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Contemporary British Radio

M tudiesSediaThis aims of this factsheet are to:• Provide an overview of historical and technological

developments in British Radio• Identify the institutional differences between Public Service

Broadcasters and Commercial radio stations• Examine the generic codes and conventions used in modern

radio programming• Investigate the contemporary issues and debates surrounding

the representation of music culture in British radio

Historically radio has beenconsidered a primary mediumfor audiences and from the1930s the majority of Britishhouseholds owned at leasttwo radio sets. During thisperiod, the radio wasperceived as being atechnological innovation forthe home and the wholefamily would gather around

their radio set to listen. Radio is perceived and used differentlytoday as modern entertainment is now usually centred on thetelevision or, increasingly, the internet. The radio is now seen as asecondary medium with its audience often listening whilst doingsomething else. Whether accompanying studying, driving or evenwashing up, the radio is still a popular and versatile medium.www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/stories/

Contemporary mainstream radio is still capable of reaching morepeople in a variety of environments than any other medium becauseof its accessibility. The technological advancements that have takenplace in radio transmission through the development of digital radiocombined with the changes that have occurred to the way radio istransmitted via the internet, digital television, mobile phones, MP3and even environmentally friendly wind-up radios, means radio hascontinued to move with technological and audience trends.Podcasting and play back transmission, used by many popularmainstream radio stations on their internet sites, allows audiencesto catch up with programmes they have missed, encouragingaudience loyalty and continuity. This has enabled radio as a mediumto broaden its audience appeal, resulting in its increased popularitybecause audiences are able to access the radio they like, whereverand whenever they want.

Radio InstitutionsRadio institutions are responsible for the production, schedulingand broadcasting of radio programmes. An institution’s role is tounderstand the behaviours, demands and needs of its targetaudiences in order to produce programmes that their audiences willlisten to. Audience demand is measured according to the volume oflisteners and the audience interaction a programme receives. Radioinstitutions differ in their values and have different target audiences.

This can affect programming content and the style in which thestation produces programmes. The way an institution generates anincome is an important factor to consider when analysing radioprogramming. The way an institution makes money informs thevalues and ideologies contained in the programmes it produces.Radio institutions can be classified by their geographic reach(national, regional or local) but it is also useful to examine radioinstitutions by the way they are financed which can be split intotwo categories: Public Service and Commercial Broadcasting.

Definition••••• Public Service Broadcasting (PSB): a radio institution

funded by a compulsory public licence fee••••• Commercial Broadcaster: a radio institution funded

through private investors and advertising revenue

Public Service Broadcasting (PSB)The BBC currently owns 10national and 40 local radiostations. The BBC operates undera PSB remit and is regulated by aboard of governors. This systemexists in theory to free the BBC ofall political and commercialinfluences due to it being fundedthrough the license fee paid bythe British public although theamount of funding the BBCreceive is set by the government.This public funding means theBBC cannot profit commerciallyvia the advertisement of non-BBC products. The BBC offers a widerange of radio programming e.g. talk, drama, music, entertainmentand educational because it has to represent the varied tastes of alllicense fee payers. Traditionally it has aimed ‘to educate, informand entertain’ as part of its PSB remit and, in part, its programmingstill reflects this ideology. The BBC has to ensure it reaches asmany people as possible so its ratings and audience feedback areimportant and this means that the BBC tends to prioritiseentertainment in its programmes as this is more likely to please abroader audience.http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/images/_16859_house.jpg

Exam Hint :-The examiners reports state that institution is animportant Key Concept that students often avoid because theyfind it a difficult concept to define. This means that studentsoften miss out on important marks because they do not fullyengage with the text. Although you will still be using the KeyConcepts to determine the messages and values in your text,your exploration of institution will help you understand therelationship between institutions and audiences. A thoroughinvestigation should help you evaluate how the demands ofthe audience help to shape and create the texts produced soinstitutions can cultivate a profit through the sale andconsumption of its products.

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Commercial RadioCommercial radio differs to Public Service Broadcasting because itgenerates the majority of its income through advertising revenueand from private investors. Traditionally, commercial radio wascreated by local radio companies but in recent years larger mediaconglomerates such as Emap, Virgin and the Guardian MediaGroups have bought out local commercial stations and run themthrough their brand. To attract advertisers, radio stations mustprovide programming that their target audience will listen to.

Music based programmes are more popularthan talk based ones so it is in the interestsof commercial broadcasters to create musicprogrammes that appeal to the age group,gender and musical tastes of their audiences.High volumes of listeners attract advertiserswho are willing to pay more money foradvertising airspace. Advertising on theradio is still a very popular choice for a lot ofbusinesses because it is cheaper thantelevision advertising and often reaches abroader audience, producing financial returnsfor both the radio station and advertisers.

www.britlink.org/media.html

ActivityChoose a commercial radio station and analyse theadvertisements that feature alongside a music programme intheir schedule. Consider who the target audience is throughyour analysis of the representations featured in theadvertisement and genre of the music programme.

www.1054centuryfm.com

Case Study: Century RadioCentury Radio is a commercial radio station that transmits acrossthe North West of England. The station follows a music basedformat and the stations slogan reinforces this: ‘Century Radio:Music you just have to sing along to’. Disco Divas is scheduledat 7pm on a Saturday night, is hosted by Jo Lloyd and is aimed ata female target audience aged between 25 and 45 years old.

