Audience Types

Audience Types

There are two different types of audiences in media. One of these is called a mainstream audience and the other is known as a niche audience. these two different audience types are completely different.

A mainstream audience is when a media text appeals to a whole range of different people. A media text with a mainstream audience would be popular with the majority. Television programmes with a mainstream audience would be scheduled at prime time as that is when most viewers are available. They would also be on popular channels which the majority of people have access to, such as BBC1 and ITV. A media text with a mainstream audience usually has lots of uses and gratifications as there is lots of different reasons as to why people would use that media text. An example of a mainstream TV programme would be the Eastenders as it is a very popular TV show which is shown on BBC 1 at around 7 o'clock. Eastenders is a very popular show because it uses many different story lines which many different people may either relate to or enjoy to watch.

A niche audience is the opposite to mainstream. A niche media text would only appeal to a smaller group of people with specific interests and hobbies. Television programmes with niche audiences would usually be scheduled at a less popular time (such as midnight, or midday) and usually on channels with a smaller target audience (such as ESPN). A niche audience would not use as many uses and gratifications as viewers would only use the media text for small specific reasons and not for a range of reasons. An example of a TV programme with a niche audience would be Bargain hunt. This is a TV show with a niche audience because people would only watch it if they were interested in the specific aspects of the show. Although the show is on a mainstream channel of BBC1 and BBC2, the show remains a niche media text because of the show is shown midday on weekdays meaning their viewers are limited due to people being at work or school.