[ TOPIC AREA 2: CHILDREN & THE MEDIA ]
“To what extent does the BBC Switch strand of specialised content satisfy the demands of its supposed 12-15 year old demographic?”
Under this question, I will explore three general themes. Firstly, whether or not a distinct 12-15 age group exists, separate from either ‘children’ (up to 12 years old) or ‘adults’ (16 years old onwards). Secondly, whether the new BBC Switch strand plugs the real demands of this demographic. And finally, what the real demands of the 12-15 year old demographic are, according to both primary and secondary research.
I’ve chosen this topic even though I originally wanted to explore the Crime & The Media topic, because it strikes me as an unexplored yet topical issue for the industry. This demographic is perceived to be the key to future prosperity in the on-demand digital age – so are the BBC targeting them and satisfying their needs successfully, or needlessly?
Sourcing named theorists on this issue is tricky as this is a relatively new issue for the industry. For the most ‘accurate’ findings, academic research which takes into account the rise of video-on-demand and, most significantly, YouTube needs to be found.
In terms of industry, I will focus on the BBC in particular and its response to this problematic demographic. However, as the issue of PSB commitments may affect the BBC in ways commercial broadcasters are not, I may well look at ITV and Channel 4 in the context of commercial factors. I will conduct textual and content analysis on all BBC Switch branded content (BBC Two, BBC Radio 1 and bbc.co.uk/switch) broadcast on the same weekend. This will include Sound (a music programme), Falcon Beach (a US teen drama import), Them (an online/broadcast mini-documentary series), Switch with Nick Grimshaw (BBC Radio 1’s ‘youth’ magazine show) and The Surgery with Kelly Osbourne (BBC Radio 1’s teen advice and health programme). Andy Parfitt is Controller of BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and now BBC Switch and Geoffrey Goodwin is Head of BBC Switch as a strand. They both report to Jana Bennett, Director of BBC Vision.
Access to the audience is obviously of the upmost importance and short of getting full parental permission, a Year 7 (11-12) and a Year 9 (13-14) form have already agreed to take part in focus groups, interviews and fill-in questionnaires. I aim to examine the media consumption of this sample through media diaries, testing audience responses to BBC Switch programmes and popular mainstream programmes.
AUDIENCE: This is a heavily audience-focussed question, which will examine the interests as well as the habits of the chosen demographic.
INSTITUTIONS: What are institutions like the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or even MTV doing to lure this tough demographic and what are their motivations? – PSB? Commercial?
FORMS & CONVENTIONS: Are this audience as fickle as industry-types claim? Institutions are increasingly breaking television conventions to embrace the ‘interactive’ phenomenon. Is this what the audience really wants? What conventions appeal to the demographic and what programmes contain these?
REPRESENTATION: This question doesn’t tackle the issue of representation to a great extent, but the issue of how the industry perceives and then presents this demographic is important. Skins is a perfect example of representation colliding with entertainment value – are they creating aspirational characters to lure in audience share or do they really think Skins reflects normal teenage life?
Secondary Sources:
- Digital Entertainment Survey 2008 – Entertainment Media Research (Wiggin)
- OFCOM Communications Market Report 2006, 2007
- ‘Delivering Creative Futures’ Speech – Mark Thompson (Director General, BBC)
- RTS Futures: ‘Lost TV Generation?’ (12th February 2008) – Event Transcript
- MediaSnackers Vodcast - Episode 15: Industry Response to ‘Lost TV Generation?’ Event
- 'The Appropriation of New Media by Youth': MEDIAPRO European Research Project – Full Report
- 'Children’s Media Culture: Education, Entertainment and the Public Sphere' – Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media (CSCYM) Report
- 'Public Service Goes to Market: British Children’s Television In Transition' – David Buckingham, Hannah Davies, Ken Jones and Peter Kelley (Media International Australia/Culture and Policy, 1999)
- 'In The Worst Possible Taste: Children, Television and Cultural Value' – Hannah Davies, David Buckingham and Peter Kelley (European Journal of Cultural Studies, 2000)
- 'Children's Television in Britain: History, Discourse and Policy' – BFI: David Buckingham, Hannah Davies, Ken Jones and Peter Kelley (1999)
- 'Small Screens: Television for Children' - David Buckingham (Leicester University Press 2002)
- 'Public Service Goes to Market: British Children's Television in Transition' - David Buckingham, Hannah Davies, Ken Jones and Peter Kelley (Institute of Education, University of London)
“To what extent does the BBC Switch strand of specialised content satisfy the demands of its supposed 12-15 year old demographic?”
