A Comparative Analysis of television channels FIVE and BBC Essay

telecasting is a powerful media source, bringing stories to billions across the globe. It has been c bothed the nearly awesome God- slight force in the ripe world and it is at a sequence seen as a major partition of eery mean solar day life. The median(a) soul spends 4 hours a day watching TV becoming nearly 1/3 of a persons typical waking hours. Television is a constructed view of reality, sometimes oerstated extremely, solely to create entertainment. In the UK, thither argon five major sublunary video recording driveship provideal, (four plaques) with some universe immensely more than victorful than others.The BBC is the only organisation non to make capital from announce. Their currency is generated from the TV Licence fee, and this type of transmit is known as Public military run Broadcasting. bestow 5 is perhaps seen as the least successful of the five TV passs, possibly delinquent to the fact that it is the youngest. The business began in 1995, precisely it was non satisfactory to allot nationally as some another(prenominal) of the populations video recordings could not call for it. The company offered to retune every TV that couldnt receive it, before the big hurl in 1997.A long advertising campaign was lay outed, known as knock over Me flipper in an attempt to reach in viewers. On the 30th March, 1997, tune 5 was launched at 6pm, attracting an earreach of 2. 4 cardinal raft, a figure high up than the launch of argument 4, fifteen long time earlier. This new channel neither had the money or reputation to buy and broadcast potentially successful material. Perhaps experienceting off to a bad start, the principal(prenominal) schedule consisted of home and cookery programmes, brazen-faced US exports, and late night pornography. However, Channel 5 did receive praise for its intelligence operation programming, and soon the military ranks became consistently acceptable.The channel gained more money, and was soon able to buy wear out quality showings, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as station & Away. In 2002, Channel 5 underwent a major image modification. The name changed from Channel 5 to simply, pentad, and progressed itself as a solid rival to the other 4 channels. However, the channel has not been without its flaws. For example, Friends spin-off series, Joey, was bought by five dollar bill in 2005. Despite a high-profile launch and ad campaign, the program received slimy ratings and was eventually fuelcelled. Similarly, other shows such as Robot Wars and CDUK proved to be a flop for the channel.These unsuccessful shows involve seemingly increased the channels poor reputation. In the channels first year of send, five receives its worst reference sh bes of 2. 3%, but this can be expected from a debuting channel. cardinal years earlier, Channel 4 received even lower audience sh atomic number 18s on its opening night, although it could be concluded that people watche d less tv in the 1980s. The audience shares increased, and make in 2004. The channel has the lowest audience share of the terrestrial channels, but, in its defence, Five is not received in all of the UKs homes.Like all of the other terrestrial channels, Five now has baby channels, Five US and Five Life. These 2 channels are both more or less successful, but other sister channels, such as ITV2, E4 and BBC tether are proving to be more viewed. Nowadays, Five is able to runner out and buy successful US shows such as Prison poop out and House, as well as purchase programmes from other channels in 2008, Five bought Neighbours from the BBC. The BBC was established in the early 1920s, but it was not until 1936 that the channel began its regular television broadcasting as a open service TV channel.However, it was further suspend after WWII began, until 1946 when the permanent service was established. The BBCs mission was to inform, educate and entertain and is hitherto taken into account today. The BBC broadcasts a good variety of programmes on both of its channels, BBC1 and BBC2. The BBCs major programme is EastEnders, the popular primetime soap. On a weekly basis, the soap receives the highest rating of all terrestrial shows, with only the ITV1 soap, investiture Street, (and occasionally reality shows such as The X Factor and Dancing On Ice) playing as its rival.Other BBC shows, such as Top Gear, Doctor Who and elflike Britain have all been a success throughout the last decade, further up(p) the channels ratings and reputation. In an attempt to set-back out and widen its audience, the BBC has deep make some unlikely purchases. In 2007, the channel brought the successful US show Heroes to BBC2. The show quickly became a phenomenon, and is different from what would unremarkably be broadcast on BBC2. The BBC continues to leave out terrestrial TV, by finding ways to bring in more viewers. The programmes metamorphose from food, to lifestyle, to documen tary, to political.The BBC is now contending with ITV in the reality market, as it now features shows looking for new west-end stars, and the ever popular series, Strictly Come Dancing. BBC1 receives the highest audience share of the 5 channels, with an average of 26%. It is seen as the main channel, and regularly receives high ratings. This major organisation has the money to do whatever it pleases, and this has shown over the last decade. The BBC now has 8 channels BBC1, BBC2, BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News 24, BBC Parliament, CBBC and CBeebies. These 8 channels prove to cater for everyone.BBC Three is the most popular of the sister channels, oftentimes receiving new material such as Lily Allen and Friends and Gavin & Stacey. The channel is a lighter translation of BBC1, with a more comedic element. The BBC now broadcasts internationally. A new channel, BBC America, was launched in 1998, and has carried programming from the BBC to the USA, such as Torchwood and The Graham Norton Show. BBC America is part of two international channels, the other beingness BBC World. A recent feature of the BBC, BBC iPlayer, has recently been introduced. It has become an on-demand online video player, with unlimited devil to BBC shows.The iPlayer is proving extremely popular, with more than 3. 5 million programmes downloaded in its opening week. However, despite the BBC being a major empire, the company relies on the licence fee. It is the only channel not to rely on income through advertising. The hollow belief of unrestricted service television is that it is free from the pressures of commercial TV, and, as its income is guaranteed, public service TV is freer to explore. But this does not mean it can become complacent. luxuriously audience shares are still infallible because, if they were to fall, the licence fee would be in serious jeopardy.For years, there has been a flip over as to whether public service broadcasting should continue. Naturally, the BBC wishes for it to continue, whereas others disagree. The BBC has very little to do to punch its funding, whereas the commercial companies have to work to get their income. The opponents of public service television argue that it is simply another form of taxation. With the stretch and expansion of satellite and cable, some people have no stake in the public service channels. For the BBC, public service broadcasting means that certain pressures are put upon them, but their income is fixed.The BBC could be utter to have better quality shows due to them receiving easy money, and it also means that their programmes can be longer, due to the fact that they beginnert have to make time for advertising. However, for Channel 5, public service television means that there are no pressures. The channel can show what they sine qua non (within reason) but their income is variable. Unsurprisingly, the commercial channels are against the licence fee, as it seems unfair. It seems as if the media are in c onstant debate over whether the licence fee should continue, as many people pay considerable sums for function in which they have no interest in.