From AR shows to short films: The wonders of election coverage

It is not just politicians who will be battling for voters on Wednesday -- local television broadcasters are waging a battle of their own armed with new technology and high-profile experts to attract viewers to their election night coverage Wednesday.

Under the slogan “A Choice to Change My Life,” state-owned broadcaster KBS will focus on providing coverage with perspectives with in-depth discussions among political pundits.

Rhyu Si-min, a liberal pundit and the chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, and Park Hyung-joon, the co-head of the conservative United Future Party’s elections campaign committee, will provide commentary on election results.

The two served on the panel of “Let’s Do Politics,” a political talk show on KBS that was launched in November to discuss the build-up to the election.

“Based on the data and analysis accumulated over the last six months, we will present a more in-depth and accurate analysis on voting day,” said Kim Dae-young, the head of the KBS’s elections coverage team and the talk show’s producer.

Using “Decision K,” its own forecast system, KBS will begin forecasting winning candidates once 20 percent of the votes have been counted.

The broadcaster will also host an augmented reality data show, installing 24-meter-high LED screens in Yeouido and nearby Hangang Park to show the election coverage outside, while operating an outdoor dashboard displaying the nationwide exit polls.

“A Choice for a New Decade” is the election coverage slogan at MBC. The network broadcaster plans to make the election coverage a visual and smart experience.

A large map of Korea inside a transparent air-dome erected at the broadcaster’s plaza in Sangam-dong, Seoul, will display the ballot counts in each of the 235 electoral districts.

Reactions to the voting results will be livestreamed from 100 places around the country.

A talk show featuring former main anchorman and ex-lawmaker Shin Kyung-min and right-wing lawyer Jun Won-tchack will be aired as the vote count proceeds.

Network broadcaster SBS has incorporated artificial intelligence into their forecast system to estimate the probability of winning for all candidates in real time.

Under the slogan “Today, At Our Fingertips,” all of SBS’s main anchors will go on air, interviewing citizens and candidates from around the country.

Meanwhile, cable channel JTBC is taking a different approach to coverage.

With the slogan, “Question, Mark the Vote,” JTBC intends to “break free from the fancy graphics and politician-centered election shows and focus on the voters’ voices”

Titled “Start, line,” the short feature was created by veteran film director Yim Pil-sung.

According to Yim, the film shows a two-day journey of an 18-year-old girl, a first time voter.

“I wanted to tell a story that can help viewers recall how they had felt when they voted for the first time and also on the essence of voting system itself,” the director said. 


By Choi Ji-won  (jwc@heraldcorp.com)