COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING IN KENYA.

INTRODUTION      

Public broadcasting is that that stretches from radio television, internet and other electronic media whose primary goal is to disseminate various forms of information to the public.

Commercial broadcasting on the hand is communication through channels like TV programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media whose dominant ideology is profit making

 BRIRF HISTORY OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING
Historically, in many countries public broadcasting was once the only form or the dominant form of broadcasting.  It was and still meant to inform, educate and entertain people on matters of health, agriculture, peace, development and cultural practices. The biggest public broadcaster worldwide by budget (6.3 billion euros in 2009) and employees (23,000) is the German ARD followed by the British BBC. Other large public broadcasters are china national radio; Japan’s broadcasting corporation and China Central Television.
BROADCASTING BRIEF HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL
Commercial broadcasting is the dominant type of broadcasting in Kenya. The best-known commercial broadcasters the Royal Media, the Nation media and the Standard group. Others include various fm radios around the country. In an hour of broadcast time on a commercial broadcasting station, 10 to 20 minutes are typically devoted to advertising. Advertisers pay a certain amount of money to air their commercials, usually based upon program ratings or the audience measurement of a station or network. This makes commercial broadcasters more accountable to advertisers than public broadcasting, a disadvantage of commercial radio and television.

FEATURES OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING 

Broadcasting organizations are generally associated with a number of features, derived in large part from the guarantee of freedom of expression

1.   General geographical availability- The first feature direct consequence of the public nature of the service. It would not be appropriate to offer a public service to only part of the population, for example those living in cities, although different regions will not necessarily receive identical services. It is also a significant justification for public service broadcasting organizations since it serves to ensure that the public’s right to know is satisfied in equal measure throughout the whole territory

2. Concern for national identity and culture-The second feature has been, and indeed remains, closely associated with public service broadcasting organizations, being an explicit obligation in many countries. It reflects the role of these broadcasters in building a sense of national identity, belonging and participation. To this extent, it can be seen as essential to the larger project of promoting a national democratic and rights respecting culture. At the same time, this feature is perhaps more controversial, both because it represents a restriction on editorial freedom and because it might lead to chauvinism.

  3. Independence from both the State and commercial interests key goal of public service broadcasting organizations is to provide quality broadcasting which meets the informational, entertainment and educational needs of the population while respecting and promoting diversity. Satisfaction of this goal is impossible if public broadcasters are expected to compete for funds in the same way as commercial broadcasters. Commercial dependency would inevitably lead to public broadcasters subjecting program production and scheduling decisions to popularity tests rather than making such decisions in the public interest. Although many public service broadcasting organizations now operate on a blend of public and commercial funding, relying entirely on private funding would clearly undermine the ability of such broadcasters to promote pluralism. 

 4. Impartiality of programs is inappropriate for the government to use public funds to promote its particular viewpoint, it is equally inappropriate, given its public mandate, for a public service broadcasting organization to promote a certain position or support a particular political party.                                                                  

5. Range and variety of programs. The fifth feature of public service broadcasting organizations is that they should provide a variety of programs, including shows of an educational and informative nature. In this public service broadcasting organizations may be contrasted with private broadcasters in a number of countries which are increasingly oriented towards low-cost options such as films and game shows. The obligation of diversity in programming derives from the public’s right to know and serves to ensure that the public has access to information about a wide variety of issues and concerns.                                             

 6. Substantial financing by a general charge on users. The fifth feature of public service broadcasting organizations is that they should provide a variety of programs, including shows of an educational and informative nature. In this public service broadcasting organizations may be contrasted with private broadcasters in a number of countries which are increasingly oriented towards low-cost options such as films and game shows. The obligation of diversity in programming derives from the public’s right to know and serves to ensure that the public has access to information about a wide variety of issues and concerns.             

