Virgin Media to back Big Brother

Mark Sweney
Wednesday March 21, 2007
MediaGuardian.co.uk

Virgin Media has been confirmed as the sponsor of Big Brother 8 with the company's mobile arm to be the main service promoted.

Virgin Media has signed on for the main summer series - as revealed by MediaGuardian.co.uk - but not next year's Celebrity Big Brother version.

Channel 4 has not yet announced if there will be a Celebrity Big Brother in 2008. However, it is understood that Virgin Media will be given first refusal on extending the sponsorship if the trouble-laden show runs without a hitch this summer.

"Of course we had worries [about this year's Celebrity Big Brother], we would have been foolhardy if we didn't," said James Kydd, the managing director of marketing at Virgin Media.

"We spent a lot of time talking to Channel 4 about how they were sorting out their internal processes to make sure there wouldn't be any sort of escalation again. But Big Brother is always controversial, it is the nature of the beast. We just wanted to be reassured that there wouldn't be a situation that got out of control again."

Carphone Warehouse pulled out of its £2.5m a year sponsorship of Big Brother following the Shilpa Shetty racism row in January.

The Big Brother sponsorship package includes branding and advertising opportunities across TV, video-on-demand, online, radio and mobile.

"The sponsorship will be split between our mobile and media services," added Mr Kydd. "What Big Brother does is give a fantastic opportunity to bring to life quadplay in action and the core 16-34 demographic BB reaches is a bullseye for mobile. Virgin Mobile will be the lead sponsor
but we will absolutely push Virgin Media messaging."

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2039130,00.html

My Opinion:
As you can see, the media conglomerate, Virgin, owned by Ricahrd Branson, is now challenging Murdoch's BSkyB and FOX Telvision networks. By placing a bid into the near enough dead, Big Borther, trying to revive it and find some profit margin within it. I think it should have ended there and then; there was too much conflict as a result and that in order to prevent anything else like that to follow, refrain from producing the show. I do think though that its good to see some potential competition now for Murdoch, and it will be interesting how he challenges Branson. The other day I saw a billboard for the t.v. series Lost, with a caption saying, "Virgin Media has dropped it but you can still catch the hit series Lost on Sky One", so it can be said that the competition has already begun.

Most TV sets can't get digital

Press Association

Wednesday March 14, 2007

MediaGuardian.co.uk

More than half the television sets in the UK are not compatible with the digital signal, the latest data shows.

By the end of last year, 48.5% of the UK's 60 million televisions could receive digital - up from 39% in 2005, according to the regulator Ofcom.

The upturn comes ahead of the national switchover from the analogue signal to digital, which will be phased in between 2008 and 2012.

One million UK homes got digital TV for the first time during the last quarter of 2006, Ofcom data shows.

More than three quarters (77.2%) of the UK's 25.3 million TV-owning households have at least one digital television set - up from 69.5% at the end of 2005.

Many of those households have more than one set, which accounts for the higher percentage of analogue-only televisions.

Ofcom's Communications Market report says 2.4 million Freeview devices were sold in the last three months of 2006 - more than in any previous quarter.

That figure includes nearly a million sets with integrated digital tuners plus 1.4 million Freeview set-top boxes.

BSkyB gained around 160,000 new subscribers during the last three months of 2006, taking its customer total to nearly eight million homes, Ofcom's report says.

Cable companies expanded to around 38,500 new households in the last three months of 2006.

My Opinion:

I own a freeview box and no matter where it place in the house, the signal strength recieved is still low. It's annoying the fact that analogue signal amplifyer still had no impact and truthfully found out that it is a waste of money. I only purchased it as it is a one set fee and you gain numerous channels, some good such as Sky One, E4 and Film Four, channels that i regularly watch. It's now just siting there collecting dust. The whole idea of the switch over as well, I totally disagree with as it is not fair on people, especially if all areas are unable to recieve the signal. It renders the other secondary and tertiary t.v. sets as un-usable as a freeview box would have to be purchased, but what is the point if you can't recieve a signal on them. Unless signals are boosted that is the only way that the idea will catch on, as pictutre quality is improved vastly. However as analogue aerial is still required to go into the back of the box, signal strength will be effected by weather, and can cause disruption to viewing, where probably further complaints will be made.

