The Bolt Report
In its first outing on TEN, The Bolt Report seemed more interested in guests who furthered the views of the host, than engaging in balanced debate.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Programming, Reviews
Andrew Bolt’s first show on TEN offered up some of his favourite topics: refugees, climate change and politics.
If the intent of The Bolt Report was to do what Bolt does so eloquently in print and talkback radio -provoke a reaction- it is off to a good start.
But how does it fit with TEN’s news revamp as a serious news broadcaster? Its first outing succeeded more as a forum for its host than its subjects, with a distinct lack of impartiality and balance.
On a Coca-Cola red set, Bolt’s opening editorial let rip at the Gillard Government’s new deal with Malaysia, to send 800 Refugees back in exchange for accepting 4000 of theirs. It was as if the announcement had been timed perfectly for his premiere episode. Bolt made lots of comparisons with the Howard Government’s policy on “boat people” (a term that featured throughout the show) and Gillard’s “disastrous” policy. It was uncompromising, personal and stilted.
It was followed by Tony Abbott as Bolt’s first interview, in a free kick at the government. Bolt didn’t let Abbott finish his first 3 questions, but a friendly Abbott was still happy to congratulate him on his first outing -“May it flourish,” he said.
Bolt didn’t tackle Abbott hard enough on his own policies, laughing when an answer was avoided.
Next up were Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger and former Labor Leader Mark Latham, continuing with the refugee issue. Kroger was the show’s best performer: articulate, concise, covering several points. Latham didn’t defend Labor policies, raising more questions about balance. Given his zeal for the spotlight of late its doubtful that he was looking to push a Labor line rather than a Latham line. As a result it felt like one opinion from three mouths rather than a black and white conversation with a moderator.
More refugee content followed via an edited interview with Riz Wakil, billed as an “Afghan Refugee” rather than “Former Afghan Refugee”, despite telling Bolt he arrived here at the age of 18 -11 years ago.
“I understand your family is still in Pakistan, why didn’t you stay in Pakistan? Why didn’t you stay in Indonesia?” asked Bolt.
Yikes.
A testy discussion followed with Bolt keen to footnote his own views on the back of Wakil’s answers. After more than 15 minutes of anti-Refugee discussion, this did little to show another side to the issue. With no credits (either on the show or on the TEN website) it’s hard to know which producer to blame for this imbalance.
The show rounded out with a Spin of the Week segment (I thought we had been watching it already?) and two more called Under the Radar and Free Speech Award.
Bolt’s hosting of the show was awkward when reading the autocue, but more effective when in a debate.
However, Insiders showed he is more effective as a commentator than host, a role which requires more moderating and less editorialising. Can Bolt possibly have it both ways?
Or is there room for a show where the guests are there to further the views of the host? Ask Glenn Beck of FOX News…
But the bottom line may be about “shock jock” television, to ignite the viewer to become as mad as hell and simply tune in to cheer or hiss the lead player -either may well win them more viewers than a replay of the latest Video Hits clip.
The more considered viewers will stick around for the balance of Meet the Press at 10:30am hosted by Paul Bongiorno. Yesterday it interviewed Greens leader Bob Brown. He wasn’t a fan of Gillard’s new agreement with Malaysia either, but not for the same reasons as Bolt. Questioned by two other journos everybody shared a range of views without raising their voice or being interrupted.
Meet The Press has been on TEN since 1996.
The Bolt Report airs 10am Sundays on TEN.
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- Tagged with Insiders, The Bolt Report, Video Hits
136 Responses
It was boring. Completely one sided. Shamelessly biased. And unnervingly disgusting.
Andrew Bolt, if Gina hadn’t helped you out, no one would even consider giving you a show on the mainstream channels. Don’t let your big inflated head hit you on your way out.
Oh, and for those who don’t know who Gina is, watch this informative video:
youtube.com/watch?v=-02rSjE9618
David Knox – You wouldn’t be a leftie supporter of the Labour Party, methinks you may be!!! Fortunately the conservatives now have a Programme which gives us the opportunity to “vent our spleens”. Democracy in the “meeja” has been a long time missing. Its journalists of this ilk who thrive on unAustralianism and don’t like giving all a fair go. Go, Bolter, go you good thing.
With all of you complaining about ABC bias, there’re not. And no, the media are not left-leaning. You have News Corporation who owns basically half the news service in this country and shows like the 7PM project often reference to the telegraph or Herald Sun.
theage.com.au/business/study-finds-abc-bias-leans-towards-coalition-20090902-f8gm.html
People keep saying “Bolt is not a journalist”, well whilst that argument may have some merit, the airheads on 7PM certainly aren’t journos, they just say what they think is popular, which is usually left – skewed.
Congratulations David, the ferals have joined the site. To all of you I say welcome, but PLEASE leave your hatred and bias (yes, some of you have exhibited a little) at the door.
What more do you expect from Andrew “head in the sand” Bolt?
