DOCSLIB.ORG

The Production of Religious Broadcasting: the Case of The

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Production of Religious Broadcasting: the Case of The View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by OpenGrey Repository The Production of Religious Broadcasting: The Case of the BBC Caitriona Noonan A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Centre for Cultural Policy Research Department of Theatre, Film and Television University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ December 2008 © Caitriona Noonan, 2008 Abstract This thesis examines the way in which media professionals negotiate the occupational challenges related to television and radio production. It has used the subject of religion and its treatment within the BBC as a microcosm to unpack some of the dilemmas of contemporary broadcasting. In recent years religious programmes have evolved in both form and content leading to what some observers claim is a “renaissance” in religious broadcasting. However, any claims of a renaissance have to be balanced against the complex institutional and commercial constraints that challenge its long-term viability. This research finds that despite the BBC’s public commitment to covering a religious brief, producers in this style of programming are subject to many of the same competitive forces as those in other areas of production. Furthermore those producers who work in-house within the BBC’s Department of Religion and Ethics believe that in practice they are being increasingly undermined through the internal culture of the Corporation and the strategic decisions it has adopted. This is not an intentional snub by the BBC but a product of the pressure the Corporation finds itself under in an increasingly competitive broadcasting ecology, hence the removal of the protection once afforded to both the department and the output. Those who informed this study have responded to these challenges in a number of different ways. Of these, the two most important are the adoption of a discourse of ‘professionalism’ designed to underscore their creativity, knowledge and value to the BBC and overcome the ghettoisation of religious broadcasting and second, in the opening up of religion to a range of new formats and conventions which are designed to make the programming more audience, and thus commissioner, friendly. However, despite both these responses the long-term future of religious broadcasting and its suppliers is still far from clear. Therefore, using historical analysis, interviews with media professionals and a period of observational research this thesis offers critical insights into the private world of religious broadcasting at the BBC. Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the support of a number of people. In particular I would like to sincerely thank those who I interviewed for this thesis. I appreciate all the feedback you have given me and hope we can continue this dialogue. A further thank you must go to my colleagues and friends at Tern Television who gave me the unique experience of seeing them at work and helped me appreciate just how challenging and rewarding their work is. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to both my supervisors, Professor Philip Schlesinger and Dr Raymond Boyle, for all their help and advice. Their professionalism has shaped me to be the researcher I am today. Financial support from the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling is gratefully acknowledged. I would also like to thank my colleagues at both universities who have provided much support over the last three years. I am also very grateful to my family and friends for their encouragement and patience throughout my time as a born-again student, especially those who have helped me edit and re-edit the final narrative. Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to my mother without whose emotional and financial support this ambition would not have been realised. All I can say is thank you mum. Author’s Declaration This thesis represents the original work of Caitriona Noonan unless otherwise stated in the text. The research upon which it is based was carried out at the University of Stirling and the University of Glasgow under the supervision of Professor Philip Schlesinger and Dr. Raymond Boyle during the period October 2005 to December 2008. Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................... 8 Religion: “it’s a different sort of genre”..........................................................................10 Choosing the BBC .......................................................................................................12 Organisation of this thesis............................................................................................14 Part I: The Research Framework ...............................................................16 Chapter One: Research Context................................................................17 Research on religious broadcasting .............................................................................17 Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) ..............................................................................24 The BBC: a media institution at work ...........................................................................28 Mapping the field of production studies........................................................................34 Conclusion: the context of this research.......................................................................40 Chapter Two: Methodology......................................................................42 Historical analysis ........................................................................................................42 Semi-structured interviews...........................................................................................45 Observational research................................................................................................47 The analysis.................................................................................................................49 Part II: Historical Analysis .......................................................................52 Chapter Three:The History of Religion on BBC Radio (1922 – 1950) ....................54 The beginning..............................................................................................................54 The war years..............................................................................................................61 Change in the air .........................................................................................................64 Conclusion: religion in the early days of BBC Radio.....................................................68 Chapter Four:Religion on BBC Radio and Television (1950 - )............................70 New competition ..........................................................................................................70 An end to the golden age of radio ................................................................................75 The mood darkens.......................................................................................................79 Market reforms.............................................................................................................85 