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.
Key words 🔑
Learn these four terms before you study funding and regulation.
Public or commercial? 🆚
Media is funded in two main ways.
Grade 9 thinking 💡
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.
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 🪜
An interactive activity.
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 🔢
An interactive activity.
Find the commercial funding 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Which regulator? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Explain funding and rules ✍️
An interactive activity.