FEATURES OF COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING

Advertising 

Commercial broadcasting is primarily based on the practice of airing radio advertisement and television advertisements for profit. This is in contrast to public broadcasting, which receives government subsidies. Radio broadcasting originally began without paid commercials. As time went on, however, advertisements seemed less objectionable to both the public and government regulators and became more common. While commercial broadcasting was unexpected in radio, in television it was planned due to commercial radio's success. Television began with commercial sponsorship and later transformed to paid commercial time.

Paid programming

Commercial broadcasting overlaps with paid services such as cable television and radio and satellite television and radio. Such services are generally partially or wholly paid for by local subscribers and is known as leased access Other programming (particularly on cable television) is produced by companies operating in much the same manner as advertising-funded commercial broadcasters, and they (and often the local cable provider) sell commercial time in a similar manner. Commercial broadcasting sponsored programs have five features serving the public interest as elaborated bellow:

• Sustaining programs balanced the broadcast schedule, supplementing the soap operas and popular-music programs receiving the highest ratings and most commercial sponsors
• They allowed for the broadcast of programs which, by their controversial or sensitive nature, were unsuitable for sponsorship
• They supplied cultural programming for smaller audiences
• They provided limited broadcast access for non-profit and civic organizations
• They made possible artistic and dramatic experimentation, shielded from the pressures of short-run rating and commercial considerations of a sponsor.

Ratings

Programming on commercial stations is more ratings-driven particularly during periods such as prime time in Kenya which is a time between 7pm and 10pm when most people watch TV and listen to radio.

Other factors

Commercial broadcasting (especially free-to-air) is sometimes controversial. One reason is a perceived lack of quality and risk in the programming (to which more conservative elements respond that it is too risqué much of the time), an excessively high ratio of advertising to program time (especially on children's television), and a perceived failure to serve the local interest due to media consolidation Commercial radio is criticized for a perceived homogeneity in programming, covert politically motivated censorship of content, and a desire to cut costs at the expense of a station's identifiable personality. Politics is a major force in media criticism, with an ongoing debate (especially in the United States) as to what moral standards  if any – are to be applied to the airwaves.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FUNTIONS AND ROLES.

Public broadcasting and commercial broadcasting are two different entities, and therefore have differences as discussed bellow.

Public broadcasting has its main focus on public service in terms of educating the public and informing them on issues that affect the society while commercial broadcasting has its dominant ideology in profit making.

Public broadcasting is in most cases owned by state and funded by the exchequer while commercial broadcasting is to a large extent owned by private companies, investors and funded by advertising agencies.

In terms of programs focus, public broadcasting focuses on development programs, educational programs, sports, agriculture, culture programs and peace programs; while commercial broadcasting focuses on programs driven by commercial gains, airtimes sales, advertisement sponsored talk shows and put a lot of money in research relating to viewer ship ratings

Public broadcasting is never manipulated by sponsors demands and requirements while commercial broadcasting on the other hand does exactly that. They get manipulated by the sponsors and they endeavor to meet there demands and requirements.

There is high demand for employment to meet competitive nature of the commercial broadcasting but in public broadcasting there is little demand for employment because there is no much competition.

The key actors in public broadcasting are to a large extent the state, civil society, international organization, International organization, interest group and trade union. while the key actors in commercial broadcasting are private companies, advertising agencies, international organization, professional bodies and research organizations.

Commercial broadcasters breach the codes of practice by broadcasting political matter at the request or favor of another person or a particular, while public broadcasting do not breach there codes of conduct. They maintain consciousness and promote accuracy and fairness in news and programs.

DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF PROGRAM FOCUS

PUBLIC BROADCASTING PROGRAM FOCUS

They are not dictated by commercial gains.

They promote development programs and educational programs.

They also encourage the communities especially the youth.

They encourage agriculture by airing programs or documentaries that show farmers how to plant, apply fertilizers and kill pest and diseases.

They air programs that encourage peaceful coexistence and give more attention to cultural programs.

They also promote good health through there programs.

PROGRAM  FOCUS FOR COMMERCIAL BROADCSTING.