The Broadcasting Act (1990) .......................................................................................89 Public discord ..............................................................................................................92 Conclusion: religion on BBC Radio and Television.......................................................96 Part III: The Contemporary Production Context.............................................98 Chapter Five: Challenges from Within the BBC............................................ 100 BBC management and religion: killing it softly?..........................................................100 The fight for religion ...................................................................................................104 The politics of place ...................................................................................................109 Conclusion: the challenge from within........................................................................120 Chapter Six: Professionalisation.............................................................. 123 The drive towards professionalism.............................................................................124 Quality in religious broadcasting ................................................................................126 The commissioning process.......................................................................................132 Saving Heaven and Earth : the threat of the independents .........................................138 Conclusion: avoiding professional ghettoisation and promoting specialisation ...........144 Chapter Seven: Producing Religion .......................................................... 147 “Not a museum piece” ...............................................................................................147 Representing the human aspects of religion ..............................................................155 Worship: the end of an era?.......................................................................................160 Performing religion: specialist factual programming ...................................................162 Landmarks, super landmarks
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Managing the BBC's Estate
    Managing the BBC’s estate Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General presented to the BBC Trust Value for Money Committee, 3 December 2014 BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION Managing the BBC’s estate Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General presented to the BBC Trust Value for Money Committee, 3 December 2014 Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport by Command of Her Majesty January 2015 © BBC 2015 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as BBC copyright and the document title specified. Where third party material has been identified, permission from the respective copyright holder must be sought. BBC Trust response to the National Audit Office value for money study: Managing the BBC’s estate This year the Executive has developed a BBC Trust response new strategy which has been reviewed by As governing body of the BBC, the Trust is the Trust. In the short term, the Executive responsible for ensuring that the licence fee is focused on delivering the disposal of is spent efficiently and effectively. One of the Media Village in west London and associated ways we do this is by receiving and acting staff moves including plans to relocate staff upon value for money reports from the NAO. to surplus space in Birmingham, Salford, This report, which has focused on the BBC’s Bristol and Caversham. This disposal will management of its estate, has found that the reduce vacant space to just 2.6 per cent and BBC has made good progress in rationalising significantly reduce costs.
    [Show full text]
  • MINUTES of the BBC TRUST MEETING Held on Wednesday 21
    MINUTES OF THE BBC TRUST MEETING Held on Wednesday 21 March 2012 in the BBC Trust boardroom, Great Portland Street, London Present: Lord Patten Chairman Diane Coyle Vice Chairman Richard Ayre Trust member Anthony Fry Trust member Alison Hastings Trust member for England Rotha Johnston Trust member for Northern Ireland David Liddiment Trust member Bill Matthews Trust member for Scotland Mehmuda Mian Trust member Elan Closs Stephens Trust member for Wales Lord Williams Trust member Apologies: Suzanna Taverne Trust member In attendance from the Trust Unit: Nicholas Kroll Director, BBC Trust Alex Towers Deputy Director Phil Harrold Head of Governance Fran O’Brien Head of Editorial Standards Mark Devane Head of Communications Christine Mulryne Business and Events Co-ordinator Items 35 – 41 and 43 Alison Gold Head of Public Services Strategy Items 35 – 41, 44 and 45 Gareth Tuck Chief Financial Adviser Items 35 – 41 and 46 Georgina Hodges Chief Research and Audiences Adviser Item 38 Wendy Bryant Research Manager Items 39 and 43 Stephen Callow Senior Strategy Adviser Item 43 Ann Bastow Adviser, Strategy Items 44 and 45 John Balcombe Finance Analyst Item 46 Natalie Rose Senior Editorial Strategy Adviser Item 46 Kate Hawkins Research Manager From the Executive: Items 42 – 47 Mark Thompson Director-General Items 42 – 47 Caroline Thomson Chief Operating Officer Items 42 – 47 Zarin Patel Chief Financial Officer Items 42 – 47 Jessica Cecil Head of the Director-General's Office Items 42 – 43 Helen Boaden Director, News Group Item 43 David Holdsworth
    [Show full text]
  • The True Story of Mission to Hell Page 4
    The newspaper for BBC pensioners – with highlights from Ariel online The true story of Mission to Hell Page 4 August 2015 • Issue 4 Trainee Oh! What operators a lovely reunite – Vietnam War TFS 1964 50 years on Page 6 Page 8 Page 12 NEWS • MEMORIES • CLASSIFIEDS • YOUR LETTERS • OBITUARIES • CROSPERO 02 BACK AT THE BBC Departments Annual report highlights ‘better’ for BBC challenge move to Salford The BBC faces a challenge to keep all parts of the audience happy at the same time as efficiency targets demand that it does less. said that certain segments of society were more than £150k and to trim the senior being underserved. manager population to around 1% of But this pressing need to deliver more and the workforce. in different ways comes with a warning that In March this year, 95 senior managers Delivering Quality First (DQF) is set to take a collected salaries of more than £150k against bigger bite of BBC services. a target of 72. The annual report reiterates that £484m ‘We continue to work towards these of DQF annual savings have already been targets but they have not yet been achieved,’ achieved, with the BBC on track to deliver its the BBC admitted, attributing this to ‘changes Staff ‘loved the move’ from London to target of £700m pa savings by 2016/17. in the external market’ and the consolidation Salford that took place in 2011 and The first four years of DQF have seen of senior roles into larger jobs. departments ‘are better for it’, believes Peter Salmon (pictured). a 25% reduction in the proportion of the More staff licence fee spent on overheads, with 93% of Speaking four years on from the biggest There may be too many at the top, but the the BBC’s ‘controllable spend’ now going on ever BBC migration, the director, BBC gap between average BBC earnings and Tony content and distribution.