The use of a female presenterprovides women with somebodythey can identify with. Thepresenter comes across as anorthern woman, whose age isambiguous and so she appeals tothe whole target audience.

The advertisements that feature around the show include WeightWatchers, The Trafford Centre and McDonalds salad optionsand they are featuring products which tap into stereotypicalideas of feminine interests and concerns such as shopping, healthand weight loss. The show also identifies its perception of itsaudience through the variety of music it plays from Gloria Gaynorthrough to the Sugarbabes. When male artists are played theyare often in the form of boy bands such as Take That or singerslike Ronan Keating. This genre of music appeals to female,mainstream popular music lovers.

The show’s narrative is presented as a programme to listen towhilst preparing to go out and references to going out areregularly made. Ideologically, Disco Divas positions its femaleaudience to feel empowered by their gender and united as ademographic by reinforcing conventional ideas about women’stastes and interests.

Exam Hint:- Examiners reports often identify how studentsdiscuss audiences in terms of social class and age instead ofanalysing and evaluating why the text is aimed at that particularaudience. By just stating a text is aimed at a specificdemographic you are simply describing who will listen to theprogramme. Instead, identify the representations and analysehow they link to the ideologies that are embedded in the text,evaluating why they are of importance to your audience.

Generic Codes and Conventions of RadioRadio programmes use generic codes and conventions to aidaudience recognition. These codes and conventions can be brokendown into two categories:• The use of aural technical codes (sound) to convey meaning

and audience understanding• The format and content of the radio show: talk based or music

based

Exam Hint :- It is possible you may receive a radio text in theunseen examination. Radio texts are similar to visual textsand the Key Concepts should still be applied. Remember whenplanning your response, technical codes (Media Language)are still relevant but instead of focusing on what you can see,analyse and evaluate the way sound is used to create meaningand recognition for audiences.

Aural Technical Codes (Sound)The use of sound in radio broadcasting is important because ithelps audiences to quickly identify a programmes genre and content.Radio narratives use five distinct types of aural codes:

1. Words2. Register3. Music4. Sound effects5. Silence[image: www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra]

The uses of aural technical codes often allow audiences to quicklydecide if the radio station and programme meets their requirementsand expectations of the genre they have tuned in to. The use ofaural codes also helps to convey the narrative by creating visualimages in the mind of the audience.

Radio Programme FormatsRadio programme formats can be split into two categories:• Talk based radio• Music based radio

Some radio stations use a combination of the two formats but mostcommercial mainstream radio stations create music based showsbecause they are cheaper to produce and the majority of audiencesdemand music as part of their main radio consumption. Irrespectiveof the format it is important to remember that radio still deliversmessages to the audience using the codes and conventions of thegenre.

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Audience participation is essential to a programmes success andall radio presenters try to engage audience participation via:• Text• Email• Quizzes• Competitions• Requests• Phone-ins

www.xfm.co.uk

The popularity of the internet has steadily increased radio audienceparticipation. Many shows now have blog pages, videos, mobileringtones and alerts of catchphrases featured in the shows, onlinepodcasts and chat-rooms continually engage their listeners andencourage loyalty to the programme.

Conventions of Talk based RadioTraditionally these programmes contain little or no music dependanton the station and the genre of the programme. Talk based radiofollows a magazine style format with presenter(s), discussion ofcurrent events, debates, interviews and radio phone-ins.

This format was traditionally popular with drive time shows but thechange in audience listening patterns means that some shows nowsubvert the genre and incorporate some music, depending on thetarget audience. BBC Radio Four is one of the few Radio stationsthat still maintains the traditional talk based format. BBC

/www.bbc.co.uk/radioassets/photos/2006/11/17/6108_2.jpg

Conventions of Music Based RadioMusic radio is the most popular radio format. Historically it followeda simplistic formula consisting of records being played by a DJ(disc jockey) who would say very little other than present the recordss/he played. As radio developed so too did the style in which DJspresented their shows. A contemporary DJ’s role now includesmore than just providing a brief introduction to each record, theymust also provide additional entertainment for their audiences.

Radio Two’s Jeremy VineShow (pictured) combinestopical debate with music fromthe past and present.

Alex Zane, who hosts themorning drive time musicshow on 1XFM, hasattracted large youthaudiences to the stationbecause of his quirkypresentational style.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/tv/2007/10/xfm.html

As music radio has developed, a new style has emerged - that of thegroup or ‘gang’ presentation. This format consists of a presenterwhose show often includes a ‘side-kick’ and other people theywork with. The banter that occurs between the group is part of theentertainment for the audience.

