Consistency is the key

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

FIVE weeks into my extended summer holiday and I can’t say that it has been a bundle of fun.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to have time off as much as anyone, but it becomes very difficult to motivate yourself, especially when you don’t have an ambition/target to set yourself.  Nevertheless, I can fully now appreciate that after a tricky spring period of the year, summer has brought some lovely (and unpredictable weather!) and some summery results. 

     Yes, two weeks ago, I got the conformation of my grades for the second year of my journalism course at the University of Northampton.  On reflection, I really can’t complain, and although the overall module results could have been slightly better, I was thrilled with my consistency in the separate units that make up a module.  Nearly 80 per cent of all the units I did ended up coming back with B grades, which for the hard graft and effort I put in during the last academic year, is a thoroughly merited result. 

     Some grades really surprised me actually.  I got a B- on the Broadcast Portfolio segment of one of my workshop modules.  Honestly, I was expecting a D!  If anyone listened to my radio pieces (see University Northampton portfolio 2010/11), you could hear how rubbish they were.  Frankly, it was the standard I would expect from an average primary school child!  That’s how bad my radio was.  I do wonder how well I could have done, if I’d done the Sky Sports sexism row back in January for one of my radio pieces.  Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing in life, if we have access to it.  

Law is an essential part of journalism; but it is still so BORING!

     Of course, the highpoint was earning an A on my law and government exam.  I was gutted to only earn a C on my 1998 Human Rights Act essay.  Although it wasn’t the greatest essay I’d ever produced, I thought I might have received a bit of discretion for choosing something different to almost everybody else on my degree.  The standard choice of the others was the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  I went a different route and obviously, it didn’t go down well.  Sometimes, gambles don’t pay off, but this does prove I am a risk taker.  Do I regret going a different route?  No, I don’t.  I don’t understand the Freedom of Information Act 2000; it would leave my head spinning like the world globe!  It’s just too complex for a brain as small as mine and as people who know me can vouch to, if I had brains, I’d be lethally dangerous!  Was I hoping for a better result on the essay?  Absolutely I was, and it’s the last time I will believe that going down a different route to the norm will earn some form of creditability. 

     It meant come the exam, I needed a decent result to balance out the essay grade.  As I think I said before, I came out of the exam feeling confident that I had done really well.  However, I could never have imagined earning an A!  It’s the first ever time I’ve achieved the top grade in any kind of exam before (SAT’s, GCSE’s, A Levels) you name it.  I think I can safely say I finally managed to beat the brain freeze I used to suffer in exams, or the choking levels of not remembering your stuff.  Whilst I’m on choking levels, maybe we’ll get a British winner at Wimbledon (No, there’s more chance of me driving a car again, which isn’t likely!)  I didn’t revise as hard as last year, but came out with a better result by a million miles.  Obviously, my preparation was meticulous.  Trust me though; I have no secrets to giveaway!

     The disappointing side of the results was the dismal D+ on my TV Gold magazine, which significantly bought down my DTP overall grade to a C+.  I must admit to being a bit confused by this.  I did a good presentation, thought I stuck to a consistent balance between design and content, yet the result is baffling.  Okay, I did see some top-quality magazines (like Farida’s Milan travel magazine, which was a class above anything else, sorry everyone, that was the standard to beat!) and I knew mine was nowhere near her calibre as an example.  However, it wasn’t that bad and I enjoyed doing it too, despite the stress of printer’s pairs!  There’s only one option I can try now; weasel my way out of doing a magazine next year.  Unlikely, as I think the 32-page mag is one of the compulsory modules for my final year.  However, if there is a way around it, I have to take a different option.  I was heavily criticised for my 8-page magazine last year and now, the 12-page has clearly gone the same way!  So, little hope of a 32-page being successful then!  Probably more chance of me gambling £1 on the National Lottery!

I was happy that my consistency has improved

     Nevertheless, consistency was the key to my overall results and I generally can’t complain with them.  I can’t wait to see my journalism buddies again.  I miss them so much and a fancy dress birthday party for August has already been arranged, so it will be the perfect catch-up point. 

      One final thing to announce; I will NOT be updating this website with anymore blogs from Christmas onwards.  It was a tough decision to make, but 2012 promises so much and I know that I’m just not going to have the time to keep this website functioning any longer.  Nevertheless, I want to thank everyone for reading/liking/commenting on the hundreds of blogs I’ve produced and those of my entertainment expert, Jason Wright too.  I hope you continue to visit the website and enjoy it as much as possible between now and the middle of December, when this journey comes to its conclusion.  Thank you and look forward to seeing/hearing from you soon.

Product placement - Is it the future of British television?

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

BRITISH programmes have become synonymous with one thing; they have to use made-up brands and companies.  Unlike broadcasters worldwide and films, broadcasting law prohibited the use of advertisement in programmes, known as “Product Placement.”  During the 1990s, PIF’s about the use of this feature not being allowed could be regularly seen on ITV and Channel 4 on behalf of the Independent Television Commission (ITC), now OFCOM.

     Product placement is as mentioned, the use of brand advertisement within a programme, a company pays the broadcaster a cash value to have products of theirs appear in a certain programme.  It has been used for several years in US, for example on American Idol, the judges drinking glasses are sponsored by Coca Cola.  It had seemed though that nothing like this would come to Britain, until now.

     In autumn 2009, OFCOM earned a government grant to allow the prohibition of product placement to be lifted, providing certain requirements and limitations were agreed upon.  However it is only now that these changes are starting to come into force.  Last Monday, ITV1’s flagship daytime show This Morning became the UK’s first example of Product placement with Nescafe’s popular Dolce Gusto coffee maker appearing in view in the set’s kitchen.  To date, it is so far the only use of this feature but other shows, mainly the soaps will soon be expected to follow suit.  Surely, it won’t be too long before we see Heinz Tomato Ketchup used in many breakfast scenes in Corrie and PG Tips teabags purchased in the post office shop in Emmerdale.

     There are some exceptions within the law of course.  Broadcasters must display a P logo as shown at the top of this blog on the titles of the programme and also at the close of the programme and after an ad break to remind and inform viewers.  The BBC is not permitted to use product placement in any of its shows because of its government funding.  Children’s programmes, news bulletins, and programmes of a nature to current affairs, politics and religion can’t use this advertisement venture.  Likewise, companies that have products that are classed as junk food, or any alcohol, tobacco goods and companies that appeal to gambling (e.g. betting, bingo) are barred from using product placement to show their items.  This of course means, amongst others, that pints of Newton & Ridley, Corrie’s fictional beer, will still be pulled at the Rovers instead of being exchanged for the likes of Carling or Carlsberg.

     So what will this mean for advertisers and the TV programmes in general?  Well in this current financial climate, product placement may just be the saviour to those advertisements that are struggling to get their message out.  It is extremely expensive nowadays to purchase a space in a programme break to advertise and even more for those who are brave enough to advertise at cinemas.

     It will open up a whole new world for the companies that are likely to get involved as many viewers will surely be convinced to try or purchase a product that is used in a programme.