1Xtra Chat

• discuss serious topics

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Radio 1

• 5 minute news

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Key provisions of BBC Radio 1

 

The service licence lies at the foundation of the broadcasting of The Radio 1 Breakfast Show and its key non-commercial characteristics. According to the BBC website, Radio 1 is available every day for general reception in the UK on FM, DAB digital radio and digital television platforms, and it also offers its broadcast content online. Many of the underlying principles of BBC Radio are found within the programming of Radio 1 Breakfast , which includes the following key points in its broadcast:

• BBC content can be streamed via the internet, or multiple episodes of first-run series (known as ‘series stacking’) can be downloaded via BBC iPlayer Radio. For example, under the current presenter Greg James, ‘The Greg James Podcast’ with extracts from Radio 1 Breakfast is brought to the audience daily after the show and features the funniest clips and highlights from celebrity guests and music artists. This on-demand service is a free provision under the licence fee and is set up as a subscription service.

• Programmes can be streamed on demand for a limited period after broadcast, for example, every Friday listeners to The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show were offered a free download of the Mixtape when Nick Grimshaw presented the show.

• Video on BBC Online, and on other providers’ platforms on demand, is made available, for example short streamed video interviews embedded into the website of The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show .

• A limited number of special events may be streamed live, and a limited amount of content is made available online only, for example on the Galleries page on the iPlayer webpage. This includes events such as Wimbledon or Children in Need.

• To support these features BBC Radio had a service budget of £34.7 million for 2016/17 and attracts 6 million listeners.

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Cultural contexts

BBC Radio champions UK music across all musical genres, and being playlisted remains a milestone for artists’ careers in reaching out to millions of music fans. Radio 1 is important for popular music, for artists and fans alike. As a flagship programme of the station, The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show is a prime example of this. Throughout its history, its format has been constructed around a strong presenter personality. Such personality-led shows have been an integral part of British media culture since the 1960s.

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• Radio 1’s daytime programmes, including The Radio 1 Breakfast Show , broadcast a mix of music, information and entertainment. Radio 1’s programmes exhibit some or all of the following characteristics:

• high quality - popular artists come on

• original - big weekend concert

• challenging - quizzes

• innovative

• engaging - people can call in 

• nurturing of UK talent - emerging UK artists 

 

The Mission of the BBC is 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. As part of this, it pursues the delivery of a diverse range of music and output on its radio programmes to its multicultural audience, some of it innovative and occasionally challenging.

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Playlists

At the heart of The Radio 1 Breakfast Show is its popular music. This is produced through the tradition of creating playlists . The prestigious Radio 1 playlist has for decades dominated the shape of the British music charts and today remains at the heart of Radio 1’s commitment to informing and entertaining the nation, especially as a scheduled audio alternative medium to news-dominated breakfast media culture. The Radio 1 playlist is decided in a meeting during the week leading up to the broadcast. The vast majority of music heard throughout the day on Radio 1 is from the playlist. It is made up of 42 songs that are played on rotation throughout the week. The number of plays a song gets is based on which part of the playlist it is on. The playlist breaks down as follows:

• A List: These are the songs that are played the most, around 30 times in a week.

• B List: Music on this list gets around 15 plays per week.

• C List: Music on this list gets around 6 plays a week.

• BBC Introducing: This section of the playlist showcases brand new and under-the radar artists, championed by BBC Introducing. They tend to get 6 plays in a week, but only remain on the playlist for one week.

By having four distinct playlists, BBC Radio 1 enables a diverse range of music – new, established and older – to gain airplay. It plays established artists alongside new ones – using both existing popular/mainstream music such as Taylor Swift and newer artists.

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Popular and innovative music

The vital ingredient for The Radio 1 Breakfast Show is popular music. In the age of the internet radio has changed – national boundaries to music are abandoned and different audience segments seek music options in a global ‘music jukebox’. Radio 1, however, continues to show its commitment to showcasing both established and emerging artists. According to Colin Lester, manager of the artist Craig David, Radio 1 is still the number one discovery place of music, for instance discovering the Arctic Monkeys.

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The running order of The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show:

• reflects the dominance of music track listings and the flow of the programme, with minor features on BBC programmes.

• Nick Grimshaw, a media celebrity in his own right was the ‘voice’ of the show from    (2012 to (you need to research when he stopped producing the BS)  provided familiarity and recognition for the audience.

• The Show Host was replaced by Greg James in (  students insert date )

• –https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/r1-breakfast

• –https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/aug/20/we-all-have-to-be-laughing-by-530am-how-radio-1s-greg-james-saved-breakfast

• Possible reasons for the change (Nick Grimshaw’s style was much more celebrity focussed however viewing figures were in decline at the point of his tenure (time spent) running the BS.   Greg James focus was on (1) humour and creating relatable content for audiences that they could interact with.    Greg has produced a range of content tin which audiences can phone and or send tweets.This includes:

–Unpopular opinions

–Yesterday’s Quiz

–Wheres’ Greg (aired on 24/02/2020)

–his gruelling “Gregathlon” fundraiser

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Technology

The broadcast output of The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show is complemented by an online presence with interactive features, including visual enhancements, that enable and encourage the audience to engage with the output and to share their views with both the station and other listeners.

