You enjoy that banana GC. Unfortunately these type of programmes masquerade as news or debate but are really just Jeremy Kyle without the DNA tests.
They all follow the same formula (excuse the quotes but it's the language they use) ......
Pick a 'hot topic'.
Get two people to represent the 'sides of the argument' - typically one a self-appointed media @rse or from a 'leading think tank'. The other might also be an @rse or tanker, but the most important thing is that they'll not agree about anything.
The two protagonists then shout at each other for a bit until the host asks the audience if they 'have an opinion that they'd like to share'. By golly they do!
Foil-hatters, conspiracy theorists and the professionally outraged pile on to twitter, text, email and phone to express their valuable opinions. They must be valuable, because they're expressing them! And they're being read out!!!! Thus are their opinions validated.
The programme receives a short, well-reasoned missive from a listener. That's no good - it's too nuanced, too complicated. It doesn't fit the simple yes-no narrative. Delete.
The programme ends with the host pointing listeners to the station's website or twitter feed to 'continue the debate'. And that's it - airtime filled and more hits for the website.
5 Live is the daddy of this type of programming, but it's a model for nearly any phone-in style radio show out there.
I'm not a huge fan.