    [Show full text]
  • Breathtaking Stories of Extreme Filming. Read the Full Story on Page 6
    The newspaper for BBC pensioners - with highlights from Ariel Heights, Camera, Action Breathtaking stories of extreme filming. Read the full story on page 6. June 2011 • Issue 4 Yes, Prime Lord Patten Minister back takes the helm Sounds better? on stage Page 2 Page 7 Page 12 NEWS • LifE aftEr auNtiE • CLaSSifiEdS • Your LEttErS • obituariES • CroSPEro 02 uPdatE froM thE bbC Patten takes helm at BBC Trust On 3 May, Lord Patten began his appointment as chairman of the BBC Trust – with an interesting first day spent taking questions from staff in a ringmain session. Quality First) should be all about and I hope we’ll be able to discuss options with the Executive during the summer.’ 2011 pay offer It is also apparent that the new chairman is ready and willing to deal with the – an update repercussions of the less popular decisions to be taken, and those which will not always Further to requests by the unions for all be accepted gladly by the licence fee payer. staff in bands 2-11 to be awarded a pay ‘I hope we won’t be talking about closing increase which is ‘substantially above services but, whatever we are talking about inflation’, the BBC has offered a 2% doing, if the Trust and the Executive are increase – which falls far short of the agreed it is the best way of using the money Retail Prices Index (RPI) figures on which then we have to stand by the consequences. If it is intended to be based (5.2% as at that involves answering thousands of emails, April 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • London Calling: BBC External Services, Whitehall and the Cold War 1944- 57
    London calling: BBC external services, Whitehall and the cold war 1944- 57. Webb, Alban The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author For additional information about this publication click this link. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/jspui/handle/123456789/1577 Information about this research object was correct at the time of download; we occasionally make corrections to records, please therefore check the published record when citing. For more information contact [email protected] LONDON CALLING: SSC EXTERNAL SERVICES, WHITEHALL AND THE COLD WAR, 1944-57 ALBAN WEBB Queen Mary College, University of London A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of London for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) 1 Declaration: The work presented in this thesis is my own. Signed: '~"\ ~~Ue6b Alban Webb Declaration: The work presented in this thesis is my own. Signed: Alban Webb ABSTRACT The Second World War had radically changed the focus of the BBC's overseas operation from providing an imperial service in English only, to that of a global broadcaster speaking to the world in over forty different languages. The end of that conflict saw the BBC's External Services, as they became known, re-engineered for a world at peace, but it was not long before splits in the international community caused the postwar geopolitical landscape to shift, plunging the world into a cold war. At the British government's insistence a re-calibration of the External Services' broadcasting remit was undertaken, particularly in its broadcasts to Central and Eastern Europe, to adapt its output to this new and emerging world order.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Pinkoes Traitors'
    ‘PINKOES AND TRAITORS’ The BBC and the nation, 1974–1987 JEAN SEATON PROFILE BOOKS First published in Great Britain in !#$% by Pro&le Books Ltd ' Holford Yard Bevin Way London ()$* +,- www.pro lebooks.com Copyright © Jean Seaton !#$% The right of Jean Seaton to be identi&ed as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act $++/. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN +4/ $ /566/ 545 6 eISBN +4/ $ /546% +$6 ' All reasonable e7orts have been made to obtain copyright permissions where required. Any omissions and errors of attribution are unintentional and will, if noti&ed in writing to the publisher, be corrected in future printings. Text design by [email protected] Typeset in Dante by MacGuru Ltd [email protected] Printed and bound in Britain by Clays, Bungay, Su7olk The paper this book is printed on is certi&ed by the © $++6 Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC). It is ancient-forest friendly. The printer holds FSC chain of custody SGS-COC-!#6$ CONTENTS List of illustrations ix Timeline xvi Introduction $ " Mrs Thatcher and the BBC: the Conservative Athene $5
    [Show full text]
  • BBC B R O a D C a S T I N G
