Task one:
How have advances in technology effected the TV industry and how have audiences changed as a result?
The television channels that still broadcast through analogue are BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. However, most television sets that are available to buy in shops now come with freeview which is a service that enables consumers to watch free digital television. Some of the channels that are included in this are BBC3, ITV2, E4 and many of the freeview channels are affiliated with the channels that are broadcasted on analogue.
Freeview is a free digital service allowing users to watch up to 50 television channels and 24 digital radio stations. The Freeview service ensures better picture and sound quality than a traditional analogue set up. One of the providers of this service is FreeSat. (http://www.freeview.co.uk/Services/Freeview2 - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Satellite TV is becoming more and more widely used, the percentage of homes in Britain now using satellite television is 37.1%. Satellite TV is a type of broadcasting that transmits from satellites in the geostationary orbit, above the equator and is received through a small satellite dish placed on the side/roof of a house and a set top box attached to your television. Sky TV is the most dominant satellite television provider and boasts the largest number of channels available to customers The first national network of satellite television was created in the Soviet Union in 1967. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_in_the_United_Kingdom - last accessed 17/05/2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_television - last accessed 17/05/2011) Users of satellite television providers such as Sky and Virgin Media have a greatly increased number of channels in comparison with those who use Freeview or analogue. The complications of this is that it is much more difficult for advertisers to reach their target audiences than it was in the past when each of the five main channels possessed a mass audience at all times. For example, if Ford wanted to advertise a new car they would have simply purchased an advertising spot during the break of one of the popular television programmes such as a Soap. Not all of the people watching would have been interested in what the advert was offering but because of the sheer size of the audience that saw it, a sufficient percentage would go and buy the product. Now, advertisers have to be much more clever because of the dispersion of the mass audience and the amount of channels that satellite and digital users could be watching, the Ford advertisement would be placed within the break of a show like Top Gear to ensure that those watching will be interested in cars. This obviously makes advertising much more expensive due to the extensive amount of research required.
Digital TV will eventually replace analogue in Britain, the switchover does not occur all at once but region by region. Digital UK hope to have all homes recieving digital TV by 2012. As Rupert Murdoch once said: "New technologies are finding ways to tear down old ones"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSKRWXyFw8&feature=player_embedded - last accessed 17/05/2011) Digital UK enables users to enter their postcode and acquire the exact date of their area's switch from analogue to digital. For example: Leeds, using the Emley Moor transmitter, will switch over in two stages. Stage one will begin on the 07/09/2011, this is when BBC2 analogue is switched off and digital equipment requires to be re-tuned to receive the available channels. Stage two will occur on the 21/09/2011, the remaining analogue channels (i.e BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and Five) are switched off. (http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker - last accessed 17/05/2011)
A recent development in technology is equipment which enables users to record, pause and rewind live television. This increases the flexibility of television as users do not have to watch the program at the time it is aired. It also demonstrates the progression of concepts such as integrated memory as to record a program in the past we would have had to record the program via a video player, or later a recording DVD player. Providers of the new facilities mentioned above are companies such as Sky and the product is branded "Sky+" Even the name of the product connotes how much technology and Sky has advanced. Another method of recording live television, named "TIVO", is worth taking note of. TIVO is extremely popular in America, the added advantage of the product is that it removes the advertisements from the breaks in the programmes. This is currently illegal in the UK as the majority of broadcasters collect their funding from the money the advertisers pay for air time. The complications of products such as TIVO could be that the quality of television programs are greatly reduced to to lack of funding because if adverts are not watched, then logically there would be no reason for the companies to pay for them to be aired.
There is also an increasing need for audiences to be able to interact with television. Features such as the "red button" allow us to have input in television shows. We can vote on shows like X-Factor and I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here!, view news and weather, play games or even join debates. One of the uses of the red button that I believe was particularly innovative was the way it was used when the Olympics were being televised. The red button allowed the audience to choose which event they would like to watch, giving them a choice rather than restricting them to whatever the channel was broadcasting at the time, this is known as "multi-screen" Viewers could also watch the events live as an alternative to when other programs like Eastenders were being aired. Some of the interactive games you see on television cost money to play, this means that the big companies can make additional amounts of money from the public.
There is also an increasing need for audiences to be able to interact with television. Features such as the "red button" allow us to have input in television shows. We can vote on shows like X-Factor and I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here!, view news and weather, play games or even join debates. One of the uses of the red button that I believe was particularly innovative was the way it was used when the Olympics were being televised. The red button allowed the audience to choose which event they would like to watch, giving them a choice rather than restricting them to whatever the channel was broadcasting at the time, this is known as "multi-screen" Viewers could also watch the events live as an alternative to when other programs like Eastenders were being aired. Some of the interactive games you see on television cost money to play, this means that the big companies can make additional amounts of money from the public.
Television can now be viewed via the internet. You can watch TV programs on sites such as channel 4's 4OD(www.channel4.com/programmes/4od - last accessed 17/05/2011), ITV's ITVplayer (http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) and BBC's iplayer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) These services are free and are available to everyone in the UK. One of the advantages to offering these services is that they can be watched anywhere, as long as the viewer has software permitting its use. These sites can be accessed via laptop, mobile phones, ipods etc etc, meaning that the advertisements in the breaks of these online programs get more and more viewings. Consumers can also purchase television programs and films on the internet through the use of itunes and other similar sites. Recently aired TV programs can be purchased directly through Virgin Media, these can be free depending on how much the user pays a month, this service is known as catch-up and those subject to more expensive contract would not have to pay and extra amount for this service. Films can be purchased via services like Sky box office, however you pay per viewing. There are a large number of channels on digital television that are dedicated to films, these can be separated according to genre, release date and target audience. Films and television programs are accessed in similar ways via the internet, resulting in similar problems. They can be streamed or downloaded illegally using torrent programs such as Bittorrent or websites on the internet such as Movie watch (http://www.moviewatch.in/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) and Megavideo (http://www.megavideo.com/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) There are many implications of illegal downloads and streaming sites, particularly on the film industry. We no longer feel the need to purchase a DVD or a cinema ticket, as we can watch these films for free. Many consumers are now feeling the need to save money due to the current economic situation and perhaps it is time for the film industry to rethink the prices that they are charging. It is also simply easier to view the film in our own homes rather than going out to purchase a DVD or going to the cinemas. Rental companies have already taken note of this and we can now rent films online rather than having to physically go out and get the film. Advances in technology have benefited some aspects of the film industry as we see new developments such as 3D film. In light of all this, a conclusion can be drawn: In this society we, as consumers, want technology to make everything as cheap and easy as is possible without sacrificing quality.
In my opinion, the uses and gratifications theory as just as relevant now as when it was formulated. It could be argued that it is more relevant as society strives forward, developing new technology in order to fulfill our needs. The most noticeable aspects of the uses and gratifications theory that have become more relevant are diversion and surveillance. We see diversion in films and television now more than ever due to technologies such as animation, freeing film makers from the limitations of reality. The nature of the technology that is widely used in today's society is interactive, user specific, instantaneous. This allows the consumer to obtain the information that they need, when they want it. Thus, our need for surveillance remains satisfied.
Task two:
Choose a TV broadcasting organisation and create a short case study on how your chosen organisation uses technology at the moment and how it is looking to use technology in the future.
The BBC aka the British Broadcasting Company was launched in 1922. It was launched by six communication companies. These companies were Metropolitan Vickers, General Electric, Marconi, Western Electric, Radio Communication Company and The British Thomson-Houston Company. General Electric is now one of the six biggest media organisations is the world, known as "the big six" These companies were what preceded the BBC that we know today.
In the early years, the BBC was limited to radio broadcasting as the technology needed for television broadcasts was far from perfected. In 1932 they began to experiment with television broadcasts using a system know as the "30 line system" The way that television is broadcasted now has changed dramatically, it is now broadcasted with the aid of satellites, television aerials and -more recently- fibre optic cables that can transmit data as fast as the speed of light.
