Audience and institution

Audience and Institution Everything you need to know: • How 2 television comedies are SCHEDULED - what time and what channels they are on

• The audience gains pleasures from those comedies.

• There are 2 questions that you MUST answer for this part of the exam.

• They are worth 15 marks each.

THE EVIDENCE YOU NEED TO GET THE A GRADE You need to be able to comment on the following: • The programme • The channels schedules • How the channels market themselves (Idents, websites, adverts) • The channels (institutions) policies

15 minutes per question

15 minutes per question

The TV SHOWS & SCHEDULES 1.

You’ve Been Framed - Sat 23/05/15 18:25 –19:00 ITV

2.

Family Guy – Weds 03/06/15 22:30-22:55 BBC3

WHY ARE THE SCHEDULES DIFFERENT? 1.

You’ve Been Framed - Sat 23/05/15 18:25 –19:00 ITV

2.

Family Guy – Weds 03/06/15 22:30-22:55 BBC3

BECAUSE THE AUDIENCES ARE DIFFERENT!!!

1.

You’ve Been Framed - Sat 23/05/15 18:25 –19:00 ITV

2.

Family Guy – Weds 03/06/15 22:30-22:55 BBC3

SO WHO ARE THEY?

• Youthful channel ident.

• Immediately implies a younger audience.

• Pink is a fun and frivolous colour.

• NICHE AUDIENCE (programmes that are aimed at a narrow range of people) .

• This logo is more edgy, looks like it is spelt in text speak (no capital letter) and uses a bubbly font.

• BBC 3 = specialist schedule is typical of NICHE AUDIENCE TV. • BBC3 schedule is STRIPPED: Same shows back to back.

• This is a key feature of NICHE audience TV. Much like MTV.

Marketing BBC Three is a television channel from the BBC which broadcasts via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms.

The channel's target audience includes those in the 16–34-year-old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent and new technologies.[1] The channel is on-air from 7 pm to around 4 am each night,[1] to share terrestrial television bandwidth with CBBC. Unlike its commercial rivals, 90% of BBC Three's output is from the United Kingdom. 70% is original, covering all genres, from current affairs, to drama, to comedy to animation.

BBC Three has a unique 60 Seconds format for its news bulletins, adopted so that operation of the channel could be completely automated, without the complication of dealing with variable length live news broadcasts.

•

This logo- by contrast, is more subtle in style.

•

The font is softer.

•

The muted colours look friendly and accessible.

•

This is a logo that appeals to a MASS AUDIENCE (a wide range of people who may be young AND old, men and women, rich and poor and interested in ‘mainstream’ entertainment.

ITV = MIXED schedule is typical of a MASS AUDIENCE TV channel.

• •

It contains a large variety and mix of shows that contain a range of different ages of people, genders and backgrounds.

Marketing ITV, is a commercial television channel in the United Kingdom.

Previously a network of separate regional television channels, ITV currently operates in England, Wales, Scotland and the Channel Islands.

ITV is the biggest and most popular commercial television channel in the United Kingdom.

ITV and its predecessor channels have contended with BBC One for the status of the UK's most watched television channel since the 1950's.

However, in line with other terrestrial channels, ITV's audience share has fallen in the era of multi-channel television.

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES A TV channel trying to attract audiences in a busy market place needs a flagship programme to ATTRACT AUDIENCES and BUILD ITS BRAND IMAGE.

ITV 1: Corronation street (Soap opera), The Indian Premier league (Indian cricket), Red or Black (a game show with Ant and Dec) Case sensitive (New drama)- a real mix of programming and target DEMOGRAPHICS and PSYCHOGRAPHICS BBC three: Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (sitcom) Misbehaving Mums-to-Be (young mums who drink and smoke- reality tv) Healthy eating for your baby (reality TV). A very NARROW target demographic (AGE) and psychographic (youth interest).

A flagship programme, if it works, brings more than audiences.

It will transfer value from the programme as a brand to the channel as a brand.

What does this mean?

The channel is hoping that by showing ‘The Simpsons’, a witty, sophisticated and successful programme, the audience will think of the channel as witty, sophisticated and successful.

