Unit 8 - TV and Film Industry - Ownership & Funding

UK television industry

Who are the UK ‘Major’ TV companies?

The UK’s major companies are:

·      BBC (31.8%)

·      ITV (22.8%)

·      Channel 4 (11.3%)

·      Channel 5 (5.9%)

·      BSkyB (6.8%)

BBC - John Reith and George Villiers founded the BBC in Oct 1922 but it is publicly owned, this is done through license fees. As there is a License fee the BBC do not make any money through advertisement time. Every British TV owner paying a £145.50 fee each year per household funds the BBC. The BBC Trust is in charge of the fee payers best interests. 

ITV - It is owned by share holders and Archie Norman is the Chairman and Adam Crozier is the CEO of ITV plc.

Channel 4 - Lord Burns is the Chairman and David Abraham is the CEO of channel Four Television Corporation. On the Channel 4 website is says "Channel 4 is a publicly owned corporation whose board is appointed by OFCOM, in agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport".

Channel 5 - Channel 5 is owned by Northern & Shell, which is founded and owned by Richard Desmond in Dec 1974.

BSkyB - Nicholas Ferguson is the chairman and Jeremy Darroch is the CEO of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (BskyB). It is a pubic limited company which people can buy shares in, 21^st Century Fox owns 39.14% which founded by Rupert Murdoch.

Who are the UK ‘Indie’ TV companies? (e.g. public, private, share holders)

RDF Television - RDF Television is a part of the Zodiak Media group which has companies across the world. Bwark, RDF Television and Touchpaper are some of the UK companies which are a part of the group. Zodiak Media make around £800m in annual revenues. They create, produce, nd sell content across broadcast platforms and all key genres. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Wife Swap, The Secret Millionaire and Being Human. Zodiak Media is majority-owned by De Agostini.

Endemol - Endemol is considered to be one of the world's largest indie companies. They are a horizontal company, buying over indie companies such as Tiger Aspect, Darlow Smithson and Tigress. Zeppotron is one of the companies leadind comedy producers making 8 out of 10 cats which is a long running panel show of Channel 4. Other shows are aired on BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, ITV1 and Channel 5. Endemol is owned by Mediaset, a large italian based company founded in the 1970's by former itialian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whom controlles around 40% of the company.  

Viacom - Viacom is the world's 4th largest media conglomerate and wants to become the worlds leading branded entertainment company. In 1985 Viacom acquired around 66% of MTV Networks and a year later they purchases the remaining percent. Eight years later Viacom merger with Paramount Communications Inc. In 2003 they purchased Comedy Central. Viacom was a spin-off from CBS in 1971 and became an public company. Since 1987 83% has been owned by National Amusements Inc.  ​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

How is the business structured? (Vertical, horizontal)

The Walt Disney Company has a vertical marketing strategy. This means that Disney own an array of companies that covers all aspects of a Disney production. Much like Apple, Disney will manufacture the own the companies that manufacture the materials needs for the DVDs. Disney will also buy companies rather than working with them. Disney acquired companies like Lucas Films, ABC, and Marvel, even companies like GoPro. A vertically structured company makes sure that they are in control of the whole project. The company even has it’s own stores to sell their toys. 

The company has a Chairman/CEO, Disney’s Chairman is Bob Iger, and Bob is also a board member of Apple Inc. Each department shown below will have it’s own CEO. Vertical organizations have a top-down structure. There are top-level managers like CEOs and chairman. Underneath them are Mid-level managers, low-level managers and entry-level employees. This structure gives distance between regular employees and the managers who make decisions about the company; working conditions, pay rates and other important factors. 
  

Companies and franchises owned by Disney - Link - http://www.cabletv.com/wp-content/uploads/23880/DisneyOwnedCompanies.jpg

Lisa Fowler. (2013). 3 Things are Guaranteed in Life: Death, Taxes, and Disney [INFOGRAPHIC]. Available: http://cabletv.com/blog/disney-owned-companies/. Last accessed 25th Jun 2014.

UK Film Industry – Ownership & Funding

Government Funding

  
BFI

In the UK gives fresh and upcoming filmmaking talent can get funded through government charities like the BFI (British Film Institute). This charity distributes money from The National Lottery for the UK film industry. The BFI is now a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film.
 
Out of the £25 million in 2011-12 £18 million was shared for development, production and completion of feature films. This has now increased to £26 million for 2013-14.
BFI also helps projects that they have funded to be screened at the London IMAX.
Applications of funds can be made online for needs of the filmmaker.
Ben Wheatley, a British filmmaker received funding for this fourth film A Field in England, which was the first film to be released in UK nationwide cinemas, on free TV, on DVD and on Video-on-Demand on the same day.
http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/ben-wheatleys-a-field-in-england
 


Creative England
Another British charity is Creative England that sets up opportunities, funding and supports for creative ideas, talent and businesses in film, TV, games and digital media.


Film Production Companies
BBC Films, Film4, Hammer Films, Vertigo Films, WarpFilms and Working Title. These are the UK’s biggest names in production companies and these companies have helped creative ideas and visions from directors, writers and help actors become the leading star.  






Vertigo Film
Vertigo was set up in 2002 to fund the production and distribution of The Football Factory, London to Brighton, Bronson and Monsters.



Film4
Film4 originally broadcasted films that they had funded on their own TV channel and would frequently broadcast themed seasons or nights where they show films centred around one genre, director or actor. They will now screen more mainstream blockbusters nowadays 
They have helped produced films like Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, Four Lines, Ben Wheatley ‘s Kill List, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and Shaun of the Dead.


Low budget British films are getting some of the best distribution around the world and because of funding from big name production companies. British films like Bridget Jones, Billy Elliot, Notting Hill and The Full Monty are all considered to be great british films which are loved in the USA. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1293068.stm

Power of the People

Another modern way of getting a bit more funding to make a film go further is by being supported by crowd funding. One of the best examples of this working is “Kickstarter”. Kickstarter funds creative projects from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology.  Kickstarter is a platform and a resource and are not involved in the development of the projects themselves. Anyone can launch a project on Kickstarter as long as it meets their guidelines.  It all starts by a project creators set a funding goal and deadline. Next people can see the projects and if they like a project, they can pledge money towards it. 

Example - Wasp


An example of funding for short films working well is the 26mins short film Wasp directed by Andrea Arnold. It was funded by the UK Film Counil and Film4. I was first shown Wasp in college but whilst researching for this is found out that Andrea Arnold had won an oscar for it.