If Google did bring the cost of hosting and delivering a live debate down from £600k on YouTube. Yes, that is £600k, not £60k. Then I fully believe that 2010 could be a year where we see frequent live debates within the YouTube channel.
There are alot of issues which, in the age of openness, transparency and dialogue, companies are starting to combat straight on. Whether its personal debt, the environment, the latest Murdoch subscription model, I think we will see alot more live debates hosted within the YouTube channel. Particularly, I think we will see the UK’s first live hosted web debate between Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
What I do find interesting alongside this is the fact that I was recently in an audit with Billets, who seem to be pushing Facebook as the best live debate platform. To me this shows a slight naivety on their part and I am not aware of occassions where Facebook has been used as a live debate. YouTube has clear examples, the most obvious and delightful is the CNN/YouTube series. Link Here
The way to involve Facebook in a screened TV debate is obvious, through Facebook Connect. However, to me this is simply an add-on, not something that makes Facebook a debating platform.
Thoughts or examples of debates most welcome.
