New youth show looks at social, moral issues

Press, 24 August 1988, Page 19

New youth show looks at social, moral issues

“Wavelength,’’ Energy Source Television’s new youth programme, debuts on Two on Sunday at 5.05 p.m. Dealing with social and moral issues important to the younger generation, it will feature reports, discussion, drama and music. The initial six-part series will discuss everything from alcohol to teen-age pregnancy. Six months back, armed with a programme brief requiring “a strong youth input” but not much else, television producers Katherine Rankin and Grahame Moore sent out for expert help, gathering together a team of about 50 young people, who have made a significant contribution to the development and production of the programmes. The group met several times over a period of weeks to thrash out topics, questions, set ideas, even the title. “Development of the series has been more or less at their mercy,” according to Katherine Rankin. Grahame Moore says, “Wavelength’s for youth, by youth, with youth — on their wavelength.” The producers are both keen to emphasise the “Wavelength’s” team is not hand picked and they participate as individuals, not representatives. They came together, Moore says, after invitations were dispatched

“across the community.” This included schools, technical and tertiary institutions, trades and professional groups, sports, cultural and social agencies (among these the unemployed). Hosts Monica Maynard and Grant Shearer are both youthful newcomers to television. Each week they will share the limelight with a different panel of four young people. Ms Rankin describes Wavelength’s approach as "making the right choices with emphasis on sharing life experiences and encouraging thinking through of problem situations.” While targeting the teen-age audience it will also appeal to families, in fact anyone who cares about young people. Each 30-minute programme will feature a factual background report leading into lively panel discussion of questions linked to the current issue, interspersed with inserts of relevant drama material and music video. When these components are woven together, Wavelength will have “a bright, brash style that keeps moving,” she says. “We want to stir our audience into thinking about the subject and we’ll be looking for feedback all the time.” The first programme in the series deals with family break-up.