Exercise 2. Fill the table with information about the two types of British newspapers.
The Tabloids
The Broadsheets
Size
Cost
Circulation
Colour
Contents
Photos
Language
Examples of newspapers
Exercise 3. Match the titles of some of the most popular British magazines with their descriptions.
1. Private Eye
2. Hello!
3. The Spectator
4. Radio Times
5. The New Musical
Express (NME)
6. The Economist
7. New Scientist
A A weekly news and international affairs publication edited in London. Subjects covered include international news, economics, politics, business, finance, science, technology, and the arts. The publication is targeted at the high-end "prestige" segment of the market and counts among its audience influential business and government decision-makers.
B A popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart. Since the 1970s, it has also provided “coverdiscs”, records, tapes and CDs, given away for free attached to the cover.
C The BBC’s weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, carrying listings for all major terrestrial (analogue and digital), cable and satellite television channels in the United Kingdom. There are several regional editions of the magazine, which each contain different listings for regional programming.
D A weekly magazine specialising in celebrity news and gossip, published in Britain as well as other European countries. Today, it and its rival OK! often try to out-scoop each other, by buying up exclusive rights to celebrity weddings and interviews.
EA weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. It is not a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but it is widely read by both nonscientists and scientists as a way of keeping track of developments outside their own fields of study or areas of interest.
FA fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, which is often accused of specialising in gossip and scandal about the misdeeds of the powerful and famous, and has been the recipient of numerous libel writs. The magazine is also home to many of Britain's most highly regarded humorous cartoonists.
G A British magazine, which claims to be the oldest continuously-published magazine in the English language. Its principal subject area is politics. The magazine also has extensive arts pages on books, music, opera, and film and TV reviews.
Exercise 4. Give brief characteristics of the following British radio stations:
l BBC Radio 1
l BBC Radio 2
l BBC Radio 3
l BBC Radio 4
l BBC Radio 5
l commercial radio stations
Exercise 5. Enumerate the six main broadcasting companies in the UK and characterize them briefly:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Exercise 6. Characterise the following British TV channels:
l BBC 1
l BBC 2
l ITV
l Channel 4
l Five
Further Reading
1. Focus on Britain. – London: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1993. – 40 p.
2. Sheering S. Spotlight on Britain [2-d edition] / S Sheering, J. Seath, G. White. – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. – 140 p.
www.timesonline.co.uk
www.guardian.co.uk
www.ft.com
www.telegraph.co.uk
www.independent.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk
* Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages. The terms derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet.
** Tabloid is a newspaper term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread.
*** A Page Three girl is a woman who models for topless photographs published in UK tabloids, specifically page three of “The Sun”.
