In Rumania, chat-shows explain to the people why they are constantly being disadvantaged.
Viewing figures of Rumanian television climb highest when former court poet Adrian Paunescu praises the virtues of the Rumanian people to the skies. His program is about the dangers of "foreign infiltration", of the historic bravery of his compatriots or of their ingenious spirit for technical inventions. Paunescu's favoured guests are nationalist politicians, wonder doctors, unrecognised artists or angry singers. A conspicuous community of fans pays homage to his program.
Ceausescu's court poet turned into a TV star
Maybe they are the same people who, before 1989, listened to the national communist guru in the stadiums, who admired and worshipped him. During the revolution of December 1989, Paunescu was nearly lynched by outraged rebels, since he was known as one of the most important propagandists of the overthrown regime. It was only in 1992, that he dared to step out into the public again. He joined the socialist labour party, which succeeded the communist party, he published a nationalist rabble-rousing propaganda gazette, and founded a publishing company.
Rumania as the victim of occult powers and conspiracies. This isn't just Paunescu's favourite subject. All the other chat-show hosts and their guests, whose programs are more popular than ever, endeavour to explain it all to the people too: Why Rumania has such a bad image abroad, why Rumania is not accepted into NATO, or why Rumania didn't win a prize at the Eurovision Festival. In any case, Paunescu's conclusion is simple: "Nobody loves us."
For many Rumanians, chat-shows seem to be the last joy, they still have. Television offers the most attractive alternative program for the disappointed, weary and uncontented in the country. Money for any other entertainment is too scarce anyway.
Before 1989, the TV program was reduced to a few hours a day. It featured the "genius helmsman" Nicolae Ceausescu and his visions of the "versatile, developed, socialist society". After decades of abstinence from tele-vision, Rumanian TV producers of all channels cannot get enough of the new, and most importantly low-cost, chat-show format.
Private channels particularly survive on chat-shows
It is not only the Rumanian government TV channels, TVR 1 and TVR 2, that fill their broadcasting time with chatter arias against the discrimination of Rumania, but there are also private channels, founded after the turning point by clever business people, nouveaux riches and exiled Rumanians worth a few millions, that broadcast an extraordinary amount of such shows. These private channels like Pro TV, Antena 1, Tele 7, ABC and Prima TV dish up evening after evening what people think. Or better, what they are supposed to think.
The screens, that turn into temples of virtual freedom, evening after evening are crowded with irate journalists, friendly writers, murmuring priests, angry politicians or incomprehensible intellectuals. "Nobody loves us", Adrian Paunescu explains to the viewers in his weekly program. After this, way after midnight, they can drop into bed, exhausted and happy at the same time.