British TV Party Political Broadcasts: Persuasive, Performative Broadcasting

Mostly based on primary sources (collected in the archives of the BBC and political parties), this chapter focuses on Party Political Broadcasts (PPBs): the mediating role they play in the democratic process, and how they evolved into sophisticated “performance” of political communication where entertainment is used as a persuasive lever to influence attitudes, if not behaviour. PPBs have borrowed from other television formats to develop into an innovative hybrid genre that is now part of British TV culture. In accordance with their public service mission, broadcasters maintain them as part of their duty to mediate between parties and voters, and act as a Habermasian public sphere. PPBs also reflect the long-term evolution of electoral campaigning, and parties are unlikely to abandon free broadcasting airtime with (almost) complete editorial control.