A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT
Every so often a programming concept comes along that develops as a perfect fit for a number of sponsors. In this case, the BBC is producing a documentary on “A Year With The Queen”. The documentary camera follows preparations for the Queen's 80th birthday and a visit to the United States. Cameramen had unprecedented access to the royals for a year.
Every so often a programming concept comes along that develops as a perfect fit for a number of sponsors. In this case, the BBC is producing a documentary on “A Year With The Queen”. The documentary camera follows preparations for the Queen's 80th birthday and a visit to the United States. Cameramen had unprecedented access to the royals for a year.
Unlike its U.S. counterpart (PBS), the BBC is not permitted to carry advertising or sponsorship on its public services. This keeps them independent of commercial interests and ensures that they can be run instead to serve the general public interest. The BBC is financed instead by a TV license paid by households. This guarantees that a wide range of high-quality programs can be made available, unrestricted, to everyone.
PBS, in the United States, is supported by funding outside the traditional advertising realm. It accepts sponsorships and identification breaks for those marketers wishing to communicate “on a higher plane”.
Brands and products like Chuck E. Cheese's, Intel, McDonald's, and Lipton Noodle Soup have taken advantage of the new guidelines to create livelier sponsorship segments with traditional trappings, including jingles and corporate slogans. Did I say “a higher plane”?
Nonetheless, without some sort of commercial adaptation, PBS would likely not survive in the U.S. The import of syndicated BBC programming reduces the need for original PBS programming, reducing the need for funding.
And who better to sponsor “A Year With The Queen” when it arrives on our shores than Hallmark, Seagram’s Crown Royal, Crown Publishing or ….. Dairy Queen?
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2 comments:
Paul
Yes "Auntie Beeb" does do a fair ammount of quality programming, but every time I go over there, I am stunned by the ammount of crap on the "tellie." Never forget we owe Britain for such classics as "American Idol" and other tripe which has been modified for the US audience. On balance though, the BBC puts most American networks to shame. And never forget, they also do lots of excellent radio programming as well.
Cheers/George
Paul
Yes "Auntie Beeb" does do a fair ammount of quality programming, but every time I go over there, I am stunned by the ammount of crap on the "tellie." Never forget we owe Britain for such classics as "American Idol" and other tripe which has been modified for the US audience. On balance though, the BBC puts most American networks to shame. And never forget, they also do lots of excellent radio programming as well.
Cheers/George
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