A Comparative Analysis of television channels FIVE and BBC Essay Example for Free

A Comparative Analysis of television channels FIVE and BBC Essay ? Television is a powerful media source, bringing stories to billions across the globe. It has been called â€Å"the most awesome God-less force in the modern world† and it is now seen as a major part of everyday life. The average person spends 4 hours a day watching TV – becoming roughly 1/3 of a person’s typical waking hours. Television is a constructed view of reality, sometimes exaggerated extremely, solely to create entertainment. In the UK, there are five major terrestrial television channels, (four organisations) with some being vastly more successful than others. The BBC is the only organisation not to make money from advertising. Their money is generated from the TV Licence fee, and this type of broadcasting is known as Public Service Broadcasting. Channel 5 is perhaps seen as the least successful of the five TV channels, possibly due to the fact that it is the youngest. The channel began in 1995, but it was not able to broadcast nationally as many of the population’s televisions could not receive it. The company offered to retune every TV that couldn’t receive it, before the big launch in 1997. A long advertising campaign was launched, known as â€Å"Give Me Five† in an attempt to draw in viewers. On the 30th March, 1997, Channel 5 was launched at 6pm, attracting an audience of 2. 4 million people, a figure higher than the launch of Channel 4, fifteen years earlier. This new channel neither had the money or reputation to buy and broadcast potentially successful material. Perhaps getting off to a bad start, the main schedule consisted of home and cookery programmes, cheap US exports, and late night pornography. However, Channel 5 did receive praise for its news programming, and soon the ratings became consistently acceptable. The channel gained more money, and was soon able to buy better quality shows, such as Home & Away. In 2002, Channel 5 underwent a major image modification. The name changed from Channel 5 to simply, Five, and progressed itself as a serious rival to the other 4 channels. However, the channel has not been without its flaws. For example, Friends spin-off series, Joey, was bought by Five in 2005. Despite a high-profile launch and ad campaign, the program received poor ratings and was eventually cancelled. Similarly, other shows such as Robot Wars and CD:UK proved to be a flop for the channel. These unsuccessful shows have seemingly increased the channel’s poor reputation. In the channel’s first year of broadcasting, five receives its lowest audience shares of 2. 3%, but this can be expected from a debuting channel. Fifteen years earlier, Channel 4 received even lower audience shares on its opening night, although it could be argued that people watched less television in the 1980s. The audience shares increased, and peaked in 2004. The channel has the lowest audience share of the terrestrial channels, but, in its defence, Five is not received in all of the UK’s homes. Like all of the other terrestrial channels, Five now has â€Å"sister† channels, Five US and Five Life. These two channels are both somewhat successful, but other â€Å"sister† channels, such as ITV2, E4 and BBC Three are proving to be more viewed. Nowadays, Five is able to branch out and buy successful US shows such as Prison Break and House, as well as buying programmes from other channels – in 2008, Five bought Neighbours from the BBC. The BBC was established in the early 1920s, but it was not until 1936 that the channel began its regular television broadcasting as a public service TV channel. However, it was further suspended after WWII began, until 1946 when the permanent service was established. The BBC’s mission was to â€Å"inform, educate and entertain† and is still taken into account today. The BBC broadcasts a wide variety of programmes on both of its channels, BBC1 and BBC2. The BBC’s major programme is EastEnders, the popular primetime soap. On a weekly basis, the soap receives the highest rating of all terrestrial shows, with only the ITV1 soap, Coronation Street, (and occasionally reality shows such as The X Factor and Dancing On Ice) playing as its rival. Other BBC shows, such as Top Gear, Doctor Who and Little Britain have all been a success throughout the last decade, further improving the channels ratings and reputation. In an attempt to branch out and widen its audience, the BBC has recently made some unlikely purchases. In 2007, the channel brought the successful US show Heroes to BBC2. The show quickly became a phenomenon, and is different from what would usually be broadcast on BBC2. The BBC continues to dominate terrestrial TV, by finding ways to bring in more viewers. The programmes vary from food, to lifestyle, to documentary, to political. The BBC is now contending with ITV in the reality market, as it now features shows looking for new west-end stars, and the ever popular series, Strictly Come Dancing. BBC1 receives the highest audience share of the 5 channels, with an average of 26%. It is seen as the â€Å"main† channel, and regularly receives high ratings. This major organisation has the money to do whatever it pleases, and this has shown over the last decade. The BBC now has 8 channels – BBC1, BBC2, BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News 24, BBC Parliament, CBBC and CBeebies. These 8 channels prove to cater for everyone. BBC Three is the most popular of the sister channels, frequently receiving new material such as Lily Allen and Friends and Gavin & Stacey. The channel is a â€Å"lighter† version of BBC1, with a more comedic element. The BBC now broadcasts internationally. A new channel, BBC America, was launched in 1998, and has carried programming from the BBC to the USA, such as Torchwood and The Graham Norton Show. BBC America is part of two international channels, the other being BBC World. A recent feature of the BBC, BBC iPlayer, has recently been introduced. It has become an on-demand online video player, with unlimited access to BBC shows. The iPlayer is proving extremely popular, with more than 3. 5 million programmes downloaded in its opening week. However, despite the BBC being a major empire, the company relies on the licence fee. It is the only channel not to rely on income through advertising. The core belief of public service television is that it is free from the pressures of commercial TV, and, as its income is guaranteed, public service TV is freer to explore. But this does not mean it can become complacent. High audience shares are still needed because, if they were to fall, the licence fee would be in serious jeopardy. For years, there has been a debate as to whether public service broadcasting should continue. Naturally, the BBC wishes for it to continue, whereas others disagree. The BBC has very little to do to secure its funding, whereas the commercial companies have to work to get their income. The opponents of public service television argue that it is simply another form of taxation. With the arrival and expansion of satellite and cable, some people have no interest in the public service channels. For the BBC, public service broadcasting means that certain pressures are put upon them, but their income is fixed. The BBC could be said to have better quality shows due to them receiving â€Å"easy† money, and it also means that their programmes can be longer, due to the fact that they don’t have to make time for advertising. However, for Channel 5, public service television means that there are no pressures. The channel can show what they want (within reason) but their income is variable. Unsurprisingly, the commercial channels are against the licence fee, as it seems unfair. It seems as if the media are in constant debate over whether the licence fee should continue, as many people pay considerable sums for services in which they have no interest in. A Comparative Analysis of television channels FIVE and BBC. (2017, Aug 08).

