Saturday, May 18, 2019

How Relevant is Reith’s Idea of Public Service Broadcasting in Relation to Contemporary Television? Essay

The beginning of the 20th century saw the dawn of a parvenue form of power. A means to communicate with thousands, and eventu each(prenominal)y millions of stack simultaneously, to convey your ideas across a full nation in a matter of seconds. This power was air.Broadcasting at the time was seen as a public utility, and as the wave spectrum was limited, the g everyplacenment got involved in its distribution. It decided the best way to investment fellowship beam was a license fee. A British Broadcasting Company (which in 1927 would become the British Broadcasting Corporation) was formed, and on November 14th 1922, after over a million ten-shilling licenses were sold, it started trans committees.The first opusaging manager of this company was John Reith, a Scotsman with a background in engineering. When he signed up for the job he did not even know what air meant, and nonetheless he would precise soon shape the upcoming of bare in Britain for the next 80 geezerhood. In 1925, for the Crawford report, Reith was asked for his opinion on broadcasting. He came up with more or less(prenominal) ideas about it, ideas that argon quench in use to this very day. He also came up with this develop Public Service Broadcasting.Reith believed that broadcasting should be a public assistant. It was overseen by the government, controlled by the General stakes Office, and paid for by the people who used it. As a public service, public service broadcasting (PSB) should befuddle an ethos, and Reith draw forth some ideas that would stay in the PSB charter (and in the BBCs mission statement) for years to come.One of the utmost concerns of Reith was that PSB had to educate as good as inform. Not solely did the BBC harbour to advert events as they happened but also to educate the masses with science, spirit or history programming. We must(prenominal) not forget that in the 1920s most of the BBCs listeners would not have had any original education past the age of 14.Another of Reiths priorities was that all that possessed a wireless anyplace in capacious Britain, be it in the center of London or the far end of the Hebrides, could get at the BBCs services. This universality of access would ensure that wherever you lived, you would have the same opportunities to be informed and enlightened by the BBC, and then putting the whole population on equal terms.Important to Reith as well was the public sector status that the BBC should have. That way it was not run for some anonymous shareholders who would only be interested in racyer dividends, but in fact financed by the people who actually listened to it and subsequent watched it. This would ensure that the musical note of the programs was rewarded, rather than fulfilling the agenda of a handful of bankers.The BBC also had to lead popular bask rather than follow it. As Richard Hooper, chair of the radio authority said, the BBC had to wisecrack the Reithian what audiences need not uprig ht what audiences want. The corporations task was to innovate and give the public new areas of thought to explore. notwithstanding in doing so, the BBC had to remain popular, as it was still the people paying for the programmes productions.The BBC also had to promote social and national unity, making programmes that issueed for minority groups, and as the same time, sending out an image of national identity that all these groups could relate to together, thus creating national unity, a backbreaking task in the United Kingdom which has an immensely vary national identity (John Birt, director general of the BBC 1998)The promotion of res publica was also a major issue, and this was put to the test during the 1926 general strikes. The result was seen as inconclusive by some as Reith only allowed the efflorescence minister to have his say and not the opposing parties. His arguments were that the BBC is the peoples service and the government was the peoples choice, so the BBC backed the government.But above all, Reith wanted the BBC programming to be of exceptionally high standards, and this at every level. The engineering had to be of very high quality, as did the programs. The information contained in them had to be accurate and up to date. Our responsibility is to conceive into the greatest number of homes everything that is best in every segment of human knowledge, endeavour and achievement.(Lord Reith). Reith also wanted a high moral tone to be well-thought-of at all times. Dress engraves had to be respected when broadcasting, even if the BBC only produced radio programs at the time. Reith stop a divorcee violinist playing on the BBC, as divorce was not in amity with the moral tone of the BBC.Reith had very precise ideas about how he thought public service broadcasting should be run. These ideas were turned into the mission statement of the BBC. however this ethos was thought up nearly 80 years agone. Those 80 years have seen a lot of changes change s in society that sours our present-day(a) lifestyle very different from life in the 1920s.Are Reiths ideas of public service broadcasting relevant to contemporary television? Can we apply the same ideas we did 80 years ago to media today, or are we coerce to modify them? Or even change them completely?Some of Reiths ideas are actually still appli c fitteds length to contemporary public service broadcasting, and are still a part of PSBs ethos. However with the arrival of satellite TV, speciality channels, otherwise known as narrowcasting, some of his ideas seem more difficult to apply to contemporary television.We know have in England four analogue public service broadcasting channels BBC1, BBC2, epithelial duct 4 and Channel 5. Even though the two latter ones do carry advertising, they are still public service broadcasting channels, in comparison to ITV, which is privately owned. There are some PSB digital channels being rolled out by the BBC, like BBC choice (soon to be replac ed by BBC3), Cbeebies, a childrens channel, BBC4 and a learning zone channel). However these are not yet widely available, as not many households possess digital receivers yet. Let us look at the terrestrial channels, and how they measure up to Reiths ideas.Firstly Reith wanted to inform and educate. BBC1 carries the BBCs news bulletins as well as documentaries and educational programs. BBC2 carries a lot of educational programs for children in the mornings, many factual programs during poster time in the evening, and learning zone at night. Channel4 also has educational and factual programs but only one news program albeit of