Funding Models and the Six Regulators
How media is paid for and controlled: the licence fee and commercial funding like advertising and product placement, and the six regulators that watch over film, television, games, press and adverts.
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Paying for the media
Making films, television and games costs money, so every media product needs a way to be paid for. Some media is funded by the public, such as the BBC through the television licence fee, while most is funded commercially through advertising. The media is also watched over by regulators. This module looks at funding models and the six named regulators.
Funding and regulation terms
Learn these four terms before you study funding and regulation.
Public or commercial?
Media is funded in two main ways.
How funding shapes content
Explain how funding shapes content: an advertising-funded channel must attract large audiences to sell adverts, which affects what it makes. There are six named regulators to learn: OFCOM, IPSO, the VSC, the BBFC, the ASA and PEGI. The spec does not spell out their exact powers, so keep their roles broad.
Match the funding term
- the licence fee
- advertising
- sponsorship
- product placement
- money paid by viewers that funds the BBC
- selling space or time to companies to promote products
- a company pays to be linked to a programme
- showing a brand inside a programme or film
Match the regulator
- the BBFC
- PEGI
- the ASA
- OFCOM
- gives age ratings to films
- gives age ratings to video games
- checks that advertising is honest
- regulates television and radio
What does the licence fee fund?
What does the television licence fee mainly fund?
- The BBC, which does not show adverts.
- Advertising on commercial channels.
- The age rating of films.
- Channel 4.
Commercial funding
Select the TWO commercial ways to fund media.
- Selling advertising.
- Getting sponsorship.
- The licence fee.
- A grant to a not-for-profit media group.
How commercial media pays
Put the way commercial media makes money in order, earliest first.
- A channel attracts a large audience
- It sells advertising space to companies
- The advertising brings in revenue
- The revenue pays for more content
Summarise funding and rules
The BBC is funded by the television _____ fee and does not show adverts. Commercial media is funded mainly by _____, and also by sponsorship and product _____. Media is watched over by regulators; the _____ gives age ratings to films, and PEGI gives age ratings to _____.
Count the regulators
How many named media regulators does the specification list: OFCOM, IPSO, the VSC, the BBFC, the ASA and PEGI?
Find the commercial funding
Tap the TWO commercial funding sources.
- Advertising
- The licence fee
- Sponsorship
- A not-for-profit grant
- Public funding
Which regulator?
Decide which regulator would deal with each thing.
- A new cinema film that needs an age rating
- A new video game that needs an age rating
- A television advert that must be honest and not mislead
Explain funding and rules
Choose a media product, such as a television channel or a video game. Explain how it is funded and why it needs to be regulated.
- Name the product and how it is funded
- Name a regulator that would apply to it
- Explain why regulation is needed