Voting and Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voting and Ethical Issues - Essay Example It also seeks to find out whether it is necessary for voters to present their ID in order to cast their votes (Griffith, 2008). In the field of voting, ethics it is important to determine whether a voter should vote or abstain. In cases where a voter is apathetic to the result of the election the voter, the voter should avoid. The voting ethics also determine how the citizens vote and how they should vote. From a moral perspective, voting is not just as ordering food from a menu. When we vote, it is like we are forcing one to everybody else. There are ethical principles that are used to govern how people behave in times of elections (Griffith, 2008). Voter identification laws are contentious because they touch one of the most important political rights. The laws relate to a simple policy that goes around difficult questions, and there arise many disagreements. One of the questions often asked is whether the voter ID affects the voter turnout and if it does, is it to prevent a specific any group of people from voting? In most nations, they advocate the integrity of election system to ensure a fair election and that legitimate vote counts and minimize cases of frauds during the election. Despite the advances in technology in the current democracy, there are cases of voter’s fraud that still arise. There is a resistance to using the use of an ID which can be a solution to this problem. Given the cases of voter fraud, and presentation of the voter's ID to allow one to vote, the majority of US citizens believe that they are required to show identification with a photo such as a driving license. Despite the fraud that occurred during elections, the US Attorney General says that the new voter ID laws were potential for racial bias.  

Ghana Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ghana - Assignment Example The Ghanaian economy is highly dependent on external trade. According to the BBC World news source, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Ghana in 1990s was estimated at 7 billion US $ ($ 430 per capita); that in CÃ ´te d Ivoire is $ 1500, in Togo - 900, in Burkina Faso - $ 700. If comparing with the present period, from that time the GDP has rised to 48 billion, so the level of low income has also grown. In GDP the share of agriculture, forestry, and fishing is about 50%, industry and construction - about 16%, the rest falls on the service sector. Among the countries of sub-Saharan Africa Ghana in the general level of economic development and per capita income ($ 425) is one of the most developed countries, but still not as developed as the world leaders - the USA, China, the UK, Canada, etc. But the economic situation of the country wasnt always good. Since the mid-1950s to mid-1970s Ghanas economy has developed rapidly and in the period of 1955-1974 the annual GDP growth averaged 4%. After 1974 the economy has deteriorated significantly, and until the mid-1980s continued deep recession. The relative economic recovery began in 1984, and until 1995 the average annual growth rate of 4.7%. Annual population growth during the same period was estimated at about 3%. The reason for this is the predatory use of the rich natural resources of Ghana. Its economy has adapted exclusively to the needs of exploitation of the country by foreign monopolies. In their hands were entirely bauxite, gold and manganese ore, almost all logging and mining of diamonds. Foreign companies have also been buying cocoa beans from farmers. All these goods were exported from the country only in the form of raw materials, which hindered economic development of the country. The situation was no better in agriculture. Colonizers encouraged the introduction of the cocoa culture,

