Business on television: continuity, change and risk in the development of television’s ‘business entertainment format’

Kelly, L. and Boyle, R. (2011) Business on television: continuity, change and risk in the development of television’s ‘business entertainment format’. Television and New Media, 12(3), pp. 228-247. (doi: 10.1177/1527476410372097)

Abstract

This article traces the evolution of what has become known as the business entertainment format on British television. Drawing on interviews with channel controllers, commissioners and producers from across the BBC, Channel 4 and the independent sector this research highlights a number of key individuals who have shaped the development of the business entertainment format and investigates some of the tensions that arise from combining entertainment values with more journalistic or educational approaches to factual television. While much work has looked at docusoaps and reality programming, this area of television output has remained largely unexamined by television scholars. The research argues that as the television industry has itself developed into a business, programme-makers have come to view themselves as [creative] entrepreneurs thus raising the issue of whether the development off-screen of a more commercial, competitive and entrepreneurial TV marketplace has impacted on the way the medium frames its onscreen engagement with business, entrepreneurship, risk and wealth creation.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: BBC, Channel 4, television industry, factual entertainment, documentary, public service broadcasting, The Apprentice
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Boyle, Professor Raymond and Kelly, Dr Lisa
• Authors: Kelly, L., and Boyle, R.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Research Group: Centre for Cultural Policy Research
• Journal Name: Television and New Media
• Publisher: Sage
• ISSN: 1527-4764
• ISSN (Online): 1552-8316
• Published Online: 11 June 2010
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2009 Sage Publications
• First Published: First published in Television and New Media 12(3):228-247
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
47600	1	Public Understanding of Business; Television, Representation and Enterpreneurship	Raymond Boyle	Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)	AH/F017073/1	Theatre Film and Television Studies