MUMBAI: Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is spearheading a 24-hour reality TV show titled Backstage Show: The Prime Minister. The 24-hour show kicked off on cable operator UBC's Channel 16 on 18 January.
The programme shows essentially raw, unedited live footage of Thaksin's visit to Roi Et, one of Thailand's poorer areas in the north-east. The programming initiative is seen as an important effort to spread his anti-poverty message.
However, critics are not very pleased with the PM's creative venture. One of Thailand's richest men, Thaksin is battling accusations of corruption and cronyism. Critics accuse him of mixing his family telecommunications empire with affairs of state.
The network, which airs the show, is controlled by the Thaksin's family. "This is another example of Thaksin manipulating the media," a local journalist has been quoted in media reports as saying.