The BBC is the world's largest broadcasting company. Their news channel can now be viewed in over two hundred countries across the globe. They have also recently launched the online site - Iplayer- which allows those living in countries that do not impose restrictions (E.g China) to access recently aired media for free via the internet. The British Broadcasting Company boasts an impressive array of channels and radio stations. They have ten channels that can be accessed through the use of digital television such as Freeview, one of these channels is HD. They have 59 radio stations (regional and national). The British Broadcasting Company is the world's biggest employer in the Media industry.
The BBC is the world's largest broadcasting company. Their news channel can now be viewed in over two hundred countries across the globe. They have also recently launched the online site - Iplayer- which allows those living in countries that do not impose restrictions (E.g China) to access recently aired media for free via the internet. The British Broadcasting Company boasts an impressive array of channels and radio stations. They have ten channels that can be accessed through the use of digital television such as Freeview, one of these channels is HD. They have 59 radio stations (regional and national). The British Broadcasting Company is the world's biggest employer in the Media industry.
The BBC launched their online service, BBC iPlayer on the 27th of July 2007, this enabled users to watch programs any time that they wanted without being plagued by the limitations of recording equipment or catch up channels, revolutionising television as we knew it. This greatly increased the audience that each program commands as it provides a more convenient service especially as in this day and age we, as consumers like to receive an extremely good level of entertainment instantly with a very small input of effort on our behalf due to our busy lifestyles. (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) BBC iPlayer was their response to Britain's changing media market and society as a whole as the world continues into it's digital age. Companies such as Virgin Media have also invested in BBC's on demand service, making it available to watch on your television as opposed to a computer screen when customers invest in one of the more expensive packages offered. I believe that the BBC agreed to this because it lets iPlayer reach a larger audience as older viewers may still be reluctant to watch their television programmes on a computer screen especially due to the limited size and quality. Watching iPlayer on a television also allows viewers to remain comfortable in their living rooms. One of the advantages of BBC iPlayer when compared to other on demand services such as 4OD is that there are no advertisements inserted into the media that you watch, mimicking the traditional BBC channels.
The BBC also launched a service for mobile phones, making it even easier for users to access their content as it allows us to access it on the go without the implications of carrying a heavy laptop around. I believe that they launched this service to keep up to date with our nation's increasing preference for smart phones such as blackberrys and iphones. Most phones now come with a wi-fi function and the BBC have responded to this change in the market by expanding the services that they offer to the general public. Some of the functions that BBC mobile fulfills are: news, weather, radio, entertainment, and all this is kept up to the minute just like the main site. BBC mobile is also a free service and consumers can even customise their homepage on their mobile, such as choosing for it to display the weather in their area automatically when the page is accessed. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/web/ - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Task three:
How is the TV industry funded and how does this effect programming?
Public service broadcasting is a type of broadcasting that is paid for by the public in the form of a television license fee, every household that owns a television has to pay this fee. The product of public service broadcasting in this country is the British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) which is one of the five channels that broadcasts on an analogue signal. Public service broadcasting is important, the way in which it collects its funding enables the content to be both varied and impartial for viewers. PSB is not owned by one individual like other channels so the content is unlikely to be influenced by a particular person's views. PSB is especially important when regarding unbiased coverage on the news. Eg. BBC news does not express one political opinion more than another. A colour television license costs £145.50 per year. (http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) The BBC have a fixed revenue and a wide audience and this enables them to spend a lot more money on their television programs, unlike channels such as ITV. There are more costly programs such as wildlife documentaries and costume dramas such as The Tudors or Bleak House. The company can also take more risks when it comes to creating new material, for example; Ricky Gervais was given an entire series on television even though he had no previous acting or writing experience, this risk paid off for the BBC. Channels funded by advertisements would be much less likely to take such a risk as the price could be costly if it went wrong. Hence, why many of these channels prefer to stick to tried and tested methods such as reality television programs like "I'm a Celebrity, get me out of here!" which bring in a lot of money due to the fact they last for many weeks, have an established audience and have the additional functions such as voting which generates even more money for the channel. Due to the BBC's wide audience, they are also able to create niche programs that may not be to every viewers taste, such as historical documentaries, these are typically aired on BBC4. ITV is funded through advertisements and viewing figures which means that they have to incorporate a much more populist attitude when creating their programs as it is essential that they appeal to the widest possible audience in order to generate the most viewings and resultantly; the most funding and profit. The quality of the programs produced by channels funded in the same manner as ITV is typically lower than that of the BBC as they have less money to spend on the production of the programs they air.
Some companies encourage potential customers to subscribe in order to receive particular services. This involves paying a monthly fee and is particularly popular amongst the digital and satellite television providers such as Sky and Virgin Media. Sky charges £19.50 a month for their most basic package which allows you to have a genre-based package of channels on top of the analogue/freeview channels you already possess. Sky charges an extra pound per package per month for customers who want more than one genre based entertainment package. There is a massive difference in price between the basic package and the full package. The full package which includes all the genre-based packages of channels, sports and movies costs £52 a month and once you subscribe to the basic package the company are forever encouraging their customers to up the amount they are paying a month by adding additional channels. (http://www.sky.com/quickbuy/build) There is also the new development - HD - which customers can also purchase, although this requires you to possess a HD ready television as well as a HD box. Of course, this type of service also requires an additional cost. The programs aired by subscription channels are funded by advertisement and the money that customers pay via subscription in order to view the channel itself. Programs aired on television channels such as Sky are often produced by American companies, this is presumably to attract audiences by providing something different from the traditional British channels. Sky produces very little of their own programs and instead prefers to contract out established programs produced by channels such as Fox, BBC and ABC that already command large audiences. They also tend to show a lot of clip shows because they are cheap to produce. This suggests that Sky is a very profit orientated organisation. They may spend very little on producing TV programs to entertain in the way that the BBC do as the people that subscribe to Sky usually subscribe for the Sports and Films packages that they offer, therefore they may feel that this field of entertainment is of little importance.
Once you are a subscriber of any of the services these companies provide they also encourage customers to buy into their services outside television where applicable. Popular fields that subscription television companies have expanded into are broadband and telephone services. This makes it a lot easier for potential customers as there is an attraction to getting all these services from the same provider as it is a lot simpler. Virgin Media's broadband, TV and phone bundles begin at £10 a month for the first six months, the price then increases after the first six months. Offering a cheap rate for the beginning months of a subscription is a popular marketing technique as it lulls the potential customer into a false comfort zone as they believe they have been offered a cheaper deal. (http://shop.virginmedia.com/bundles.html - last accessed 17/05/2011) The main subscription television providers have made it even easier for people to engage in a contract with them by making it possible to do it all online rather than at a store or over the phone.
Another type of broadcasting which can be accessed is Pay per view, this allows users to pay for the channels or programs they want to watch on a one off basis, when they want to watch them. This type of broadcasting is widely used across channels that provide movies for the customers to watch, however this service can also require a user to have previously engaged in a subscription with one of the companies such as Sky. Prices of pay per view can differ depending on how recently the film or program was released or on the popularity of the media that is available. Customers can also subscribe to a particular package on a short term contract which can be considered a type of pay per view, for example, a customer may subscribe to Sky Sports for the month when the Olympics are broadcasted, or the month when the World cup is on the channel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay-per-view - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Many companies now sponsor particular films, programs or television channels. This is a type of funding that consists of a company paying for a particular air time, or paying to be associated with a particular program in order to promote their product. Some examples of sponsorship that I have seen on the television recently are Misfits being sponsored by Nokia OVI and Coronation Street being sponsored by Harvey's Furniture store. Certain businesses associate themselves with particular programs because of factors such as target audience. Misfits is program aimed at teenagers and young adults, Nokia OVI sponsor this because they know that this generation is particularly interested in phones and technology. To associate a product with a popular television program can also make the product seem more desirable to the potential buyer. Sponsorship is basically another form of advertising, except that it associates the product with specific films, programs or channels.
