Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The BBC's election night coverage

Heresy Corner presents a video of Jeremy Vine's excruciating Wild West skit and then adds:

Either those responsible were actually drunk at the time, or they assumed that most of the audience would be. But this was local election coverage. Most normal people don't sit up most of the night waiting to hear whether Reading has moved to No Overall Control. Those who do have the obsessive interest in politics required to tune in to this sort of show want to know facts, put into context by basic, easy-to-follow maps and graphs.

Far from helping to explain anything, this skit served only to confuse matters. I think the message had something to do with Lib Dem poll numbers, but it's hard to tell exactly what. It reminds me of one of Humph's convoluted metaphors designed to illustrate the concept behind One Song to the Tune of Another.

"It might help to think of the Lib Dem leader as a Wild West gunslinger and the percentage share of the vote as old cans hanging from strings in an old-style saloon. Nick Clegg's task is to use his gun - that is, his campaign team - to "hit", that is, reach, the "tin cans", or the target number of votes. But, I hear you ask, what do a lot of empty beer cans rattling around in a bar have to do with the Liberal Democrats? In the studio we've got Charles Kennedy."

3 comments:

dreamingspire said...

There is a bit of heresy there: Reading did not start the count until the next morning. That was the way that they planned it.

Anonymous said...

"Election Fever" (from ISIHAC fan-site)
...The entire nation has been gripped by election fever ever since Mr. Blair decided to go to the country - and found it was still shut. The teams put their questions to those who hope to be our next Prime Minister. Broadcasting rules dictate that during an election campaign equal air time has to be given to each possible contender so this will be divided into three sections - the Labour interview, the Conservative interview, and tea and biscuits. Actually, that is a little harsh on Charles Kennedy whose speeches remind us of the powers of fine oratory displayed by that other famous Kennedy....Nigel!"

Anonymous said...

It was a disgraceful abuse of viewers' intelligence.