A report on the 2005 general election said that the concentration of campaign activity in marginal seats had a significant impact on public engagement with the campaigns. There was also reduced amount of media coverage compared to 2001.
Source: Election 2005: Engaging the public in Great Britain, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500)
Links: Report | Electoral Commission press release
Date: 2005-Dec
An article examined portrayals of homelessness by independent television news broadcasts between January 1993 and December 2002. Homeless people tended to be characterized as "needy victims".
Source: Darrin Hodgetts, Andrea Cullen and Alan Radley, 'Television characterizations of homeless people in the United Kingdom': Subtitle, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, Volume 5 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Dec
A committee of peers said that television licence fee payers should not have to meet the cost of replacing analogue equipment to receive digital television.
Source: The Review of the BBC's Royal Charter, First Report (Session 2005-06), HL 50, House of Lords Select Committee on the BBC Charter Review, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Nov
A new book examined media treatment of prisons and punishment, and its relationship to public attitudes and government penal policy.
Source: Paul Mason (ed.), Captured by the Media: Prison discourse in popular culture, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Nov
A report examined the relationship between charities, the media, and commercial public relations agencies.
Source: Culture Clash?: An investigation of the relationship between charities, the media and commercial PR agencies, Voluntary Action Media Unit (020 7785 6392)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A literature review examined the image of volunteering and volunteers held by the public and the media.
Source: Joanna Machin, Volunteering and the Media: A review of the literature, Voluntary Action Media Unit (020 7785 6392)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
The BBC published its case for a new licence fee settlement. It proposed an increase from April 2007 based on the increase in retail prices plus 2.3 per cent a year. In current prices, this would mean a fee of 150.50 a year per household by 2013, compared to the existing level of 126.50.
Source: Delivering Public Value: The future funding of the BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation (020 8576 8888)
Links: Report (pdf) | Annex (pdf) | BBC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Oct
The government announced that the switch to digital-only television would take place between 2008 and 2012. It would provide help with equipment and installation and follow-up support for people aged 75 years and over and people with significant disabilities: the scheme would be funded by the BBC through the licence fee. Consumer groups expressed concern that the government had underestimated the numbers of people who would face problems making the switchover.
Source: Press release 15 September 2005, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200) | Press release 15 September 2005,National Consumer Council (020 7730 3469)
Links: DCMS press release | Which? press release | NCC press release | RNIB press release | Welsh Consumer Council press release
Date: 2005-Sep
An article discussed the merits of public intervention in the provision of television broadcasting services. It said that the case for intervention had weakened as a result of recent developments.
Source: Mark Armstrong, 'Public service broadcasting', Fiscal Studies, Volume 26 Number 3, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
A think-tank report said that the broadcasting industry was at risk of becoming a less creative force, due to changes in technology and a shift towards independent production companies.
Source: Will Hutton, Aine O?Keeffe and Natalie Turner, The Tipping Point: How much is broadcast creativity at risk?, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Links: Report (pdf) | Work Foundation press release
Date: 2005-Jul
A report summarized the results of a trial designed to gauge the technical issues for broadcasters, operators, and consumers associated with the switch to digital television - focusing on vulnerable groups. Vulnerable respondents increased in confidence with the new technology as the trial progressed.
Source: Ipsos RSL, Ferryside and Llansteffan Digital Switchover Technical Trial: Research on Vulnerable Households, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Report (pdf) | DCMS press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its annual report for 2004-05.
Source: Annual Report 2005, Cm 6538, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
The broadcasting regulator published a code of behaviour for television and radio, covering standards in programmes, sponsorship, fairness and privacy. The code was effective from 25 July 2005.
Source: Ofcom Broadcasting Code, Office of Communications (020 7981 3000)
Links: Code (pdf) | Code | Ofcom press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-May
A think-tank report said that the press had endorsed and legitimized the abuse of asylum-seekers.
Source: Roy Greenslade, Seeking Scapegoats: The coverage of asylum in the UK press, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-May
A think-tank report said that there was evidence that the BBC was biased against the political centre-right, albeit unintentionally.
Source: Kathy Gyngell and David Keighley, BBC Bias? Two short case studies, Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: Report (pdf) | CPS press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Apr
The government published a Green Paper on the review of the BBC's Royal Charter. The Board of Governors would be replaced by a BBC Trust to oversee the corporation, together with an Executive Board. The licence fee would continue, at a level to be set in the next phase of Review. There would be a review, before the end of the next Charter period, of whether there was a case for other methods of funding the BBC beyond 2016 particularly subscription.
Source: Review of the BBC s Royal Charter: A strong BBC, independent of government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Green Paper (pdf) | DCMS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the future of the BBC.
Source: Government Response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Report on a Public BBC, Cm 6474, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report
>Date: 2005-Mar
The broadcasting regulator published the final report and conclusions of its statutory review of television public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom. It recommended that the BBC should remain the cornerstone of public service broadcasting - independent and properly funded by the licence fee. There should also be a new Public Service Publisher, charged with using new media platforms such as broadband, mobile and digital broadcasting to deliver distinctive, high-quality, UK-originated public service content.
Source: Competition for Quality, Office of Communications (020 7981 3000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | Ofcom press release
Date: 2005-Feb
An independent panel published further advice on the future governance and regulation of the BBC. It said that a new Public Service Broadcasting Commission should be established, independent of government, with responsibility for oversight of public money invested in broadcasting and for recommending to government the level of the licence fee.
Source: BBC Charter Review, BBC Governance: Preferred model, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Report (pdf) | Text of letter (pdf) | DCMS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jan