United Kingdom
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Population: | 61,113,205 |
| Capital: | London | |
| Language: | English | |
| Literacy Rate: | 99% | |
| GDP/PP: | $36,600 | |
| Joined Commonwealth: | 11 December 1931 (The Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Statute of Westminster 1931) |
Media
The British media are free and able to report on all aspects of British life. The variety of newspapers, periodicals and magazines reflects the full spectrum of political opinion, as well as the British public's voracious appetite for newspapers. It has a strong self-regulatory framework for the press and criticism of the government is widespread when required. However, there are some key issues which affect press freedom in the UK, all in the legal field.
The recent financial crisis has impacted badly on the UK press with many newspapers, particularly the once strong regional press, suffering serious declines in revenue.
The UK has a strong tradition of public-service broadcasting and an international reputation for creative programme-making. The fledgling BBC began daily radio broadcasts in 1922 and quickly came to play a pivotal role in national life. The Empire Service - the forerunner of the BBC World Service - established a reputation worldwide. The BBC is funded by a licence fee, which all households with a TV set must pay.
In a rapidly-changing digital world, British media providers are looking at new ways of reaching audiences via computers and personal multimedia devices. The once-dominant terrestrial TV networks face strong competition from digital satellite and cable, which offer hundreds of channels, and digital terrestrial TV, which carries a smaller number of mainly free-to-view channels. By 2006, 70% of British homes had access to multi-channel TV. Digital radio (DAB) has had a slower start, but the BBC and commercial operators provide digital-only radio services.
Britain's media regulator, Ofcom, has set a timetable for a switchover from analogue to digital TV broadcasting; it hopes to turn off the analogue TV signal by 2012.
Newspapers
The Daily Telegraph - broadsheet
Financial Times - daily, business broadsheet
The Guardian - daily, former broadsheet
The Independent - daily, former broadsheet
The Times - daily, former broadsheet
The Sun - daily tabloid
The Mirror - daily tabloid
The Daily Mail - tabloid
The Daily Express - tabloid
The Scotsman - Scottish daily
Western Mail - Welsh daily
Belfast Telegraph - Northern Ireland daily
Television
BBC TV - operates BBC1, BBC2 and digital services including BBC News channel
BBC World News - commercially-funded international news channel
ITV - major commercial network, organised around regional franchises
Channel 4 - commercially funded but publicly owned national station
five - national commercial channel
Independent Television News (ITN) - supplier of news to ITV, Channel 4
British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) - operator of digital satellite platform, Sky, and provider of film, entertainment channels and news channel Sky News
Radio
BBC Radio - national services include new-music station Radio 1, adult music station Radio 2, cultural network Radio 3, flagship speech station Radio 4 and news and sport station Five Live
BBC World Service - major international broadcaster, heard worldwide via shortwave and increasingly on FM relays, programmes in more than 30 languages
Absolute Radio - national commercial pop and rock station
Talk Sport - national commercial sports station
Classic FM - national commercial classical music station
News agency
