Public Service Algorithms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Current Affairs ◽  
The World ◽  
Thinking Differently ◽  
Television Market ◽  
Different Content ◽  
Crucial Part

A prevailing metaphor for television throughout its history has been as a ‘window on the world’, which enables viewers to explore a variety of different content, viewpoints, debates, and landscapes. This was a function largely fulfilled in the broadcast era by scheduling: providing viewers with a mixed diet of programming, albeit at the scheduler's behest. Crucially, within a public service broadcasting (PSB) remit, this window on the world offered viewers the chance to broaden their horizons — taking them from comedy, to news, to drama, to a music documentary, to current affairs programmes. This chapter argues that this variety of offering is a crucial part of what public service algorithms should aspire to offer. This means thinking differently about the data collected and measured for PSB, and using it to set different objectives that escape some of the bounded thinking of a commercially driven, on-demand digital television market.

Content Diversity1

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
Current Affairs ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Data Consumer

This chapter considers the programme genres in public service broadcasting. Genres that have been traditionally associated with public service broadcasting — such as education, natural history, science, arts, current affairs, children's and religion — have been in steady decline for over a decade. A shift to on-demand viewing in recent years has further segmented viewing habits. Although the vast majority of viewing continues to be live, some genres are increasingly viewed on catch-up services. Big entertainment shows and sports events often account for the highest proportion of live viewing, compared to drama series, which have the highest proportion of on-demand viewing. These trends point to the increasing complexity of maintaining public service mixed genre provision given an increasing reliance on ‘big data’, consumer preferences, and taste algorithms that may limit the diversity and visibility of a broad range of genres.

scholarly journals Public Service Media, Old and New: Vitalizing a Civic Culture?

1999 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dahlgreen
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Civic Culture ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Commercial Television ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
Social Fragmentation ◽  
Service Project ◽  
Democratic Character

Abstract: By the mid-1990s, the crisis in public service broadcasting in Sweden had passed and a new stability had emerged. In this situation, the two non-commercial television channels share the airwaves-and the public-chiefly with the new commercial terrestrial channel, TV4. This channel manifests a form of "popular public service." Yet the new stability is being challenged by social and cultural developments in Sweden, especially various forms of social fragmentation. The main argument is that a key role of public service broadcasting must be to enhance the democratic character of society. This can best be achieved by promoting what is called a civic culture, and the text discusses what this entails. The discussion concludes with some reflections on the emergence of digital television and how it could best further the public service project. Résumé: Au milieu des années 90, la crise dans la radiodiffusion de service public en Suède prend fin et une nouvelle stabilité s'instaure. À ce moment-là, les deux chaînes de télévision non-commerciales partagent les ondes-et le public-principalement avec TV4, une nouvelle chaîne terrestre commerciale. Cette dernière offre une forme de «service public populaire». Aujourd'hui, cependant, certains développements sociaux et culturels, surtout sous diverses formes de fragmentation sociale, sont en train de bouleverser cette nouvelle stabilité. L'idée principale est qu'un rôle clé de la radiodiffusion de service publique doit être de mettre en valeur la nature démocratique de la société. La meilleure façon d'accomplir cet objectif est de promouvoir ce qui s'appelle une culture civique, et l'article discute de ce qu'une telle culture comporterait. La discussion prend fin avec certaines observations sur l'émergence de la télévision digitale et la manière dont celle-ci peut faire avancer le projet de service au public.

Public Service Broadcasting and Social Networking Sites: The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation on Facebook

2013 ◽  
Vol 146 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hallvard Moe
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Media Policy ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
The World

Social networking sites have become staples in everyday life in many parts of the world. Public service broadcasters have ventured on to such services, aiming to reach new users. This move triggers a line of question about the borders between the public and the commercial, the control of content and the shifting power in media policy. Focusing on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's use of Facebook, this article offers insights into what exactly is new about the challenges posed by social networking sites, and explores how this instance of hybrid arrangements impacts on our understanding of public service media.

scholarly journals House of Lords Communications Committee: Public service broadcasting in the age of video on demand

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Iosifidis
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Video On Demand ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
On Demand ◽  
House Of Lords ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Fierce Competition

This article is my response to the House of Lords Communications Committee Inquiry on ‘Public service broadcasting in the age of video on demand’, which was carried out in 2019. The inquiry was important and relevant as the successful UK public service broadcasters (PSBs) BBC, ITV, C4, C5 and S4C are currently facing major challenges from video-on-demand (VoD) services. These challenges primarily concern competition for content from VoD services in a highly competitive broadcasting market characterized by shifts in audience behaviour. Audiences are watching less scheduled TV as they are attracted by the business model of global streaming services like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. Fierce competition from mainly US-based, unregulated global VoD players investing billions of pounds in content has escalated programming costs and made it difficult for tightly regulated PSBs with modest domestic UK budgets to compete. This article is largely in favour of sustaining properly funded, universally available PSBs, who can deliver quality and original programming, alongside impartial and trusted news in the era of fake news and post-truth politics.

