Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies, 8th edition

Channel capacity

A B C D E F G H I

JK

L M N O P R S T U V

XYZ

W

see formerly restricted fi lms – such as Spider-

Man – as long as they were accompanied by an

adult over 18.

The 12A certificate marked the arrival of

former civil servant Sir Quentin Th omas as chief

censor. It brought Britain into line with other

countries, including the US, Canada, Japan,

Ireland, New Zealand and Spain. Th e fi rst fi lm

to carry a UK 12A certifi cate was Th e Bourne

Identity starring Matt Damon. 12A certifi cation

requires that posters advertising such films

should carry warnings about scenes involving

violence, sex and bad language. Th e 12 rating

remains for fi lm videos. See h-certificate.

Chamberlain, Lord See lord chamberlain.

Channel Each message-carrying signal requires

a route along which it is transmitted from

the sender to the receiver and along which

feedback may be obtained. Channels may

be physical (our voices or bodies), technical

(the telephone) or social (our schools, media,

etc.). In business organizations or institutions

they may be vertical, hierarchical, formal and

predominantly one-way – from the boss down-

wards; or horizontal, democratic, informal and

two-way as between workmates and groups with

common tasks, interests and sympathies. Like

country paths, channels need to be kept open

and frequented – and sometimes repaired – if

they are to continue to be recognized as viable.

See cosmopolite and localite channels;

jakobson’s model of communication, 1958;

phatic (language); shannon and weaver’s

model of communication, 1949.

Channel capacity C.E. Shannon and W.E.

Weaver use this term to describe the upper limit

of information that any communication system

in order to ascertain the precise role that D is
playing in the sociogram illustrated; in particu-
lar, information would be needed about the
content of the communication and of the pattern
of interaction over time. It may be that D is not
normally that central to the group’s communica-
tion, and that when this sociogram was drawn
he/she was playing a ‘blocking’ role in the group
and receiving criticism. See interaction
process analysis.
Centres for research into the media See
research centres (into the media).
Certifi cation of fi lms (UK) For several years
until December 1982, the british board of
film censors had the following system of
certifi cation: X, denoting fi lms with high sex and
violence content or other disturbing subject-
matter which those under 18 were not permitted
to see in cinemas; AA fi lms, from which children
under 14 were barred; A fi lms, to which children
were admitted if accompanied by an adult; and
U-certifi cate fi lms admitting all.
Th ese were replaced in 1982 with: 18 (permit-
ting admission for those aged 18 and over); 15
(replacing AA, and raising the admission age
from 14 to 15); PG (Parental Guidance, a symbol
used in the US, and intended to show that a fi lm
contains some scenes which individual parents
may feel unsuitable for children); and U as
before. A 12 certifi cate was introduced in 1989,
mainly to target the first film in the Batman
series.
In August 2002 the British Board of Film
Classifi cation, under pressure from a number of
sources, including that of parents and children,
made an adjustment to the 12 certifi cation by
adding a 12A rating, meaning that children could

Example of a sociogram