The UK Television and Broadcast Market

The UK Broadcast Media Industry

Radio

CommercialRadio

PublicRadio

Internet

PublicInternet

CommercialInternet

Broadcast

AmateurInternet

Satellite

BskyB

Freesat

International Satellite

Cable

Terrestrial

DigitalTerrestrial

AnalogueTerrestrial

•Digital terrestrial television Soon all terrestrial TV will be digital.Key terms and issues:The switchover processDigital rollout

Mux’s 1,2, A,B,C,D (BBC own 1 and B)

Analogue terrestrial television

Traditional way of getting TV for over half a century (in various forms)Soon to go the way of the dinosaur but is analogue really that bad?Only five channels (six in Wales)

Freesat

Satellite alternative to BSkyB:FreeOffers Hi-DefBigger bandwidthRun by BBC and ITVLaunched 6th May 2008Still not really a problem for Sky

British Sky Broadcasting New generation of Astra satellites launched in 1998Subscription basedBig share of the market through pay-per-view and sporting events – 8 million UK customersCurrently the widest choiceBut……how much control?

Sky

• HD from 2006

• …but does anyone care?

• 3-D from now

• …but does anyone care?

• Do people really want 3D football and other sports?

Virgin Media

Formed by a takeover of NTL:Telewest, the old cable rivalsOwns a lucrative part of the market but limited to where cables are laidBig bust up with BSkyB about rights to show programmes Won major legal case in April 2010 to show Sky Sports on its channels.

However

• July 2010 – Sky buys out Virgin• Office of Fair Trading looking into this• Murdoch tries to buy the rest of Sky, even

though he has virtual control• New ConDem government anti-BBC (as all

incumbent governments are) so likely to let this through

• Sky will now be able to show “biased” news

28th September 2010 (BBC)

• Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is set to call for a new "landscape of local TV services" around the UK.

• In a speech later, he will set out his vision of stations "broadcasting for as little as one hour a day".

• He will say an expansion of superfast broadband and the easing of rules on owning local newspapers, radio and TV will help encourage the enterprises.

And the near future…

• Journalists from the NUJ are launching a strike on October 5th

• Further strikes are planned for October• This means…• …no news on the BBC (or at least reduced) • …no Conservative conference reporting• …no budget reporting• Maybe