Niche and mainstream audiences

A niche audience is a small number of people that have a unique interest in a particular media text. The type of t.v programmes that have a niche audience, aren't very often shown on mainstream channels like BBC1 and 2. they are a lot more likely to be shown on channels like BBC3 and 4. they also tend to be shown at more awkward times of the day like mid afternoon or late at night.

The T.V series, Breaking Bad, is an example of a programme with a niche audience, although more recently, the show has become increasingly popular in the U.S, the show is still not very well known in other countries and by certain audiences. This show is becoming more popular in countries like the U.K because shows are now a lot more easier to access with sites such as Netflix, Youtube and On Demand channels online. This means it is slowly becoming more mainstream. The narrative of the show is drug related and the main character is a man who becomes involved in drugs to pay for medical bills and becomes bad.  

The film, Submarine is an indie film released in 2010. This film has a very niche audience in that it was mainly watched by people who followed indie films and had heard of it as it was premiered and shown at a lot of film festivals. Also, the composer of the soundtrack, Alex Turner, pulled in some viewers as his fans wanted to watch a film that included his work.
Although this film does have a niche audience, the ratings and reviews it received helped it bring in a larger audience. As it was produced by Film 4, it has been show on that channel, which is fairly easy to access, however it was shown quite late at night which could only target a niche audience. The film is a coming of age comedy-drama adapted by the 2008 novel written by Joe Dunthorne. The film was written and directed by Richard Ayoade. Another reason this film may be seen as niche, is to do with budget and advertising. As the budget is low, the film was not advertised on mainstream channels, billboards and at cinema showings. The most advertising was at the film festivals and on the channel Film4 as that is where it was shown. The mode of address is British, which may alienate viewers of other nationalities. This is because the film is very small scale, shot in an English town. It also uses british slang which may not appeal to non-british viewers, as would accent. 

NME (New Music Express), is a music magazine, mainly including indie music, with older, more famous bands as well as new and upcoming bands and artists. This very much appeals to the niche audience of a younger generation, male and female. Particularly those who enjoy live music, whether it be intimate gigs or large music festivals. the magazine started in 1952. It started as a newspaper and gradually turned into a magazine during the 1980's. In the 1970's, it became the best-selling British music newspaper. Although it has been so successful, it is still targeted at a niche audience, and this niche audience are what has made the magazine so popular in it's genre. It is quite easy to access, as it is sold in WHSmiths, ASDA, Tesco etc. However it is not usually sold in smaller independent newsagents. 

A mainstream audience is an audience that takes in all common media texts. Mainstream media or mass media, is generally applied to print publications, such as newspapers and magazines that contain the highest readership among the public, along with radio formats and television stations that contain the highest viewing and listener audience, respectively. This is in contrast to various independent media, such as alternative weekly newspapers, specialized magazines in various organizations, and various electronic sources such as podcasts and blogs. (although some blogs are more mainstream) Mainstream T.V shows are mainly shown on channels such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4.

The X Factor is a widely consumed talent show an it appeals to many audiences as it includes acts from young ages to older ages, males and females, and all different races and cultures. it is also shown on ITV1 at 7 o'clock. A mainstream channel at a commonly watched time. The show involves people from all over the U.K auditioning to become the country's next huge pop star. They go through several stages until a final selection of 12 go through to live shows where the public are then able to vote for the person they want to win. The inner then receives a record deal and is able to fulfil their dream. The show is very much a household name and when it is running, receives lots               of media attention from magazines, newspapers, T.V shows and radio stations. There i also a spin off show called The Xtra Factor, which is shown on ITV2 straight after the main show. 

Although it may seem obvious, the BBC news is a widely consumed T.V programme, on every night at set times, it is almost seen as a scheduled watch by many people. although it is mainly targeted at adults, it is seen as mainstream because it is a programme watched internationally by the majority of grown adults. There are also more niche news shows, such as political and sports news. The BBC News includes all relevant issues that happen around the world every day, whether it be good or bad and involve, interviews, description and footage regarding these issues and events. There are many ways to access the news as well os the scheduled show on T.V. It can be accessed via the internet, the radio and newspapers.

Soaps, such as Coronation Street are widely consumed by mainstream audiences as they include topics that different people relate to such as illnesses, violence, alcohol abuse and family struggles. They also have an ensemble cast who are of all forms of religion, race, gender, age and sexuality. It is shown at a popular time of 7 o'clock in the evening on weekdays and is shown on the popular channel ITV1, which is a typical time for the majority of people to watch television and is a channel that everyone with a T.V has access to. Since the On Demand channels and websites have been introduced, it is now a lot more easier to access for a wider audience, as is the recently introduced ITV+1 channel, which shows everything on ITV1 an hour later than scheduled. Another thing that helps audiences keep up on watching the show is Sky+, which means people can record series of their favourite programmes so they never miss an episode. The mode of address in this programme is also British, as it is shown in a British town. Although there are different cultures shown on this programme, it could be less appealing to a non-british audience.