BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: Blog tasks

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: 

a) appeal to a youth audience 

b) help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster. 

Media Factsheet #224: Industrial contexts of Radio

Read Media Factsheet #224 Understanding the Industrial Context of Radio. You'll need your Greenford google login to access it. 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? 

As the hapless M.C. Grindah says: ‘Simple, it’s an urban powerhouse slash radio station slash family unit. It’s the biggest and baddest pirate radio station in the land, aka Kurupt - believe

108.9 on your dial yeah.’ These comments might come from the delusional mind of the character but there is also something true about his belief in the power of radio to communicate. Radio, does not need massive audiences, can be produced quite cheaply, it can champion local issues, new musical talent, and can be broadcast simply if you have a licence.

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 up smaller stations leads to the concentration of ownership in the hands of large conglomerates. Radio stations are struggling to keep their audiences and stay relevant and when this happens big conglomerates buy them and relocate them to urban areas. Currently Apple and Spotify are dominating the streaming of music and challenging the traditional radio stations.

• 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, e.g Mark Lucke  who ran the KHIL station in Willcox, Arizona, personally looks for records that his listeners ask for. The Guardian - ‘He boldly mixes formats and weaves genres; 75% female artists, even though he knows the old-timers will complain about too many women on the radio. And he’s forever on a search for “nuggets” (songs with such emotional heft that the listener is entirely consumed by the story or the feeling and is transported to a different world.’) Arguably Apple is doing some of this through its curated music and podcasts, but it’s not serving local communities in the way that local radio does.

• Livingstone and Lunt: Media regulation should have a consumer-based approach. The deregulation of radio businesses with the 1996 Telecommunications Act - changed the radio landscape + led to the rapid consolidation of the industry. Reed Hundt, then the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) Chair - spoke about “fostering innovation and competition in radio” + “[promoting] diversity in programming and in the viewpoints expressed hat so shapes our culture.” The act did not deliver on these ideals. The internet is not regulated as such but Spotify and Apple are currently in court about who gets to own what.‘

3) What is the definition of public service broadcasting?

refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests.

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.

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

This suggests that radio is unlikely to become popular again, especially among young people however PSB may develop subscription stations or a separate licence fee.

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 used media organisation and as they are funded by the public, there are high expectations of them. Its remit is to inform, educate and entertain the public
• For the first time, the BBC will be robustly held to account for doing so by an independent, external regulator. The Charter 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 our job to scrutinise, measure and report on the BBC’s performance
• On 29 March 2017, we 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. We have carefully considered more than 100 responses from members of the public and industry. We have taken account of the BBC’s interim annual plan for 2017/18, published on 3 July 2017. We have also 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?

• Support a wide range of valued genres.
• Support social action campaigns on BBC radio
• Strengthen news and current affairs rules

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

• Require the BBC to reflect the full diversity of the UK population - this prevents certain societal groups from being excluded from the content

• Support social action campaigns on BBC radio - keeps audience educated as well as spreading awareness on certain topics.

• Strengthen news and current affairs rules - keeps audience educated 

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

They plan to widen the diversity being represented as certain audiences feel as though their interests and lives are not represented enough.

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

Based on the information given and the fact that its meant to cater to a diversity of people and educate on important topics, I'd say it is worth the licence fee.

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’s eye-catching and ambitious mission 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?

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

“Are we distinctive from commercial radio? Yes we are,” he says. “We 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. I think we need to look at the fact that we are no longer competing just purely with Rajars against Capital and Kiss.

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

In his five years in charge of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Cooper has supercharged its multi-platform presence. Major successes include the station’s YouTube channel, which now has almost 3.5 million subscribers and more than 1bn views.

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 as for thnswer.

I think BBC's remit should include targeting young audiences as many young people believe there is nothing on the BBC that is ideal for them. By adding this to the remit, this makes sure audiences know that there is supposed to be content for them well as showing that it is a priority.