public service broadcasting – RADIO csp’S (and television RE-CAP) | 2023 Media Blog

WHAT IS THE BBC ETHOS OF PSB? WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN IN PRACTICE?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0d5w8pf/how-the-bbc-began

Lord Reith and early days of BBC 10:41 – 13:05
The start of BBC Television 14:00 – 16:00 Grace Wyndham-Goldie changing nature of modern communication, essentially by transforming time and space.
The fear of new technology 16:00 – 16:30 what are the fears around new technologies?
The centre of everything 18:40 – 19:58 – acting like ‘social cement’ is that still the case now?

BBC One’s coverage of Monday’s commemoration events peaked at 19.5 million viewers, BBC Two hit 2 million for its sign language coverage, ITV hit 5.3 million viewers, and Sky News attracted a maximum of 934,000 people. All the channels were offering the same core footage but with different experts and presenters.
More than 29m people in UK watched Queen’s funeral, TV data shows

THE ETHOS OF THE BBC.

Spend 20 minutes looking at THE ETHOS OF THE BBC. Does this establish the code for QUALITY BROADCASTING? If so, how does this relate to PRESS? Doesn’t this ethos thereby link to all broadcasting? Use the link above and wikipedia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/100

Think also about the following theorists:

Habermas – Transformation of the Public Sphere –

the transformation of time and space,
the central place that the BBC plays in our everyday lives,
the link between individuals and celebrities, royalty, politicians etc,
the connection towards major events – Cup Finals, Coronations, abdications, funerals, economic unrest etc,
the way in which BBC acts as ‘social cement’

Jean Seaton – The concept of Public Service Broadcasting

What is PSB? “a flexible means of managing and developing an important utility which has been commercially successful and also served the public“
What is PSB? “bringing public awareness the whole range of activity and expresssion developed in society” (Pilkington Report 1962)
The Future? broadcasting “needs to find a new kind of commitment to public service“
independence – ie keeping free from state control “without a commitment to public service, broadcasters are increasingly vulnerable to political interference”
accountability – ie who looks after the BBC and makes sure it does what it is supposed to do: Annan Report 1980 “on balance the chain of accountability is adequate”
“threats posed by new technology” (Annan Report 1977)
“the impact of unregulated competition for audiences, revenue and programmes”
choice – ‘real choice offered to consumers by a more effective market”
the allusion of Choice – “Choice, without positive direction is a myth, all too often the market will deliver more -but only more of the same”
BUT – “the pursuit of profit rather than excellence is more likely to dominate
Quality – the introduction of cable tv modified the principles of balance and quality (1982 Hunt Report)

James Curran – Power and Responsibility

“twin forces of creativity and business”
“profit driven motives take precedence”
As a consequence prime time TV schedules dominated by light entertainment” Why? Cheap, easy to make, recognisable format, popular, easy to consume