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Media production companies
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Student number: 21505969 Assessment 2: Media and Creative Industries: EssayWhat is the role of public service broadcasting (PSB) in relation to commercial broadcasting
markets in the UK and how should it be funded in the UK?
The overall purpose of public service broadcasting is to provide households that obtain a television
license in the United Kingdom with multi-channel television (Weeds as cited in Picard et al, 2013, p9).
Therefore, Bennett et al (2012, p5) reinforce that public service broadcasting divides itself between
independent television channels and multi-platform digital channels. Equally, Weeds (as cited in Picard
et al, 2013, p9) explains that the role of public service broadcasting has evolved since the terrestrial
television signal was switched off across the UK in 2012 resulting in the digital switchover for UK
household television consumers. Subsequently, this has resulted in UK television consumers having
access to an array of multi-channel television programmes through digital terrestrial television or
through hundreds of channels through satellite and cable distributed television platforms (Weeds, 2013).
As, Lange and Van Loon (as cited in Doyle, 2002, pp. 12-13) express media pluralism is referred to as
the diversity of output such as the content provided as well as the diversity of ownership of media
products. Pluralism refers to the media content that is made available to the public instead of what is
consumed by the public. Consequently, Bennett et al (2012) illustrate that public service broadcasting is
committed to creating audience awareness about the content that is available on their television,
computer, tablet and mobile devices in the UK.
Public service television broadcasting has rapidly evolved since 1980 because analogue television
became a market failure resulting in the deregulation of the Communications Act 2003 which informed
that public service channels must cover a wide range of subject matters and actively appeal to a wide
range of audiences whilst providing a high-quality content (Weeds, 2013). Likewise, as Weeds (as cited
in Picard and Siciliani, 2013, p10) argues the technological changes of public service broadcasting today
has often resulted in the exclusion of consumers from distributed digital platforms as commercial
broadcasting markets are inclined to charge their consumers for the digital platforms that they provide.
This leads to audience fragmentation across a breadth of multi-channels as public service broadcasting
currently captures consumer preferences creating greater pluralism and high quality programming
(Picard et al, 2013). Whilst, Lange and Van Loon (as cited in Doyle, 2002, p13) argues ‘higher levels of
market domination mean… fewer competing suppliers… fewer competing suppliers implies… less
pluralism’. Though, the use of fewer markets enables commercial markets to provide increased cost
effective resources, increased innovated resources and a greater diversity of output which overall creates
increased levels of pluralism (Lange and Van Loon, as cited in Doyle 2002, p15).
, Student number: 21505969 Assessment 2: Media and Creative Industries: Essay
The two primary public service broadcasters in the UK are the BBC and Channel 4 both classified as
independent sectors that aim to educate, entertain and inform their audiences on a large scale by
investing £1.36 billion into their analogue channels in 2011 (Bennett et al, 2012). Therefore, both the
BBC and Channel 4 have invested into multiplatform content as they believe the interrelation between
the public service broadcasting and the independent sector needs to be culturally and economically
structured to provide greater public goods and content to UK audiences (Bennett et al, 2012). Yet,
independent sectors must be avoidant of overcommitting to a diversity of suppliers as a means of
increasing their digital broadcasting content. For example, Bennet et al (2012) have outlined the
importance of Channel 4 committing to no more than fifty digital public service sectors to create their
digital public services and therefore no more than a total of sixty five percent of Channel 4’s
expenditure will account for their digital consumer products. This enables Channel 4 to dominate their
place in the market as they are limiting the number of suppliers that they invest into providing Channel 4
with greater security to develop a digital public sector (Bennett et al, 2012). Whilst, Weeds (2013)
informs that the Broadcasting Act 1990 states that Channel 4 were required to invest in increased
commercial broadcasting services and highlighting the need for Channel 4 to become more competitive
as a market. There is greater expectation for Channel 4 to balance the commitment to diversity and
security of their multiplatform services by ensuring Channel 4 remain hybrid in their approach towards
digital public service broadcasting (Bennett et al, 2012).
On the other hand, Weeds (as cited in Picard et al, 2013, p9) argues that public service broadcasting
relies heavily on citizen concerns which recognises that the media market may not provide programmes
that individual audiences want to watch. Yet, the market serves as a positive social externality that
provides large scale audiences with an education and a means for entertainment. The rise of citizen
concern has integrated the need for public service broadcasters to invest into digital commercial markets
but this often has had a negative impact on media markets (Weeds, 2013). Moreover, as Drake and
Haynes (2010, p69) reinforce there is a dependence that multi-channel broadcasting draws global
attention to the programmes that television broadcasters produce to ensure that successful programmes
can be reproduced. For example, reality television shows, property and lifestyle programmes and quiz
shows all became popular and commonplace for British audience since the late 1990’s. As Graham and
Davies (1997, p19) outline past quotation linked to consumer broadcasting which highlights ‘nothing
sells like a hit’ shows that broadcasters provide audiences with opportunity to explore new programmes
to give rise to greater conservatism in commissioning. As, Drake and Haynes (2010) argue that it is a
necessity for television broadcasters to urgently inform their audiences of new and existing programmes
to avoid a decline in viewing ratings yet 20 years ago broadcasters where not required to bring this level
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