Advantages disadvantages




 

high quality documentaries programmes with mass appeal such

 

as soap operas;

 

In 1991 the BBC also commenced a commercial operation called Worldwide Television, which provides 24-hour news coverage and entertainment to broadcast networks in 80 countries and reaches an estimated 45 million homes. BBC World has only one rival, the American network, CNN. Where CNN has three times as many camera crews, the BBC has almost twice as many correspondents.

Television is the single most popular form of entertainment in Britain. In the mid-1990s viewers spent on average over three and a half hours daily in front of the television set. Until 1997 they had four terrestrial channels to choose from: BBC1 and BBC2, ITV (Independent Television) and Channel 4. Channel 4, which was established in 1982, specialises in minority interest programmes, but has proved highly successful. A third commercial channel, Channel 5, began broadcasting in 1997 and terrestrial broadcasting is likely to expand further. In 1996 legislation provided for transition of all broadcasting and telecommunications services from analogue frequency to digital transmission, probably early in the twenty-first century. Satellite broadcasting has been available since 1989. The major provider of satellite programmes is BSkyB. Cable television was introduced in 1993 and currently has 1.3 million subscribers.

BBC television and radio derives its income from an annual licence fee for television, while ITV and Channel 4 are financed solely through advertising. The question of financing by licence fee was strongly challenged by the Conservative government which argued that the BBC had to demonstrate its ability to operate with commercial efficiency in order to continue to enjoy public funding. As a consequence the BBC underwent a radical restructuring in the mid-1990s, with six separate components: BBC Broadcast, which schedules and commissions services for audiences; BBC Production, which develops in-house radio and television production; BBC News which provides an integrated national and international news operation; BBC Worldwide, to be responsible for generating income in Britain and abroad, and for the World Service; BBC Resources, to provide support and expertise to programme-makers; and BBC Corporate Services, to provide strategic services to the BBC as a whole. The danger, however, is that the drive for managerial efficiency ill undermine the high quality of individual programmes. Take, for example, the new news operation. All news is now centrally gathered rather than by particular programmes. Leading BBC journalists protested strongly that this would threaten the distinctive ethos of particular news and current affairs programmes with a growing, and possibly bland, homogeneity. A compromise was struck, at the danger remains. In the words of one retired World Service director:

 

The tragedy is that a once great organisation - one of the finest creations of the liberal mind, one dedicated to an open and humane dialogue with its listeners and viewers, one that could carry out such dialogue because it conducted it internally first - has been subjected to such brutalising so-called 'managerialism'.

 

(John Tusa, The Independent)

The fear is that the BBC's wonderful variety will be replaced by a unified and homogenised service, in news, sport, and other areas.

Since 1991 ITV has been governed through the Independent Television Commission, which is empowered to give regional franchises for a 10-year period to a number of different companies. There are 15 such companies, providing programmes many of which are sold or broadcast on other regional networks. When commercial television commenced in 1955 there had been fears that advertising would erode the high standards already set by the BBC. In fact ITV became fiercely competitive with the BBC in the production of high- quality programmes which, like the BBC's, were sold profitably to many foreign networks. Channel 4 provides an alternative service with more documentary, cultural and informative programmes. Channel 5 aspires to the same standards of quality as ITV, but has yet to achieve this. In Wales there is a special fourth channel, S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru) which provides a minimum of 32 hours of Welsh-medium broadcasting weekly. Since 1993 there has also been a Gaelic TV fund to assist the provision of Gaelic broadcasting on commercial television and radio.

 

While reading Comprehesion

1 Read the text and find out information about

 

- three independent channel

- commercial channels

- BBC Worldwide

- BBC and CNN

 

2 a) The BBC reconstruction in the mid- 1900s resulted in six separate components. Fill in what each service is responsible for:

 

- BBC Broadcast –

- BBC Production –

- BBC News –

- BBC Worldwide –

- BBC Resources –

- BBC Corporate Service-

 

b) Why did leading BBC journalists protest against the so-called ‘managerrialism’?

What danger remains according to experts?

 

3 Describe the activities of ITV regarding its

- revenue

- qualities of programmes

- competition with the BBC

 

4 Explain the difference between the following notions. Mind the words and expressions in bold.

- terrestrial channels and satellite broadcasting

- analogue frequency and digital transmission

- financing by licence fee and financing through advertising

- distinctive ethos and bland homogeneity

- minority interest programmes and mass appeal programmes

- the finest creations the liberal mind and brutalizing ‘managerialism’

 

5 Complete the sentences with the verbs and phrases from the text. Mind prepositions where necessary.

 

1 In 1991 the BBC ______ a commercial operation called Worldwide Television

2 Terrestrial broadcasting is _____ _____ further.

3 BBC television and radio ______ its income _____ an annual licence fee for television.

4 The danger, however, is that _____ ______ managerial efficiency will _____ the high quality of individual programmes.

5 The BBC had to operate with commercial efficiency in order _____ public funding.

6 A compromise was _____, but the danger remains.

7 Since 1991 ITV has been ______ _____ the ITC, which is ______ to give regional ______ for a10-year period to a number of different companies.

8 In 1955 there had been fears that advertising would ______ the high standards already _____ by the BBC.

9 Channel 4 ______ an alternative service with more documentaries, cultural and informative programmes.

 



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