The Foresight Of The Amateur.

May 16, 2006 (Some Blog)

On reading of ITV's proposal, I switched on ITV and there, like manna from heaven, I find the British equivalent of the Jerry Springer show being sponsored by Learn Direct a government organisation tasked with increasing literacy and adult education by reaching 'those with few or no skills and qualifications who are unlikely to participate in traditional forms of learning". Some bright spark no doubt suggested that the audience for this freak show might be the under-educated (though the time slot shouts sleepy students to me) but, even if they are the target audience, they're not going to be in a self-improvement frame of mind while watching "My Mum's teenage lovers embarass me!"

Is that really a sponsorhip model that chimes with the key parameters of involvement, emotion and shared values?

September 29, 2007 (The Guardian)

The sponsors of The Jeremy Kyle Show have pulled the plug on the £500,000-a-year deal in the wake of the controversy over its content.

UFI, which runs learndirect, the Government's adult education service, said continued sponsorship of the show "would not protect and enhance the strength and reputation of learndirect".

The move comes after the popular ITV show was described as "a form of human bear-baiting" by a judge sentencing a guest who headbutted another.


It just takes time.