News Values

1. How Would You Priortise these News Vaules

The Times- Saturday 10th February 2007

Frequency- 'a sculpted trapeze dress by designer Paul Costelloe, who opens the London Fashion Week tommorrow'

Threshold- 'A million motorists embarrass road price ministers'

Unambiguity- 'Return of the tycoon'

Meaningfulness- 'England's one-day wonders'

Reference to elite nations- 'British soldier'

Negativity- 'Twice as many poles living in Britain than officials think'

2. What is gatekeeping?

Gatekeeping is the selection and ordering of news broadcasts on TV or the selection and planning of a newspaper layout. Gatekeeping is controlled by the editors who are responsible for their chosen medium.

3. What do we mean by bias?

Bias is a term referred to when taking a particular one-sided viewpoint on a issue or subject despite arguements against. For example, in a football/or sport world cup English citizens/background will support England because they're bias and have an affiliaition to England and don't consider arguement subjectively about the realistic chances of England winning. In the media, a story is mediated from a writers beliefs and the reader/audience is forced to identify with that viewpoint. For example, an political writer will be influenced by their political ideologies no matter how subjective they're meant to be

Dictionary definition: 'A bias is a prejudice in a general or specific sense, usually in the sense for having a preference to one particular point of view or ideological perspective. However, one is generally only said to be biased if one's powers of judgment are influenced by the biases one holds, to the extent that one's views could not be taken as being neutral or objective, but instead as subjective. A bias could, for example, lead one to accept or deny the truth of a claim, not on the basis of the strength of the arguments in support of the claim themselves, but because of the extent of the claim's correspondence with one's own preconceived ideas'

Cult Of The Celebrity

1. How Much celebrity-driven media do you consume? Do you consume these texts in spite of the celebrity focus or because of it?

I don't tend buy magazines and newspapers solely for gossip on celebrities. If there's a big story going around then I will be interested and may purchase a text to find out more information. I do find though that when I'm waiting around and there's a magazine or tabloid lying around, I will generally read the celebrity stories rather than any others, to fill time. If there's an article based on a particular celebrity that I have an interest a may purchase the magazine or paper that is covering their story, otherwise I tend to gain news from other mediums, mainly the internet and television.

1. Looking at an edition of a national tabloid, in what ways are celebrity related stories represented in this edition? Account for these representations.
   

I looked at 'The Sun' from Wednesday 28th Feb 07. The main celebrity-related story is on Victoria Beckham- 'My glam life in LA by Posh'

The article discusses Victoria Beckham's new-impending life in LA following David Beckham's move to US Major League Soccer. In the article Victoria's glamour is highlighed and her star status with her attending Elton John's post-oscars party. It is also describes how she has been searching for a £10-million home but yet to find the dream one. The article has no real message or portrayal of Victoria but puts her in a position that the reader would aspire to be in. However, she and her husband are attacked for being brandished the 'world least green celebs' linking to their lack on environmental care by owning 13 cars.

Using the comparison of these two texts as your starting point ‘explore the media issue and debates which they raise’. (1 hour)

Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ and ‘Your Revolution’ by DJ Vadim featuring Sarah Jones, raise main issues that are debated about within the media. Both artists have a strong view point in their beliefs and project their values and ideologies to the audience. In a sense, the initial response after listening to or reading the lyrics is shock, due to directness of them. The use of colloquial language gets the point straight across, with the use of derogatory terms, contributing to this ‘shock-value’. Many issues arise from the artists’ statements and will be explored in detail in this essay.

