TV Channel Case Study

Channel 4 is a public-service British television station, broadcast to all areas of the United Kingdom, which began transmissions in 1982. Though entirely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned: Originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), the station is now owned and operated by the Channel Four Television Corporation, a public body established in 1990 for this purpose and which came into operation in 1993, following the abolition of the IBA.

The station was established to provide a fourth television service to the UK that would break the duopoly of the BBC's two established television services and the single commercial broadcasting network, ITV, then the only services broadcast there. Though having seen new competition through the subsequent availability and growth of cable, satellite and digital terrestrial stations, Channel 4 still enjoys almost universal coverage, and a significant audience share.

Channel 4 was established with, and continues to hold, a remit of public service obligations which it must fulfil. The remit changes periodically, as dictated by various broadcasting and communications acts, and is regulated by the various authorities Channel 4 has been answerable to; originally the IBA, then the ITC and now Ofcom.

Channel 4 has many related channels such as:
E4
More 4
Film4
4Radio
4oD(On Demand)

These links are all available from the channel 4 website itself, this vertical intergration provides an intergarted customer experience to encourage loyalty to the brand. There is also a sense of synergy within the institution that uses the most reknowned channel to promote the others.

By promoting a different type of enetertainnment that is accessed from a different NMT (e.g. 4radio) the institution is increasing its reach to audiences and also shows the coming together of television and radio to allow a varied media to be consumed...CONVERGENCE!

The 4oD is a good example of showing the flexibilty and convenience that the institution offers. It allows the audience to be more autonomous and have more control. The audience are able to time-shift their media consumption as they can pick and choose when they are going to watch a programme and they can also catch up on missed programmes.

Here is the link to the official Channel 4 website babeyyy!