Another form of funding is the use of product placement, companies pay to have their products displayed in films, television programs or music videos. This type of funding is more widely used in America as until recently product placement was illegal in the UK. A good example of product placement is the film, Legally Blonde, right from the beginning of the film brands such as Clinique makeup are shown in prominent places in the camera shots. Logos and brand names used to be blurred out on UK produced media, although it was still reasonably obvious as to what the product was.
Another form of funding is the use of product placement, companies pay to have their products displayed in films, television programs or music videos. This type of funding is more widely used in America as until recently product placement was illegal in the UK. A good example of product placement is the film, Legally Blonde, right from the beginning of the film brands such as Clinique makeup are shown in prominent places in the camera shots. Logos and brand names used to be blurred out on UK produced media, although it was still reasonably obvious as to what the product was.
Task four:
Write a report on the film industry covering mainstream and independent cinema, Bollywood, the studio system in Hollywood and the big players, the British film industry and he big players and The British Film Council.
Mainstream cinema is very different to independent cinema. Mainstream companies are those such as: Dreamworks, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox. Independent cinema companies are smaller and less well known such as Polygram which created "This is England" Because these cinema companies are smaller this can mean that they generate less revenue, so they work with smaller production budgets and less resources than the mainstream cinema companies. Films produced by independent cinema companies tend to contain a smaller number of established actors as they simply do not have the money to pay for actors like Tom Cruise or Kiera Knightley to star in their films, thus independent cinema has become what is known as a "training ground" for new talent. Some of the films made by independent cinema companies have been just as successful as those produced by mainstream. Pixar was originally an independent cinema company but after the success of their films, the company was bought by Walt Disney in 2006 for $7.4billion. (http://www.cybercollege.com/frtv/frtv006.htm - last accessed 17/05/2011, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4642116.stm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Bollywood is the popular term for Hindi-Cinema, it is based in the Indian city: Mumbai and originated in the 1970s. Bollywood produces an estimated number of one thousand films per year, due to the films consisting if only a small cast and a minuscule budget in comparison with films produced by Hollywood which typically amount to around two hundred million dollars. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood - last accessed 17/05/2011) A great proportion of Bollywood films are similar to that of musicals and often feature "Indian English" which is when whole lines of dialogue in the English language are inserted into Hindi songs. The most sucessful Bollywood film of all time is Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge which ran in cinemas for over fifteen years. (http://www.bollywoodtrends.net/2010/09/most-successful-bollywood-films-biggest.html - last accessed 17/05/2011) One of the main Hollywood studios that wasn't mentioned at the beginning of this section is Paramount Pictures, it is America's oldest existing film studio and is owned by Viacom, the company controls 14.9% of the US/Canada market (2009 figures). Some films released that were produced by Paramount pictures are The Truman Show, The School of Rock and Paranormal activity. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Paramount_Pictures_films - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Warner Bros. Entertinment is another one of the main Hollywood studios, controlling 20.1% of the US/Canada market. They are owned by Time Warner and have produced films such as Troy, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and Corpse Bride. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._films - last accessed 17/05/2011) Another one of the main studios is Universal Studios who are owned by General Electric - one of the big six- and out of the US/Canada market, they control 10%. They have produced films such as American Pie, White Noise and Honey. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Universal_Pictures_films - last accessed 17/05/2011) 20th Century Fox, owned by News Corporation, control 16.1% of the US/Canada market. Films that they have produced include: Edward Scissorhands, The Omen and X-Men. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:20th_Century_Fox_films - last accessed 17/05/2011) Owned by Sony, Columbia also play a big part in Hollywood, producing films such as Charlie's Angels, The Grudge and Big Daddy, they have ensured that they own shares for 14.1% of the US/Canada market. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Columbia_Pictures_films - last accessed 17/05/2011) Finally, another of the main studios is the Walt Disney Motion Picture group who control 11.9% of the US and Canada Market and have produced many films over the years the majority of which are primarily aimed at very young audiences such as The Lion King, Tarzan and more recently; The Emperor's New Groove.
The majority of British film is produced and distributed by Hollywood studios but are based on British storylines and are often partially funded by organisations such as UK Film Council, the BBC and Film 4. Examples of these types of films are Bridget Jones' Diary, Notting Hill and the series of Harry Potter Films. British made films often win just as many awards and make just as much money as USA films. Notable British directors include Shane Meadows (This Is England), Christopher Dolan and Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_Kingdom - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The UK Film Council (formerly the British Film Council) is the Government backed lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. It was funded by the lottery but the government made a recent decision to abolish the UK film council meaning that Britain's film industry could suffer greatly. An argument against the abolishment of the UK film council is that niche films such as The King's Speech and This is England may never have been produced had they not have been partially financed by The UK Film Council. (http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The majority of British film is produced and distributed by Hollywood studios but are based on British storylines and are often partially funded by organisations such as UK Film Council, the BBC and Film 4. Examples of these types of films are Bridget Jones' Diary, Notting Hill and the series of Harry Potter Films. British made films often win just as many awards and make just as much money as USA films. Notable British directors include Shane Meadows (This Is England), Christopher Dolan and Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_Kingdom - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The UK Film Council (formerly the British Film Council) is the Government backed lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. It was funded by the lottery but the government made a recent decision to abolish the UK film council meaning that Britain's film industry could suffer greatly. An argument against the abolishment of the UK film council is that niche films such as The King's Speech and This is England may never have been produced had they not have been partially financed by The UK Film Council. (http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Task five:
Ownership and control – Does it matter who owns the media?
There are six media conglomerates, these organisations own the largest percentages of the world's media. They are General Electric, Walt Disney, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner and CBS. Currently, General Electric holds the biggest revenue within the Media industry, the 2009 survey showing it to be over one hundred and fifty seven billion dollars. They own many media related organisations such as Universal pictures, NBC, Telemundo, twenty six US TV stations, Focus Features, Bravo and MSNBC. General Electric owns 80% of NBC Universal, which combined with the rest of the organisations that they control, means that they have an immense amount of power within the world of Media. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011)With various television and cable networks under their belt, General Electric are able to control the population's viewing, allowing them to influence our political opinions and views. This opinion can be reinforced via the hypodermic needle theory which implies that mass media can have a direct, immediate and powerful effect on it's audiences. This could be seen as real problem as this reduces society's ability to think for themselves and form their own opinions.
Another of the big six that I shall be exploring in greater detail is Walt Disney, who are renowned for their earlier animated films that were mostly based on fairytales and children's books such as Snow White, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. Due to Walt Disney's popularity within families, they have generated a huge amount of revenue over the years ($36.1 billion) which has enabled them to expand into other areas of the media such as ABC, The Disney Channel, Pixar animations studios, SOAP-net, Touchstone, Mirimax, two hundred and seventy seven radio stations and numerous theme parks across the globe. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011) The most dangerous aspect of Walt Disney owning a large proportion of today's media is that they are known for creating false, idealistic expectations on what life is like and to project the conventions of the fairytales, such as living in worlds with happy endings, that they re-produce onto real life could reduce the realism that makes today's media so successful. Disney are very successful in satisfying their audience's need for diversion (uses and gratifications theory) but could their influence over today's media overstimulate that need, causing the public to constantly seek diversion in their every day lives?
