Media (1)
Chapter 15
Xiao Huiyun
December, 2007
Division of media
Media
Television
Radio
Newspapers, magazines
Introduction
• Television viewing is Britain’s most popular
pastime. The average Briton spends more than
three and a half hours per day watching
television, including videotapes. More than 97
percent of Britain’s households have a color
television and 73 percent have a videocassette
recorder (VCR). Practically every home has a
radio, and about 70 percent of the population
listens to radio on a daily basis.
British National broadcasters
• Public broadcasting
• The largest UK broadcaster is the BBC which runs two
national television channels (with national and regional
sub-divisions), five national radio stations, cable and
digital TV channels, and more than 40 local radio stations.
The Corporation has global enterprises in both television
and radio, as well as a broadcast monitoring service, and
Europe's most visited content web site. Although
predominantly a public service organization, which raises
revenue from a universal licensing system, the BBC also
operates commercially in many domains both inside and
outside the UK
British National broadcasters
• Private broadcasting
• Independent Television ITV (the Channel 3 companies) –
15 regionally based franchisees provide both local and
national (network) services. In addition, GMTV operates
a breakfast network service. The entire Channel 3 service
is largely dominated by two companies, Carlton and
Granada. They own or control 12 of the ITV franchises.
• Channel 4 is a hybrid public service, minority interest
service which also raises revenue through advertising
sales. (There is a separate fourth channel in Wales, Sianel
Pedwar Cymru [S4C], which is funded partly by
advertising and partly by the State, and carries peak-time
Welsh language programming.)
• A fifth terrestrial channel began broadcasting in April
1997. Channel 5 is a commercial operation carrying
advertising
The UK Television
• The five national
networks (excluding
satellite)
• Cable and digital
• Five national networks in
the UK.
The main channels
• BBC 1 - since 1936, general interest programmes.
• BBC 2 - minority and specialist interests.
• ITV – (Channel 3 since 1955) is approximately 33% informative
and 66% light entertainment.
• Channel 4 - since 1982, 15% educational programmes,
encourages innovation and experiment.
• Channel 5 – since 1997
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
• Six national stations.
• Broadcasts: BBC 1, 2, 4,
BBC News 24, BBC
Choice, BBC Parliament.
• Radio Channels.
• No advertising.
• Worldwide television
services (BBC World,
BBC Prime)
The division of programmes
• Light entertainment (variety shows, soap operas, situation
comedies, game shows)
• News/current affairs
• Documentaries
• Children’s TV
• Music
• Sport
• Films/TV movies
• Drama/plays
The content of BBC1-BBC2 programming
for 2002-2003
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News
Current affairs
Drama
Comedy
Entertainment
Arts and music
Factual
Learning
Sport
Religion
Events
Children’s –
BBC1
BBC2
570 h.
80 h.
100 h.
230 h.
200 h.
500 h.
430 h.
80-120 h.
20 h.
400 h.
100 h.
British favourite TV shows
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“Are you being served?”
“Bless me father”
“Fawlty Towers”
“Mulberry”
“Yes, Prime Minister”
“Blackadder”
“Chef”
“Holmes”
British Soap Opera
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The storylines of Coronation
Street tend to concentrate on
relationships within and between
families rather than on topical or
social issues
Coronation Street is imbued with
a definite feeling of community.
Through its account of
supposedly everyday life, the
programme shows a high degree
of social realism
The Street, as it is affectionately
known, has been at the top of
the U.K. ratings for over thirty
years.
•
Coronation Street
Who Regulates BBC & ITV?
• The Broadcasting Standards Commission
ceased to exist on 29 December 2003 and its
duties were assumed by Ofcom, the Office of
Communications. Ofcom inherits the duties of
the five regulators it replaces: the Broadcasting
Standards Commission (BSC), the Independent
Television Commission (ITC), Oftel, the Radio
Authority and the Radiocommunications Agency.
• Ofcom is allowed to comment on the BBC’s
performance, but leaving editorial and programming
responsibility with the governors as trustees of the
public interest – and accountable ultimately to
Parliament.
• Furthermore, in the interests of pluralism, it cannot be
right to subject the whole of British broadcasting to a
single group of government-appointed individuals.
Given the choice between one body or two charged with
defining and looking after the public interest, democracy
is better served by having two.
