Horizonte turns into a bar-room chat: the drift of a once-respected show
Horizonte, Iker Jiménez's current affairs show, has morphed into bar-room banter: audience strategy or controlled dissent? An analysis of its drift and the business of…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Horizonte becomes a bar-room chat: the drift of a once-respected show
Horizonte, the current affairs programme that spent years building a loyal audience with debates on politics and economics, has changed beyond recognition. Long-time viewers no longer recognise the format. Instead of experts, the panel is filled with recurring personalities, in-jokes and a tone many describe as «bar-room banter». The complaint is unanimous: rigour has been sacrificed for spectacle.
A deliberate shift or organic drift?
Some argue the drift is no accident. The theory of «controlled dissent» – that the show exaggerates certain topics in order to defuse them – is gaining ground among critics. Others see it as a simple commercial move: boosting ratings with cheap controversy. What is certain is that the guest profile has changed: established figures such as Vaquero or Etxebarria have been replaced by loud panel regulars and, according to some, by personalities chasing shock value rather than analysis.
The business of controversy
Behind this turn lies a clear economic calculation. The ratings don't lie: noise sells. But at the cost of degrading the brand. The show's host, Iker Jiménez – known on social media as «Friker» – is gambling his credibility in an increasingly fragmented market. The question that remains is whether this is the inevitable price of survival on television or a gamble that will end up burning the format.
Horizonte, the current affairs programme that spent years building a loyal audience with debates on politics and economics, has changed beyond recognition. Long-time viewers no longer recognise the format. Instead of experts, the panel is filled with recurring personalities, in-jokes and a tone many describe as «bar-room banter». The complaint is unanimous: rigour has been sacrificed for spectacle.
A deliberate shift or organic drift?
Some argue the drift is no accident. The theory of «controlled dissent» – that the show exaggerates certain topics in order to defuse them – is gaining ground among critics. Others see it as a simple commercial move: boosting ratings with cheap controversy. What is certain is that the guest profile has changed: established figures such as Vaquero or Etxebarria have been replaced by loud panel regulars and, according to some, by personalities chasing shock value rather than analysis.
The business of controversy
Behind this turn lies a clear economic calculation. The ratings don't lie: noise sells. But at the cost of degrading the brand. The show's host, Iker Jiménez – known on social media as «Friker» – is gambling his credibility in an increasingly fragmented market. The question that remains is whether this is the inevitable price of survival on television or a gamble that will end up burning the format.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (65 replies).
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