This document discusses various media platforms for receiving media content. It defines media platforms as the technologies through which we receive media products like TV, radio, films, websites, newspapers and magazines. It outlines some key media platforms like broadcasting, print media and electronic media. It provides details on broadcasting institutions in the UK, the major broadcasters like BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and BSkyB. It also discusses concepts like public service broadcasting, audience share, convergence and the shift to user generated content on websites through Web 2.0.

1. Investigating Media
Platforms

2. Media Platforms
**Key Term**
 Media platform – the technology through
which we receive media products/texts.
(Broadcasting, print and e-media).
 Text – products or texts are TV/radio
programmes, films, adverts, websites,
newspapers, magazines etc produced for
audiences.

3. Broadcasting
 The institutionalised practice of sending
television and radio content to large numbers
of receivers.
 A large selection of channels are carried on
satellite, cable, digital and terrestrial
television services.
 6 major British broadcasters – BBC, ITV,
Channel 4, Five, BSkyB and Virgin Media.

5. Thinking about Media
 Name the BBC radio stations available to listeners. What sort of content
does each carry? How, where and when can listeners access these
stations?
 How many non-BBC radio stations can you receive? On which media
platforms are these available? What sort of content is carried?
 Name TV channels aimed at the under 10s. What sort of content does
each carry? On which media platforms are these available?
 How many TV channels are dedicated to popular music? What type of
musical content does each carry? Where else in the media can you
listen to popular music?
 Many broadcasters show films. How many dedicated film channels can
you receive? Where would you see promotional material and trailers for
upcoming films?
 On which media platforms might you find local news and events
listings?
 On which media platforms could you buy or sell band memorabilia?

6. The BBC
 The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
is the largest broadcasting organisation in the
world.
 Its main responsibility is to provide public
service broadcasting to the UK.
 This means broadcasting intended for the
public benefit rather than for purely
commercial concerns.
 It is funded by an annual licence fee (set by
the government) £145.50 – colour £49 b+w

7. Ofcom and PSP
 It is the responsibility of Ofcom to regulate broadcast services.
 It deals with complaints, regulates competition, monitors standards
and deals with licences.
 In 2007, a record 22,500 complaints were made to Ofcom about the
treatment of Indian Celebrity Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty.
 The watchdog found that Channel 4 made "serious editorial
misjudgements" in its handling of the incident and was made to
broadcast the report at the start of the next episode.
 The 5 main TV channels are legally bound by the Public Service
Remit to provide a wide range of programmes that inform, educate
and entertain.
 However, many of the new digital channels are outside of this remit.

8. Scheduling
 TV and radio schedules must be filled with
content that attracts audiences.
 Media broadcasters produce media content
over a number of channels each with a
particular brand image, aimed at specific
audiences.
 Individual channels will have their own
IDENT, a symbol or logo that appears on
screen (on radio it may be a jingle).

9. Brand images

10. Cinema – then and now
 1896 – the first film screened by the Lumiere brothers.
 1898 – cinema advertising is introduced.
 1930s – British people visit the cinema twice a week
 1950s – invention of TV
 1960s – colour TV and decline of cinema audiences.
 1980s – cinema audiences at an all time low
 1990s – Multiplex cinemas see a rise in audiences
 Being able to exhibit a film in more than one place –
cinema, television, DVD, internet – increases the
opportunity for recovering money.

11. Films are marketed across a
range of media...
 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 1
 Release date – 19th November 2010
 Official film website offers content, games and
activities to further promote the film.
harrypotter.warnerbros.com/
 Official trailer released on internet prior to
cinema release.
 Further promotion through print (Empire
magazine, newspaper articles).
 Computer game in production from Playstation.

12. **Key Terms**
 Target audience
 Schedules
 Brand Image
 Scheduling
 Ident
 Logo

13. Task:
What broadcast channels do we associate with
the music industry?
Research these different channels and their
target audiences. Type up your findings (either
in PowerPoint or Word).

14. PRINT
Newspapers
 Approximately 700 newspapers currently in
circulation in the UK.
 A mixture of daily, national and local and
Sunday papers, both paid for and free.
 As well as recording events, newspapers also
provide opinions on the events.
 They can influence readers.
 They have political allegiances.

16. News International
 Publishes The Times, Sunday Times, Sun,
News of the World.
 A UK subsidiary of News Corporation, a
media empire founded by Rupert Murdoch.
 His empire includes 20th Century Fox,
Myspace and BSkyB.
 Guardian article.

17. Mastheads
 Thetitle of a newspaper gives some
suggestion of its role in passing on news.
Transporting
 The Guardian messages
quickly to lots
 The Independent of people.
 The Express
The idea of
 The Sun being able to
observe
 The Star events from
a god-like
point of view

18. Ethics
 We live in a climate of liberal pluralism –
individual choice and freedom is a human
right and more than one opinion/political view
is allowed.
 Journalists are free to investigate stories and
not reveal their sources.
 The British press is free to express opinions
and there is no censorship.
 Code of practice – the code by which all
journalists abide – is enforced by the PCC.

19. Magazines
 Everymagazine uses market research to
gather a profile of its readership to include
age, class, attitudes and aspirations.

20. Cosmopolitan
 Today’s fun, fearless female (21 to 35 years old)
who wants to be the best she can be in every
area of her life.
Circulation: 60,000–72,000 copies
Total Monthly Readership: 618,241
 Target Market
 She prioritizes her family, her career, her love life and her happiness.
 She is outgoing, energetic and passionate about life. She maximizes her
time by being always on the go and doing multiple activities day in and day
out.
 She works hard because she wants to be able to live a life she feels she
deserves.
 She is a young professional and is driven to succeed.

She relies on Cosmo to help her make choices.

21. Task:
What music publications are available in the
current market (popular and niche)?
Choose three magazines and outline their target
audience. Include information on…
Target Market
Reader profile
Circulation
Total Monthly Readership

22. E-Media
Internet
 The term world wide web was coined by Tim
Berners-Lee in 1990.
 Google's index now stands at over 8 billion
pages.
 There are now over a billion Internet Users
and that number is growing rapidly.

23. Web 2.0
 Web based communities such as social
networking sites and wikis.
 These facilitate collaboration and sharing of
user generated content.
 Posting comments on websites, uploading
videos, photos and music and commenting
on others’ contributions.

24. Regulation
 No one owns or controls the internet.
 Legal actions have been taken against the
use of the internet for criminal purposes.
 The downloading of music and film is an
increasing problem.
 Issues surrounding on-line bullying remain
unresolved.

25. **Key Terms**
 Public Service Broadcasting
 Institutions
 Audience Share
 Convergence
 Web 2.0
 Media platforms