News Corp (News Corporation) is owned by Australian media magnate; Rupert Murdoch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch - last accessed 17/05/2011) and is another of the largest media conglomerates that exist today. Their revenue amounts to something in the region of thirty point four billion dollars. Rupert Murdoch's control over global media has labelled him as one of the most powerful men in the world. News Corp own a mass amount of companies including The Fox Broadcasting Company, Sky satellite television, 20th Century Fox, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal and many other print media publications. Rupert Murdoch has even begun to stretch his desire for ownership over other non-media organisations such as The National Rugby League. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011) The problem with this one man owning a large amount of global media and other generators of revenue is that this allows him to shape the way audiences think, change their views, block out certain opinions from viewing and public knowledge. Rupert Murdoch's political leanings are decidedly right wing, and because he owns so much of the world's media, this allows him to spread his political opinion across the globe. News Corporation own Sky News and because the CEO of News Corp is Rupert Murdoch this means that Sky News reports with right wing ideals, unlike the BBC news which is politically neutral and therefore more factual. TIME magazine, also owned by News Corp, has been accused of not reporting negative news from China in a factual manner. This has been seen as very suspicious as Rupert Murdoch possesses holdings that are based in the country and could be simply leaving out negative news for fear that it would influence his revenue.
Next in the list is Time Warner, the world's largest media conglomerate with 2009 revenues reaching 25.8 billion dollars. Their holdings include CNN, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Warner Bros Pictures, TNT and over one hundred and fifty magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated and People. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011)Time Warner recently merged with America Online (AOL), creating a company worth over 350 billion dollars. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/597782.stm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Another member of the big six is Viacom. Viacom's holdings consist of MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Paramount Pictures, Comedy central and more. Their 2009 revenues reached thirteen point six billion dollars. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The final member of the big six is the CBS Corporation. They own CBS televsion network, CBS television distribution group, Showtime, thirty television stations, CBS radio inc which consists of 130 radio stations. CBS has recently become the leading supplier of video to the video marketplace which Google provides. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011) Due to the fact that the CBS Corporation controls so much of what is being aired on televsion across America, many could see their influence as a problem, especially as America is one of the biggest, most powerful countries in the world.
The big six use horizontal and vertical integration to increase their holdings and their power financially. Horizontal integration is used to describe when a company expands their business into different products which are similar to the current lines of products that they hold. An example of horizontal integration is if a company that provided broadband expanded to also provide telephone contracts. This helps companies become "major players" because it enables them to control wider audiences with each expansion. An additional example of horizontal integration is the ownership patterns of Walt Disney. Walt Disney own television channels such as the Disney channel which is classified as children's television, however, they acquired channels such as ESPN which would be classified as an adult's television channel. Both of these holdings are in the same field but both appeal to very different audiences therefore increasing the conglomerate's influence and revenue. Vertical integration -also known as vertical expansion- is executed in a very different manner to horizontal integration. It is the growth of business enterprise through the acquisition of the companies that produce the goods needed by the business to help market/ distribute their products. The result of this is a much more efficient business with lower costs and more profit. However, using this business strategy has the potential to erase smaller companies that are not affiliated with the big six from the media industry. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_integration - last accessed 17/05/2011) An example of vertical integration within the big six is News Corporation's recent acquisition of DirectTV which is a satellite television company. This allows News Corp to distribute more of it's own media content such as news, movies, films and television programs at a lower cost.
The dangers of the big six have become very apparent in the last few years, in the United States of America they have created the Federal Communications Commission which intends to protect the public against communications monopolies that were built in similar fashions to that of News Corporation. (http://www.fcc.gov/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) One of the main concerns about the big six is that -to put it simply- six billionaires are deciding what the majority of the world's population watch on TV, see in the cinema, read in newspapers, listen to on the radio. The big six own 90% of the media holdings in the USA. This means that they can decide the stories that get focused on in the news, the actors that are given parts in the main television programs, the political leanings of the newspapers. There is an incredible amount of media at their disposal in which they could use to influence or change public opinion. Rupert Murdoch has recently admitted that he did have some intention of shaping society's views. This gave organisations such as the FCC every reason to be wary. (http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/multimedia/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003285440 - last accessed 17/05/2011, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF9HpuZm6-g&feature=player_embedded - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Globalisation describes the process in which regional economies, societies and cultures have become integrated into one another through a global network of communication, political ideals, transportation and trade. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization - last accessed 17/05/2011) Mass media has contributed greatly towards globalisation as before inventions such as television people created their own culture. With the development of media such as satellite TV the world was encouraged to follow the culture that was seen on their television due to popular culture. The source of Globalisation can be traced to Western Civilisation and then to the USA. The USA are at the center of globalisation, American culture has begun to creep into almost every aspect of our lifestyle from language (Americanisms) to food (McDonalds). This process has been sped up by concepts such as space time compression which was caused by our ability to contact and find out information in seconds due to the internet. The big six have also sped up the process of globalisation as they continue to increase their holdings by branching out into international media and extending their influence across the world. (http://grapevine.net.au/~grunwald/une/socialcontext/media.html - last accessed 17/05/2011) These massive media conglomorates contribute to cultural hegemony as they dominate society and maintain the explanation that their massive holdings benefit everyone when in fact they can be seen as the decay of individuality. Concepts such as dressing provocatively, drinking heavily and having a certain amount of freedom as an individual have been spread across the globe via mass media, eroding cultures and changing the world forever. This can be seen as positive or negative but I suppose it all depends on opinion.
News Corp (News Corporation) is owned by Australian media magnate; Rupert Murdoch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch - last accessed 17/05/2011) and is another of the largest media conglomerates that exist today. Their revenue amounts to something in the region of thirty point four billion dollars. Rupert Murdoch's control over global media has labelled him as one of the most powerful men in the world. News Corp own a mass amount of companies including The Fox Broadcasting Company, Sky satellite television, 20th Century Fox, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal and many other print media publications. Rupert Murdoch has even begun to stretch his desire for ownership over other non-media organisations such as The National Rugby League. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011) The problem with this one man owning a large amount of global media and other generators of revenue is that this allows him to shape the way audiences think, change their views, block out certain opinions from viewing and public knowledge. Rupert Murdoch's political leanings are decidedly right wing, and because he owns so much of the world's media, this allows him to spread his political opinion across the globe. News Corporation own Sky News and because the CEO of News Corp is Rupert Murdoch this means that Sky News reports with right wing ideals, unlike the BBC news which is politically neutral and therefore more factual. TIME magazine, also owned by News Corp, has been accused of not reporting negative news from China in a factual manner. This has been seen as very suspicious as Rupert Murdoch possesses holdings that are based in the country and could be simply leaving out negative news for fear that it would influence his revenue.
Next in the list is Time Warner, the world's largest media conglomerate with 2009 revenues reaching 25.8 billion dollars. Their holdings include CNN, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Warner Bros Pictures, TNT and over one hundred and fifty magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated and People. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011)Time Warner recently merged with America Online (AOL), creating a company worth over 350 billion dollars. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/597782.stm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Another member of the big six is Viacom. Viacom's holdings consist of MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Paramount Pictures, Comedy central and more. Their 2009 revenues reached thirteen point six billion dollars. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The final member of the big six is the CBS Corporation. They own CBS televsion network, CBS television distribution group, Showtime, thirty television stations, CBS radio inc which consists of 130 radio stations. CBS has recently become the leading supplier of video to the video marketplace which Google provides. (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main - last accessed 17/05/2011) Due to the fact that the CBS Corporation controls so much of what is being aired on televsion across America, many could see their influence as a problem, especially as America is one of the biggest, most powerful countries in the world.
