The production ecology of pre-school television in Britain

该项目根据20世纪90年代中期以来全球和国家的发展情况调查了英国学龄前电视不断变化的生产生态，当时英国少数学前教育节目(《天线宝宝》、《建造者鲍勃》)在国际上获得了很高的知名度。主要目的是通过确定影响和塑造英国学龄前电视发展和生产的因素，对英国学龄前电视的状况进行系统的分析。第二个目标是传播研究结果，以增进业界和学术界对该行业的了解。研究的主要成果之一是与行业联系的程度和不同的生产环境，这为实现该项目的目的和目标提供了丰富的证据。这项研究通过对制片人、发行商、广播商、编剧、导演、监管者、马里奥研究人员和海外买家的88次访谈，结合对一系列生产环境的观察，阐明并确立了决定学龄前生产的复杂的内部和外部因素。它的重点是这个生产生态中的不同参与者如何管理和创造性地谈判更广泛的商业、监管、文化和技术力量以及对所生产产品的性质的影响。这项研究适时地证明了其特殊性，因为它恰逢英国儿童电视领域的一场明显危机，此前英国禁止在针对儿童的节目周围投放HFSS(高脂盐)食品广告，ITV减少了在其地面服务ITV 1上委托内容和传输儿童节目的承诺。国际成功与国内危机之间的对比为进一步调查提供了令人信服的理由。该项目的另一项成就是传播的程度超出了最初的设想(2篇文章、1本书的章节、2次会议、1份行业报告、13篇论文)。在结果和结果方面，该项目参照英国学龄前电视的历史、结构、机构关系和工作运作，对其进行了全面审查。特别是，它描绘了学龄前电视是如何被一系列外部力量和内部做法塑造的，以及它如何作为一个生产生态发挥作用，其中包括一系列大小参与者(广播公司、制片人、许可人、联合创始人)，这些参与者在不同的时间在高度竞争和日益全球化的生产环境中共存、合作和竞争。审查这些不同的参与者及其多变的、往往不平等的关系有助于更好地了解不同程度的互动、相互依存、合作和竞争，以及行为者如何根据不断变化的国家和国际环境以及彼此之间的关系确定自己的位置。该团队专注于不同参与者的确切角色，深入了解了为获得项目委托和资金而采用的策略。就调查结果而言，该项目确定了：生产部门的高度差异化但相互关联的性质，从在国际市场上有主要利益的大型和以商业为导向的生产者-分销商和特许商品，到较小的创造性主导的生产实体。广播公司(主要是C Beebies、Five和Nick Junior UK)提供的少量佣金和资金与它们根据对广播分销的控制决定制作内容的权力之间的脱节。国际和特许商品的考虑在很大程度上决定了生产什么。越来越重视将教育内容纳入学前节目，以满足人们对节目对儿童影响的日益关注，也是为了满足美国市场的需求，美国市场更加注重教育。

This project investigated the changing production ecology of British preschool television in the light of global and national developments since the mid-1990s when a small number of British pre-school programmes (Teletubbies, Bob the Builder) achieved a high international profile. The principle aim has been to provide systematic analysis of the state of British preschool television by identifying the factors that inform and shape its development and production. The second aim has been to disseminate the findings to enhance understanding of the sector both within industry and academia.One of the main achievements of the research has been the degree of access to industry contacts and different production contexts, which has provided rich evidence to meet the project's aims and objectives. Drawing on 88 interviews with producers, distributors, broadcasters, writers, directors, regulators, mari researchers, and overseas buyers, combined with observations in a range of production environments, the research has articulated and established the complex internal and external factors that determine preschool production. It focused on how different players in this production ecology manage and creatively negotiate wider commercial, regulatory, cultural and technological forces and the implications for the nature of what is produced. The research proved particularity timely as it coincided with a perceived crisis in UK children's TV following a ban on advertising for HFSS (high fat sugar salt) foods around programming targeted at children, and the reduced commitment of ITV to commissioning content and transmitting children's shows on its terrestrial service ITV 1. This contrast between international success and domestic crisis provided a compelling rationale for further investigation. A further achievement of the project, has been levels of dissemination beyond what was originally envisaged (2 articles, 1 book chapter, 2 conferences, an industry report, 13 papers). In terms of outcomes and results the project provides a comprehensive examination of British pre-school television with reference to its history, structure, institutional relationships and working operations. In particular it charts how preschool television has been shaped by a range of external forces and internal practices, and how it functions as a production ecology comprising a range of large and small players (broadcasters, producers, licensors, co-founders) who at different times co-exist, co-operate and compete in a highly competitive and increasingly global production environment. The examination of these different players and their variable and often unequal relationships provides an improved understanding of the different levels of interactivity, interdependence, cooperation and competition, and how actors position themselves in relation to changing national and international circumstances and to each other. Focusing on the precise roles of different players, the team gained insight into the strategies employed to get programmes commissioned and funded. In term of findings the project established: The highly differentiated yet interconnected nature of the production sector ranging from large and commercially ^ orientated producer-distributors with major interests in international markets and licensed merchandise to smaller creatively-led production entities. The disconnect between the small amounts of commissions and funding provided by broadcasters (primarily C Beebies, Five and Nick Junior UK) and their power In determining what gets made, based on their hold over broadcast distribution. The large degree to which international and licensed merchandise considerations inform what gets made. The growing importance given to the incorporation of educational content in pre-school programming to meet increasing concerns about the impact of programming on children, and also to satisfy the US market, which is more educationally focused.