BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: Blog Tasks :)

Newsbeat analysis

Read the notes and listen to the extracts from Newsbeat above before answering the following questions:

1) Use BBC Sounds to listen to Radio 1. Scroll to a Newsbeat bulletin (8am or 12.45pm are good options) and write notes on how the bulletins may: 

• Appeal to a youth audience: Refer to artists with a young audience/fanbase 

• Help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster: Informing the public about news at the same time as educating them with an element of entertainment through music or relevant news 

Media Factsheet #224: Industrial contexts of Radio

Read Media Factsheet #224 Understanding the Industrial Context of Radio. Answer the following questions:

1) Read the first two pages of the factsheet. How does the Factsheet argue that radio still has cultural significance in the digital age? 

The factsheet argues that radio still has cultural significance in the digital age as it still reaches billions of people. In some developing countries in Africa where people still have limited or no access to the Internet, radio is still the dominant medium to inform and entertain them. Radio accompanies us in our cars, on commutes through mobile devices and can be found in our homes through television, radio, and voice activated speakers which makes it a crucial part of the culture even in the digital age 

2) Look at the page 4 section on media theories. Briefly summarise the ideas of Curran and Seaton, Hesmondhalgh and Livingstone and Lunt.

• Curran and Seaton: Media output is concentrated in the hands of a few- the horizontal integration of companies and buying smaller stations leads to the concentration of ownership in the hands of large conglomerates which can lead to the reduction of other radio broadcasters being able to reach audiences 

• Hesmondhalgh: The media put profit before creativity- music can uniquely reflect an identity to a listener and smaller stations do not have to make money for shareholders 

• Livingstone and Lunt: Media regulation should have a consumer-based approach

3) What is the definition of public service broadcasting?

Public service broadcasting refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests. The communications regulator Ofcom requires that certain television and radio broadcasters fulfil certain requirements as part of their license to broadcast. All of the BBC’s television and radio stations have a public service remit, including those that broadcast digitally

4) Look at the list of eight key principles for BBC Radio on page 6 of the factsheet. Choose the three you think are most significant and explain why.

• Attention to minorities: inclusive and non-tokenistic programmes which unify is the most significant key principle because it ensures all listeners feel included in the content produced and more listeners are likely to be attracted to listen if there is content that includes them. Inclusivity allows minorities to feel seen and this will increase the listeners for BBC Radio 

• Guidelines that liberate rather than restrict: this enables creativity and allows creators to produce content that is creative and unique rather than restricted by strict guidelines and I believe this is also another significant key principle because it allows creativity 

• Universal appeal: across the board, programming will have something for everyone- this attracts more listeners because everyone will have interests and they will have something to tune in for

5) What does the Factsheet suggest is the future of PSB radio and how might Radio 1 fit into this?

The factsheet suggests that the future of PSB radio is looking more and more precarious, especially if it cannot convince the young that it is worth paying for. It could be that P.S.B radio broadcasting might have to have a separate licence fee, or we may see the development of individual subscriptions to stations 

Industry contexts: reading and research

Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. 

1) Pick out three key points in the 'Summary' section.

• The BBC is the UK's most widely-used media organisation and it provides programming on television and radio and content online- the public has exceptionally high expectations of the BBC due to its reform to inform, educate and entertain the public 
• To meet these expectations, the BBC must deliver the mission and public purposes set out in its new Royal Charter (the Charter). The Charter also gives Ofcom the job of setting the BBC’s operating licence (the Licence). This sets binding conditions, requiring the BBC to deliver for licence feepayers. It is also their job to scrutinise, measure and report on the BBC’s performance
• They consulted on a draft Licence setting out requirements for the BBC to fulfil its remit, and plans for Ofcom to measure the BBC’s overall performance. They have also carefully considered more than 100 responses from members of the public and industry and carried out bespoke research into audience opinions and expectations of the BBC 

2) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points could we relate to BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat?

• Strengthen news and current affairs rules: ensures that the BBC reaches wide ranges of audiences with its news and current affairs content. Radio 1 will be required to broadcast an extended news bulletin in peak time each weekday in order to provide relevant and strong current affairs 
• Support social action campaigns on BBC Radio: Radio 1 will be required to offer a minimum number of major social action campaigns each year and providing information and raising awareness of social issues affecting young people while giving them a platform which allows Radio 1 to set itself apart from other radio stations 
• Secure a more distinctive BBC across all its services: new requirements on Radio 1 will allow them to play a broader range of music as well as new music from emerging UK artists 
• Secure a more distinctive BBC across all its services

3) Which do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?

• Strengthen news and current affairs rules: this allows listeners to gain more information about what is going on in the world around them and gives them the opportunity to keep up to date with relevant news so that younger generations in particular are not clueless about the world around them

• Safeguard vulnerable genres such as arts, music and religious programmes: it is important that all viewers/listeners feel heard and seen so inclusivity must be a priority in order to appeal to as wide of an audience as possible 

• Require the BBC to reflect the full diversity of the UK population: full diversity of the UK population will ensure that content that is relevant for more people in the UK is produced and this will increase the relevance of the BBC which will ensure the maintenance of success of the BBC

4) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience? 

Ofcom plans to review how different audiences are represented and portrayed on the BBC. They plan to examine the on-screen diversity of the BBC’s programming, including in its popular peak time shows. The review will ask what audiences expect from the BBC to understand whether it reflects and portrays the lives of all people across the whole of the UK, ranging from younger and older audiences to diverse communities 

5) Based on your reading and research, do you think BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat offers licence fee payers good value for money?

I do not think that BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat offers license payers good value for money because many of the basic standards and expectations of the BBC are already not being met and these improvements may take a while to implement so until then, I don't think that the license fee is offering a good value for money 

Finally, read this Guardian interview with former BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper.

1) What was Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?

Ben Cooper was trying to make BBC Radio 1 like a Netflix for radio 

2) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?

He argues that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest as Rajar, the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences, only publishes figures on audience survey respondents aged 15 and over, which he feels is unfair. “You have a target age of 15 to 29, but nothing is measured for under-15s but everything is to death beyond the 29 target, which means, using averages, you are going to get skewed much older,” he says. “I think it is an old-fashioned metric for an old radio industry. You have the maths against you.” Using his own statistics he found that based on those aged 10 and up the most common age of a Radio 1 listener is 18. And for its YouTube channel it is 12- to 17-year-old females 

3) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?

He suggests that Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio as they "will play something like 4,000 different tracks a month, commercial radio plays about 400. We need to play hit music to get audiences in to expose them to new music." 

4) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?

Radio 1 is increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms as these are what their target audience primarily uses. Cooper says, “I’m up against Pokémon Go and Minecraft for young audiences. I have to persuade people to switch off Minecraft and watch [Radio 1’s music sessions slot] Live Lounge, get off their iPad and listen to radio." 

5) In your opinion, should the BBC’s remit include targeting young audiences via Radio 1 or should this content be left to commercial broadcasters? Explain your answer.

I believe that BBC's remit should include young audiences because it will expand their listeners and they will gain more attention from more people because young listeners rely on the BBC for their news providers because they are taught that the BBC provides the most reliable news