The big six use horizontal and vertical integration to increase their holdings and their power financially. Horizontal integration is used to describe when a company expands their business into different products which are similar to the current lines of products that they hold. An example of horizontal integration is if a company that provided broadband expanded to also provide telephone contracts. This helps companies become "major players" because it enables them to control wider audiences with each expansion. An additional example of horizontal integration is the ownership patterns of Walt Disney. Walt Disney own television channels such as the Disney channel which is classified as children's television, however, they acquired channels such as ESPN which would be classified as an adult's television channel. Both of these holdings are in the same field but both appeal to very different audiences therefore increasing the conglomerate's influence and revenue. Vertical integration -also known as vertical expansion- is executed in a very different manner to horizontal integration. It is the growth of business enterprise through the acquisition of the companies that produce the goods needed by the business to help market/ distribute their products. The result of this is a much more efficient business with lower costs and more profit. However, using this business strategy has the potential to erase smaller companies that are not affiliated with the big six from the media industry. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_integration - last accessed 17/05/2011) An example of vertical integration within the big six is News Corporation's recent acquisition of DirectTV which is a satellite television company. This allows News Corp to distribute more of it's own media content such as news, movies, films and television programs at a lower cost.
The dangers of the big six have become very apparent in the last few years, in the United States of America they have created the Federal Communications Commission which intends to protect the public against communications monopolies that were built in similar fashions to that of News Corporation. (http://www.fcc.gov/ - last accessed 17/05/2011) One of the main concerns about the big six is that -to put it simply- six billionaires are deciding what the majority of the world's population watch on TV, see in the cinema, read in newspapers, listen to on the radio. The big six own 90% of the media holdings in the USA. This means that they can decide the stories that get focused on in the news, the actors that are given parts in the main television programs, the political leanings of the newspapers. There is an incredible amount of media at their disposal in which they could use to influence or change public opinion. Rupert Murdoch has recently admitted that he did have some intention of shaping society's views. This gave organisations such as the FCC every reason to be wary. (http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/multimedia/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003285440 - last accessed 17/05/2011, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF9HpuZm6-g&feature=player_embedded - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Globalisation describes the process in which regional economies, societies and cultures have become integrated into one another through a global network of communication, political ideals, transportation and trade. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization - last accessed 17/05/2011) Mass media has contributed greatly towards globalisation as before inventions such as television people created their own culture. With the development of media such as satellite TV the world was encouraged to follow the culture that was seen on their television due to popular culture. The source of Globalisation can be traced to Western Civilisation and then to the USA. The USA are at the center of globalisation, American culture has begun to creep into almost every aspect of our lifestyle from language (Americanisms) to food (McDonalds). This process has been sped up by concepts such as space time compression which was caused by our ability to contact and find out information in seconds due to the internet. The big six have also sped up the process of globalisation as they continue to increase their holdings by branching out into international media and extending their influence across the world. (http://grapevine.net.au/~grunwald/une/socialcontext/media.html - last accessed 17/05/2011) These massive media conglomorates contribute to cultural hegemony as they dominate society and maintain the explanation that their massive holdings benefit everyone when in fact they can be seen as the decay of individuality. Concepts such as dressing provocatively, drinking heavily and having a certain amount of freedom as an individual have been spread across the globe via mass media, eroding cultures and changing the world forever. This can be seen as positive or negative but I suppose it all depends on opinion.
News Corp has recently attempted to take over BskyB, this has generated much controversy amongst the public and amongst those involved as it would put Rupert Murdoch in control of even more media. It has been deemed unacceptable that he could own this on top of the holdings he has already acquired so an unusual agreement has been made. News Corp will give up their ownership of Sky News and de-merge it from their company. This has been portrayed as a feeble attempt at giving up a small amount of the massive influence the company holds over the world's media. (http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-analysts-say-news-corps-bskyb-deal-is-on-but-sky-news-could-suffer/ - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Task six:
Create an organisational chart/essay/powerpoint/speech package/short film that highlights the different jobs available in the TV and Film Industries.
Within the media, job roles can range from creative to non-creative, long hours to short hours, management to non-management. In this task I shall be exploring the various jobs that are attainable in the media industry, what it takes to fulfill them and what experience is necessary to secure them. I will be focusing on the job roles in the television and film sections of the media industry, these job roles are divided into six categories one of which is development . The development category is the writing, packaging and financing of film/scripts. Next comes pre-production which consists of the preparations for the shoot meaning that the cast and crew are hired, locations are selected and scenes are built. Thirdly, there is production which is the process of setting up and shooting each individual scene in the film. Following production, there is the post-production stage where the shots gathered during production are edited, treated and transformed into the final outcome of the project. Finally, the exhibition stage begins and cinemas screen the film for the public's general viewing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmmaking - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Amongst these six categories there is an intense amount of work and immense amount of jobs to be completed such as accounting, casting, catering, art department, camera work, transport, script, publicity, props, music, performing, production sound, post-production sound, production office, health and safety, lighting, location, costume, distribution, construction, editing & post-production, direction, hair & make-up and exhibition.
The accountancy section of the job roles within the media industry can be classed as managerial, financial and organisational positions. It is also a very non-creative area. These jobs are vital to the success of a project because budgets need to be carefully organised and managed by trained accountants in order to make the right decisions on where to spend money. Some of the jobs within this category are accounts trainee, assistant accountant, key-assistant accountant, production accountant, financial controller etc etc. A production accountant must work very closely with the production team in order to gain a real insight into what kind of budget needs to be put into the production and what areas are to be financially focused upon. They also manage the legal/ government aspects of film making such as tax and guild. The production accountant is also responsible for ensuring that all those involved with production are paid the right wages at the right time, this obviously means that to even qualify for this particular job, a high level of skill involving mathematics and computing are required. They must also be patient and organised due to the high volume of paperwork that they have to deal with. (http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/article_3903_1.asp - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Another important section of employees on a film set is the art department. These job roles are all very creative because they are in charge of the majority of the visual aspects that are involved in film making such as the sets, the characters (animated film) and some of the special effects. The art department has one of the largest crews outside of the cast. The jobs in this section can include drapesmaster, storyboard artist, graphic designer, production designer, specialist researcher, draughtsman, art director, specialist researcher and more. A storyboard artist is a profession which specialises in creating storyboards for media such as advertising agencies and film productions. To become a storyboard artist an extensive imagination is required due to the fact that they are expected to visualise storylines using quick sketches at any moment. Those filling this particular position are also expected to hold specialist knowledge relating to the computer programs that are used to create storyboards in film production outlets. Popular computer programs amongst storyboard artists in the film industry are Storyboard Quick, Poser and DAZ studio. Storyboard artists can also be known as illustrators or visualisers, they are typically freelance workers and are usually hired by art directors or film directors. Hours in this job are often irregular and long, due to tight deadlines and working overnight is common. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard_artist - last accessed 17/05/2011)
To capture a great film, a skilled camera crew are essential. This type of role can be classified as both technical and creative, allowing employees to immerse themselves in the creativity of the production, whilst at the same time learning about the complex technology around them. The use of a camera can entirely change the audience's perspective on a scene in a film. The camera crew are some of the most highly skilled practitioners on a film set. Camera job roles include: crane operator, marine and diving camera crew, director of photography, camera operator, script supervisor, grip and more. The marine and diving camera crew are in change of the safety of any actors and/or animals that are used during shoot in water. There are many safety risks associated with the use of water such as people drowning or running out of oxygen underwater, animals in their natural habitat such as sharks. This means that fight scenes or chase scenes in water must be constantly monitored due to the safety risk. Because of these factors, the marine and diving camera crew are required to posses the necessary diving and swimming qualifications in order to complete their jobs safely. Underwater crews are more likely to be used on high budget film sets/ productions due to waterproof equipment being expensive. The work is physically demanding and potentially dangerous, and some foreign travel may be required, involving long periods spent away from base, so the hours are undoubtedly irregular. (http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4785_1.asp - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Amongst these six categories there is an intense amount of work and immense amount of jobs to be completed such as accounting, casting, catering, art department, camera work, transport, script, publicity, props, music, performing, production sound, post-production sound, production office, health and safety, lighting, location, costume, distribution, construction, editing & post-production, direction, hair & make-up and exhibition.
