Marc's brain: de juny 2007

dimecres, de juny 27, 2007

Programa d'estiu

Divendres començo les vacances, seré fora gairebé tot el juliol. Intentaré escriure sensacions del meu viatge a Xile i Rapa Nui en aquest espai; i quan torni, em reincorporaré a l'agost en la subdirecció del programa "Els Matins" d'estiu a TV3. Si teniu alguna proposta, coneixeu algú interessant (des d'un col·leccionista de gadgets del Naranjito a un reputat professor de física quàntica) que sàpiga parlar i tingui coses a dir, o si sabeu d'una festa, acte o aplec que pugui ser interessant i que ens en poguem fer ressò, no dubteu en deixar la vostra opinió-proposta aquí mateix. Us ho agraïré amb una barbacoa chez moi o amb un gintònic, tot depenent de la vostra implicació, hehe. Salut a tothom!!!

diumenge, de juny 24, 2007

Monsieur beurré (ara sí)

Com diu el periodista, "aparentment només havia begut aigua". Però és evident que Sarkozy, a la roda de premsa de la reunió del G8, havia seguit els consells d'Aznar i el vi, i aleshores passa el que passa... La pregunta és: abans de les rodes de premsa, s'hauria de fer bufar els polítics?

dimarts, de juny 19, 2007

Barcelona: Leading a stateless nation ((From a Rick Steves article for CNN ))

Barcelona is Spain's second city and the capital of the proud and distinct region of Catalonia. With Francisco Franco's fascism now long gone, Catalonia's creative and independent spirit is on a roll. Many visitors find this to be Spain's most cosmopolitan and vibrant corner.

In Barcelona a local told me "Catalonia is Spain's Quebec." Traveling here you see how the people of Catalonia have an affinity for other "stateless nations." Locals don't like to call their corner of Iberia a "region" of Spain -- that's what Franco called it.

They stress that they are a "nation without a state." And they have an affinity for other people who didn't get their independence when they drew the national boundaries. They live in solidarity with other stateless nations, finding Basque or Galician bars a little more appealing than your run-of-the-mill Spanish ones.

Barcelona has a rich history: Roman colony, a Dark Age Visigothic capital, and a 14th-century maritime power. And beyond its great sights, be sure to appreciate the city's elegant sense of style and Mediterranean knack for good living.

The city's main square, Placa Catalunya, is the center of the world for 7 million Catalan people, a lively scene throughout the day. The square is decorated with statues honoring important Catalans. Catalonia has its own distinct language, history, and flag, which locals fly proudly next to Spain's on government buildings and all alone from their apartments.

Catalonia has often been at odds with the central Spanish government in Madrid. Back in the '30s this area was one of the last pockets of resistance against the fascist dictator Francisco Franco. When Franco finally took power he punished the region with four decades of repression. During that time, locals were prohibited from flying their flag. To show their national spirit, they flew the flag of the Barcelona soccer team instead.

Even Barcelona's ATMs are in solidarity with the European family of "Stateless Nations." They offer the correct choice of languages: Along with Angles, Frances, and Castella (Spanish), you'll always find Gallec, Euskera and Catalan. Even though there's likely not a person a year who would speak only Gallec (from Galicia in northwest Spain) or Euskera (from the Basque country), they give them the linguistic respect they would hope for in a foreign land.

Each Sunday Barcelonans gather in front of their cathedral to celebrate their community by dancing the traditional Sardana. Traditional instruments, which evoke the struggle these people have waged through the centuries to keep their culture alive, sound sweet (I think only) to Catalan ears.

The Catalan language is irrevocably tied to the history and spirit of the Catalan people. Since the end of the Franco era in the mid-1970s, the language has enjoyed a huge resurgence. It's the language of the local schools and, today, children here speak Catalan first, Spanish second.

A recent affluence has elevated the city. There's barely a hint of danger in the once frightening Gothic Quarter. I remember the city's main boulevard, the Ramblas, when it was rich at the top and very rough at the port. Lurid prostitutes would line the street where it finally hit the harbor.

