World

“We work to broadcasters’ requirements. Ourcompany’s expertise is international (travel, archeology,anthropology). But we’ve been driven to theinternational channels with our output, as Britishcommissioners want domestic stories.” André Singer,Café ProductionsIn news, too, it can be difficult to get developingworld stories into the bulletins.They have to suit the slot and the programme editors’requirements.“Anything can be made into good TV – that’s the craft –but editors get into a safety area. Stories like ‘bananawars’ have to fight their way in. We {correspondents}have no power over what we do. A programme editor canalways say ‘That’s not our type of story’. Even for adesignated Development Correspondent it is difficult toget items on until you’re established. I had to cut my teethon disaster reporting before I could sell the deeper issues.”George Alagiah, BBC News“We have to accept that the domestic agenda is at theforefront, we are vying with that, and the length of ourbulletins is very limited. You instinctively relate to therequirements of the organisation you’re with – you pickup on what the senior editors want.” Al Anstey, ITNG.3.2.2. A good storyThis is overwhelmingly the first editorial considerationfor both news and documentaries and features.“There must be a compelling story. We specialise in thebig breaking news story. Sometimes we can use an event– the Algerian elections, say – to get stories from a lessaccessible country. If its visually strong it’s likely to gohigher up the programme than if it’s visually weak.”Robert Moore, ITN“It must have good pictures. This is crucial. If I can’t seethe pictures in my head, I won’t go and do it.” GeorgeAlagiah, BBC News“It’s got to be a good story, with human beings at thecentre. We can’t comprehend global economies,Eurocrats, the global arms trade – but we can identifywith individual people whose lives are affected by thesethings” Ali Rasheed, Real Life“Viewers want a story with good characters that peoplecare about- but it must be more than a ‘still frame’ story.It has to have different levels, and unfold like a drama.”George Carey, Mentorn Barraclough Carey“We need human stories, reflecting the world back topeople, with strong narrative” Alex Holmes, BBCG.3.3.3. Audience interestPerhaps not such an abiding concern as that of thecommissioners, this still comes very high up the list formost of the producers interviewed.“The culture of this building {ITV Network Centre} issuch that we won’t be running stories that have noresonance with the audience. We decide what will interestthe audience on a basis of ITN experience and newsroomdiscussion” Robert Moore, ITN“We have 8 million loyal viewers and we want to appealto more, younger viewers too. We find out what peoplewant from audience research, tourist industry researchand viewer feedback. We want to be fun, happy, andinformative so that viewers want to go the places weshow” Jannine Waddell, BBC Holiday“Audience interest is very important, second only to agood story, but we don’t know exactly what people want.I imagine what they want. It’s blissfully unscientific onModern Times!” Alex Holmes, BBC“I know from past experience that programmes about thedeveloping world don’t bring in the audiences. They’renot about us, and they’re not usually about things we cando anything about. Only Northern Ireland and Bosniahave worse ratings than developing world material. Soalthough it’s important it’s harder to get commissioned.”Steve Hewlett, Carlton“We’re past the days of giving audiences what they shouldhave – now it’s all about what they want. We do minuteby-minuteanalysis of Tonight and we know that theaudience dived last week when the item on treatments forRussian drug addicts came on, and that’s a problem forITV which has to have a good share of the audience.”Charles Tremayne, Granada“I try and guess what the audience wants. Most peopleswitch on to be entertained, not to get a message.Instinctively I feel domestic stories will be moreinteresting than foreign ones. “ George Carey, MentornBarraclough CareyA few think that programme-makers should not beover concerned with pleasing the audience.“To some extent I should be thinking ‘Can I make theaudience interested in this?’, but that’s not a key issue.People don’t know what they want until they see it. Someof these programmes will get low ratings, but they stillneed to be made.” Ali Rasheed, Real Time“I suspect commissioners’ decisions are based more onpersonal or corporate style rather than research. Butwhatever their logic, we assume broadcasters will knowDFID – July 2000 159