Abstract

The possibility of watching time-shifted TV shows has transformed the measurement of audiences. This why since 2015 the visualizations of programs have been recorded from the first minute of their broadcast up to seven days later. In this research, we analyze the characteristics and evolution of the debates time-shifted audience of the Spanish and European elections of 2019 and we will compare them with those of other informative tv shows and with the fiction and entertainment genres. According to methodology, we use audience data collected with Infosys software during the last two months of both election periods and we also interview experts. Results show that, in relative aspects, the time-shifted audience of debates only increased by 2.90%, but in absolute terms, the increase was greater than other genres during the analyzed period because they are events of great interest where the conflict and confrontation made them lead also on traditional linear television. Therefore, we conclude that the debates time-shifted audience is an exception in informative tv shows, which usually are ranked in the last place compared to other genres. In addition, we observe a progressive erosion of the number of viewers and their distribution in the seven days after the broadcast, due to proximity of the Spanish and European elections. We also detect a predominance of the vosdal audience (viewing on same day as live), which is explained by the important relation between debates and current affairs. 

Abstract

The series of issues for debate which our public representatives consider important is normally referred to as the “political agenda”. This agenda, when compared to the priorities of the media (“media agenda”) and those of the general public (“public” and “private” agendas), is much more difficult to measure. This article uses a methodology to ascertain the thematic break-down of the political agenda based on the analysis of three different scenarios of political communication during the Spanish general elections held in April 2019: the electoral programs of the parties, the use of Twitter and electoral debates. This contribution uses the methodology of content analysis to study the agenda of the main issues in the electoral programs and televised debates in addition to how politicians used the social network Twitter to deal with the agenda issues.

Abstract

Television debates during electoral campaigns constitute a central element within the political communication sphere. This research examines the digital conversation on Twitter on the broadcast of two television debates during the general elections campaign in Spain in April 2019: #ElDebateDecisivo of Atresmedia (among male presidential candidates) and #L6Neldebate of La Sexta (among female political candidates). The research provides a renovated perspective regarding the progressive feminisation of politics, establishing a correlation among key variables, such as the gender of the political leaders participating in the debates, the role of television as the main means during elections, and the influence of the public interaction on Twitter. Methodologically, the study pays attention to 313,343 impacts generated by 101,510 users or nodes. As pointed out in the conclusions, in the masculine debate (#ElDebateDecisivo) the active audience’s contribution to the public and political debate is defined in a more banal way, in contrast with the women’s debate (#L6Neldebate), in which a more political consciousness is perceived.

Abstract

Television electoral debates are considered one of the most relevant events during the election period due to their high audience and also because of the power they generate to direct the media agendas. The present research examines the transmission of this format in front the proliferation of screens, diffusion on the social networks, introduction of on demand services, and on the go consumption together with the emergence of new television performers. This quantitative study analyses the debates issued during the parliamentary elections in Spain, which took place on the 28th of April 2019, in order to learn about their impact further than traditional television consumption and the engagement achieved. The methodology employed combined the monitoring of different platforms. The conclusions obtained support that the emission of this kind of debates takes place through new distribution channels, generating a high tracking rate on Twitter. The broadcasting strategies of the television chains differ.

Abstract

In the current media ecosystem, one of the main pillars of political party communication campaigns is focused on the appearance of political leaders on television. The presence and exposure of political candidates in this medium, across different informative formats, from entertainment to infotainment, draws the attention of a considerable section of citizens beyond the electoral campaign. The electoral debates are one of the most hegemonic television formats relating to politics, that brings together a large number of spectators. The interest of the Spanish audience in this type of format, without a historical tradition in Spain, has been remarkable to watch during the last twenty-six years of broadcasting. The evolution of the audience for these programs confirms a high level of interest by Spanish spectators and has reached historically high ratings for the networks broadcasting them, which is one of the quantitative indicators unanimously accepted as a standard in the study on audiences. However, the incorporation of new screens and channels into the electoral debates has widened the mainstream viewing scenario. The current multiscreen television experience and audience participation across platforms, such as social networks, represent a challenge for the communication strategies of political parties and television networks, as well as for measurement of this new audience, which is significantly more active, while also generating more content.