    D E A L S O F T H E Y E A R SECURITISATION: BBC B r o a d c a s t i n g THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION (BBC), in existence for almost 80 years, experienced a first this year. The group, governed by successive Royal Charters since its inception in 1926, launched its first-ever capital markets transaction in 2003 with a groundbreaking bond issue and securitisation for Broadcasting House, the flagship property and London headquarters of the BBC, which will become the world’s largest live c e n t r a l broadcast centre. 58 THE TREASURER JAN | FEB 2004 Corporate profile The BBC has been in existence for television services, network and local Principal terms of the almost 80 years, governed by radio and online services. The Wo r l d £813m securitisation successive Royal Charters in the UK. S e rvice is its international radio and The group has businesses along three online service (funded by direct grant Amount £813m main strands: public serv i c e from the Foreign & C o m m o n w e a l t h Type Fixed broadcasting in the UK is funded by Office). And BBC Commercial Margin 52bp the annual UK licence fees and Holdings coordinates activity across Maturity July 2033 includes delivery of free-to-air the BBC’s commercial businesses. Bookrunners Morgan Stanley The BBC first began looking at ways to develop its portfolio of over 500 together the transaction with Ernst & Young appointed as additional advisor. The properties back in 1999.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Bbc Three?
    We tested the public value of the proposed changes using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies Quantitative methodology Qualitative methodology We ran a 15 minute online survey with 3,281 respondents to We conducted 20 x 2 hour ‘Extended Group’ sessions via Zoom with understand current associations with BBC Three, the appeal of BBC a mix of different audiences to explore and compare reactions, Three launching as a linear channel, and how this might impact from a personal and societal value perspective, to the concept of existing services in the market. BBC Three becoming a linear channel again. In the survey, we explored the following: In the sessions, we explored the following: - Demographics and brand favourability - Linear TV consumption and BBC attitudes - Current TV and video consumption - (S)VOD consumption behaviours, with a focus on BBC Three - BBC Three awareness, usage and perceptions (current) - A BBC Three content evaluation (via BBC Three on iPlayer exploration) - Likelihood of watching new TV channel and perceptions - Responses to the proposal of BBC Three becoming a TV channel - Impact on services currently used (including time taken away from each) - Expected personal and societal impact of the proposed changes - Societal impact of BBC Three launching as a TV channel - Evaluation of proposed changes against BBC Public Purposes 4 The qualitative stage involved 20 x 2-hour extended digital group discussions across the UK with a carefully designed sample 20 x 2 hour Extended Zoom Groups The qualitative
    [Show full text]
  • Bordering Two Unions: Northern Ireland and Brexit
    A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics de Mars, Sylvia; Murray, Colin; O'Donoghue, Aiofe; Warwick, Ben Book — Published Version Bordering two unions: Northern Ireland and Brexit Policy Press Shorts: Policy & Practice Provided in Cooperation with: Bristol University Press Suggested Citation: de Mars, Sylvia; Murray, Colin; O'Donoghue, Aiofe; Warwick, Ben (2018) : Bordering two unions: Northern Ireland and Brexit, Policy Press Shorts: Policy & Practice, ISBN 978-1-4473-4622-7, Policy Press, Bristol, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv56fh0b This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/190846 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen
    [Show full text]
  • Hnh ENGINEERING
    HnHENGINEERING OVERVIEW 1991 has been a productive and rewarding year for Engineers throughout the Corporation. Important projects that have come to fruition include the Broadcasting Centre at Southampton, the Blackstaff development in Belfast, the Millbank parliamentary broadcasting facility, the new Manchester vehicle maintenance base, Television Centre Stage V, Skelton C HF station, and many more, as detailed in the following pages. The year will also be remembered for notable progress on the digital front. The new D3 digital video recorder is rapidly becoming established as the main post production machine, and high quality digital stereo television sound is now available to more than 70% of the BBC's audience via NlCAM 728. However the most notable 'digital event' of 1991 could turn out to be the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) demon- strations that we mounted in Birmingham in July. These demonstrations showed that DAB can deliver CD-quality digital sound to fixed, portable, or car receivers, even in inhospitable reception areas. Some difficulties remain to be overcome, including the need to get agreement on a frequency assignment for new DAB radio services. Nevertheless, most of those attending the demonstrations were convinced that they had witnessed a major technical advance in sound broad- casting, whose introduction cannot long be delayed. TRANSMISSIO TRANSMISSION OPERATIONS As a result of the Broadcasting Act, the transmission responsibilities previously discharged by the IBA United Kingdom have been taken over by a private company, National Skelton C, opened in May 1991 by Mark Transcommunications Limited (NTL). In order to deal Lennox-Boyd, Under Secretary for with the consequent mutual charging for site faci- Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, is fully lities a computer database has been established, automated and is the UK's first high-power HF which deals with the complicated charging system transmitting station to be operated as a remote and maintains records of NTLfacilities on BBC sites.
