Radio and Television

Ex.1 Read the words

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for form four law source course inform important	word world work network permanent external service turn	read people weekly reasonably please degree reason leader treatment freedom	fund number public discussion production compulsory supplement company cultural	large part car	cost profit foreign	lie drive high rival provide finance

Mass Media (that is the press, the radio and television) play an important part in the life of society. They inform, educate, and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the world and make them change their views. Mass Media mould public opinion.

Millions of people in Britain in their spare time watch TV, listen to the radio and read newspapers.

Television is the most popular form of entertainment in Britain. People had four channels to choose from: BBC1 and BBC2 (British Broadcasting Corporation), ITV (Independent Television) and Channel Four.

Every household with TV must by law pay for a licence, which costs about the same for a year as a popular newspaper every day. The payments are mainly a compulsory subscription to the BBC, which derives nearly all of its funds from this source, supplemented by any profits that it makes from its weekly programme magazine, “Radio Times”, and from selling some of its productions to other countries. Commercial TV companies (ITV and Channel Four) are financed solely through advertising.

There had been fears that advertising would erode the high quality standards already set by the BBC. In fact ITV became fiercely competitive with BBC in the production of high quality programmes which, like the BBC’s, were sold profitably to many foreign networks.

By international standards it could reasonably be claimed that the four British regular channels together provide an above-average service, with the balance giving something to please most tastes and preferences.

Some quiz-shows and “soap operas”, or long-running sagas, attract large number of viewers and to some extent the BBC competes for success in this respect. But minority preferences are not overlooked. In Wales there are Welsh-language programmes for the few who want them. There are foreign language lessons for the general public, as well as the special programmes for schools and the Open University (offering degree courses to people who are without formal academic qualification). BBC news has always kept a reputation for objectivity, and the independent news service is of similar quality.

Besides, there are a dozen regional companies which broadcast in their regions for most of each day. These regional companies produce some programmes of local interest and some which they sell to other regions.

The strength of British Television lies in its high quality. Many involved in television, including foreigners living in Britain, claim that British television is the best in the world. The reason lies in the quality of its innovation and its willingness to experiment. For example, British Television enthusiastically took “The Muppet Show”, when its creator, Jim Henson, had been rejected by the American networks.

In the fields of TV documentary comedy and satire, or drama, British television is a world leader.

Radio is also popular in Britain. British people like to listen to the radio. It’s turned on most of the time, creating a permanent background noise. Radio does not interfere with people’s activities. They can listen to the radio while doing some work about the house, reading a book or driving a car.

The BBC’s five radio stations provide:

1. non-stop pop music;

2. light entertainment;

3. minority interests, e.g. classical music, arts programmes and academic material (some for Open University courses), cricket commentating in the summer months;

4. news and comment and discussion programmes;

5. sport and education and children’s programmes.

There are also more then 30 local BBC radio stations, covering the whole country, which compete with independent commercial rivals, financed by advertisements, all provide a mixture of local news, information, sports commentary, chat shows and “phone-in” programmes, with some entertainment matter, mainly pop music, in between.

An important but separate part of the BBC’s work is its external services, essentially the BBC World Service and its broadcasts in thirty five vernacular languages.

TV and Radio bring into millions of homes entertainment and news, cultural and educational programmes. Many of them are excellent and made in good taste and with great professional skill.

But some programmes, in which scenes of sex and violence are presented, are criticized by viewers.

In 1990 two independent bodies were appointed in Britain to act as safeguards against abuse. If anyone thinks that there has been unjust or unfair treatment, or unwarranted infringements of privacy, in any radio or TV programmes, he or she may bring a complaint to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission. The second body, The Broadcasting Standards Council, has to consider the portrayal of sex and violence, and matters of taste and decency, in any radio or TV programme or advertisement; to consider complaints, monitor programmes and undertake relevant research.