If you're Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, you agree to broadcast closed-door negotiations between the Civic Democrats (ODS) and the Social Democrats (ČSSD) live, for the whole country to watch.

News channel ČT24 did just that Jan. 10, airing one session before pulling the plug. The broadcast was called off due to pointless quarrelling, largely between Topolánek and ČSSD Chairman Jiří Paroubek, and negotiations were suspended.

The fiasco came as little surprise, analysts say.

According to the Czech News Agency, French political analyst Ilios Yannakakis called the idea "completely undemocratic demagogy."

"It was useless," says Jiří Pehe, a political analyst. "The live broadcast was never meant to benefit the public. It was Paroubek's effort to make his party more visible and to compromise the ODS."

Media experts are also skeptical that making political negotiations available to the TV masses will help the public grasp the government's complicated situation.

"Such broadcast is no rock 'n' roll," says Daniel Köppl, editor-in-chief of trade magazine Marketing & Media. "For the viewers, it must have been absurd theater."

But perhaps what comes as more of a surprise is that the broadcast, short-lived though it was, actually appeared popular.

The ratings of the live session on ČT24, the limited-access TV channel run by Czech Television (ČTV), were high. "Ten times as many people watched the program than what is typical [on ČT24]," says ČTV spokeswoman Anna Freimanová. "Viewer feedback was positive."

ČTV denies claims that the station was politically manipulated into broadcasting the program because the channel is financed by the state.

"ČTV has its own editorial policies, not dependent on any political party's wishes," Freimanová says. "ČT24 broadcasts all important political debates. This was no exception."

Pehe says the success of the debate is relative. "It was popular because it was the first debate of its kind. If it happened again, the ratings would be significantly lower."

Although people are disgusted with the political deadlock, he says, they still want to be in the picture. "People complain about politics, but they realize it concerns them."

Some describe Topolánek's decision to agree to the broadcast as either a creative or desperate effort to find support for his three-party coalition, which faces a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies Jan. 19.

After the breakdown in talks — which were an effort to get ČSSD leadership to support Topolánek's Cabinet — the prime minister followed up with a letter to all ČSSD deputies, asking for votes.

Since support in the Chamber is split evenly between the right-wing coalition of the ODS, the Christian Democrats and the Green Party and the left-wing opposition comprising the Social Democrats and the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, Topolánek's success in a vote of confidence will depend on a few deputies changing their minds.