ND Creative Media Production Y1 2018/19 Semester 2 U25: Television & Video Studies

Assignment Details Contents

Title: Issues, Debates & Analysis. This is your 2nd assignment brief for this
Assessors: Jim Doherty
School: Media, Multimedia & Performing Arts Unit. The Tasks cover Outcomes 2 & 3, in
Programme level: 3 Assignment number: 2 which you must achieve at least a Pass.

Issue date: 28/03/2019 Interim hand-in (if The brief outlines what you must do to
applicable): 9/05/2019 achieve a Pass, Merit, or Distinction. You will
Feedback: 30/05/2019 Due: 16/05/2019 have covered this work in class and there is a
list of resources included.
IV: Patsy Mullan IV date: 8/03/2019
Outcomes:
2. Know about the key issues and debates that affect the television and video industry
3. Be able to apply textual analysis techniques to the study of television/video products

Overview
Indicative Content
2. Know about the key issues and debates that affect the television and video industry

Issues and debates: taste and decency; quality and standards; the public service ethos; the free market
ethos; ownership and access; regulation and the free market; ratings wars; effects of on-demand
services, eg on scheduling; the effects of streaming media online, eg on censorship 


Influence and effects: effect theories, eg active, passive, hypodermic needle model, uses and
gratifications theory, two-step flow model, drip-drip effect; reception theory

3 Be able to apply textual analysis techniques to the study of television/video products

Forms: fiction; documentary; news; advertising; promotional; hybrid

Narrative: linear; non-linear; single strand; multi-strand; realist; anti-realist; open ended; closed;
single episode; series; serial

Genre: eg soap opera, crime drama, hospital drama, lifestyle, makeover, consumer, sitcoms, chat
shows, ‘reality’ TV

Analytical approaches: audience profiling; audience analysis; types of readings, eg preferred,

oppositional, negotiated, aberrant; signification; codes and conventions; narrative analysis

Assignment Brief
You’ve been tasked by a media research company to carry out research into some of the debates and
issues in the UK Television and Video industry. Using The Undateables, CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation, or a TV programme of your choice as a case study you are to investigate why that
programme is important to the broadcaster and how the text raises issues of taste and decency, quality
and standards, audience ratings, complaints, etc. You have 2 tasks to complete this work. You will also
select a TV programme and analyse it in terms of audience, genre and narrative. See list of Tasks you
need to complete in order to achieve the Learning Outcomes.
 ND Creative Media Production Y1 2018/19 Semester 2 U25: Television & Video Studies
Tasks Pass Criteria
Task 1 To achieve each outcome a learner
must demonstrate the ability to:
Using The Undateables, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
or a TV programme of your choice as a case study you are
P2 outline accurately the key issues and
to investigate why that programme is important to the
debates that affect the television and
broadcaster and how the text raises issues of taste and
video industry with some appropriate
decency, quality and standards, audience ratings, complaints,
use of subject terminology

etc. (2.1)

Your report should also outline the appeals of the programme. P3 describe television/video products
Make reference to genre and what each text has contributed through the application of textual
to its respective genre, referencing ratings, spin-off analysis techniques with some
programmes and merchandising. appropriate use of subject terminology.

Your findings will take the form of a 750-word report and

include a bibliography to show evidence of your research.

Task 2

Produce a Powerpoint detailing key audience theories:

 Hypodermic Needle
 Two-step flow
 Uses and gratifications
 Preferred readings
 Passive/active

Your Powerpoint should include visuals and a detailed

explanation of each theory and its relevance to the examples.
(2.2)

Task 3

Select a television programme or video content and conduct

an analysis of it, considering the intended audience, codes
and conventions, form, genre and the products’ place within
the wider industry. (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)

Your findings will take the form of a 750-word report and

include a bibliography to show evidence of your research.
Write up your findings in

Read the assessment criteria carefully and make sure you

attempt them at all levels to include Pass, Merit and Distinction
grades.
 ND Creative Media Production Y1 2018/19 Semester 2 U25: Television & Video Studies

Merit Criteria Distinction Criteria

Merit: - Pass criteria plus following
M2 explain the key issues and debates that affect the
television and video industry with reference to
detailed illustrative examples and generally correct
use of subject terminology
M3 explain television/video products through the
application of textual analysis techniques with
reference to detailed illustrative examples
and generally correct use of subject terminology.
Distinction: - Merit criteria plus
following
D2 critically evaluate the key issues and
debates that affect the television and video
industry with supporting arguments and
elucidated examples and consistently using
subject terminology correctly
D3 critically evaluate television/video products
through the application of textual analysis
techniques with supporting arguments and
elucidated examples and consistently using
subject terminology correctly.

Resources
Class notes
Moodle
Class Tasks and handouts

Textbooks
Baylis P, Freedman A, Procter N et al – BTEC Level 3 National Creative Media Production, Student Book
(Pearson, 2010) ISBN 978-1846906725
Baylis P, Freedman A, Procter N et al – BTEC Level 3 National Creative Media Production, Teaching
Resource Pack (Pearson, 2010) ISBN 978-1846907371
Branston G and Stafford R – The Media Students Book (Routledge, 2006) ISBN 978-0415371438
Burton G – Talking Television: An Introduction to the Study of Television (Hodder Arnold, 2000) ISBN
978-0340589649

Long P and Wall T – Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context (Longman, 2009) ISBN 978-
1405858472
Journals

Broadcast Magazine

The Guardian (Monday media section)

Websites

www.barb.co.uk – the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board
www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/– BBC Editorial Guidelines online
www.bbconline.co.uk – BBC

www.bbconline.co.uk/news – BBC news

www.carlton.com – Carlton TV

www.channel4.com – Channel 4 TV

www.granada.co.uk – Granada TV

www.mediaknowall.com – a good starting point for internet research on the media

www.newscorp.com – News Corporation

www.ofcom.org.uk – the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom

www.skynews.co.uk – Sky News

www.vlv.org.uk – the Voice of the Listener and Viewer