high quality. Channel 5 has short news bulletins on the arcminute every hour and super serves for the pre-school age group (C5 corporate web site).However, these do not denounce up the most of these channels programming grid. The majority of it is filled with dramas, soaps, game instals and films. The BBC, as do channel 4 and channel 5 now set out to educat e, inform and entertain and not necessarily in that order. However a technique known as hammocking which consists of putting a low rating show in between two high rating ones does try and educate us having finished observance one show and waiting for the other, we can learn about the life of wild flies in Africa for instance. Unfortunately, in the days of cable and satellite, when people have scores of channels to chose from, research shows that viewers die hard to change over to other channels rather than watching these shows. The competition between the PSB channels and cable or satellite TV is forcing PSB to include more entertainment.Reith wanted PSB to be accessible all over Great Britain. The BBC and C4 have met these requirements. However C5 has not. The reception of this channel is very irregular good in some areas (depending on the weather), bad in some others, and non-existent in a few areas. Channel 5 is seek to remedy this by being carried by many different technologi es cable, satellite and digital, but not everyone has this miscellany of receivers.Public sector status was also one of Reiths priorities, as it meant independence. The BBC has the same status as it did when it was launched, however it has been forced to start selling its shows abroad to make profits. Channel 4 and channel 5 have both public sector status. Even though they carry advertising, they do not have to report to a board of shareholders.Public service broadcasting had to lead popular taste. The BBC, true to its nature still does, with a wider variety of innovating shows. Channel 4 prides itself as being an innovative and experimental channel, and it does offer us some shows that make us think, even at the cost of risking heavy criticism. This happened in 2001 when a spoof news show Brass eye offended many viewers while nerve-racking to make a serious point. Channel 5s programming however resembles more the private commercial channels, using lowest common denominator progra mming.Reith wanted PSB to promote national and social unity, to cater for minority groups, and also to establish a sense of identity. The BBC still caters for many minority groups, showing a wide variety of different genres, from opera ( a typically low rating program) to The Simpsons. Channel 4 carries a very wide spectrum of shows catering for many different minorities a few years ago it shocked the nation by showing the first totally gay drama queer as folk, but it shows more the different communities in Britain rather than establishing a national unity.The promotion of democracy was also among Reiths ideas. This is done by the BBC with party political broadcasts, or news shows and satirical takes on the British politics. However occasionally the BBC, especially in times coming up to its indorse renewal, has been said to favour the government in place at the time, to be sure its pass would be renewed as it would like it to be. Channel 4 promotes democracy in the form of documen taries and real affairs programs.One of the most important aspect of Reiths vision of public service broadcasting was high standards and a high moral tone throughout.High standards for the BBC and channel 4 are ordinarily met. The quality not only of programming but also of the production is one of the highest in Europe. Channel 5s programming however could not be called high standard.Reith demanded high moral tone. The director general of the BBC John Birt told this anecdote about the BBC under Reith in a speech he make in 1998 to celebrate the 75 years of the corporationWhen the most popular comedians of their day, Clapham and Dwyer, had cracked a seaside-postcard job (which does not quite I warn you stand the test of time) Whats the difference between a baby and a champagne cork? Ones got the makers name on its bottom they were banned from radio and an apology was broadcast on the Nine Oclock news for their grave lapse of taste.This shows that moral tone has changed in 80 years, and that if PSB were to observe the same moral code as in the 1930s, TV would not be credible. This kind of tone can only be found in comedy shows like Harry Enfield and chums where we see two characters observing this code. Nowadays, if PSB is to cater for all minorities, the moral code has to change if any of the public service channels banned a violinist as Reith did because she was a divorcee, they would be fined by regulations authorities. Our society has become much more tolerant, and public service broadcasting reflects this on all channels.Most of Reiths ideas about PSB are relevant to contemporary PSB channels. However commercial channels do not abide by these ethics. Graham Murdock said that audiences are address by PSB as citizens, not consumers as they are by commercial channels. The aim of these channels it to make as much money as they can through advertising, and to achieve this they need ratings. This compromises on quality and does not allow them to do things that PSB can and must address audiences that advertisers are not interested in, thus catering for everyone.The future is bringing a new challenge digital channels. These will be able to target much more precise audiences catering for minorities or better aimed advertising? Only time will tell, but if PSB has managed to survive 80 years, with changes as radical as the introduction of TV, there is no reason to think it will not survive in the digital age. Auntie is here to stay.BIBLIOGRAPHYArticles A.C. Grayling The man who made the BBC(Financial times 8.10.93)Paul Valley Lost in a moral maze(Independent 26.03.96)Great Scots lord Reith(Sunday herald 19.12.99)Books Branston and Stafford (2001) Media students book second editionInternet BBCihttp//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/743171.stmhttp//www.bbc.co.uk/thenandnow/history/1920s-1.shtmlhttp//www.bbc.co.uk/info/news/news245.htmhttp//www.bbc.co.uk/info/news/ieelecture.htmhttp//www.bbc.co.uk/thenandnow/educate_home.shtmlChannel 4http //www.channel4.com/about_c4/promises_2001/promises_intro2.htmlCultsockhttp//www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/media/peacock.html radio authorityhttp//www.radioauthority.org.uk/newsroom/speeches/archive/A%20Sound%20View%20of%20Public%20Service%20Broadcasting%20-%2029.1.htm

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