Television’s most successful reality producer and America’s most popular website are teaming up to create Independent, a groundbreaking political reality show.
Mark Burnett and MySpace are uniting to find the nation’s next great politician through an online, offline, on-air multimedia campaign expected to launch in early 2008.
The interactive television series will attempt to engage and empower young Americans to participate in the political process at an unprecedented level. In the reality-based competition, America will select a candidate whom they feel will best reflect the voice of young citizens.
“Independent represents a giant leap in the re-democratization of American politics,” said MySpace CEO/Co-Founder Chris DeWolfe.
“MySpace puts political power back in the hands of everyday people and Independent takes it to a whole new level,” added Tom Anderson, President, Co-founder of MySpace and Trakin’s only online friend.
“Through this new network television series and the partnership of MySpace, we're going to discover in a big way, what America really thinks, and bring to light the issues that are closest to those who now finally have a chance to be heard,” said Mark Burnett. “The largest number of eyeballs able to be reached at any one time is still network television. But clearly, the world’s largest social networking community is found on MySpace and this huge, powerful group of young Americans will definitely generate strong opinions, and unquestionable influence. What will the Independent community say? What will they decide? We're going to hear in a big way, what America really thinks!”
Probably the fact Don Imus is a bum, but that’s another story.
The contestants on Indepedent will be out in the public each day, interacting with supporters, protestors, activists, and everyone in-between. Through an interactive town-hall environment, they will receive feedback from the viewing public both within the network television series and online through the MySpace community.
The winner will receive an award of one million dollars that they cannot keep. What they do with that million dollars is subject to a list of options, all political in nature, but the choice the winner makes will be greatly influenced by the MySpace community and the viewers of the network television show.
Will the winner choose to donate the money to a political action groups (e.g. global warming or education reform)? Will they provide the initial donation to form a third political party that better represents the voices of young Americans? Will they make their own run for the White House in 2008? All of these decisions will be shaped by viewers who watch the show, and influence our winner.
All candidates interested in running as Independent will submit themselves via MySpace Video. Once the candidates are chosen, each will create MySpace Impact profiles to serve as their campaign platform.
Over the course of the series, through a combination of Internet-powered direct democracy and the broad reach of TV, viewers will be empowered to put a genuine stamp on which issues they care about most and identify the one who truly represents them
Issues and challenges presented to Independent candidates will be proposed by the MySpace community and battled out in the hometowns of those most affected by the issue. In addition, prominent national politicians will be invited to participate in the show as well.
Through the politically focused Impact Channel, MySpace recently announced community-wide straw polls beginning in May and the MySpace Presidential Primary held January 1 and 2 of next year.
MySpace and Mark Burnett will be taking Independent to networks to determine the most appropriate broadcast partner.
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