Television: Duopoly in the 1960s

The era of two competing broadcasters, ITV and the BBC, is refers to by many as a "Golden Age" of broadcasting in the UK. The two institutions had full control over the programmes as they produced them in-house.

How might this competition and control have positive outcomes? What negative effects might this have?

Positive:

• Full control of all aspects from creation to editing. 
• Producer/ institution as auteur (has a personal creative vision which can be followed right through without external pressures).
• Competition between the organisations led them both to strive for better content.
• Allowed in-house talent and content to be developed over time and build a loyal audience.
• Production became more of a business, talent was developed and processes improved.

Negative:

• Hard for voices outside of the institution to be heard (the concept of the "old boys network").
• Ideas subject to the ideologies of those in control/ political pressures.
• Some argued in competing with ITV the BBC "dumbed-down" some of its content.