Andrews, Hannah, Ph.D. (2012) 'This is FilmFour – not some cheesy pseudo-Hollywood thing!' : the opening night simulcast of FilmFour on Channel 4. Journal of British Cinema and Television, Vol.9 (No.4). pp. 569-587. doi:10.3366/jbctv.2012.0106 ISSN 1743-4521.

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Abstract

Channel 4's tradition of supporting, promoting and contributing to British cinema culture entered a new phase in 1998. Its film-making operations were consolidated into a single, semi-vertically integrated studio called FilmFour. On 1 November it launched a brand-new pay-TV channel of the same name. This channel programmed a variety of cinema, premiering world cinema films, FilmFour's own productions and independent films. It was the first digital channel in Britain affiliated to a public service broadcaster. The new channel was introduced on its opening night with a simultaneous broadcast with terrestrial Channel 4. Scheduled on this evening was a representative selection of films and programmes to entice viewers to take up the new channel, including the UK television premiere of The Usual Suspects (1995). This article presents a detailed textual analysis of this opening night simulcast. It examines how the new channel was presented to the audience, focusing particularly on interstitial material: the introductory programme, interviews with well-known faces from the British film industry, and additional material broadcast between the films. Evaluating the evening's output, the paper argues that the opening night simulcast represented both a marketing tool for the new channel and a means of extending the Channel 4 corporation's brand. This article offers a case study in how a public service broadcaster began to negotiate for itself a space in the new digital broadcasting environment by targeting a specific, discriminating audience.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts > Film and Television Studies
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	FilmFour (Firm) -- History, Television broadcasting of films -- Great Britain, Digital television -- Great Britain
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of British Cinema and Television
Publisher:	Edinburgh University Press
ISSN:	1743-4521
Official Date:	2012
Dates:	Date Event 2012 Published
Volume:	Vol.9
Number:	No.4
Page Range:	pp. 569-587
DOI:	10.3366/jbctv.2012.0106
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit:	23 December 2015
Date of first compliant Open Access:	23 December 2015

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