2. Regulating Belief
• PSB Context
• Remits and quotas
• Policy and guidelines
• The impact on
programming
• Broadcasters and their
audiences
3. Research context
• PhD research 2007-2011.
• Religion and spirituality in mainstream factual
British TV 2000-2009.
• Concerned with channels with public service
broadcasting (PSB) commitments.
• Industry research: documentary analysis of
policies, guidelines and other materials;
interviews with professionals.
• Also: audience research, Textual analysis.
4. Public Service Broadcasting
• ITC/Ofcom
• The Broadcasting Act 1990
• Changing contexts:
• social/political (9/11, 7/7, New Labour)
• technological (digital TV, multichannel, online expansion)
• financial (advertising pressures and changes in
regulation, recession)
• institutional (personnel, ownership)
• Ofcom's first and second reviews of Public Service Broadcasting
(2003-2005, 2007-2009)
5. Ofcom PSB Reviews
• Religious programmes in decline on most channels
(Ofcom 2004: 14).
• Audiences placed low priority on specialist programmes,
but expressed a need for minority groups/interests to be
represented in mainstream programming (Ofcom 2004:
17, 2008: 26).
• First PSB review concluded that ITV/Five might have 'a
more flexible approach to content regulation' than quotas
(Ofcom 2004).
• ITV strongly lobbied for a change to its PSB requirements.
6. Remits and quotas
• In 2003:
• ITV/Channel 3 licensees required to 'provide an
average of at least two hours a week of religious
programmes', Channel 4 'expected' to provide at least
one hour a week, BBC One and Two 112 hours a year
between them, Five at least one hour (ITC 2003: 1).
• By 2010:
• ITV announced plans to reduce arts commitment, cut
children's provision entirely and reduce religious
provision to one service a week (Ofcom 2010).
7. Policies and guidelines
• Ofcom/ITC Broadcasting Codes
• Independent Producer's Handbook (C4/Five)
• BBC Producers' and Editorial Guidelines
• ITV Producers' Guidelines
10. Policies and guidelines
• Broadcasters' guidelines give more specific guidance and
emphasise importance of diversity, respect and not causing
'offence'.
• 'We should try and give a full and fair view of people and
culture in the United Kingdom and across the world. BBC
programmes and services should reflect and draw on this
diversity' (BBC 2000: 89).
• All broadcasters' publicity and annual reviews emphasise their
commitment to diversity, often including religious diversity.
• But there is a wariness to 'tick boxes'.
11. Policies and guidelines
• 'It's gonna have to earn its place in prime time... we choose the
best ideas, irrespective of what those ideas are... We try [to be
more diverse]... you've no idea how much we've tried... but the
reality is if we're going to do it in prime time... if you chose to
do something really weak at the expense of doing the Muslim
funeral parlour film that we did or The Qur'an or something
simply because you had to tick a box then you're hacking it...
there'd simply be no point' (Aaqil Ahmed).
• 'You don't want to be too tick-boxy about it because that would
be limiting creativity. On the other hand you don't want to be
missing a big Sikh story or a big Hindu story' (Michael Wakelin).
12. Impact on programming
• Emphasis on the 'threat' to the 'vulnerable'.
• Distinction between 'majority' and 'minority' adherents;
between 'British' and 'other' cultures - often framed around
discussions of 'tolerance' or liberalism vs 'fundamentalism'.
• Religion/spirituality as lifestyle choice/enhancement.
13. Impact on programming
• Christianity only faith with televised worship.
• Christianity, Islam, Atheism, Judaism most visible 'faiths'.
• 'Spirituality' often used within context of existing faith
traditions, or in context of 'spiritual industry'.
• Certain practices disassociated from 'mainstream' / British
religion (e.g. spiritual healing, anti-abortion, anti-gay
rights).
• Religious texts may be critiqued but they and religious
figureheads never fully dismissed; often down to
'interpretation' - particularly with Christianity/Islam.
14. Audiences
On Christianity: A History:
• 'I don't know why I am shocked when I watch such programmes
as they are always biased towards Christians' (CW)
• 'Channel 4 would never produce a series that
questions/undermines Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism etc in such a
way. Why pick on Christianity?' (Jim)
On Dispatches: 'Unholy War':
• 'Dispatches latest chapter in it's [sic] 'Let's demonise the
Muslims' series' (Aniseed)
• '[It] seemed to be a vendetta against evangelical Christians... by
a presenter who was clearly anti-Christian' (Bailey)
15. Audiences
• Have a tendency to perceive their own group as being under- or
mis-represented and other groups as having preferential
treatment.
• Minority ethnic audiences spend less time than white audiences
viewing PSB output (Ofcom 2008: 29).
• CRAC (now disbanded) regularly criticised stereotypical
portrayals and lack of diversity.
• Members of Ofcom and broadcasters' research panels rarely
include members of minority faith groups.
• High-profile responses: Jerry Springer: The Opera, Panorama
'Scientology and Me', Dispatches 'Undercover Mosque' and
'Saving Africa's Witch Children', The Monastery.
16. Conclusion
• British PSB television, despite its commitments to diversity,
shows religion and spirituality within particular discursive
parameters, emphasising both what is 'good' and 'bad'.
• Audiences place low value on 'religious' programmes but higher
value on programmes 'about' faith. Members of different faith
groups frequently complain about their group's portrayal.
• Portrayals are limited by (sometimes very specific) guidelines
and policies.
• None of this occurs in a vaccuum - policies, programmes and
audience responses all replicate, reinforce and inform each
other - complex discursive relationships are involved.
17. References
• BBC (2000), BBC Editorial Guidelines 2000-2005, London:
BBC.
• Deller, R. A. (2011), Faith in View: Religion and Spirituality
in Factual British Television 2000-2009, PhD thesis, Sheffield
Hallam University.
• ITC (2003), 'ITC notes: Religious Broadcasting' available via
Ofcom website.
• Ofcom, all available at Ofcom website,
http://www.ofcom.org.uk
– (2004) 'Ofcom review of public service broadcasting - Phase
One'.
– (2008) 'Ofcom's second review of public service broadcasting -
Phase 2: preparing for the digital future'.
– (2010) 'Ofcom statement on the delivery of public service
programmes by ITV'.
– (2011) 'The Ofcom Broadcasting Code February 2011'.
