Taste and Decency unit 25

Taste and Decency – Taste and Decency is a guideline which is provided by Ofcom, it is put in place to stop presenters broadcasting any content which could come across offensive to the public. This is because taste of decency is likely to encourage crime or any sort of violence. Using bad languages is a very common offence that is presented through television programmes although some bad language moments are “beeped” out programmes like Family Guy has offended the public for years and has even been banned several times due to the public taking offence of it. Family guy is targeted at young adults however parents have said that this is not appropriate for them and should not be presented in that sort of manner.

Quality and Standards – This is a term to describe a genre or style of a television programme. This could be to meet the standards or expectations of the programme as it could be too violent and explicit. It is said that the quality is failing, a survey was conducted by the Broadcast in 1999 and it showed that more than 450 people in it. It was said that “70 percent of them felt that the TV output had declined since 1994, this meant that more than a quarter thought that it had got a lot worse. This reason it was getting worse was because of the financial side as one director stated they were asked to make the same programme for less money.

The Public Service Ethos and The Free Market Ethos – Public Service broadcasting is a broadcasting service which is funded by the public it is worked through TV licences that cost £145.50. It provides a public service of showing programmes that provide entertainment for viewers. BBC is a public service broadcaster which is owned by the public and government this is because the public pay for it this also means that it as to provide impartial service to the public which also means any sort of research or information that is presented as to be unbiased in all broadcasts. BBC is the best example of public service in my opinion as it as a great name and platform in the UK, the public respect the broadcasts they provide and it also provides regulations about their content which is crucial information to the public. The free market ethos does not have any sort of payment to broadcast this allows a group of new audiences to be formed. There have been many issues with the free market ethos as any company is allowed to form any sort of channel and broadcast it to the public, this is an issue because some contents may be unacceptable for viewers. A few examples of free market channels are Sky, MTV and Dave.

Ownership and Access – ownership and access is having the title of a piece of content which can only be accessed by you only unless you give permission to other users to access it. For example different types of programmes have signed ownership contracts so that only there channel can broadcast a specific programme however other programmes like Catfish or My Wife and Kids is viewed on different types of channels which shows that it is not owned by a specific channel.

Regulations and the Free Market – Regulators are there to prevent people from seeing things that are too explicit or inappropriate certain target audiences. They will delete programming channels or fine them for showing specific things at unsuitable times. An example of a Television Regulator would be Ofcom as they are the main independent regulator authority for the UK’s communications industry. Ofcom deal with complaints and takes appropriate action with them so that UK viewers enjoy entertainment.

Ratings War- Ratings War is all about the competition between two different shows as each show looks to get the most viewers but it is all about who will stay viewing for the following season. This is because if a channel does not get enough viewers they will most likely be cancelled and will stay on air for another season, an example of this would be ‘so you think you can dance’. Shows like X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are another pair of rivals that compete as one is on BBC and the other is on ITV.

Effects on-Demand Servicing eg on Scheduling – On-Demand TV services like BBC IPlayer or ITV Player enable viewers who do not get the chance to watch specific programme to watch them at a later time. This is an advantage for regulators like OFCOM to view the different ratings and viewings of the channel and find out how many people view it at different times. This is a great way of helping people to get a catch-up on their favourite shows.

The Effects of Streaming Media Online- streaming media online is a very popular, there are hundreds of websites and links made to be able to watch things illegally online. This is now breaking copyright laws however it is very hard to enforce on the internets as anonymous people have made these sites and links and the law will not be able to track down identities from this. Also when viewing a specific show or programme On-Demand TV services like ITV player give ‘I am over 18’ option. A lot of people especially at young ages will tend to lie on this and say that they are 18 or over. This shows that this option is on a reliable source for streaming online media in.