    [Show full text]
  • The BBC's Response to the Jimmy Savile Case
    House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee The BBC’s response to the Jimmy Savile case Oral and written evidence 23 October 2012 George Entwistle, Director-General, and David Jordan, Director of Editorial Policy and Standards, BBC 27 November 2012 Lord Patten, Chairman, BBC Trust, and Tim Davie, Acting Director-General, BBC Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 23 October and 27 November 2012 HC 649-i and -ii Published on 26 February 2013 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £10.50 The Culture, Media and Sport Committee The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its associated public bodies. Current membership Mr John Whittingdale MP (Conservative, Maldon) (Chair) Mr Ben Bradshaw MP (Labour, Exeter) Angie Bray MP (Conservative, Ealing Central and Acton) Conor Burns MP (Conservative, Bournemouth West) Tracey Crouch MP (Conservative, Chatham and Aylesford) Philip Davies MP (Conservative, Shipley) Paul Farrelly MP (Labour, Newcastle-under-Lyme) Mr John Leech MP (Liberal Democrat, Manchester, Withington) Steve Rotheram MP (Labour, Liverpool, Walton) Jim Sheridan MP (Labour, Paisley and Renfrewshire North) Mr Gerry Sutcliffe MP (Labour, Bradford South) The following members were also members of the committee during the parliament. David Cairns MP (Labour, Inverclyde) Dr Thérèse Coffey MP (Conservative, Suffolk Coastal) Damian Collins MP (Conservative, Folkestone and Hythe) Alan Keen MP (Labour Co-operative, Feltham and Heston) Louise Mensch MP (Conservative, Corby) Mr Adrian Sanders MP (Liberal Democrat, Torbay) Mr Tom Watson MP (Labour, West Bromwich East) Powers The committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152.
    [Show full text]
  • Manchester City Council Report for Resolution
    MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL REPORT FOR RESOLUTION REPORT TO: THE EXECUTIVE DATE: 18 JANUARY 2006 SUBJECT: THE BBC MANCHESTER INITIATIVE REPORT OF: THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE 1. Purpose of Report To update the Executive on proposals by the BBC to create the UK’s second largest network broadcasting and production centre in Manchester; inform the Executive of the Councils’ role in facilitating the relocation to Manchester; and to seek the Executive’s approval for the actions required to realise the full economic potential of the BBC Manchester Initiative. 2. Recommendations 2.1 The Executive is recommended to: i. Note and welcome the progress that has been made in taking forward the BBC Manchester Initiative; ii. Note the key findings of the economic impact study commissioned by the City Council and the NWDA of the BBC Manchester Initiative, which demonstrates the transformational impact of the BBC’s relocation decision (attached at Appendix 1); iii. Determine that the proposals for the Council’s support as set out in the report for the BBC’s relocation within the City Centre and the development of the Media Enterprise Zone, will promote and improve the City’s economic and social well being. iv. Authorise the Chief Executive to continue to work with the BBC and the North West Development Agency (NWDA), and to lead a core group of key public partners and other stakeholders to develop further the concept of a Media Enterprise Zone, with the intention of delivering the BBC’s relocation within the city centre, thereby generating additional benefits through the participation and relocation of other media and creative related businesses; v.
    [Show full text]