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 sassy form of power. A means to communicate with thousands, and unconstipatedtu all toldy millions of people simultaneously, to consider your ideas across a whole nation in a question of seconds. This power was broadcasting.Broadcasting at the m was seen as a oert utility, and as the wave spectrum was limited, the government got involved in its distri exactlyion. It decided the trounce way to fund broadcasting 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 transmissions.The first managing manager of this company was trick Reith, a Scotsman with a background in engineering. When he signed up for the job he did non even tell apart what broadcasting meant, and nevertheless he would truly soon shape the proximo of broadcasting in Britain for the next 80 old age. In 1925, for the Crawford report, Reith was asked for his opinion on broadcasting. He came up with several ideas ab divulge it, ideas that ar cool it in use to this very day. He alike came up with this phrase earth Service Broadcasting.Reith believed that broadcasting should be a macrocosm process. It was overseen by the government, controlled by the General Post Office, and paid for by the people who used it. As a public service, public service broadcasting (PSB) should have an ethos, and Reith lay out forth more or less ideas that would stay in the PSB charter (and in the BBCs mission statement) for years to come.One of the ut closely concerns of Reith was that PSB had to educate as healthful as inform. Not only did the BBC have to relate events as they happened entirely also to educate the masses with science, constitution or history programming. We moldiness non forget that in the 1920s most of the BBCs listeners would not have had any real education pas t the age of 14.another(prenominal) of Reiths priorities was that all that possessed a wireless anywhere in Great Britain, be it in the center of London or the distant end of the Hebrides, could access the BBCs services. This universality of access would ensure that wherever you lived, you would have the corresponding opportunities to be informed and educated by the BBC, then effectuateting the whole population on equal terms.Important to Reith as tumesce was the public sector status that the BBC should have. That way it was not exit for approximately anonymous shareholders who would only be arouse in richly dividends, but in fact financed by the people who actually listened to it and later watched it. This would ensure that the look of the programs was rewarded, rather than fulfilling the agenda of a handful of bankers.The BBC also had to lead popular taste rather than follow it. As Richard Hooper, check of the radio authority said, the BBC had to offer the Reithian w hat audiences need not just what audiences want. The fellowships task was to innovate and give the public new areas of apprehension to explore. notwithstanding in doing so, the BBC had to remain popular, as it was calm the people remunerative for the programmes productions.The BBC also had to promote companionable and home(a) unity, making programmes that pull up stakes fored 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 difficult task in the United Kingdom which has an immensely varied national identity (John Birt, manager general of the BBC 1998)The promotion of democracy 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 prime minister to have his say and not the opposing parties. His arguments were that the BBC is the peoples service and the governm ent 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 any 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 carry into the greatest number of homes everything that is best in every department of human knowledge, endeavour and achievement.(Lord Reith). Reith also wanted a high object lesson t 1 to be respected at all times. fare codes had to be respected when broadcasting, even if the BBC only produced radio programs at the time. Reith halt a splite violinist playing on the BBC, as divorce was not in accordance with the honorable t single of the BBC.Reith had very small 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 most 80 years ago. T hose 80 years have seen a give out of changes changes in society that makes our contemporary heartstyle very antithetic from life in the 1920s.Are Reiths ideas of public service broadcasting pertinent to contemporary tele view? Can we utilise the same ideas we did 80 years ago to media today, or are we force to modify them? Or even change them completely?Some of Reiths ideas are actually cool off applicable to contemporary public service broadcasting, and are still a part of PSBs ethos. However with the arrival of satellite TV, speciality convey, other cognize as narrowcasting, some of his ideas seem more difficult to apply to contemporary television.We know have in England four analogue public service broadcasting transports BBC1, BBC2, Channel 4 and Channel 5. horizontal though the two latter ones do carry advertising, they are still public service broadcasting channel, in comparison to ITV, which is privately owned. there are some PSB digital channels universe roll ed out by the BBC, like BBC choice (soon to be replaced by BBC3), Cbeebies, a childrens channel, BBC4 and a pick outing zone channel). However these are not yet widely available, as not galore(postnominal) households possess digital receivers yet. permit 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 intelligence bulletins as well as documentaries and educational programs. BBC2 carries a lot of educational programs for children in the mornings, many factual programs during peak 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 hour every hour and super serves for the pre-school age group (C5 integrated web site).However, these do not make up the most of these channels programming grid. The majority of it is filled with dramas, soaps, gameshows and films. The BBC, as do channel 4 and channel 5 now set out to educate, inform and sustain 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 observation one show and waiting for the other, we jakes learn about the life of wild flies in Africa for instance. Unfortunately, in the years of cable and satellite, when people have scores of channels to chose from, research shows that viewing audience tend 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 frolic.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 rebel good in some areas (depending on the weather), bad in some others, and non-existent in a few areas. Channel 5 is trying to compensate this by being carried by many different technologies cable, satellite and digital, but not everyone has this diversity 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 come along 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 mockery news show Brass eye offended many viewers while trying to make a serious point. Channel 5s programming however resembles more the private commercial channels, using lowest common denominator programming.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, wake 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 class, 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 society political broadcasts, or news shows and satirical takes on the British politics. However occasionally the BBC, especially in times coming up to its licence renewal, has been said to favour the government in place at the time, to be sure its licence would be renewe d as it would like it to be. Channel 4 promotes democracy in the form of documentaries and up-to-the-minute 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 usually 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 joke (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 shaping machines name on its bottom they were banned from radio and an defense was broadcast o n the Nine Oclock News for their life-threatening 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 addressed by PSB as citizens, not consumers as they are by commercial channels. The subscribe to of these channels it to make as much money as they can t hrough 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/inf o/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.htmlRadio authorityhttp//www.radioauthority.org.uk/newsroom/speeches/archive/A%20Sound%20View%20of%20Public%20Service%20Broadcasting%20-%2029.1.htm