Public Service Broadcasting

969 Words2 Pages

Paddy Scannell’s article ‘Public Service Broadcasting and Modern Public Life’, defending the viewpoints from Peacock Committee, tried to remind people public service broadcasting is not only a gold digging business but also a benefit for democratization. In order to illustrate public service broadcasting is not established for profit, he used BBC as an example. Taking two things from Habermas to support his idea those are a historical approach and the concern with ‘general public’ (Scannell,1989).Thus, as Scannell stated, public service broadcasting played an unconsciously beneficial, it is fair to ask that why did broadcasting play a social role improving democracy? In other words, are public service broadcastings contributed to the development of democracy global-perspectively actively or broadcasting had just fellow the rule of market which means promoted democracy was a result of adapting market.

Public service broadcasting has two essential characteristics: the provision of a service of mixed programmes on national channels available to all’. As far as Scannell was concerned, PSB is accessible to all citizens consisting of assorted programmes, which is exactly the same as Habermas’ public sphere – an area is guaranteed to all citizens (Habermas, 1989). According to Habermas, public sphere is where public opinion can be formed. Scannell stated that B formed a new public life which audiences (includes viewers, listeners and audiences), as for Scannell they could be a general public, are entitled to have their opinions. Scannell believed that B ‘resocialized private life’ as a result of a new public life. B broke the undoubtedly ‘aura’ of performers, gave communicative rights to audiences. On account of broadcasting is avail...

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...tion. Yet, whether this promotion is spontaneous or not, Scannell did not explicitly answer this question. Basis of information I obtained, it was largely because of ideology.

Reference

Curran, J. (2010) ’Media and Power’. London: Routledge, pp.1-39

Jaromír Volek, KMSŽ FSS MU (2006)Regulating public service broadcasting: The Cases of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ireland.Masaryk University

Paddy,S.(2000),For-anyone-as-someone structures,in ‘Media Culture Society ‘,JAN.vol. 22 no. 1 5-24

Peter,D.(1997)Communication and Citizenship: Journalism and the Public Sphere London:routledge pp.4

Richards; Giles, C.(2004)’Commentary: The future of Public Service Broadcasting and the BBC’, in Peacock, A.(ed.) Public Service Broadcasting without BBC .London

Street, J. (2001) ‘Media Effects’, in Mass Media , Politics and Democracy.Newyork:Palfrave. pp. 80-99

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