Today, the Ramblas is rich at the top and rich at the port and the holes ground by anxious high heels into the stone thresholds of brothel doorways are the only things left of the prostitutes.

The toughest thing surviving on the Ramblas are the roving gangs of thugs who run the high-energy, extremely twitchy shell games. With spotters uphill and downhill, and a full team of shills, nervous men scoot their dodgy peas. It's amazing there are enough fools on the streets to keep them in business.

While souvenir shops and crowds of tourists have diluted the Ramblas' former elegance, it still offers an entertaining place to see the carnival of Barcelona life. But pay attention. Wherever people stop to gawk, pickpockets are at work. I think you're as likely to have your pocket picked in Barcelona, especially here on the Ramblas, as anywhere else in Europe. If you stop for any commotion or spectacle, put your hands in your pockets before someone else does.

And Barcelona offers edible travel thrills, too. Pimiento de Padron (or in Catalan, Pebrots de Padro), lightly fried peppers salted and served piping hot, are a kind of Russian roulette for the taste buds. Eager eaters know that every once in a while you hit a super spicy pepper. Munching through a plate of peppers while watching the paseo filling the street in front of my little table, I was starting to understand the passion people have for this great city.

dijous, de juny 14, 2007

Monsieur beurré

coming soon

dissabte, de juny 09, 2007

L'audiència


L'altre dia llegia per enèssima vegada una carta al director al Periódico que feia referència a la notícia que el mes de maig TV3 havia batut rècords de mala audiència. La típica pregunta "Què passa amb TV3?" i la típica resposta: "Des que hi ha el tripartit, l'audiència no para de baixar". És evident que preguntes i respostes d'aquest tipus estan totalment polititzades pels mateixos que demanen transparència informativa, etcètera. No entraré en aquest àmbit, per ara. Però tampoc no vull evitar parlar de l'evidència que les coses segurament es podrien fer millor, o que, com a tot arreu, hi ha aspectes positius i negatius. Ara bé, als apocalíptics polititzats seguidors del naufragi de TV3 els diré que aquesta televisió pública catalana és de es millors que es fan al món, que la baixada d'audiència prové de diversos factors més que comprovables; el primer, que afecta totes les cadenes, és que a partir de la primavera baixa el consum televisiu; el segon, l'aparició de múltiples teles locals que diversifiquen l'audiència, un fet que es potenciarà quan hi hagi l'apagada analògica; i el tercer i, al meu parer, el més important, és que TV3 ha de competir amb tota aquesta porqueria televisiva que esgarrapen espectadors sense escrúpols i saltant-se horaris protegits (per cert, molts dels que critiquen TV3 s'apunten sense miraments a l'audiència massiva d'aquests pseudodebats, concursos i operacions triomfs). És la lluita del tot s'hi val, una lluita en què TV3 hi ha plantat cara amb programes com "Afers Exteriors", "Caçadors de paraules", "Caçadors de bolets", "Bèsties", "Històries de Catalunya", "Polònia", "Ventdelplà", "El Club" i "Els Matins". Cada minut és l'or que suma en la xifra global, computar és difícil, però l'esforç dels professionals de TVC fan que el producte final es mantingui a dalt de tot i, malgrat que les xifres absolutes no acopanyin sempre, les relatives sí; demano que algú em digui quina altra televisió autonòmica es situa sempre entre els tres primers llocs al rànquing televisiu. Fa 8 anys que hi treballo (tot i no ser contractat per TV3) i, fins al moment, no he tingut cap mena de pressió que no sigui la de treballar per fer un programa seriós i de qualitat. Culpar la baixada de l'audiència al canvi polític és roí, fals i insultant pels que hi treballem, i crec que respon més a una voluntat d'erosió ordida per un corrent polític que a la realitat de la programació. O és que volen que fem programes dignes de l'abocador del Garraf?