Under this question, I will explore three general themes. Firstly, whether or not a distinct 12-15 age group exists, separate from either ‘children’ (up to 12 years old) or ‘adults’ (16 years old onwards). Secondly, whether the new BBC Switch strand plugs the real demands of this demographic. And finally, what the real demands of the 12-15 year old demographic are, according to both primary and secondary research.
I’ve chosen this topic even though I originally wanted to explore the Crime & The Media topic, because it strikes me as an unexplored yet topical issue for the industry. This demographic is perceived to be the key to future prosperity in the on-demand digital age – so are the BBC targeting them and satisfying their needs successfully, or needlessly?
Sourcing named theorists on this issue is tricky as this is a relatively new issue for the industry. For the most ‘accurate’ findings, academic research which takes into account the rise of video-on-demand and, most significantly, YouTube needs to be found.
In terms of industry, I will focus on the BBC in particular and its response to this problematic demographic. However, as the issue of PSB commitments may affect the BBC in ways commercial broadcasters are not, I may well look at ITV and Channel 4 in the context of commercial factors. I will conduct textual and content analysis on all BBC Switch branded content (BBC Two, BBC Radio 1 and bbc.co.uk/switch) broadcast on the same weekend. This will include Sound (a music programme), Falcon Beach (a US teen drama import), Them (an online/broadcast mini-documentary series), Switch with Nick Grimshaw (BBC Radio 1’s ‘youth’ magazine show) and The Surgery with Kelly Osbourne (BBC Radio 1’s teen advice and health programme). Andy Parfitt is Controller of BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and now BBC Switch and Geoffrey Goodwin is Head of BBC Switch as a strand. They both report to Jana Bennett, Director of BBC Vision.
Access to the audience is obviously of the upmost importance and short of getting full parental permission, a Year 7 (11-12) and a Year 9 (13-14) form have already agreed to take part in focus groups, interviews and fill-in questionnaires. I aim to examine the media consumption of this sample through media diaries, testing audience responses to BBC Switch programmes and popular mainstream programmes.
AUDIENCE: This is a heavily audience-focussed question, which will examine the interests as well as the habits of the chosen demographic.
INSTITUTIONS: What are institutions like the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or even MTV doing to lure this tough demographic and what are their motivations? – PSB? Commercial?
FORMS & CONVENTIONS: Are this audience as fickle as industry-types claim? Institutions are increasingly breaking television conventions to embrace the ‘interactive’ phenomenon. Is this what the audience really wants? What conventions appeal to the demographic and what programmes contain these?
REPRESENTATION: This question doesn’t tackle the issue of representation to a great extent, but the issue of how the industry perceives and then presents this demographic is important. Skins is a perfect example of representation colliding with entertainment value – are they creating aspirational characters to lure in audience share or do they really think Skins reflects normal teenage life?
Secondary Sources:
- Digital Entertainment Survey 2008 – Entertainment Media Research (Wiggin)
- OFCOM Communications Market Report 2006, 2007
- ‘Delivering Creative Futures’ Speech – Mark Thompson (Director General, BBC)
- RTS Futures: ‘Lost TV Generation?’ (12th February 2008) – Event Transcript
- MediaSnackers Vodcast - Episode 15: Industry Response to ‘Lost TV Generation?’ Event
- 'The Appropriation of New Media by Youth': MEDIAPRO European Research Project – Full Report
- 'Children’s Media Culture: Education, Entertainment and the Public Sphere' – Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media (CSCYM) Report
- 'Public Service Goes to Market: British Children’s Television In Transition' – David Buckingham, Hannah Davies, Ken Jones and Peter Kelley (Media International Australia/Culture and Policy, 1999)
- 'In The Worst Possible Taste: Children, Television and Cultural Value' – Hannah Davies, David Buckingham and Peter Kelley (European Journal of Cultural Studies, 2000)
- 'Children's Television in Britain: History, Discourse and Policy' – BFI: David Buckingham, Hannah Davies, Ken Jones and Peter Kelley (1999)
- 'Small Screens: Television for Children' - David Buckingham (Leicester University Press 2002)
- 'Public Service Goes to Market: British Children's Television in Transition' - David Buckingham, Hannah Davies, Ken Jones and Peter Kelley (Institute of Education, University of London)
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