British Broadcasting In Transition

Few will deny that public service broadcasting?broadcasting that is controlled neither by the state nor by private media corporations?is an essential ingredient in modern democracy. But, as a number of initiatives in transition economies have shown, the inception and development of a strong public broadcasting system is a Herculean task that is easily sidetracked by politics or ideology, or stalled by lack of funding. Especially when state budgets are stretched, the expense is hard to justify. This collection of documents, comments, and cases brings all the major issues in public service broadcasting policy into focus and sets the problems to be addressed in sharp relief. It draws on white papers from NGOs and broadcasters, legislation from a wide range of countries (and a model law), accounts of public broadcasting efforts in transition states, analyses of evolving policy in established systems, government regulatory guidelines, and a great deal more. Among the matters touched upon are the following: the principles of public service broadcasting and their cultural and economic justification; limiting state interference; the place of public broadcasting in a multi-channel, ?market-driven? world; the appropriate mix of public and private revenues; objectivity and impartiality in broadcasting; how institutional structures can shape programming strategies; the use of competition law to adjust relations between public and private broadcasting; EU accession standards for public service broadcasting; and the impact of digital broadcasting. Broadcast professionals, students and teachers in communications and related fields, government officials interested in strengthening public service broadcasting and keeping pace with rapid developments?all will benefit enormously from this thoughtful and informative book. It will allow them to think well beyond the standard formulae about the function of public service broadcasting and its role in society.

In the 1990s the BBC was engaged in a process of major reform and restructuring. This was both a response to external pressures and intended to prepare the Corporation for a changing broadcasting environment.

This is an important study of the crucial issue of alternatives in commercial and public support of broadcasting in the U.S. and Europe. The Peacock Committee on Financing the BBC, a committee sponsored by the British government, commissioned Jay Blumler and Tom Nossiter to investigate the impact of alternate ways of financing the BBC on the range and quality of broadcasting. They then commissioned papers on broadcasting financing in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan to answer the question: "Should the BBC allow some commercial support in financing?" This is an essential collection for broadcast policy-makers and researchers.

This is an accessible and concise history of British radio and television. The book considers the nature and evolution of broadcasting, the growth of broadcasting institutions and the relation of broadcasting to a wider political and social context. Beginning with the genesis of radio at the turn of the century, Crisell discusses key moments in media history from the first wireless broadcast in 1920 to the present. Key topics covered include: * The establishment of the BBC in 1927 * The general strike, notions of public service broadcasting and the cultural values of the BBC * Broadcasting in wartime * The heyday of radio in the 1940s and 1950s and the rise of television * BBC2, Channel 4 and minority television * The changing role of radio in a television age * The convergence of broadcasting and other media * Future issues for broadcasting

In the 1990s the BBC was engaged in a process of major reform and restructuring. This was both a response to external pressures and intended to prepare the Corporation for a changing broadcasting environment.