Al Gore's INdTV: The People's Programmer

[AmericanErrorist]

Tuning in to Gore TV: Little is publicly known about the cable news network planned by almost-president Al Gore except that it will be called INdTV (say it like "indie"), aims to wow the youth market, has set up shop in San Francisco and is supposed to launch this year. But what kind of shows will it carry?

We've received a glimpse of some of the programming envisioned by INdTV execs, who just sent out an e-mail to prospective "digital correspondents," seeking edgy video submissions to serve as pilots. Gore's programming gurus say they hope to "democratize television" by relying on Generation Y contributors and "real-life video." An insider cautioned us yesterday that the e-mail represents just a sliver of the conceptual pie, but the potential must-see lineup includes:

• "That's F*&#ed Up: Is there something unfathomable going on around the corner or down the street? Some state of affairs that just doesn't make sense? You can rant all you want -- it just better be good TV."

• "INdTV Paparazzi: Get someone famous to opine on something substantive. ('Hey Paris -- what did you think of Rumsfeld's quote on the armored Humvee shortage in Iraq?') Or, ask a serious figure about something not-so-substantive. Note: Don't be a stalker."

• "Citizen Reporter: Pick a news story and tell it the way it should be told. No teleprompter, no static stand-ups, no local-news hair. Honesty and humor will go a long way. This is our chance to unwind the spin."

• "All-Nighter: What goes on in your town between 2 and 5 a.m.? We're looking for truly unique stuff, anywhere from the local late-night diner to the woods down by the creek."

• "State of the Union: Give us your wisest, most irreverent State of the Union address. We're talking improvised podium, pomp, politics, personality and, of course, most importantly: sound bites."

• "Addicted: What's your addiction? Food? A fetish? A relationship? Do you lead a double life? This is first-person: time to confess."

(But the e-mail warns elsewhere, "No X-rated content." Drat.)

• "INdTV Is The New Black: Are you a trend-spotter? A cool-hunter? Take off your trucker cap (or put it back on) and show us the next big thing in clothes, culture, style or slang."

(Dare we ask: Are earth tones hip again?)

The cable channel, which Gore and his investors reportedly acquired last year for $70 million, isn't paying contributors unless it accepts their one-to-five-minute segments for use in an industry preview. In that case, INdTV will pony up $200, which grants it the right to use the video "in all markets and media . . . throughout the universe, in perpetuity," according to a contract sent to contributors.

Gore's office referred questions yesterday to INdTV execs. Network CEO Joel Hyatt, Gore's business partner, would not comment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45826-2005Jan3.html

[w13rd0]

1. I've noticed...

...that Gore's been spending time among the opensource community and such. Pretty cool. Yo Al! You rock!

[TaleWgnDg]

2. Well? He DID *invent* the internet, didn't he? . . . n/t

[UL_Approved]

3. Look up the funding bill in the 1970's

He was one of the people who sponsored the ARPANET bill that was the prototype for today's Internet. He didn't invent it, he just wrote the check to pay for it...

[TaleWgnDg]

4. I guess my *joke* fell flat . . . so much for the non-nuances of the

written word as opposed to the spoken word . . . maybe a *wink-wink, nudge-nudge* would have helped? LOL

Thanks for that information. Those who've poked at Gore about "inventing the internet" should know that Gore was damn important in the start-up of what we know as the internet today.

.

[RadicalMom]

5. Glad Al is doing this. We need another outlet. But $200 for all rights?