Conference Papers
The call for papers for Channel 4 -The first 25 Years closed on 30 January 2007.
We asked contributors to consider the following subjects, many of which are covers by the papers submitted. Scholars are in many cases using clips from the BFI National Archive's Channel 4 collection to illustrate their research.
Papers might consider
Institutional Issues
- Channel 4 and Audiences: Minorities, mass appeal, and demographics.
- Channel 4's public service role: the 'duty to be different' and its challenges to the audience.
- The inception of Channel 4 in its political and historical context.
- Agents of change: Chief Executives, Commissioning Editors and Chairmen.
- Censorship and Controversy: pushing the boundaries at Channel 4.
- The changing economics of the Channel, and its future in the digital age.
- The digital world: FilmFour, E4, More4, 4Docs and 4Laughs.
- The Welsh exception: S4C
Channel 4's programming
- Drama
- Comedy
- Film on Four
- Regions and nations
- Minority programming
- Experimental and avant-garde work
- Investigative documentaries and Channel 4 News
- Youth programmes
- Sports coverage
- Reality programming
Researchers needed
As part of a major project reviewing 25 years of Channel 4, the bfi is looking for postgraduate researchers who, as part of their studies, can view and catalogue holdings of important Channel 4 programmes held in the bfi National Archive. If you are an academic who has research students who may be interested in undertaking this work, or if you are conducting appropriate research yourself as a postgraduate student, please contact us. Researchers will have an opportunity to present a paper on their work at a major academic conference to be held at the bfi in November 2007.
Programmes to be researched in this way include:
- The Bandung File
- Right to Reply
- The Tube and Whatever You Want
- Union World
- Irish Angle
- Diverse Reports
Successful applicants would view the material on bfi premises and documents the contents so that the programmes can become a useful scholarly resource. The work would constitute part of their postgraduate qualification.
For further information contact Phil Wickham at the BFI using the contact form or phone 020 7957 4730.
