UK TV channel to broadcast ad of live surgery

Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK have teamed up to air a colonoscopy being performed live on a patient in what the two organisations claim is the world's first TV ad showing a live surgical procedure.

The 90-second TV ad, which will rather incongruously air at 3.25 p.m. on Wednesday during the property programme "A Place In The Sun", will demonstrate an operation to remove two bowel polyps from inside Philip McSparron, the Guardian reported on Monday.

McSparron, who started getting regular screenings for cancer after his brother's bowel cancer was spotted in early 2010, said he hoped the live broadcast of his procedure would show people that it is "not something to be frightened of".

"Hopefully people will be interested in seeing the live footage and it will encourage them to be more willing to talk about cancer and think about taking up regular screening," he said. McSparron is not being paid for his appearance in the ad.

The surgery will be performed at the Cardiff and Vale University hospital, who will give a running commentary on what viewers are seeing.

The TV ad, titled Live from the Inside, will be promoted from Monday with 10-second teaser trails on Channel 4.

The charity will simultaneously stream the ad on Facebook, with a cancer nurse to field questions posted by social media users.

Channel 4 will also simultaneously broadcast the event across its social media accounts.

In 2008, 2.2 million viewers watched the live broadcast of a team skydive in a three-minute ad for Honda.

Almost 170,000 viewers tuned in just to watch the TV advert. It was the first live ad broadcast on UK TV.

--IANS

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