The accountancy section of the job roles within the media industry can be classed as managerial, financial and organisational positions. It is also a very non-creative area. These jobs are vital to the success of a project because budgets need to be carefully organised and managed by trained accountants in order to make the right decisions on where to spend money. Some of the jobs within this category are accounts trainee, assistant accountant, key-assistant accountant, production accountant, financial controller etc etc. A production accountant must work very closely with the production team in order to gain a real insight into what kind of budget needs to be put into the production and what areas are to be financially focused upon. They also manage the legal/ government aspects of film making such as tax and guild. The production accountant is also responsible for ensuring that all those involved with production are paid the right wages at the right time, this obviously means that to even qualify for this particular job, a high level of skill involving mathematics and computing are required. They must also be patient and organised due to the high volume of paperwork that they have to deal with. (http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/article_3903_1.asp - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Another important section of employees on a film set is the art department. These job roles are all very creative because they are in charge of the majority of the visual aspects that are involved in film making such as the sets, the characters (animated film) and some of the special effects. The art department has one of the largest crews outside of the cast. The jobs in this section can include drapesmaster, storyboard artist, graphic designer, production designer, specialist researcher, draughtsman, art director, specialist researcher and more. A storyboard artist is a profession which specialises in creating storyboards for media such as advertising agencies and film productions. To become a storyboard artist an extensive imagination is required due to the fact that they are expected to visualise storylines using quick sketches at any moment. Those filling this particular position are also expected to hold specialist knowledge relating to the computer programs that are used to create storyboards in film production outlets. Popular computer programs amongst storyboard artists in the film industry are Storyboard Quick, Poser and DAZ studio. Storyboard artists can also be known as illustrators or visualisers, they are typically freelance workers and are usually hired by art directors or film directors. Hours in this job are often irregular and long, due to tight deadlines and working overnight is common. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard_artist - last accessed 17/05/2011)
To capture a great film, a skilled camera crew are essential. This type of role can be classified as both technical and creative, allowing employees to immerse themselves in the creativity of the production, whilst at the same time learning about the complex technology around them. The use of a camera can entirely change the audience's perspective on a scene in a film. The camera crew are some of the most highly skilled practitioners on a film set. Camera job roles include: crane operator, marine and diving camera crew, director of photography, camera operator, script supervisor, grip and more. The marine and diving camera crew are in change of the safety of any actors and/or animals that are used during shoot in water. There are many safety risks associated with the use of water such as people drowning or running out of oxygen underwater, animals in their natural habitat such as sharks. This means that fight scenes or chase scenes in water must be constantly monitored due to the safety risk. Because of these factors, the marine and diving camera crew are required to posses the necessary diving and swimming qualifications in order to complete their jobs safely. Underwater crews are more likely to be used on high budget film sets/ productions due to waterproof equipment being expensive. The work is physically demanding and potentially dangerous, and some foreign travel may be required, involving long periods spent away from base, so the hours are undoubtedly irregular. (http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4785_1.asp - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The distributive section of job roles within the media industry is administrative and organisational. The distributing process ensures that a film sells and makes profit for the companies that produced it. Anyone who works within this line of employment must posses the skills to reach a range of audiences through the means of their promotion and distribution methods. Sales agent, publicist, marketing assistant, marketing and publicity manager and distributor are just some of the jobs that are available within the distribution sector of employment within the media industry. The role of a sales agent in the film market mainly consists of representing film maker and helping to distribute their products to the widest possible audience. Sales agents normally represent independent film makers or new film makers as it is even more essential for them to get their film into the public eye to generate revenue and future success. Sales agents work with the directors of the films, usually taking a hands on approach in order to find out the best way to promote the product to the consumers, later in the process they work with the distributers to negotiate the best contracts for them and the rest of the people involved. (http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/distribution/article_4156_1.asp - last accessed 26/05/2011)
The section of job roles in the media industry that focuses on music is crucial as the music in a film can play a major part in how successful it is. The majority of positions in this specific area are both creative (as employees are required to display a creative skill and flair in playing an instrument, composing music or editing music) and technical (as employees need musical skill and to be able to fulfill their role in a productive manner) Some of the jobs that can be accessed in the music department are: Music editor, Music agent, Composer agent, Music supervisor and of course; Composer. Composers are the creators of individual soundtracks in film. Some films are easily recognisable just by hearing the sound of the music such as Jaws, Shrek, The Lion King and more. Occasionally producers buy well known music that has already been composed by an artist in order to supplement their film, however much of the music heard in films has been created by its resident composer as music can change an atmosphere completely and is used in car chases, romantic scenes, scenes of tension and much more. Composers also have to write the lyrics to their music if it is required and this means they need even more skill. The composer will work in the editing process with the editor to make sure that the music has the desired effect upon the footage. (http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/composer_job_description.jsp - last accsessed 26/05/2011)
Of course, there are many more roles that can be accessed in the media that I have not covered due to the sheer volume of different positions available in the world.
Task seven:
Choose a specific job role, preferably a role that you are interested in pursuing in the future and research the role.
The job role that I have chosen to investigate in detail is Script Writing. There are no formal training requirements for the job as it is a creative role, however it is essential to have a good command of language suggesting that a degree in an English based subject (more specifically, literature) would be beneficial to a career in writing. Qualifications in subjects such as Media studies, Communication studies, Journalism, Creative writing and Performing arts can also increase a person's chances of building a successful career as a Script Writer. Short courses in Script writing and practical television and film may also be helpful as pre-entry experience in the Media industry is seen as plus in the eyes of potential employers. Entry into this field without any of this is also common as interviews are often portfolio based. Script writing as an occupation is largely freelance, meaning that jobs are not permanent or full-time and that Script writers usually work for more than one employer at once, therefore a detailed and extensive CV displaying previous experience is of paramount importance togenerate a decent income. Typical employers of this job role include: the BBC, commercial and independent television or radio companies, facilities houses, large advertising companies, film and video production companies and of course; theatres. Because of the typically low and inconsistent annual salary of the job, Script writers often supplement their income by taking on second jobs in writing related employment such as teaching or lecturing. Some of the typical activities in this line of work are selecting subject matter based on public interest, developing and maintaining the technical skills of writing, ensuring an element of originality is contained in work produced, using literary skills to develop themes and storylines whilst still keeping scripts realistic. undertaking research, working to tight deadlines, verifying the factual content of written work, submitting material for publication in the required and/or expected format, maintaining an active interest in areas related to writing (novels, TV, film, radio, print media) and exercising self discipline in order to manage time in an effective manner due to commonly being self employed. (http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/writer_job_description.jsp - last accessed 26/05/2011) I would say that one of the most important responsibilities of the job is producing original material to a high quality whilst at the same time making sure it complies with the brief given by the employer. It is also essential to consider which format the material will be printed in as this can effect the way it is written; i.e if the script was for theatre performance, stage directions would need to be included. Many writers gain influences and ideas from the work of other writers perhaps to develop their own material further or simply because they find it inspiring or innovative, this can potentially be a problem in this job role as you can be accused of plagiarism. I found the diagram below on this website: http://scriptwriterslife.com/ and I have chosen to include it in this task because I think that it accurately portrays the life of a script writer.
Task eight:
Explain some of the different types of jobs and contracts that are being advertised currently at the BBC and explain the notion of confidentiality and exclusivity agreements and provide relevant examples.
