Television Ratings

Rating Wars

In 2006 the digital switchover occurred where analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. Before this switch over and digital television channels  there were only up to five channels. After the digital switchover and there was no terrestrial analogue television being broadcast, freeview is now that only way terrestrial TV gets delivered. Freeview is a television service which broadcasts over 60 channels,  26 digital radio channels, 4, HD channels and 6 text services.

With the huge increase of all these new free-to-air channels, plus popularity increase of pay-tv satellite broadcasting such as SKY there are a huge number of channels available, this makes it harder for broadcasters such as BBC and ITV to maintain a mass audiences as now its becoming more competitive than ever to attract more audiences in different ways and stay profitable. As the two channels are competing for the same element, they are sometimes seen to battle against each other. One of the most popular conflict is the ratings war between The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing which are two completely different talent show, but every weekend the shows battle against each other to receive the highest ratings.

Effects of on-demand services 

There are many television on demand and catch up services such as, 4oD, BBC inlayer, Demand 5, ITV player and Sky Go. These are internet services allowing the audience to access programmes through the internet. We now live in a society where people want to be able to watch what they want, where they want, when they want, and services like these do exactly that. The problem with having a fragment audience is that it makes it much difficult to measure the overall audience, and clearly understand which programme is most successful.

Effects of streaming on line in terms of censorship

Many online services try and to protect young people from seeing inappropriate material online, like the fact that you have to fill in your age before viewing over rated material, but many young people under the required age just fill in a fake age, this is an example of why protecting young people from certain material is extreamly difficult. Many services online now require you to prove your age through your email, which is difficlut for people to get pass and lie, therefore this process would be more effective. Programming  online services like 4oD are blocked by a pin, which again is a good way from prevented young people from seeing certain things, but isnt secure as it won’t be hard to get hold of the pin.

Taste & Decency: The Watershed

The Watershed is a a point at a certain time in broadcasting, in which programmes with adult content may be broadcasted. According to Ofcom, the watershed is between 21:00 and 05:30. While premium or pay-per-view services are allowed to start the watershed at 20:00. The earlier in the evening a programme is placed, the more suitable it is likely to be for children to watch on their own. Unsuitable material including everything from sexual content to violence, swearing or distressing images.

I think the watershed is a good idea, as it stops young children from watch programmes and films, that are unsuitable for them. The time is suitable as by 09:00pm young children should be asleep. The watershed rule will stop people from becoming offenered and upset. For example a programme like Gordie Shaw, that contains sex, bad language and nudity would offend people, therefore the programme is broadcasted during the watershed.

The watershed rule is sometimes broken. A recent example of this involved the channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, when a scene aired on 19 March 2013, marking the culmination of along running revenge storyline involving a former undercover policeman, Walker, and ex-drug dealer Brendan. The scene ended with Walker screaming while being pushed backwards on to the railway track and on a path of a train before the camera cut away to show the train passing at high speed.

Channel 4 argued it had taken measures to comply with the watershed rules. Ofcom issued a statement stating that the show has breached the rules and to ‘remind television broadcasters of the need to ensure that all material broadcast pre-watershed which features violent scenes is appropriately limited’. They are worried that the level on onscreen violence as increased over the decades. They also stated ‘Broadcasters should consider whether individual acts of violence within a programme are suitable, as well as where the overall tone is malevolent, menacing and threatening, that this also remains suitably limited.’

There is an argument to increase the law and prevent more young people watching inappropriate progrmmes and other media. I think this maybe pointless as young people most of the time would abbay by this law. This happens now as young people go to and watch films that are not the correct age for them, and they play on video games that are targeted for older age groups. A good example of broadcasting age limit that didnt really work, was when channel 4 started to include little triangle signs at the top of programmes that contained, sex, voiloence or nudity, to try and prevent young people from watching inappropriate content. Although this didnt work as young people would espically look out for programmes with the traingle simbol, for a chance of seeing sex and nudity themes.

Some acts are out there to protect young people, like the fact that you have to put in your age for social media sites such as Facebook, but many young people under the required age just fill in a fake age, this is an example of why protecting young people from certain material is difficult. Many services online now require you to prove your age through your email, which is difficlut for people to get pass and lie, therefore this process would be more effective. Programming services such as certain SKY programmes and online services like 4oD are blocked by a pin, which again is a good way from prevented young people from seeing certain things, but isnt secure as it won’t be hard to get hold of the pin.

If the rule get stronger and stops young people from viewing the shows that they want, this could become a broadcasting probelm. As many shows attract a younger audience such as Geordie Shaw and The Inbertweeners that would lose huge audinces, as there main audeinces would be around the age of 16 and maybe lower, and if the show is only viewed by 18 and overs, the shows figures and profit will dramtically decrease, this would be repeated for many shows on TV.

I think watershed is a very good idea as it prevents young children from watching material that is unsitable for them. Although i dont belivie that extending or increasing the rule would make a good difference, as many shows and other types of media are aimed and targets young people and would lose a huge audince if the material was only viewed by people 18 and over.