The Green Left just can’t handle the truth. Well little girls, the time has come…for payback…
Outrage and vitriol is what Bolt and TEN crave. If you don’t like the show, ignore it completely.
I hope it fails. Success will mean more talk back television. I for one don’t want prime time dominated by Paul Murray and Kyle Sandilands….oh wait… 🙁
I love when people complain about oh how bias the ABC & 7PM project is. First of all that’s totally incorrect, but even if they were, they aren’t to the extremes that Bolt is. And we don’t have enough conservative media in Australia? Rubbish. The Australian, 2UE, 2GB, 3AW, MTR, Sky News are just some examples of what I suppose those on the right call “unbiased”.
I am so happy that Andrew got a regular gig on TV…. He is a breath of fresh air on an otherwise left wing run swamp of ALP/Green loving horse shit…
Good review David, personally I feel the main problem with the show is that it’s nearly entirely editorial. Information presented to the viewer should not have adjectives like ‘disastrous’ in it. That is editorial and must be presented as such.
I’m not of the opinion that Bolt’s opinions need to be quashed, I guess if his programme rates well enough then I’ll be a tad depressed, but it should continue to be showed. I’m not sure how well it fits in with the rest of TEN’s news production though; it seems an odd spinoff when 6:30 and 7PM are more left leaning. It very much feels like a show designed to appease some of TEN’s new owners…
David talking about Bolt’s bias. What about the bias from the ABC and the MSM against Abbott and the LIbs… Words often twisted in the media.
It was refreshing to get a true and honest picture of what is actually happening in this country rather than the lies and spin spouted out by Julia Gillard and the Labor Party.
I loved Bolt’s show and looking forward to more of it…
I noticed the asylum seeker wearing a Get-up t-shirt. Get-up paid $16000 to organise this…Get-up are part of the George Soros organisation who has donted a great deal of money to this Labor offshoot. Google George Soros for those who don’t know anything about him….he is part of the NWO…
Good on you Bolt, you did a great job.
How can it be balanced with the Bolt. He will most likely have The Downer and little Johnny next with Andrew Wilkie for another point ov view…what a joke.
I enjoy news programs and really enjoy Q and A but its bias is so left. With its stacked audiences and one sided moderated twitter feed. Yet they profess to be balanced. At least Bolt describes himself as conservative. Good to see an alternative view on tv.
I wonder what he’s going to to if the Libs get in power at the next election?
Brown nosing is pretty boring TV!
Was only a matter of time before we got a strong left wing opinion show, then another network will counter it. Finally commentators rmaking the push off radio. Next year we will have a parody show of it
Nice review David.
Also, welcome to the world of Bolt commenters: (the spam at 5am). People distorting comments threads by using multiple accounts. Nice work in filtering it.
People seeking political asylum aren’t demonised nearly enough in this country! Hooray for Bolt!
Hopefully he’ll follow the trajectory of Glenn Beck, who while continuing to rate well, was cancelled because Fox News couldn’t sell advertising on his show, because essentially no sponsors wanted to be associated with him and his polemic idiocy.
They got the set wrong,the ‘B’ should of been a ‘D’ .Even with this major fault it was still good for a laugh.
Oh please, it’s Andrew Bolt’s show, he can do whatever he likes on it, there is no requirement for him to be ‘balanced’. He is a conservative commentator and he’s obviously going to be pushing his own conservative view point. People can tune in or not and the market will decide whether what he says is fair and relevant or not. It is different for the ABC of course, because they are publicly funded and their charter requires them to be impartial – they’re failing miserably at that, but that’s a different story.
Anyway, considering the conservative point of view has been choked off and starved and absolutely demonised for so long, it’s great for the Balance of Australian media that it at last now has an outlet on television.
Also for the record, conservatives are not evil demonic people. Of course we feel for people living in poverty, or suffering under brutal regimes and in fear of their lives, we just have a different point of view about what the solutions might be. What sounds nice on paper isn’t always what works. The old adage, ‘you have to be cruel to be kind’ is often true.
Well at least he doesn’t pretend to be anything other than biased. I sit in the middle politically and i thought David’s review was spot on. He was uncomfortable reading the autocue but he’ll get better- his panel wasn’t balanced but did you expect it to be with Latham on there! If you take the politics out of it (and on this site we should) i thought it was OK tv- and i loved the set!
David. I dips me lid. You truly deserve a medal for action beyond the call of duty. To actually watch that stuff and remain in a fit and able condition to report, fills me with admiration. Your work fulfills the old AJA tenet: To Report without Fear nor Favour.
Loved Andrew Bolt’s show. Will be watching every week. I can’t wait to hear the bleeding hearts scream and moan every Monday at Bolt’s show.
Man the truth hurts.
He says it as it is. His show will rate well with conservatives and leftie’s alike. We have been needing a show like this for years. Go Bolta.
abc on one side bolt the other go bolt stick it to them
@warrigul 163000 watched the morning show and 123000 the afternoon show, not bad for a first episode, and compares favourably to similar shows