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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Richard Hull
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AIM In collaboration with Einstein TV the project will build a science/media/social science partnership focussed on experimental forms of science communication, to bid for the 2nd round of the Science In Society programme. OBJECTIVES 1. Produce an Initial Case Study of the development of a specialist digital TV science channel. 2. Develop multi-level methods for the study of science broadcasting which combine the applicants’ established expertise in the circuit of mass communication and the analysis of innovation. 3. Deliver a collaboration between social sciences and the media, and the foundations for a longer term collaboration including scientists engaged in broadcasts. 4. Produce a Feasibility Study for a full project proposal. It soon became clear that a longer term collaboration may be very difficult to ‘deliver’, so Objective 3 was altered to read “Develop a collaboration …”. It later became more certain that a longer-term collaboration would not be feasible due to the financial difficulties faced by the channel.However, this has enabled us to offer some unique insights into why the attempts at innovative broadcasting did not succeed. 1. The distinctiveness of Einstein TV is conveyed largely through the single-genre scheduling and five-minute format, rather than the programme content, style of addressing the audience, or interactive features. 2. This gap between the declared intentions of the channel, and their actual output to date, can be attributed to the following: a. Financial difficulties inhibited their ability to commission new programmes, maintain the web-site, and develop the interactive features. b. Their target audience profile of ‘science fans’, principally young males, did not match the demographics of multi-channel digital TV or attempt to reach a female audience. c. They did not fully appreciate the public’s interest in the broader social aspects of science & technology. d. The channel made no attempt to engage their potential viewers and users within the development of the channel. e. The channel used an inappropriate mix of business models, borrowing from existing models for the ‘mass media’, ‘segmented audiences’, and ‘e-commerce’. f. The channel were too seduced by the interactive features and rapidly changing characteristics of e-commerce and the WWW, and failed to see the substantive differences of the Digital TV arena. 3. There are clear differences between academic, commercial and end-user understandings of “innovative”.
Author(s): Hull R, Kitzinger J, Dover C
Publication type: Report
Publication status: Published
Series Title:
Type: ESRC End of Award Report, Award L144250018
Year: 2003
Source Publication Date: 01-06-2003
Institution: ESRC
Place Published: Swindon, UK
URL: http://www.sci-soc.net/NR/rdonlyres/FD15960F-5957-4649-AC15-A9E462DEC5B0/326/Hullmainreport.pdf
Notes: See also http://www.sci-soc.net/SciSoc/Projects/Communication/June2003.htm
