Amanda Reding Media in Britain Kelly 06 February 2020 Broadcasting in Britain When looking at broadcasting in the United Kingdom, and more specifically Britain, it is very different than broadcasting in the United States. One of the main differences is the strength and the coverage of their two Public Service Broadcasters, the BBC and Channel 4. While both the BBC and Channel 4 are both considered to be PSB, the two stations are run very differently and they each have a different remit, or goal, when it comes to producing their content. In addition, when studying or evaluating British broadcasting, one must also consider the role of commercial television and what it does for audiences. Lastly, an important and current debate that is currently happening in British broadcasting is the way in which the BBC is run, how they get their funding and whether or not this is a tradition of the past and will continue in the future. The British Broadcasting Corporation, otherwise known as the BBC, was Britain’s first official broadcaster. One thing that stands out about the BBC from all other broadcasters, including other public broadcasters in the UK, is the way in which they get their funding. The BBC is publicly owned and the funding for it comes from their universal licensing fee, which every household in Britain is required to pay. The fee is currently £154.50 per year and includes access to all BBC content via radio, TV, news, online and iPlayer (“BBC News”). While many people believe that this type of funding is a way of the past, some scholars such as Alessandro D'Arma argue that “it is to this changing, and more challenging, ideological climate that PSB organiZations have had to adjust and respond” (D’Arma). The creation of BBC iPlayer, which allows users to watch The BBC live on their phone or computer or stream BBC shows online, is one of the ways that The BBC is trying to moderniZe itself and appeal to younger audiences. In addition, because the BBC is completely owned and funded by the public, it means that they also must provide and produce content that is relevant to the entire British public. According to the BBC website, their remit is “to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain” (“Mission, Values”). By requiring everyone to pay for the BBC, they need to make sure that there is programing for everyone, which they hope to achieve through their variety of different channels, such as BBC One, Two, Three and Four, a news channels and even a children’s channel which is known as Cbeebies. They also are known for their high-quality wild life documentary series titled Blue Planet, which dives deep into the environment of marine life. Not every broadcaster, either public or private, is able to produce this large of a variety of content and it is because of their guaranteed funding that the BBC is able to do this. Some may say that the BBC has everything from RuPaul’s Drag Race to Fleabag. Even though Channel 4 is also a public service broadcaster, like the BBC, it is completely different. One thing that separates the two public service broadcasters is the way that they receive their funding. While the BBC is completely funded by the public, Channel 4 is completely funded by their advertising sales. This means that all of their programs have commercials, but all of the profit that is made is reinvested into producing more content. (Williams). When looking at the remit of Channel 4, their goal is to “be innovative and distinctive, stimulate public debates on contemporary issues, reflect cultural diversity of the UK, champion alternative points of view, inspire change in people’s lives and nurture both new and existing talent” (“What Is Channel 4”). While Channel 4’s main goal is to represent those that are often underrepresented in TV and film, they are also able to provoke their audiences in a way that the BBC is unable to do. They are known for pushing the envelope. One example of this can be seen in a show such as Derry Girls, which follows the life of five teenagers in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. The show is raw and shows that life isn’t always perfect, in addition to having both the dry and dark humor that the UK is known for. Other shows that have been produced by Channel 4 and that have gone off to be successful, and also somewhat controversial, include Naked Attraction and Benefits Street. Another aspect that makes Channel 4 different compared to the BBC is the fact that all of their shows are commissioned from independent producers or bought from other networks (“What Is Channel 4”). Unlike the BBC, they aren’t producing any of their own original content, however, they are helping to grow and encourage the independent industry. As a smaller network with a smaller budget, this allows them to have more flexibility with their programs as well as stay true to their remit and the people of the UK (Williams). When looking at the difference between public service broadcasters and commercial television, one of the major differences is the freedom that commercial broadcasters have. Commercial broadcasters don’t have a remit, which means there are no overarching guidelines they have to consider when making their programs. This allows commercial tv to have the ability to produce shows that may have no embedded social issues within the program, including reality tv programs such as Love Island, which is a cross between a reality dating show and a game show. Other popular commercial broadcasting shows include Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, both of which have large cash priZes for the winner, and Liar, a drama. Another factor that separates commercial tv from public service broadcasting is the fact that all of their revenue comes from advertisers and the ads that are played throughout the programming. This means that commercial tv is influenced by both the public and advertisers. In order to make money, commercial tv networks have to produce content that audiences are interested in and want to watch in order to appeal to advertisers. With the evolution of the internet and streaming overall, the argument as to whether or not public service broadcasting is still valuable for future generations is becoming more and more relevant. For many people, “information is increasingly becoming a commodity available anytime and anyplace in the online domain at no cost other than the inconvenience of banners and pop-ups” (Editorial). People are beginning to get their information and their entertainment from sources that are not public service broadcasters. With BBC usage slowly declining among younger audiences, young people are beginning to question whether or not they should be required to pay the licensing fee. According to an article written by The Daily Telegraph, “young people are almost twice as likely to watch BBC shows through other subscription services, rather than BBC iPlayer, with 4.7 minutes spent per day consuming BBC content on other services, compared to 2.5 minutes on iPlayer” (Roberts). This is why people are beginning to question whether or not it’s fair to ask future generations to pay for something they may not necessarily be using. It is through the licensing fee and guaranteed funding, however, that the BBC is able to produce the smaller, more niche audience programs. Is this reason enough, however, to continue funding the BBC in the way it always has been? One argument is that the BBC should be funded through general taxation, like it is done in many other European countries, however, the drawback of this system is the fact that the BBC would then be connected to the government, rather than being its own, independent public service broadcaster (Waterson). Public service broadcasting has a long history in the UK, especially the BBC, and the way it operates is very different compared to the rest of the world. In the United States, there is no public broadcaster that is as strong as the BBC or even Channel 4. In fact, according to an article that was written by The Guardian, “TV and radio stations in the US cobble together budgets from a variety of sources, federal, state and private” (Guardian). The result of this is that public broadcasters in the United States are not able to be completely independent. Lastly, the BBC is something that is solely British. Its programs are often made by British people and targeted towards British audiences. Overall, both the BBC and Channel 4 have their own remits that they work hard to uphold for the British people, while commercial television has more of a freedom to produce what they want, even if it has no embedded social issues. Works Cited “BBC News.” BBC Licence Fee to Rise by £3 from April, BBC, 3 Feb. 2020, www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51363612. D’Arma Alessandro. “How DO Public Service Broadcasters Make a Case for Themselves? An Analysis of BBC’s “Charter Manifestos”’ Journal of Information Policy, vol. 8, 2018, p. 199. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.8.2018.0199. “Editorial: Public Service Broadcasting in the Digital Age.” VIEW: Journal of European Television History & Culture, vol. 8, no. 16, July 2019, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=140968961&site=eds- live&scope=site. Guardian Staff. “How Public Service Broadcasting Shapes up Worldwide.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 July 2015, www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/19/public-sector-broadcasting-worldwide-bbc.