Describe Niche and Mainstream audiences with specific text examples

A mainstream text has a wider and less specific target audience than a niche text may do, due to aspects such as the airing time, scheduling, subject content (for example cast members, storyline etc.) and mode of address. A niche text is generally less popular than a mainstream text, and also has the following of a niche audience (in comparison to a mainstream text which is followed by a mass audience).

Now a programme with a mainstream audience following, which was once a niche text, Breaking Bad is aired at a mixture of different times, ranging from 7.57PM through to 4.58AM. In previous years, the earlier series of this text will have been aired into the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning, with less advertising due to the fact that it had a smaller following, and mainstream texts would have held priority in advertisement during the daytime. Throughout it's five series', Breaking Bad's subject content has adapted to gratify the mode of address of it's audience type, due to the fact that the programme was becoming more popular in the US and becoming well known in the UK. THis would have inspired producers to create a more mainstream storyline, including maybe even some of Todorov's theory of the equilibrium, with a disruption and cliffhanger ending each episode to entice the ass audience into watching the programme continuously weekly.

Advertising was once minimal for this media text, therefore the audience access would too have been minimal. This would have created a niche audience in the idea that the not many people would have seen advertising, and there are several reasons for this;
- By being aired on American channels such as AMC, Five* (or 5*) and Netflix (all of which are either advertised in the UK and other countries slightly, or not at all), which proves the programme's popularity in America only. Because of this, the range of audience types will be limited.
- Also, by having the main character turn into someone with non-tradiotional morals and beliefs, the programme will only gratify certain audience members. What started off as a normal, typical American family man, soon turned into someone who most members of the general public wouldn't agree with, making them either dislike the character or become disinterested in the programme, loosing followers and decreasing ratings, creating a niche text.


In comparison to this, British television programmes such as the X-Factor are well known in both Britain and other countries, with America (as one of a few examples) making their own version, 'X Factor US'. The British version of X Factor is also well known in the US, with a past British judge (Simon Cowell) taking the same role on in the US version. As a brand, The X Factor is one of the most mainstream British television programmes (competitions).

In regards to scheduling and placement, both at 8.00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, this text takes up a large amount of one of the most popular and most-watched times on television. Saturdays and Sundays both lie on weekends, giving people the time to sit down (as a family or with friends) and watch the programme through. Similarly to this, Sundays (considered the 'day of rest') also allow people to do the same thing, and because of this, people are given the weekdays to talk about the programme and it's highlights before it continues on the next Saturday. Also, by using such accessible times, the audience will find that the programme itself becomes more accessible. Being broadcasted on ITV (and having ITV+1 and ITVPlayer to catch up on the episodes that they have missed) allows the audience to keep following the programme continuously throughout the weeks that it is being aired.

With interactive material on the ITV website, audience members can continue watching cuts and extra material form the previous week's episode, until the next week's is aired. In regards to the Mode of Address, the X Factor uses likeable characters (as well as characters which may generally be disliked by the majority of audiences), for example boy groups (appealing to young females), contestants with a heartfelt story (appealing to the family types) and so on. The subject content of this text is light, easy watching, however with the competitive streak of this type of programme, the audience can choose their favourite contestants and follow and support them, creating a mode of address, and keeping the ratings as high as possible, generating more profit.