think it should be, then there seems little point in dragging the competition over so many weeks as it should be clear from an early stage who has the dancing 'gift'. Indeed, why even select celebrities for the show who will clearly be bad at dancing ?However, as the judging should surely be based on multiple factors then it is hardly surprising that competitors such as the much-derided and lauded in equal-measure John Sergeant is still appearing on 'Strictly Come Dancing'. He clearly entertains, demonstrates improvement (albeit from a very low ability level apparently) and exhibits general flair and enthusiasm. To decide who is 'Best', it firstly has to be declared what the elements for judgement have to be and neither of these programmes seems to have made that clear, which is why viewers and judges appear to disagree on a regular basis.
Laurence Williams
How many times has he, in his career, suggested, of a politician, that it is time for him/her to resign? I think it is time for him to look to his position on 'Strictly Come Dancing' and do the decent thing himself. It's time to go, John!
Anon
Newspapers:
Interesting to hear Joan Bakewell the other week saying she buys the Sundays and throws the supplements away unread. I changed from the STimes to the STelegraph in hopes of less paper. Is this the common experience? What is the justification these days for all the unwanted magazines about magazines?
Tom Cryer |
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The Media Show |
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Listen again |
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Previous Programmes |
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1 October 2008
Andy Burnham on public service broadcasting
8 October 2008
Michael Grade on ITV
15 October 2008
Future of DAB Radio
22 October 2008
Andy Duncan and Channel 4
29 October 2008
Reporting Poverty
5 November 2008
Stephen Carter
12 November 2008
Lionel Barber and the FT
19 November 2008
Dr Tanya Byron on Kids TV
26 November 2008
Manchester and the Media
3 December 2008
Twitter's role in Mumbai Attacks
10 December 2008
Shannon Matthews and media coverage
17 December 2008
BBC Partnerships and media access to family courts
24 December 2008
Bush and the press and 1968 Apollo broadcast
31 December 2008
The Moralising Media
7 January 2009
Jeremy Hunt, Gaza Reporting and New Talent
14 January 2009
Prince Harry, Gaza, Persian TV and iPlayer
21 January 2009
Ofcom's PSB Review, Ross' return and British News
28 January 2009
Sir Michael Lyons, Hutton Report and New Nation
4 February 2009
Sky, Children and Reality TV and Financial Reporting
11 February 2009
BBC Children's Services, Jade Goody and Journalists' Conscience Clause
18 February 2009
Reporting Trauma, Subeditors and Teletext
25 February 2009
Dawn Airey, Disability on TV and Facebook
4 March 2009
Media and The Miners' Strike and ITV
11 March 2009
The Editors' Codebook, "Crown Jewels" of British Sport and Viviane Reding
18 March 2009
Christopher Meyer, Metro at Ten, Phorn and Impartial Drama
25 March 2009
Future of Journalism, Obama, Radio Caroline | |
Steve Hewlett |
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Steve Hewlett is a Guardian Columnist and broadcasting consultant. He is visiting Professor of Journalism and Broadcast policy at Salford University and a fellow of the Royal Television Society.
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Don't miss We want to hear your experiences |
On Saturday night's Strictly Come Dancing, John Sergeant was saved once again at the expense of two more talented dancers. Judge Len Goodman complained on the show that Sergeant's success "made a nonsense of the show". Later on ITV, shocked judges on the X Factor were disappointed when the public vote forced them to choose between contestants Laura White and Ruth Lorenzo. Complaints flowed in to both programmes and even Andy Burnham had to answer a question about X Factor in the House of Commons.
The Financial Times, showed in recent results that it had increased circulation and revenues by as much as 14% with increased profits to follow. It's quite a turnaround and the man widely credited with having brought it about is the FT’s Editor since 2005, Lionel Barber. He started on The Scotsman back in 1978, became business correspondent of The Sunday Times and joined the FT in 1985, where he has held senior positions in London, Brussels and Washington.
Last week the analogue signal carrying BBC 2 to the Scottish Borders was switched off. But with all the other channels going fully digital, what's going to happen to the old spectrum – in other words the airwaves – that used to carry the analogue signals? The government and Ofcom – the media regulator – are planning to auction it off in packages designed to allow a whole host of new uses and applications – from new mobile phone and data services to mobile TV and wireless broadband. 