Who Regulates BBC & ITV?
• BBC is ultimately responsible to parliament through its 12
publicly appointed governors (Board of Governors). Many
of its plans have to be approved by Government Ministers.
Vacancies for governors were advertised for the first time
in 1998
• For the most part, the UK media are regulated more by
general law. In total, it is estimated, more than 140 pieces
of legislation have specific relevance to the media, and
litigation remains a favoured method (at least among those
who can afford it) of bringing the media to account. Other
forms of accountability have less effect.
Who Regulates BBC & ITV
• In 1990 the Broadcasting Act was passed in an attempt
to guarantee standards of decency, accuracy in news
coverage, and balanced presentations of controversial
topics, while encouraging more competition in television
and radio.
• The Broadcasting Act passed in 1996 addressed the
new digital technologies in broadcasting that would
allow for more radio and television services to be made
available to the public
BBC Governors' Profiles
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Gavyn Davies OBE
Lord (Richard) Ryder of Wensum
Sir Robert Smith
Professor Fabian Monds CBE
Professor Merfyn Jones
Ranjit Sondhi CBE
Dame Pauline Neville-Jones
DCMG
Dermot Gleeson
Baroness (Sarah) Hogg
Angela Sarkis CBE
Dame Ruth Deech
Deborah Bull CBE
BBC Executive Committee
• Each division's performance
• The BBC’s day-to-day
is regularly assessed by the
operations are run by 16
BBC’s governors.
divisions. Their directors
report to the director-general, • Every July, BBC governors
forming the Executive
publish an Annual Report to
Committee.
licence payers and
Parliament which assesses
• The director-general is chief
the BBC's performance
executive and editor-in-chief.
against objectives over the
BBC governors appoint the
past year
director-general and, with
him/her, senior management
Basic Principles for Broadcasting
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All the channels excepting Channel 4 are
obliged by law to be impartial and neutral in
dealing with social and political affairs.
Channels 4 is allowed to show its neutrality
across a series of programmes.( p244)
Public broadcasting should serve the purpose
of entertaining, informing and educating the
nation.( p250 )
The Funding
• BBC 1 & BBC 2 – licence fees from viewers , sale of
programmes, hire and sale of educational films
based on programmes . Do not get any of their
revenue through advertising.
• BBC World – an advertiser funded channel, with 24hour news, information and analysis.
• ITV Channels 3, 4, 5 all profit-making, revenue from
advertising see p244 for more details
Basic Principles for Broadcasting
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There should not be political bias and the
presentation of sex and violence on the
screen.( p248 )
At least 86% of all programmes in the peak
viewing period on ITV and Channel 4 must
come from British or European sources. (p244)
Decent standard should be maintained (p248)
Radio
• The BBC has five radio networks that broadcast
throughout Britain
• There are also three independent national radio
services (classical music, rock music, and talk radio),
and about 200 independent local radio services.
• These independent radio services are awarded licenses
by Ofcom.
• BBC World Service Radio broadcasts around the world
in English and 45 other languages, carrying extensive
programs and high-quality news broadcasts.
The brief history of British radio
• 1922: BBC started daily
broadcasting on 2LO on 14
Nov. The first voice was
Arthur Burrows, reading the
news.
• 1922: 15 Nov: 5IT and 2ZY
became first BBC stations
outside London.
• 1967: On 30th September,
BBC radio reorganisation
launched Radio's 1,2,3 and
4.
• 1967: "Third
Programme“ and"National
Programme" replaced 2LO.
The "Regional Programme",
an alternative service, started
later this year.
The brief history of British radio
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1973: Birth of independent
(commercial) radio, with LBC and
Capital Radio in London.
1988: First commercial station 'split'
frequencies.
1990: IBA split into ITC 1991:
Radio 1 goes 24 hours on 1 May.
1992: Launch of Classic FM,
Britain's first national commercial
radio station.
• 1995: Talk Radio began
broadcasting on 14 Feb.
• 1993: Launch of Virgin
1215.
• 1996: New rules on crossmedia ownership heralds
further change in the radio
industry.
The most popular British radio
stations
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Clare FM
Anna Livia
Live 95
Welsh Radio International
Imperial College radio
Capital FM
BBC Radio 2