Cambridge Nationals Creative iMedia

Revision Notes

1.1 Sectors of the Media Industry

Traditional Media

Traditional media is the media that existed before the internet and digital technology. It includes:

  • Film
  • Television
  • Radio
  • Newspapers

Film

Early film developed as a media around 1900. The first films were silent and were often accompanied by a live piano player. By 1920, films with sound were common and trips to the cinema were people's main way of consuming media.

Over the years the great US studios in Hollywood started to dominate and now almost all the films that we might watch today come from there.

Film has evolved as a medium in many ways over the years and will likely continue to do so:

  • Full colour
  • Widescreen
  • CGI and special effects
  • Surround sound
  • 3D

films from Hollywood
early television

Television

The British Broadcasting Corporation first started to broadcast television services in 1922. There was only one channel and, at first, only very wealthy people could afford a television set.

Over the years, more channels were introduced. ITV, the first commercial broadcaster went on air in 1955 and BBC Two came on air in 1964. Channel 4 was founded in 1982.

Satellite TV was introduced to the UK in 1989 through the company BSkyB. This unlocked many more channels to UK audiences.

Television, like all media, is ever evolving. More recently we have seen:

  • Interactive TV services (e.g. red button)
  • Much improved resolution: HD and UHD
  • Larger, thinner TV sets are common
  • Vastly improved sound
  • On Demand services, catch up and the ability to pause live TV
  • The rise of streaming services like Amazon and Netflix

Radio

The British Broadcasting Corporation was founded and began to broadcast radio in 1920. It's founding charter stated that the services were to "inform, educate and entertain" the population.

Radio services have played an important part in everyday life for people for 100 years and help people stay motivated while working, keep people informed of current affairs and provide a source of comfort and companionship for millions.

The BBC is still the biggest player in radio with several large national stations, each with a specific purpose, and countless local radio stations servicing communities across the UK. There are also huge numbers of commercial stations that mirror the services offered by the BBC and are paid for by advertising.

Radio is evolving:

  • Digital radio services offer more stations and better reception
  • Online radio services means radio can be heard from across the world
  • Specialist stations exist to meet niche needs e.g. talk, music subcultures
  • Sound quality has improved

radio
newspapers

Newspapers

The history of newspapers can be traced back to the Oxford Gazette which was first published in 1665. The first daily newspaper was the Daily Courant which began print in 1702.

By the 1930s it was estimated that two thirds of people in the country read a newspaper every day. This meant the newspaper editors were powerful men who controlled the flow of information. Big newspaper names were The Times, The Sun, The Independent and the European.

In the 21st century, most newspapers are struggling to sell at the levels in history due to increased competition from online sources. The newspapers are attempting to evolve by:

  • Offering digital editions
  • Some sell by subscription, some rely on advertising
  • Attempting to remain the best source for high quality journalism so that people trust them as newsworthy sources above others

New Media

New media is the media that has come into being since digital technology has become popular. It includes:

  • The internet
  • Computer games
  • Digital publishing
  • Interactive media

internet

The Internet

The internet refers to the technology that allows all the computers in the world to be connected together. Doing this allows transfer of data with speed and convenience unheard of throughout the rest of history.

Most people think of the services offered by the world wide web when they think of the internet. Digtal connections has also brought us email, TV streaming services, online gaming and many more useful media.

Computer Games

Computer/video games became popular as far back as the 1970s. Many households owned a version of the classic Pong game or one of the old Atari consoles.

Modern gaming is a huge industry and is worth more than the music and film industry combined.

Games have increased in quality and scope exponentially and have huge production teams a can have millions of players.

computergames