Speakers' Corner (TV series)

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Speakers' Corner is a television series which airs weekly on Citytv and A-Channel stations in Canada, featuring numerous unscripted short segments on a variety of topics as recorded by members of the general public such as rants, shoutouts, jokes, music performance, etc. After the video is complete, the video will be edited to television (the studio are aware of language).

1 History
2 Citycapsula
3 How it works
4 Booth Locations
5 External links

[edit] History

Speakers' Corner began in 1990 with the original booth outside the Citytv studios in Toronto. The booth has been used for everything from heartrending pleas for assistance in locating missing children or pets, to humorous rants on things that annoy the speaker. It has also been used by musicians looking to get exposure: in their early busking days, Barenaked Ladies regularly performed in the Speakers' Corner booth.

Versions of the show began on other regional CHUM-owned television stations such as CHRO in Ottawa and CFPL in London.

The show is an example of Citytv founder Moses Znaimer's philosophy of interactive broadcasting.

An Albertan version, Speakers' Corner Alberta, airs on Access TV. Around late 2006, Calgary and Edmonton Citytv started producing their own Speaker's Corner program, with Speaker's Corner Alberta still being aired on Access.

[edit] Citycapsula

7 years ago, when City TV was inaugurated in Bogotá, Colombia, they also made a 'Speaker's Corner'-esque booth called 'Citycapsula'; the only difference being that this one is free.

[edit] How it works

Each Speakers' Corner booth consists of a video camera, recording technology and in most cases a coin slot. Any member of the general public may enter a Speakers' Corner booth, deposit a coin (normally one dollar), then record a short video segment on any topic. Each segment is limited to a maximum of two minutes, but the content is determined by the person using the booth.

Typically, Speakers' Corner Alberta booths are free, offer a few questions, and usually have a limit of 60 seconds.

The show's producers then review the booth recordings and select the "compelling" segments for the weekly show. Segments are sometimes broadcast outside of the regular show or may even appear on other CHUM television outlets, such as MuchMusic, as interstitials.

The broadcast segments have traditionally taken on a campy atmosphere, with each segment (such as "rants", "complaints", "kudos", etc.) being introduced over clips of B-grade 1950s and 60s sci-fi movies. Of recent, however, the show has taken a more polished feel, and has included text messages on-screen from viewers during broadcast.

Several local celebrities have been created by the show, such as "The Old Man" and his opinions, and "The Devil's Advocates", a comedy duo claiming to speak for Satan.

Money collected from the Speakers' Corner booths goes to charity.

[edit] Booth Locations

Speakers' Corner booths are located in:

British Columbia
- Nanaimo (A-Channel): Library Plaza (station bureau)
- Vancouver (Citytv): 180 West 2nd Avenue
- Victoria (A-Channel): Broad and Pandora Avenue, A Channel office
Alberta
- Calgary (Access: The Education Station): Chinook Centre, Calgary
- Edmonton (Access: The Educaton Station): West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton
Ontario
- London (A-Channel): Galleria Mall, and Covent Garden Market. Richmond and Oxford Street location was removed due to high vandalism.
- Ottawa (A-Channel): 87 George Street; Ottawa-Pembroke Speakers' Corner show is cancelled, its final broadcast aired 11 February 2007.
- Pembroke (A-Channel): Pembroke Mall; regular Speakers' Corner show no longer airs (see Ottawa).
- Toronto (Citytv): 299 Queen Street West at John Street (the original booth)
- Windsor (A-Channel): Palace Cinemas Building, 300 Ouellette Avenue (South-east corner of University Avenue and Ouellette Avenue)

For other Citytv and A-Channel outlets, either there is no Speakers' Corner program for that market, or the booth locations are not currently known. In Alberta, Access: The Education Station, which is the provincial broadcaster - owned by CHUM Limited, operates Speakers Corner.

Mobile booths are also available to increase public access. These are occasionally deployed at special events but are not for private use. There are many requests to rent a mobile video recording booth for weddings and corporate events as seen in CityTV's Speaker's Corner FAQ. Private Canadian companies providing a similar service, not affiliated or endorsed by CHUM Limited, can be found at Gabzebo and Soapbox Video Booths.