Niche and Mainstream audiences

Describe Niche and Mainstream audiences with specific text examples

Niche Audiences

Fabric Of Britain This show is shown on BBC4 at 2.40am and is a program on the history of knitting. The timing of the show and the channel it is shown on make it unlikely that it would just be stumbled upon and is likely to be a program someone with an avid interest would record to watch later on. It is presented with an image of a countryside showing it is probably more aimed at an older audience also. This type of program may be used to gratify someones educational needs on a specific personal interest. 

Mainstream Audiences 

The Simpsons This show is shown every night on channel 4 at 6pm. This is prime time television and reaches a huge audience of all ages, it does this by having an ensemble cast that most people can identify themselves with one of the characters. The timing it is shown at means it is the sort of show families can watch together as it is easy to understand for all ages. It is very easy to access on catch up programs along with other places online. It is also shown on other mainstream channels such as Sky 1. As it is a Sitcom, this is one of the most popular type of genres with the equilibrium being restored at the end of each episode. You don’t have to have watched the previous episodes to understand what is happening in an episode therefore it is open to a larger audience. It provides escapism and humour.