Each individual is represented as a stereotype and their characterbecomes part of the narrative of the show. These characters oftenhave their own features, indents, jingles and sound bites.

The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio One typifies this style ofpresenting. This show focuses on the narrative interactions of theproduction team who work alongside Moyles and his side-kickComedy Dave.

Definition••••• Station Indent: a snippet of music or song that is used across

the station to reinforce the stations identity••••• Jingle: Snippets of music or a song created by the presenters

of a programme to reinforce the identity of the programme.The jingle often represents the ideologies and values of theprogramme e.g.: light-hearted, comedic etc.

The show incorporates all the members of Moyles’ production teamand, this year, 7.31 million listeners regularly tuned in to listen to theprogramme. This format engages the audience because they areaddressed directly by the DJ and the gang. They have access to‘private’ jokes, banter and conversation between the gang andpresenters. From an audiences perspective this reinforces notionsof friendship and loyalty, allowing them to feel ‘part of the gang’.

Representations of Music CultureDifferent music cultures are often only represented throughmainstream popular music programming. The way music culturesare represented in radio is an important area of analysis. Regulatorylaws are very strict in broadcasting to ensure a fair representationof the multi-cultural nature of society is broadcast. This means thatthe discrimination of race, culture, gender and religion is illegal onany Commercial or PSB station. Due to its PSB remit The BBC dealswith the representation of different music cultures in a balancedway via dedicated radio channels such as BBC Asian Network andBBC 1Xtra.

Commercial broadcasters do not have the opportunity to expandtheir programming in the same way as PSB broadcasters because ofthe way they are financed. Because commercial stations are alsobranded the musical content and ideologies of a station will reflectthe majority of its listenerships and cannot afford to tailor itsscheduling down to anymore than general stereotyping of genderand musical interests of its audience. Although commercial radiodoes not break any of the regulations, it does not offer much variationregarding music culture. Therefore the way commercial radio stationsdeal with the issue of representation relies more on the variety ofmusical genres played.

http://chris.polymathic.net/mw/teamchris.shtml

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ActivityAnalyse a radio station that represents a specific music culture. Consider the following points:• What music culture does the station represent? How does it represent this culture musically?• Who is the station’s target audience? How are they addressed?• Does the station have mass or niche audience appeal?• Is the funding of the station reflected in the representations of the presenter(s) and the programmes content?

Case Study: BBC Radio 1Xtra

BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital UK radio station specialising in new urban black music and the playlistsrepresent British and North American Hip Hop, Grime, Bassline, Garage, Dubstep, Drum and Bass,Bashment, Soca, Reggae, Gospel music, Bhangra and R&B. BBC 1Xtra’s target audience are 15- 30year olds and this is reflected via the various presenters, guests, artists and topics featured on theshow. The audience is addressed in an informal tone, reinforcing the youth market it targets. Theaccents of the presenters are from all over the UK area reflecting the diversity of Black British cultureand the mainstream audience it aims to target.

www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra

Because it is a BBC product 1Xtra reflects the ideological values of this institution through the focused news bulletins called TX anda documentary series which addresses issues affecting its audience such as celebrity diets through to teen sexual health advice. Themain daytime presenter Jenna G (pictured) is representative of the target audience and the values of the BBC and she addresses theaudience with an informal yet knowledgeable tone and offers information and advice.

The station aims to be accessible to all by representing those who listen to the station as a mixtureof races and cultures and avoiding racial stereotypes. Although a digital channel, 1Xtra has massappeal due to the current popularity of R&B, Hip Hop, Drum and Bass and Garage in mainstreampopular music. The slogan of the show is ‘Love Black Music Love 1Xtra’. This slogan connotes aninclusive attitude which reflects the mass appeal of urban music and the website reinforces theideological message that the show is for music lovers and not just specific racial groups. The musicthat features reinforces this ideology because the station features artists who are of varied ethnicbackgrounds including Christina Aguilera, J Lo, Jay-Z, Bob Marley and Madonna. Urban music is animportant part of mainstream music scene and this is reflected in the artists on the playlist. www.seatwave.com/FileStore/

SEASON/IMAGE/jay-z

AQA, WJEC, OCR?Each exam board assesses the topic of radio differently. AQA and WJEC examine the topic as a genre, investigating how the KeyConcepts establish meaning to audiences. You must also analyse the ways institutions are financed and evaluate how this affects thetexts the production and distribution of texts. OCR investigates the way music cultures are represented on niche and mainstream radio.All three boards examine the role of audiences, their needs, behaviours and demands in regards to radio formats, scheduling andprogramming and expect you to evaluate the impact of global and technological trends and changes in radio.

Acknowledgements: This Media Studies Factsheet was researched and written by Emma CairnsCurriculum Press. Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. Media Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students,provided that their school is a registered subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in anyother form or by any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISSN 1351-5136