Introduction to the Radio Industry

 Why is radio relevant/irrelevant?

• Still reports the news while driving
• Gives real time traffic updates 
• Daily weather forecasts 
• Repetitive music 
• Changes in format
• Rise of streaming options 

What do the BBC do?

Create distinctive, world-class programmes and content which inform, educate and entertain millions of people in the UK and around the world.

How was the BBC set up?

Established by a Royal Charter.

How does it make money?

The BBC is principally funded through the license paid by UK households.

Who regulates the BBC?

Ofcom. They make sure the people don't get scammed and are protected from bad practices and in general look after the airwaves 

What is the BBC mission and values?

Mission Statement:

"to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain"

Public Purposes:

1. To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them


2. To support learning for people of all ages


3. To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services


4. To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom


5. To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world

Our values are:

• Trust is the foundation of the BBC. We’re independent, impartial and honest
• We put audiences at the heart of everything we do
• We respect each other and celebrate our diversity
• We take pride in delivering quality and value for money
• Creativity is the lifeblood of our organisation
• We’re one BBC. Great things happen when we work together

Task 1 

Task 2

Interactive radio 
PC, smartphone or tablet allows audiences to open apps and allows more control over the radio station. They can listen to pre recorded broadcasts instead of live. 
podcasting 
episodic shows similar to radio shows
traditional and DAB
FM / AM services
digital radio increase potential audience 

Task 3

Task 4 

Who is their target audience? Try to apply audience theory

Radio 4 
- 50/50 male and female 
- 56 years old average, older audiences 

- teachers

- middle class 

Radio 1
- 15-29 year olds 

 

How are they targeted? Give specific details

Radio 4

- news

- factual content 

- women's hour 

- no music 

Radio 1

-  new music and speech

- young future artists 

- mainstream hits music 
 

What range of programmes are offered on each station? Think of genres, content etc. GIve examples

Radio 4
- covid 

- ghosts, sci fit

- tv shows

- facts 

- education

Radio 1

- dance 

- pop

- rap

- podcasts with celebrities 

 

 Which programmes are most clearly fulfilling their mission - inform, education and entertain. Give specific examples

Radio 4

- news informs 

- facts five education

Radio 1
- entertainment podcasts with celebrities 

- music 
 

How do the stations help BBC to achieve it five public purposes. Give specific details

Radio 4

- mixed speech service, offering in-depth news and current affairs and a wide range of other speech output including drama, readings, comedy, factual and magazine programmes

Radio 1
- entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech.

Lesson 2

Task 2

1.  What type of content did Woman’s Hour cover in the early days?

Backstreet abortion 

Introduction of the pill

Fight for equal pay act 

Work and Marriage 

2. Jenni Murray and Jane Garvey

3. 2pm midday after domestic chores and children arrival 

4. It was found patronising as it focused on women's tasks 

5. Honest debate on topics in feminism 

6. 

Task 4

1.  Thursday 28th January 

2.  Not wanting children 

Gender price gap

Makeup on public transport 

Male/Female friendship

Modern Slavery 

Task 5

1.How does Laverne introduce the show and engage the audience?

engages the audience by referencing game of thrones and talks about home which is a topic that usually is found interesting by women 

1.What do the range of guests tell us about the audience of LNWH? the BBC’s role as public service broadcaster and how the BBC offers diversity and equality?

They're all women and have a range of professions offering a wide range for the audience. They're all different ages and have different backgrounds.

1. How does this part serve to ‘educate’ as stated in the BBC’s mission statement?2. In what ways does Laverne manage the discussion?

Defines what hygge is and the concept behind it. Lauren asks questions that the audience watching might be thinking

1. How do the references to British culture during this segment reflect Radio 4’s UK audience?2. How do other references reflect a potential global audience for this programme?

BBC content is sold around the world via iplayer

Radio audiences

Blind medium – lack of visual image relying on the audience’s imagination.


The companion medium – it offers interactive opportunities (shout-outs, phone-ins, social media, texts etc.).


The intimate medium – radio is very personal often using a direct mode of address. Sense of personal identification between audience and presenter.

   
The undemanding medium – you can do other things whilst you listen – convenient.

In what ways does the BBC meets the needs of its audiences?

• Escapism
• Excitement
• Entertainment
• Information 
• Sexual gratification 
• Identification and relating to the characters/presenters
• Modes of address and lexis 

Why does the BBC have to meet the needs of so many audiences?

• The BBC is publicly funded by the British public through the license fee. It is not for profit, PBS (public broadcasting service). The vast majority of broadcasters worldwide are funded through advertising and/or monthly premium subscriptions. The BBC also has a legal remit to provide informative and educational content, to be free from political bias, and to schedule regular news bulletins, local news, and a plurality of voices, accents, languages, creoles and opinions  

BBC Sounds

• Colourful website 
• Series of thumbnail images demonstrates the range of different shows and 
• Simple and effective and clean layout 
• Functions as a web portal to a range of different services 
• Can be accessed from any device such as computer or mobile phone 
• Audio quality is superior 
• Appeals to younger, digitally connected audiences 
• Digital hosting allows audiences the opportunity to rewind, fast forward, download and listen to in their own time

Lazarus Heist

• Quite formal 
• Talks about hackers and technology
• North Korea is being suspected of being behind the attack as this seems the type of thing they' d do 
• They're brining in a range of experts to talk about past events and make speculations 

How do audience responses to the product demonstrate socio-historical circumstances?

Socio-historical: what was happening at that time of history

Racist Trapdoors

• Have a writer, author on it
• Intersectionality means there is different layers of oppression that women experience 
• Mention white privilege 
• Mention another podcast based in the US who talked about not liking black men who don't act "black"

Preferred reading - agree with the message of the episode of woman's hour, and will feel that feminism and issues surrounding feminism will have a big impact on their lives 

presenter criticises broad statements and statements made by a podcast hosted by two white women 

feminism can challenge a patriarchal hegemonic society 

Negotiated reading: while the issues raised in this episode are important, they are clearly not the biggest issues in the world 

Oppositional reading: the brand of feminism in this episode is argumentative and divisive 

audiences may be upset by and disgusted by 

 

• late night women's hour follows ofcom regulation through talking about controversial topics for educational purposes and not actually saying anything but instead quoting. 
• Women's hour has a niche audience and isn't very inclusive
• Protect audiences from offensive material 
• Protects audiences against infringement of privacy 

Clay Shirky - End of audience 

Audiences are no longer passive: they interact with media products in an increasingly complex variety of ways - No longer exist basically

Late night woman's hour is a traditional form of media

How do