There programs are driven by commercial gains sponsored by interest groups.

They sell airtime to companies that want to advertise there products.

Program schedule are conditioned by the sponsors demands and requirements.

They tend to pay little attention to cultural programs and produce very short talk shows.

Commercial broadcasting put a lot of money on researches that are related to the viewer ship ratings in order to win the attention of companies that want to advertise their products.

SIMILLARITIES  OF PUBLIC BROADCASTIN AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING.

Public broadcasting and commercial broadcasting have there similarities. The matter of fact is that these similarities are in fact very few. The following are the few similarities.

In terms of ownership, both public and commercial broadcasting and commercial broadcasting can be owned by an individual, the state, private companies or an investor.

Public and commercial broadcasting share the same challenge of constant technological changes. A good example is the transformation form analog to digital technology.

In terms of content, they both air programs that advocate for peace for their own good, for the good of their business and also for the good of the public since  in a war torn country it is hard for there business.

BENEFITS OF BOTH PUBLIC BROADCASTIN AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING TO CIVIL SOCIETY, NON GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.

 CIVIL SOCIETY

To promote the values and rights of citizen through public and commercial broadcasting through discussions on radio or TV and programs that sensitize people on there rights.

They use both public and commercial broadcasting to promote transparency and accountability

Civil society also broadcasting to promote equity through programs that advocate for togetherness.

The rule of law is always promoted by the civil society in broadcasting.

To promote gender issues for the concept of fair play.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

International organizations use both public and commercial broadcasting to explain there countries ideologies and interests in other countries in the world on matters such as international trade relations, governance and the dangers that face international community.

International organizations are also interested in maters of promoting the governance rule of law and peace which they minister through public and commercial broadcasting.

They also use the public and commercial broadcasting to educate people on matters of terrorism by way understanding the the aspects of terrorism, its impacts and the way it may be managed.

They also use broadcast to monitor international reactions both positive and negative, people who are neutral and those that offer constructive solutions.

CHALLENGES OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND COMMERCIAL BROADCSTING.

Both public and commercial broadcasting suffer economic challenges necessitated by the level of national economic development at any given county to the extend that they must have funding to employ experts, buy equipment and buy imported equipments.

Limited sources of airwaves and frequency allocations given that public broadcast must by law share frequency and airwaves with commercial broadcasting.

There is also the problem of ideological variations and practices among key actors running both public and commercial broadcast.

Another challenge is resources which include human expertise, funding and equipment and there sourcing and maintenance.

Laws have been also identified as a challenge facing both commercial and public broadcasting with limitation arising from the implementation of defamation and libel laws.

The constant technological changes for example the change from analog to digital technology is also another problem since it is an expensive transformation that requires a lot of investment in both machinery and human expertise.

Competition is also a challenge. Public broadcasters try to compete with the commercial broadcasters for audience attention in their quest to disseminate there content to the members of the public.

CONCLUTION

The role of commercial broadcasting as compared to the role of public broadcasting remains a matter of great academic interest and discourse. There is competing interest among various scholars to continue empirical investigation relating to what kind of roles each of them is based suited for such as the promoting of development                         of national values and ethos, programmatic focus and demand generation referred to as entertainment.

However what is crucial is the desire that communication scholars continue in their quest of determining their key role in society limitations and desired solutions.

REFERENCE

Raboy, Marc(1995),public broadcasting for the 21 century; academic research monographs Indiana press.

Holt Bacha, Christiana and Norris Pippa(2000) “To entertain inform and educate still the role of public television in the 1990’s” London sage.

Boddy William.Fifties television; the industry and its critics. University of Illinois press 1992.

Public broadcast by Voyne Meryer. Majesty publishers 2003.

http://www.global media.com Retrieved between the month of October. 

Banerjee, indrajit, seneviratne, kalinga and eds (20060.Public service broadcasting in the age of globalization. Asia media information and communication centre.

Edwin Cameron. Challenges  of broadcast.1995. London sage.