How our TV talk show queens do it

Apr 08, 2011

TELEVISION talk shows shot in front of live audiences about true life experiences are becoming popular. In a society where professional counselling and shrinks are virtually non-operational, these TV shows are fast becoming therapy for all sorts of social and physiological dysfunctions for Ugandans.

By Isaac Baligema
TELEVISION talk shows shot in front of live audiences about true life experiences are becoming popular. In a society where professional counselling and shrinks are virtually non-operational, these TV shows are fast becoming therapy for all sorts of social and physiological dysfunctions for Ugandans.

This is because, like US TV talk show queen, Oprah Winifrey, our local talk show hosts tackle a variety of subjects that affect the local populace.
Today, almost every local TV station has come up with a talk show.

Titi Tabel’s Titie Show on NBS TV, Betty Tibaleka’s Untold Story on UBC TV, Joy K’s Open Hearts on WBS TV and Pastor Mark and Maureen Kigozi’s The Real Life show on NBS TV are some of the true life experience programmes that have changed the face of the local television.

These shows host a person (normally a victim) to tell his/her experience and how they managed to get through it. The studio audience will engage the person. Sometimes they have a specialist in the studio to help break the issues down for the TV audience.

But what really goes into putting a show like this together? Who are all those people we see on TV? Today, we go behind the scenes of some of our favourite programmes to find out how they are pieced together and beamed into our sitting rooms at home.

Planning a topic
Joy Kihuguru, the host of WBS TV’s Open Hearts, sits with a team to brainstorm on which topic to discuss. “It has to be interesting to a wide audience,” she says. Through this meeting, she gets to know what kind of guests to host and what questions to ask.

“We plan on the topics and issues to discuss in a given season; a season is about two to three months,” says Betty Tibaleka, the host of the Untold Story fame.

“I normally host three guests — the victim, the counsellor and an expert on that particular issue. I choose those people after the meeting with my team because it is then that I get to know what kind of people to host,” adds Kiruhuguru.

“I usually do an audio recording which I listen to before doing the video recording. It lets me know the person in question,” adds Tibaleka.

The actual shooting
“I prepare myself and say a prayer before linking up with the shooting team. I do all this after booking the location for the shooting and ensuring that the audience is in place.

I move with various clothes and my hairstylist because I have to change the hairstyle and clothes for the three shoots.

“Normally we start as early as 9:00am until 6:00pm and I have to meet all the expenses because at the moment, I do not have sponsors for my programme,” says Kihuguru.

Tibaleka says: “When we decide on which day to shoot, I have to communicate to everyone who is supposed to be part of the shoot the night before. These include cameramen, producers and the time manager. They all have to be in place before the shoot begins.”

Are the victims on these shows genuine?
Some viewers claim that some of the problems are stage-managed with fake ‘victims’ in order to attain ratings. The hosts rubbish these allegations saying that they make extensive research about their guests to avoid deluding their audience by telling lies.

“Like I told you earlier, I do audio recordings and get ample time to re-listen before doing the actual shoot for the show, by the time we do the shooting, I can easily get to know the person who is telling lies and if I get such a person, I definitely kick them out because this is no joke,” says Tibaleka.

Kiruhuguru on the other hand says: “I do personal research about my guests. I get the inner life of the people I am dealing with. I don’t just take on anyone. I also look for my guests. They do not look for me.”

Who are the people in the live studio audience?
“Most of the talk shows are pre-recorded in front of live audiences in the background who give their views on a given topic. Who are these people and where do they come from,” I ask Kihuguru? “

“I call a few friends who are willing to come and take part in the programme. Since I am a born again Christian, it is even easier for me because I begin from my church. I have never failed to raise quorum. I don’t pay them but I serve drinks,” she says. Kihuguru shoots three programmes in a day from various halls at Hotel Africana.

“Well, I don’t pay my audience. I just call up people who are willing to take part in the show. However, some of the shows I do don’t necessarily require a live audience. The topic and the guest determine whether or not I will have a live audience,” says Tibaleka.

Challenges
Almost all show hosts point to the fact that they lack sponsors to help whom they need quite a lot because operational costs are too high. Most of the hosts have to find a way of sustaining their programmes on air.

“I have to run this programme by myself. I have no sponsorship at all and you see these things involve a lot of people whom I have to take care of,” says Kihuguru.

“Sometimes I get guests from various parts of the country. They need transport and sometimes accommodation before the shooting starts,” Tibaleka adds.

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