Financial management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Financial management - Assignment Example Ford was able to get this money by pledging almost all of its assets as collateral, including its U.S. property, plant, and equipment; its equity investments in Ford Credit and Ford’s foreign subsidiaries; and its trademarks, including the Ford brand name and logo. Why did Ford decide to use up all of its financial slack in one gigantic gulp? First, debt financing was available on relatively easy terms in 2006. Second, Mulally must have been aware of the history of restructuring programs in the U.S. auto industry. Some of these initiatives were failures, some partial successes, but none solved Ford, GM, or Chrysler’s competitive problems. The companies shrank but did not improve significantly. So Mulally was in effect sending a wake-up call to Ford’s managers and employees: â€Å"We’ve raised all the cash that we can get. This is our last chance to reform the company. If we don’t make it, Ford is gone.† For the final project, you are to conduct an analysis and evaluation of the capital structures and costs of capital of Ford Motor Company over a history of 5 years. The examination will be in three parts. 1. State the amount of the following in the financial statements for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 using the following table (NOTE: Long term debt includes all long term debt regardless of when payable) - Fair value is a standard of measurement used in financial reporting. It refers to the market price that would be received upon a security if it were to be sold (Warren, Reeve & Duchac, 2014). Ford Motor Company (2008) adopts the January 1, 2008 SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements, definition of fair value, defining it as the price receivable so as to execute the selling of an asset of payment for the transfer of a liability taking place in a orderly transaction among the market participants at the given measurement

Brand Aston Martin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brand Aston Martin - Essay Example Commonly, brands in all markets are evaluated by referring to their attributes. These attributes can be classified into two main categories: symbolic and functional (Sinkovics & Ghauri, 2009, p.186). Symbolic attributes refer to the intangible benefits that a brand can offer to consumers; for example, a mobile phone of a particular brand can be related to a specific social status of the owner. Functional attributes refer to technical/ practical benefits of a brand, meaning the functional benefits that a brand can offer to consumers (Sinkovics & Ghauri, 2009, p.186); the increased functionality of a mobile phone of a brand compared to the similar device of another brand is a common example of functional attribute (Sinkovics & Ghauri, 2009, p.186). Emotional attributes have also become an important category of brand attributes. Emotional attributes reflect ‘the feelings of consumers about a retail brand’ (Floor 2006, p.222). These feelings can be influenced by the function al attributes of the brand (Floor 2006, p.222); still, emotional attributes are depended on all aspects of a brand, as included in the brand personality. Functional, emotional and symbolic attributes are often used for describing a brand’s personality (Floor 2006, p.222). The functional and emotional attributes of brand Aston Martin can be characterized as quite significant. These attributes could be described as follows: in terms of their performance, Aston Martin cars have been classified as of exceptional value.

Art Critique (-) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Critique (-) - Research Paper Example d in pale green and with a colorful African scarf draped around her neck, holds a white cracked ceramic mask in her hands and rests one arm on the table in front of her. On the table are three tarot cards representing lynchings with the Hanged Man card, Civil Rights with the Justice card and perseverance with the Strength card. The strength of the composition rests in the line of sight of the characters which both freeze the eye within the frame and refuse to engage with the viewer personally. Color also contributes to the painting’s effectiveness as the limited color on the tarot cards continuously direct the eye to the center of the image where the colorful dress and scarf of the woman stand in sharp contrast to the white of the man’s T-shirt without blending into the muted tans of the background. These pastel-like shades provide a muted feel to the work which helps to highlight the emotions of the people depicted, both of whom feel it necessary to maintain a hold on the white mask that enables them to move in mainstream society. The symbolism apparent in the piece is clear to those with knowledge or curiosity to examine the cards on the table and to understand the condition of people of color within a majority white society. The chasm in the background communicates a vast hurdle to overcom e before the prediction of justice found in the cards on the table comes to pass. However, the strength depicted in these characters and the cracks in the mask suggest this is not a condition that can last long nor is it one that will break the spirits of these people. By examining a series of artworks created by Valerie Winslow, it becomes clear that the artist has a very strong introspective approach to her work. This is revealed in the very detailed depictions of human anatomy she has created as well as in the brooding attitudes of the characters in her more imaginative paintings. Her inclusion of a number of symbols within her paintings further indicates a strong

Energy efficiency rating Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Energy efficiency rating - Math Problem Example In comparing the means for both groups, using a 1% significance level, the two-tailed P value, at a 99% confidence interval, equals 0.6543. Thus, there is a 65.43% probability that the observed difference between the salaries between private and GOH nurses are actually more extreme than their true differences. At a 1% level of significance, this implies that there is not enough statistical evidence to indicate that the salaries in private hospitals are greater than those in GOH. b. Comparing the means between the previous and current salaries, the previous salaries' mean is higher than the current salaries. At a 99% confidence interval, the two-tailed p-value equal to 0.4699 indicates that there is no reason to conclude that the means have a significant difference. In addition, the lower confidence limit of -3739.9893 indicates a large decrease in the lower limit coupled with a large increase in the upper confidence limit of 2033.3093. Thus, there is no conclusive evidence that the previous salaries are significantly lower than current ones.