Following the release of ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ (1971), by 1972, the media was predominantly owned by the white and wealthy in society, therefore enforcing upon a western and white cultural ideology through media texts. This conforms to the idea of the Effects Theory, which states that the audience take a passive approach into reading a media text, therefore the values and ideologies of the ruling class, the hegemony, are indoctrinated in the audiences’ mind, manipulating them into thinking from one specific view point. It is these values and ideologies that are injected into the passive audience, whereby the hypodermic needle model is applicable and evident. What Gil Scott-Heron intends to achieve from this song is to argue and challenge these theories, that wrong stereotypes are being presented to audiences. “You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out”, suggests that you need to stand up and be counted for, and that “The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox”, means you need to make a difference, conjugate and form your own opinions. The “Revolution” in the title is reference to liberisation amongst blacks, and “Televised”, reference to revolution for black equality to whites.

As the media is predominantly white, “The revolution will not get rid of the nubs”, is a parody of advertising keeping you in control. This idea complies with that of Marxism, where we live in a capitalist society. Capitalism is based on the profit motive, and that under capitalism, profits are generated by exploiting workers, in this case, black people. When applying Marx’s theory to the song it is evident to see the two social classes; the working class i.e. the black society, and the bourgeoisie i.e. the white dominated media. It is the hegemony of these white people that exclude the representation of the black minority and the anxieties that advertising promote to them, “The revolution will not be right back after a message about a white tornado, white lightening, or white people”. Through the process of colonialism we see how the representation of black people have developed, where at first they were victimised, then became successful in the entertainment industry, and finally are now see as a savage and negative force, “There will be no pictures of you and Willie May pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run / Or trying to slide that color tv into a stolen ambulance”. This is evident in other texts such as Michael Moore’s ‘Bowling For Columbine’ (2002), where his mockery through the animation section of the ‘fear of the black man’ and also through the insert of the television series ‘Cops’ where every suspect seemed to be a tall, black, middle aged man.

By the end of the song, a more up lifting and positive tone is induced. “The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat”; that only you can make a difference. “The revolution will be live”, suggests that it is time to start something new, and to challenge the hegemony of white society.

‘Your Revolution’, by DJ Vadim featuring Sarah Jones is far more explicit than Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ in terms of the language that is used. On the other hand, its main similarity is that the artist again is arguing a strong view point. Whilst Gil Scott-Heron was debating on the issue of equality between black and white people in society, Sarah Jones topical issue is that of the equality between males and females. As this is a post-modern text released in 1998, she makes reference to Scott-Heron’s track through the usage of “Revolution”.

Her song is a critique on black media, a feminist attack on macho values typical of rap music. She argues that the black society within the rap and hip-hop culture are not representing themselves in a positive way, and therefore bring it upon themselves when stereotypes are asserted and believed by the public. It is this culture which functions as a degenerative disease, lowering the status of black youths, and makes them a target for politicians and law enforcement authorities. The dress code that comes with the culture has now become iconographic to the status of that person, and also led to the restriction of visiting certain public places, i.e. banning if ‘hoodies’ in shopping centres.

She challenges the misogynistic and patriarchal values of males associated with that particular culture. “The real revolution ain’t about bootie size”; that sex and using your sexuality is irrelevant to becoming successful and wealthy. Jones’s viewpoint here can be considered to agree with that of a pluralist. In Pluralism, society is viewed as a system of competing interests, where none of them are predominant. In this case, women have the ability and same capability of men and therefore can compete with them in the work place in order to be a success instead of resorting to objectifying themselves.

The text can be considered as a pastiche, where it combines other texts. For example, the intertextual reference to rap star L.L. Cool J, and parodies elements of his song, “Doing it and doing it and doing it well”. The ideology of sex and selling yourself is the way to be successful is due to the hegemony of the ruling within this culture, and now has become part of the norm, whereby these stereotypes are accepted. Jones offers an alternative voice that challenges the black male in this culture, and is trying to educate the females within it. The constant repetition of “Your revolution will not happen between these thighs”, is constantly addressing these women; that they will not be liberal by sleeping around but by working hard.

In conclusion, both texts have to ability to raise many issues occurring in society today. They are direct in projecting their views whereby many of the media theories are applicable to these texts. Social and political contexts are addressed and aid the hegemonic constraints; however it is debatable whether these will breakdown. Will there be equality between black and white? Will there be equality between males and females?


Gurveer Ubhi