There are various types of contracts that are available for employees within the media industry that are advertised on the BBC currently. Such as an attachment contract which is a contract that allows an employee to be attached to a certain section/department, they have either moved from another job or have started anew. On the majority of occasions an attachment is created because it allows the employee to experience more challenges and build up a variety of skills as opposed to being sat in the same job most of the time. This contract is usually limited to an alloted amount of time, when their contract expires the employee is free to return to their everyday job. (https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?newms=jj&id=29228 - last accessed 17/04/2011)
Another contract that is available in this industry is a fixed term contract. This is when a specific term of work has been set up for an employee. An employer may specify that the employee should be working for four months. When the four months have elapsed the employee's contract would be terminated. According to the BBC, the salaries of their staff employed on fixed term contracts will be set within the established pay structures and staff will be eligible for pay increases appropriate to the structure, subject to performance and their conduct. (https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?newms=jj&id=29228 - last accessed 17/04/2011)
The third type of contract that I am going to define is the casual contract, this is where an employee is called in on an ad-hoc basis. For example, they may be called in if another employee is sick or on leave, to replace them. Usually, a casual worker will eventually find themself in a fixed term contract due to them gaining reputation and experience, however this is not guarenteed.
A Flexi contract is where a worker will work agreed "core hours" throughout the week. These hours do not change, although several hours in which the employee has to work will be added to this that the employee can choose to rearrange according to times that suit them, these hours are flexible, hence the term "flexi". As long as they make up these hours the employee can work whenever they want to.
Another very different type of contract which an employee can acquire is a freelance contract. Freelancers are self employed workers that are not tied down to one specific company. They work whenever and wherever their line of work is required and reserve the right to turn it down if they choose to do so. Some examples of freelancers would be journalists, specifically fashion journalists. A fashion journalist would only work when their specific expertise would be required for a television documentary or an informative article. Freelance work is not consistent and during a financial crisis such as a recession they are some of the hardest hit amongst the working community. (https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?s=bkMjPUrEcTFkHhTcz&jobid=37966,5659785156 - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Secondment is when an employee is loaned to another section of the same company or an external organisation for a limited amount of time. An example of this would be if an employee who worked for one of the BBC's radio stations in Yorkshire was transferred to one of the BBC's radio stations in Wales.
A voluntary employee is a person who is working for free. This could be for a number of reasons such as for charity, work experience or a personal favour. A lot of the people working within the media industry have built the foundations of their careers upon that of voluntary work due to the sheer volume of applications that organisations such as the BBC receive for paid work. Voluntary work also gives newcomers in the business to build up an array of friends and contacts within the industry who may help them to move their career forward in the future. The disadvantage of voluntary work is that placements are often located in London which is an expensive place to live in, especially without a wage coming in. Those who gain positions through voluntary work are often from wealthier families who can support them financially.
Another contract that is available in this industry is a fixed term contract. This is when a specific term of work has been set up for an employee. An employer may specify that the employee should be working for four months. When the four months have elapsed the employee's contract would be terminated. According to the BBC, the salaries of their staff employed on fixed term contracts will be set within the established pay structures and staff will be eligible for pay increases appropriate to the structure, subject to performance and their conduct. (https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?newms=jj&id=29228 - last accessed 17/04/2011)
The third type of contract that I am going to define is the casual contract, this is where an employee is called in on an ad-hoc basis. For example, they may be called in if another employee is sick or on leave, to replace them. Usually, a casual worker will eventually find themself in a fixed term contract due to them gaining reputation and experience, however this is not guarenteed.
A Flexi contract is where a worker will work agreed "core hours" throughout the week. These hours do not change, although several hours in which the employee has to work will be added to this that the employee can choose to rearrange according to times that suit them, these hours are flexible, hence the term "flexi". As long as they make up these hours the employee can work whenever they want to.
Another very different type of contract which an employee can acquire is a freelance contract. Freelancers are self employed workers that are not tied down to one specific company. They work whenever and wherever their line of work is required and reserve the right to turn it down if they choose to do so. Some examples of freelancers would be journalists, specifically fashion journalists. A fashion journalist would only work when their specific expertise would be required for a television documentary or an informative article. Freelance work is not consistent and during a financial crisis such as a recession they are some of the hardest hit amongst the working community. (https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?s=bkMjPUrEcTFkHhTcz&jobid=37966,5659785156 - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Secondment is when an employee is loaned to another section of the same company or an external organisation for a limited amount of time. An example of this would be if an employee who worked for one of the BBC's radio stations in Yorkshire was transferred to one of the BBC's radio stations in Wales.
A voluntary employee is a person who is working for free. This could be for a number of reasons such as for charity, work experience or a personal favour. A lot of the people working within the media industry have built the foundations of their careers upon that of voluntary work due to the sheer volume of applications that organisations such as the BBC receive for paid work. Voluntary work also gives newcomers in the business to build up an array of friends and contacts within the industry who may help them to move their career forward in the future. The disadvantage of voluntary work is that placements are often located in London which is an expensive place to live in, especially without a wage coming in. Those who gain positions through voluntary work are often from wealthier families who can support them financially.
Some of the people employed in the media industry may be obligated to sign a confidentiality agreement. It is also referred to as a non-disclosure agreement and it is usually made when one party wants to allow another party access to information that must be kept a secret, usually this is made in employment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreement - last accessed 17/05/2011) This type of agreement could be made in the media industry between those who work for award ceremonies such as The Oscars because certain workers will already know who the winners of each category are and if this information were to be leaked to the public or the press, it could greatly impact the dramatic effect. Actors working for television series' may also have to partake in a non-disclosure agreement in order to keep the upcoming events that are to appear in the program a secret. This is important because one of the implications of information such as the above being leaked could be that the audience greatly drops because there will be no need to watch the program to find out what happens, resulting in a loss of revenue for the producers.
As exclusivity agreement is made between two or more parties and in terms of employment it means that the person being employed by the company is to become affiliated with them and work only for them. In the media industry this type of agreement is frequently made with those who work on a freelance basis as they are usually free to work for more than one party at a time. Exclusivity agreements are often made when there is a rival company in the picture, for example someone working for Sky television may be obligated to comply to an exclusivity agreement because of companies such as Virgin Media. If a person was able to work for both companies at once then information could be traded. Sports events can also benefit from exclusivity contracts as those in charge of them can choose to air the event exclusively on the television channel that bids the highest. (http://www.ehow.com/about_5077053_exclusivity-agreement_.html - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Task nine:
Fill in a PGS Media Risk Assessment or create a hyperlink to a form that you have filled out for another unit.
A previously completed risk assessment can be found here under the heading "Task eleven":
http://rowenawalmsleybtectvandfilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/single-camera-drama.html. Another can be found in my multi-camera techniques unit under the heading "Task six": http://rowenawalmsleybtectvandfilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/multi-camera-techniques-live-tv.html.
Task ten:
Provide definitions of and examples relating to the following terms of Media Legislation: equal opportunities, employment equality (age) regulations 2006, employer’s liability, employee rights, belonging to a trade union, intellectual Property, copyright, trademarks.
