18 Doughty Street

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18 Doughty Street is a British conservative-leaning political internet-based movement that hosts a webcast station as its chief product, which began broadcasting on 10 October 2006,^[1] from its studio at 18 Doughty Street in the Bloomsbury area of London. On Monday 22 January 2007 a new website went live to launch additional services that 18 Doughty Street produces; written news and opinion, news links, and what has been billed as a series of controversial "attack" adverts that will be released on a weekly basis. The new website also realises the citizen journalist element to 18 Doughty Street and allows contributors to submit videos for inclusion in the website, written news and live productions.

Doughty Media Limited^[2]^[3]^[4] was founded by Stephan Shakespeare and its core presenters include Iain Dale, Tim Montgomerie, Donal Blaney, Shane Greer, Alan Mendoza, and Claire Fox.

The station uses live video streaming technology to webcast from 7 pm until midnight from Monday until Friday in Windows Media Format. Although it calls itself a "TV station", legally it is not, so does not operate under the Ofcom Broadcasting Code which requires "due impartiality" and prevents politicians being newsreaders, interviewers or reporters in any news programme.^[5] All four directors are Conservative Party members and self-described conservatives, but do not represent the Conservative Party in an official capacity on the station.^[6]

1 Other websites
2 BritainAndAmerica.com
3 Contributors and Appearances
4 Attack ads
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Other websites

18 Doughty Street is also responsible for a new website called The Fisk that features a variety of contributors fisking left-leaning commentary and opinion pieces.

18 Doughty Street has also launched right-wing websites CentreRight.com and BritainAndAmerica.com.

[edit] BritainAndAmerica.com

BritainAndAmerica.com is a site opposing anti-americanism, supporting stronger friendship between Britain and the USA, and broadly endorsing the Republican leadership of the USA. In February 2007, its ad 'A World Without America' [1] attracted over 200,000 views on Youtube as well as more than 6,000 comments and dozens of video responses. The ad posits a world without America, and suggests that without the US, France would have been a Soviet state, Israel would have been destroyed and defeated, while the world would be suffering greater disease, poverty and hunger without US food aid and medical advances. The ad was screened on Fox News with Neil Cavuto.

[edit] Contributors and Appearances

Former leader of the Conservative Party and founder of the Centre for Social Justice Rt Hon Iain Duncan-Smith MP has appeared on Issue of the Hour and One to One since the station started broadcasting.

Other guests have included:

Shadow Home Secretary the Rt Hon David Davis MP (2006-11-09)
Lord Pearson of Rannoch (2006-11-20)
Lord Ashcroft (2006-11-21)
Conservative Peer Gillian Shephard (2006-11-21)
Matthew Elliot, founder of the Taxpayers Alliance (2006-11-01)
Dr Don Brash, leader of the Conservative opposition in New Zealand (2006-11-16)
Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP (2006-10-12)
Chris Mullin MP (2006-12-13)
Chairman of the Conservative Party Rt Hon Francis Maude MP (2006-12-20)
Australian Prime Minister John Howard
Stephen Twigg (2006-10-18)
UKIP leader Nigel Farage MEP (2006-11-13)
Rt Hon John Redwood MP
Andrew MacInlay MP (2006-12-14)

Claire Fox, from the Institute of Ideas also presents her own show called 'Claire Fox News'.

[edit] Attack ads

The channel is creating a series of US-style attack ads (a style not previously seen in the UK). Targets have included the UK tax burden,^[7] state funding of political parties,^[8] and Labour Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. Users of the channel's website are invited to vote between a number of alternative outlines, the winner being made into a campaign advert.^[9]