scholarly journals TELEVISION MARKET DEVELOPMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (86) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hennadii Mitrov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Video On Demand ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Main Requirement ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Television Market

The article covers the issues surrounding the global Internet TV market’s evolution during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid changes in the modern Internet television market mean that an in-depth analysis of its development strategies is necessary for further development. The article goes over current trends that affect the development of the industry, and the factors that have led to its changes listed. Today, the main directions of the development of Internet television include multi-screen, video on demand, and the evolution of streaming platforms. This phenomenon became possible by the growing convergence of the Internet and television. The main driving force of the industry has become the so-called streaming services that provide content to subscribers anywhere and anytime — the main requirement to access it being the Internet. The battle for audiences has become truly international. But due to quarantine in many countries, most viewers have drastically changed their habits. Home entertainment has been taking first place, and television became one of them. For the first time in years, TV channel ratings have doubled, movie premieres have been delayed, and sports events around the world have come to a standstill. Audiences turned to those who could offer them the best content. The article examines trends caused by the pandemic, such as a significant increase in Internet traffic, the halting of movie and TV series production, a decrease in the number of sports games and related events, streaming services changing their tariff plans, and the subscription payment model taking leadership in the video-on-demand market. Both the negative and positive effects of these factors on television service providers’ activities, as well as the new habits of subscribers are analyzed. This situation has completely changed the industry, but it has only helped the business of large and local operators. Companies around the world have had to improve their service in a matter of weeks. These changes in the market would have taken years under normal conditions, but the pandemic has significantly accelerated the progress of Internet television and made it possible for end-users to get high-quality services.

Children and Public Service Broadcasting

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Livingstone ◽  
Claire Local
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Television Viewing ◽  
Children's Television ◽  
Online Content ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
On Demand ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Television Plays

Much has been said about the future of public service content, the growth of multiple platforms, new market and regulatory pressures, and changing audience preferences and practices, among other widely debated topics. However, little attention has been paid to the role that public service television plays in educating, entertaining, and broadening the horizons of children in the UK. This chapter focuses on how public service television can better serve a child audience that spends on average at least 35 hours per week consuming broadcast, on-demand, and online content. It discusses how children still view public service television on a television set; whether children's television viewing really in decline; the case for online provision of children's public service television; the case for online provision for children of other public service content; and the case for enhancing the ‘discoverability’ of children's public service content.

Do We Still Need Public Service Television?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Hyams
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Sweet Spot ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
Production Values ◽  
The World ◽  
High Production ◽  
Media Corporations

This chapter argues that there is still a need for public service television. Public service broadcasters fulfil a role that neither the independent young creators nor the big media corporations can really fill. There is a sweet spot there in the middle that is so important. This is also the time for young people to get behind the BBC and Channel 4, and re-appropriate young people's vision of public service broadcasting. There are so many ways in which public service broadcasters do well for under-25-year-olds: from incredibly high production values, well thought out dramas and documentaries on Channel 4 to the BBC 6 Music, 1Xtra, the World Service, Radio 4. The news is another area where there has been a big change for a lot of the young people, given their active presence in social media.

Narrative Complexity and Cultural Relevance in the Name of Public Service Broadcasting: The Cases of Borgen and Herrens Veje

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Hochscherf
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Cultural Relevance ◽  
Production Environment ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Public Service Broadcasting ◽  
Political Debates ◽  
Crime Dramas ◽  
The World

Abstract Danish television has been able to produce a remarkable number of successful primetime dramas over the last years from Forbrydelsen (The Killing, DR 2007-12) to Herrens Veje (Ride upon the Storm, DR 2017-). Many of them are Nordic Noir crime dramas, yet the list also includes political thrillers and family dramas. This article briefly summarizes main reasons for the prolific production environment at public service broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR). Some of the exceptional circumstances of Danish television demonstrate why the relatively small country was able to produce shows that found devoted audiences around the world. While the DR production framework has received much attention, this article takes a closer look at narrative composition, issues of characterization and the presentation of themes. Analyzing the first episodes of Borgen (DR 2010-13) and Herrens Veje, the article proposes that it is specifically the combination of multiperspectivity of the leading protagonists and how their life is linked to wider cultural, social and political debates, that can be identified as one main outcome of the fruitful collaboration between DR and various creative personnel. While both shows adhere to the main characteristics of complex serial drama as identified by Jason Mittel and Trisha Dunleavy, there are also some noticeable differences, including their strong public service ethos, their unusual Danish settings, the avoidance of transgressive protagonists, character-centred storylines and their slow, indulgent pace.

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