Equal opportunities is a recently introduced concept which encourages employers to give every person the same chance to enter the workplace, irrespective of their colour, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origins, gender, marital/civil partnership status, sexuality, disability or age. This ensures that the diversity in the workplace mirrors the diversity of Britain itself. The BBC states that “The BBC is committed to reflecting the diversity of the UK audience in its workforce, as well as in its output on TV, on radio and online.” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/policies/diversity.shtml - last accessed 17/05/2011) This can be sufficiently evidenced by the media that the BBC produce, as they always strive to include a diverse cast within their programs where appropriate. For example, actors of an Asian ethnicity may not be included within a period drama but this is not because the BBC are showing prejudice against them, it is because they aim to make their productions as realistic as is possible. A recent television production that did not follow the guidelines set by equal opportunities was the show "Midsomer Murders". The creator has recently been suspended for showing what could only be described as racist attitude towards the idea of including those who's ethnic background was not English. (http://www.channel4.com/news/midsomer-murders-producer-suspended-after-diversity-comments - last accessed 17/05/2011)
The employment equality (age) regulations were introduced in 2006 because previous employment equality acts had focused on protecting workers against discrimination based on factors such as race, sex and religion. However, until these regulations were introduced there was nothing protecting employees/ potential employees from discrimination based upon their age. In the past this was a big issue within workplaces. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1031/regulation/3/made - last accessed 17/05/2011) A recent example of age discrimination was within the BBC, presenter Miriam O'Reilly's contract with longstanding series Countryfile was terminated when producers decided it was time to "refresh" the program. O'Reilly deemed this a blatant display of prejudice towards her age after comments such as "be careful with those wrinkles when high definition comes in" were made. These comments insinuate that older faces on television aren't as attractive to viewers. After a fourteen month dispute she won her case against the BBC and was given a formal apology for the treatment that she was given. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12161045 - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Employer's liability was introduced to make employers responsible for the health and safety of their employees whilst they are at work. Employees are entitled to claim compensation if they become injured at work or become ill as a result of their work whilst in their employment. Employer's liability insurance protects employer's from small issues of this nature as it pays out the compensation to satisfy the employee for them to a reasonable extent. (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf - last accessed 17/05/2011) An example of an incident that an employer would be liable for was if an employee had slipped on a wet floor where a wet floor sign had not been placed to inform them of the danger of this happening. However, if the employee had purposely wet the floor in order to claim compensation or in order to fulfill some other motive, this would be the employee's responsibility rather than the employer's. This is one of the reasons why it is advised to install fixtures like CCTV within your workplace to prevent incidents along the lines of the one mentioned above from happening.
The basic rights of an employee according to government guidelines are as follows: The right to a written statement of terms of employment within two months of starting work, the right to an itemised pay slip, the right to be paid at least the national minimum wage, the right not to have illegal deductions made from pay, the right to paid holiday, (Full-time employees are entitled to at least 28 days a year. Part-time employees are entitled to a pro rata amount) the right to time off for trade union duties and activities, the right to paid time off to look for work if being made redundant, the right to time off for study or training for 16-17 year olds, the right to paid time off for ante natal care, the right to paid maternity leave, the right to paid paternity leave, the right to ask for flexible working to care for children or adult dependents, the right to paid adoption leave, the right to ask for flexible working, the right to take unpaid parental leave for both men and women (if you have worked for the employer for one year) and the right to reasonable time off to look after dependants in an emergency, the right under Health and Safety law to work a maximum 48 hour working week, the right not to be discriminated against, the right to carry on working until you are at least 65, the right to notice of dismissal, the right to written reasons for dismissal from your employer, the right to claim compensation if unfairly dismissed, the right to claim redundancy pay if made redundant, he right not to suffer detriment or dismissal for ‘blowing the whistle’ on a matter of public concern (malpractice) at the workplace, the right of a part-time worker to the same contractual rights (pro-rata) as a comparable full-time worker and the right of a fixed-term employee to the same contractual rights as a comparable permanent employee. (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_money/employment/basic_rights_at_work.htm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Employer's liability was introduced to make employers responsible for the health and safety of their employees whilst they are at work. Employees are entitled to claim compensation if they become injured at work or become ill as a result of their work whilst in their employment. Employer's liability insurance protects employer's from small issues of this nature as it pays out the compensation to satisfy the employee for them to a reasonable extent. (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf - last accessed 17/05/2011) An example of an incident that an employer would be liable for was if an employee had slipped on a wet floor where a wet floor sign had not been placed to inform them of the danger of this happening. However, if the employee had purposely wet the floor in order to claim compensation or in order to fulfill some other motive, this would be the employee's responsibility rather than the employer's. This is one of the reasons why it is advised to install fixtures like CCTV within your workplace to prevent incidents along the lines of the one mentioned above from happening.
The basic rights of an employee according to government guidelines are as follows: The right to a written statement of terms of employment within two months of starting work, the right to an itemised pay slip, the right to be paid at least the national minimum wage, the right not to have illegal deductions made from pay, the right to paid holiday, (Full-time employees are entitled to at least 28 days a year. Part-time employees are entitled to a pro rata amount) the right to time off for trade union duties and activities, the right to paid time off to look for work if being made redundant, the right to time off for study or training for 16-17 year olds, the right to paid time off for ante natal care, the right to paid maternity leave, the right to paid paternity leave, the right to ask for flexible working to care for children or adult dependents, the right to paid adoption leave, the right to ask for flexible working, the right to take unpaid parental leave for both men and women (if you have worked for the employer for one year) and the right to reasonable time off to look after dependants in an emergency, the right under Health and Safety law to work a maximum 48 hour working week, the right not to be discriminated against, the right to carry on working until you are at least 65, the right to notice of dismissal, the right to written reasons for dismissal from your employer, the right to claim compensation if unfairly dismissed, the right to claim redundancy pay if made redundant, he right not to suffer detriment or dismissal for ‘blowing the whistle’ on a matter of public concern (malpractice) at the workplace, the right of a part-time worker to the same contractual rights (pro-rata) as a comparable full-time worker and the right of a fixed-term employee to the same contractual rights as a comparable permanent employee. (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_money/employment/basic_rights_at_work.htm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
A trade union is a group of employee working in the same trade or work sector. An example of a union would be the ATL which is short for the association of teachers and lecturers or NUS which is short for the national union of students. These groups were set up to combat issues relating to their employment and welfare such as unfair pay or treatment. In many cases if a particular group believe that they have been treated unfairly by an employer or similar, they can call upon a union representative to help them form their case. Unions reserve the right to strike if they do not agree with a decision made by a superior unless of course they are in a position of care such as a nurse or a doctor. An example of a reasonably recent strike made by a union that affected millions would be the strike made by the bus drivers of London in 2009. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8369782.stm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Intellectual property was introduced to give rights to creators for their music, literacy, artistic works, discoveries, inventions, phrases, words, general designs and symbols. These rights can be enforced using copyright guidelines or variety of others. Inventions are protected by patents which means that the creator/ owner has the exclusive right to sell, distribute, license or the use their invention. Patents allow the owner to stop other people from duplicating, copying, using or selling the invention. Letters, numbers, words, colours, a phrase, sound, smell, logo, shape and pictures are protected by trademarks. A trademark identifies these things as distinct from those of other traders. There are three types of trademarks: ™ Unregistered Trademark- used to promote or brand goods, ℠ Unregistered Service Mark- used to promote brand services and ® Registered Trademark. Only the owner has the right to use, license or sell their trademark. Art, literature, music, film, broadcasts and computer programs are protected by copyright which means that the owner's original expression of their ideas is protected and only the owner has the right to sell/use/license the copyright work. Copyright is time allotted and can continue to protect a product for fifty to one hundred years after the owner is deceased. Designs can also be protected via the registered designs process which means that the visual appearance of a manufactured product is protected, but not the way it works. (http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/media/pages/whatis/introducing.htm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
Intellectual property was introduced to give rights to creators for their music, literacy, artistic works, discoveries, inventions, phrases, words, general designs and symbols. These rights can be enforced using copyright guidelines or variety of others. Inventions are protected by patents which means that the creator/ owner has the exclusive right to sell, distribute, license or the use their invention. Patents allow the owner to stop other people from duplicating, copying, using or selling the invention. Letters, numbers, words, colours, a phrase, sound, smell, logo, shape and pictures are protected by trademarks. A trademark identifies these things as distinct from those of other traders. There are three types of trademarks: ™ Unregistered Trademark- used to promote or brand goods, ℠ Unregistered Service Mark- used to promote brand services and ® Registered Trademark. Only the owner has the right to use, license or sell their trademark. Art, literature, music, film, broadcasts and computer programs are protected by copyright which means that the owner's original expression of their ideas is protected and only the owner has the right to sell/use/license the copyright work. Copyright is time allotted and can continue to protect a product for fifty to one hundred years after the owner is deceased. Designs can also be protected via the registered designs process which means that the visual appearance of a manufactured product is protected, but not the way it works. (http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/media/pages/whatis/introducing.htm - last accessed 17/05/2011)
