著者

飯塚 浩一

出版者

東海大学

雑誌

東海大学紀要. 文学部 (ISSN:05636760)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.67, pp.39-54, 1997

---

In the 1980s, the Thatcher government tried to introduce the principle of the free market into the sphere of public service. The British broadcasting has also experienced the great change under the pressure from the Thatcher government. The structure of the British broadcasting from the 1950s has been described as the 'regulated competition' or the 'comfortable duopoly' by the Annan Committee and the Peacock Committee respectively. This 'comfortable duopoly' has consisted of both the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has been financed by the licence fee, and the Independent Television (Channel 3) which has been constituted by the various companies financed by the advertising. The Thatcher government hoped to change this situation and introduce the competition into the British broadcasting. From their viewpoint, the licence fee was to replace it with advertising on BBC television, and Channel 3 franchises would be awarded by a process of competitive tender. By the Broadcasting Act 1990,the franchise auction for Channel 3 was held in 1991. It might be said generally, when the government talk about the reform of the media system, they must hope to influence the journalism of the media. Accordingly I would like to deal with the influence of the broadcasting reform by the Thatcher government on the British broadcast journalism, especially focusing on the 'impartiality' which has been the guideline for the British broadcast journalism so far.