Talk shows

One of the most popular types of television programs today is talk shows. Their popularity may have several reasons. First of all, people invited to talk shows discuss important issues that bother a lot of people at a certain moment of time. Topics chosen by the hosts may be different: political, cultural, social or other issues (Britney's new haircut or another group of soldiers killed in Iraq). Second, people have the possibility to ask questions concerning the issue being discussed. Very often this is presented in the form of interactive television – viewers may make telephone calls and ask the person answering the questions what he thinks about this or that issue. Or this person may ask the questions that were selected from the ones that were sent to the television company via email or regular mail beforehand. This is usually done when the person is very famous and there is a possibility that too many viewers will be unable to address him or her. For example, prominent politicians or even presidents sometimes do this type of interviewing – moderators first choose the most frequently asked questions from the thousands of letters they have received and then read them to the politician when the show goes on the air. Another thing that makes thousands of people to watch such shows is that their producers tend to make the hosts wash other people's dirty linen in public. Of course, most often this concerns celebrities – the numerous scandals are revealed, by the way helping such people to stay known to the masses. Not a very respectable type of public relations, though.