For a programme to add to the channels brand image it must fit that image.

THE WATERSHEAD A term that applies to programmes on TV. OFCOM (tv regulator- those who say what is right and wrong to be shown) has stated: “Programmes unsuitable for children (14 and under) should not be shown before 9m or after 5:30 am.”

Rules: • Illegal drug use, smoking and alcohol misuse should only be represented with strong justification, and not glamorised.

• Any violence must be limited • Violent or dangerous behaviour that can easily be imitated by children must not be shown • Frequent use of offensive language (mostly swearing) must be avoided and the most offensive words cannot be used • Representation of sex must not occur unless there is a ‘serious educational purpose’, and nudity should be avoided • Occult practices, unless in a comedy, should not be shown.

The transition to adult material after 9pm must not be abrupt. This means a programme cannot feature a foul mouthed, drunken ZOMBIE having sex at 9:02 pm but would have to wait until much later in the schedule. Even then, it would not be allowed on a MAINSTREME CHANEL LIKE ITV 1.

15 minutes per question

AUDIENCES The exam questions will ask you: • Either to compare the TWO comedies • Or to examine ONE comedy in detail

15 minutes per question

How are Family Guy and You’ve Been Framed aimed at different audiences?

Audiences: YBF- kids and parents (30’s to 40’s) Family Guy (teens and 20’s-30’s)

• The audiences for family guy and YBF could easily overlap.

• The audience for YBF could be seen as younger than the audience for Family guy.

• Younger because kids can watch, yet the parents of those children could watch Family Guy (late 20’s to 30’s) • Family Guy is aimed at an audience with an interest in social issues, politics and family relationships (Brian the dog often refers to political movements).

• YBF is much more light hearted and only talks about funny scenarios that members of the public have got themselves into and the Celebrity narration is entirely MAINSTREAM. • YBF is aimed at a younger audience than family Guy since it contains no bad language, no sexual connotations, is fast moving, colourful and a little bit silly.

• The comedy is slightly ‘risque’ in places but does not push the button.

• Family guy, on the other hand, contains insulting jokes about all minorities in society, is not afraid to challenge ‘political correctness’ and frequently contains sex and nudity (even if it is an animation).

How do Family Guy and YBF offer different audience pleasures?

FAMILY GUY.

FAMILY GUY. This is an animated SIT COM (situation comedy) It offers NARRATIVE (story based) pleasures- we can follow the story as it unfolds throughout the episode.

Following a story means: We can IDENTIY WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE CHARACTERS We are REWARDED as loyal viewers by understanding events that are only explained by what happened in previous episodes We get pleasure of NARRATIVE RESOLUTION (one or two story lines will resolve or come to an end at the end of the episode) Mix of serious and comic story lines Frequent reference to past childish cultures (Star Wars, Transformers) Social and political commentary (frequent reference to the president or people the media is currently focusing on) Gives views on current news stories, often ‘sending up’ political figures. How would Family Guy treat Osama Binladen? He would be gay, with a high voice, probably looking for his lost kitten.

Visual comedy (jokes made out of physical actions- think of Joe in the wheel chair)

How do Family Guy and YBF offer different audience pleasures?

FAMILY GUY.

YOUVE BEEN FRAMED • This is a TV commentary programme that offers a silly look at the publics mis-fortunes • It is entirely ‘new’ each week but sticks to a format that works.

• Contains nothing that could be seen as educational, political, offensive.

• Contains no narrative (storyline) • No past cultural references.

• Odd ball presenter.

How do Family Guy and YBF offer similar audience pleasures?

• • • • •

Both are surreal (offer strange jokes) Both offer visual comedy Both focus on slapstick (people hurting themselves) Both use verbal comedy Both have regular themes that become familiar to regular viewers

The TV SHOWS & SCHEDULES 1.

You’ve Been Framed - Sat 23/05/15 18:25 –19:00 ITV

2.

Family Guy – Weds 03/06/15 22:30-22:55 BBC3

Mainstream

Before Watershead

Family Friendly

ITV

Mixed Schedule

Nice

Teenagers / Adults

After Watershead

BBC 3

Stripped Schedule