MS4: Text, Industry and audience

Section BIndustry and Audience

• Industry• Production• Distribution and exhibition• Marketing and promotion• Regulation Issues• Global implications• Relevant historical background and context

(brief, but relevant)

Rules

For each industry you will focus on 3 main texts from the selected industry. There are rules to follow:• At least 2 of the main chosen texts must be

contemporary (produced within the last 5 years)

• One of the texts must be British

The Television Industry

• The television industry is constantly changing, never more so than now as we are in the digital revolution.

• The link between the text, the audience and the industry is still closely related, but the way in which audiences access and respond to TV texts has changed dramatically in recent years.

Channel Identities

• Each channel has a different identity and appeals to different audiences.

• This is evident in the programmes they produce and the way in which they market themselves to those audiences.

• This identity as been built up over time and audiences have expectations of particular channels.

• The programmes produced and commissioned by the channel are often indicative of the channel’s identity and ethos.

Channel Identities

• Channel Identity: That which makes the channel recognisable to audiences and different from any other channel. Presenters, stars, programme genres and specific programmes all help to contribute to a channel’s identity.

• Ethos: This is what the channel believes in and what it sees as its role. The ethos is usually set out in the channel’s charter. Channel 4 outlines its ethos: Channel 4 is the UK’s only publicly owned, commercially funded public service broadcaster, with a remit to be innovative, experimental and distinctive.

Key Terms:

Task: Choose a channel to research.Create a Powerpoint presentation about your chosen channel summing up the key points from your research and giving information about:• The general profile of the channel• The structure and organisation• The ethos and identity• Flagship programmes• Scheduling decisions and techniques employed by the

channel• Marketing strategies, for example trailers, idents, etc.• Include reference to any key texts where appropriate• Up to date news related to the channel.

Idents: Channel’s identification . A short visual images that works as a logo.

Learning Objectives

To understand scheduling To begin to understand the impact of digital technology on the TV industry

Possible exam question

• Explore the impact of digital technologies on your selected industry [30]

• At the top of your page indicate with how confident you feel in answering this question.

1980s

• The 1980s saw the introduction of time shifted viewing.

• This was as a result of video recorders. Audiences were able to record a programme on one channel and watch another channel.

• Are we still affected by time shifted viewing?

Yes!

The introduction of digital technology enables us to watch programmes whenever and wherever we want:• Sky+• DVD• Internet• Phone/tablet

TV today

• There are more programmes and channels then ever before

• Each is watched by smaller audiences than ever before• Technology means that we don’t just watch on TV but

via internet – iplayer, 4 OD, youtube, etc. Or they buy box sets on DVD or set up schedules on Sky+

• At the same time genres are splintering and merging into an array of sub genres and hybrids

• TV is complex, diverse and rapidly changing!

Event television

• However, event television is making a return.

• This means high profile programmes which attract a large audience for the actual broadcast. It is highly promoted and therefore seen as an ‘event’.

• Can you think of any examples?

Key Term:

Water-cooler television

• This is an American term which describes an immediate audience response to a programme where it is talked about around the water cooler the next day.

• What examples can you think of?

Key Term:

Scheduling• Scheduling is the decisions made by channels

regarding where to place programmes in terms of the day and time. The aim in constructing the schedule is to secure high ratings for the channel and for specific programmes.

• It is the job of the schedulers and planners to ensure programmes are placed in such a way that they attract the greatest audience. However, scheduling is not as important as it used to be.

Scheduling techniquesThe aim of TV schedulers is to use a range of techniques to keep audiences watching that channel. These include:• Broadcasting trailers and teasers for a programme during the day.• Pre-echo – scheduling a less popular programme before a

more popular one, in the hope of catching viewers who may watch earlier.

• Hammocking – placing a new or less popular show on between 2 popular shows in the hope that the audience will watch through.

• Inheritance – putting a new or less popular show after a programme with high ratings in the hope hat viewers will watching and the programmes will therefore inherit the audience.

hammocking pre-echo inheritance

• Stripping – broadcasting a programming at the same time every day/week. This ensures that audiences become familiar with the scheduling time and know when to watch. This technique is used for soap operas and news programmes.

• Zoning – This is where programmes of a similar genre are broadcast one after the other on a particular channel. The assumption is that the fans of the genre will stay with that channel. Five use this to broadcast their American crime programmes.

• Offensive scheduling – This is where a channel is confident that their programme will gain higher rating than a programme on a rival channel. So they broadcast it at the same time in order to lure the ‘live’ audience.

• Defensive scheduling – This is where a channel is aware that a programme on a rival channel will bring in high audience figures. They may decide to schedule a programme of minority appeal at this time.

• Homework: Analyse a scheduling guide for one week. What examples of scheduling techniques can be found?

Social media

• Tweets may encourage audiences to watch the programme during the original broadcast because they will be able to part of the discussion.

• Facebook pages have been created for some programmes to help build fan bases.

• What are the problems with social media for programmes?

• How does social media play a part in generating excitement about certain programmes?

Convergence

• An attempt by industries to maximise profit by making a range of media companies work together i.e. digital and satellite television and film channels, DVD, mobile phones/tablets, internet and broadband, personal computers.

• The ultimate ideal would be for the consumer to be able to use just one piece of technology (e.g, a PC or mobile) for all their media needs.

Key Term:

How do we use TVs?

• To view programmes• Use of interactive services• Rent films• Play game consoles e.g. Wii• Internet• Social networking• Skype• View personal photos/videos

Fragmentation

• This argues that multi-channel TV and all the related technologies for personalising viewing would undermine the mass audience with serious consequences for most of us in the medium to long term.

• These consequences reach out beyond the media sphere. They include:

Key Term:

Effects of Fragmentation

• The end of PSBs and ultimately high quality television programmes.

• The end of mass audiences sharing significant experiences ‘live’ (e.g.: sporting events, royal weddings etc)

• A decline in family life – with family members retreating to his or her own ‘viewing station’

Possible exam question

• Explore the impact of digital technologies on your selected industry [30]

• The TV is an ideal focus for this question as you can consider the range of different ways of accessing TV programmes, how TVs are no longer used only to watch TV, the concept of convergence and theories of fragmentation.

• Although we will begin to identify how some mass audience TV programmes are proving to be resilient.