Radio 1 experiments with new technologies as they become available to ensure its young audience have the maximum opportunity to access programmes as and when they want.

The show uses digital media for production, distribution and promotion, and social media accounts aid an interactive relationship with its audience.

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 Digital initiatives

Media institutions have been adapting their production strategies and output to fit the needs of millennials , a generation that tends to consume heavily and share content on the internet.

Joe Harland, Head of Visual Radio for the BBC, has stated how Radio 1 aims to integrate online video in a bid to engage with the younger generation.

For example, platforms such as YouTube and Twitter have helped BBC Radio 1 connect with its target audience of 15– 24-year-olds. This is one of the main reasons the BBC uses YouTube, alongside the fact that YouTube data is powerful enough to allow editors to see whom they are targeting, when viewers are watching, and for how long they are watching. Due to the immediacy and currency of media content, platforms like

YouTube provide the BBC with free distribution of short video content, and as a media institution it has used digital initiatives to its advantage. This rise in the visual imagery of radio is crucial in such a competitive online and global media environment.

The idea behind sharing these entertaining clips and images is to encourage viewers to seek out the radio station itself. These visual images invite young audiences to co-opt into or be interactive with the broadcast of The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show through their abilities to watch, listen and share.

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In order to succeed with the production and marketing of its content The Radio 1 Breakfast Show needs to publicise and promote its ‘popularity’, which is constantly under review as part of a non-profit-making institution.

Marketing its brand to its audience is key to success. In today’s segmented ‘listening’ market, programme managers must already know their target audience and the brand values of their shows. In this case, The Radio 1 Breakfast Show should attract and hold its audience’s attention, through its energetic style and popular content, including the music and celebrity culture it promotes.

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Corporate branding and promotion

Branding and promotion are conducted on the programme itself, for example through celebrity guests, movie reviews and entertainment news, along with familiarity with The Breakfast Show ident and stings.

At the same time, the internet and social media offer opportunities for The Radio 1 Breakfast Show to provide a media image for the audio medium, for example through the use of iPlayer, The Radio 1 Breakfast Show website, Twitter, and related synergy with other radio features such as the BBC’s Live Lounge or supporting Children in Need.

https://www.youtube.com/user/bbcradio1 

https://twitter.com/BBCR1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

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Branding personality and radio idents

 

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show is embedded in the station ident and is a paramount unique selling point for the audience that leads to instant recognition of the brand. The show is reliant on the presenter’s voice. The identity of the show is reinforced throughout by the use of jingles and station idents.

For example, in Newsbeat the show has a distinct news broadcast that targets young audiences in its style and content (also true of the presentation of the Newsbeat website). Traditionally, news is not targeted at younger audiences and has often been packaged for adults.

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Off-air marketing

Radio also requires promotion of its programme content through off-air marketing. For the visualisation of its brand, for example, a simple internet search can locate:

• The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show website hosted by BBC iPlayer Radio. The features on this website include the BBC Radio 1 brand: a highly stylised, brightly coloured title. The website contains a ‘listen live’  pop-up player and app. There are promotional still images of the presenter and past episodes to listen to. Other features include a playlist, podcasts, gallery features with schools events, and a clips page of embedded video interviews with celebrities and guests.

• The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show Twitter feed: @R1Breakfast https://twitter.com/R1Breakfast. At its peak it had approximately half a million followers

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• BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/R1Breakfast This is the official Facebook fan page for The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show and was used to post updates from the show and a

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• The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/bbcradio1 This features videos from The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show . It connects with audiences via the ‘listen live’ player on weekdays, or at any time via the BBC iPlayer Radio app. It hosts over 200 videos from the show with approximately half a million views. It offers much audience comment, video extracts and the ability to share video content. Radio 1 also has a Tumblr and a Vevo channel.

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• Radio 1 Instagram: @bbcradio1 www.instagram.com/bbcradio1/ This features photos and videos. It has been used by The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show as a gallery platform of publicity shots.

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Despite year-on-year consistency in the BBC’s share of the radio market, there was a gradual decline in listeners for The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show between 2016 and 2017, leading to much media speculation:

 

BBC Radio 1 posted a reach of 10.5 million listeners aged 10+ and The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw attracts 5.29 million listeners per week compared to 5.7 million in 2016. (Source: OCR Media Studies Factsheet:

The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show 2017)

 

Despite this decline in listeners, The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show consistently attracts young audiences with its programme style and content. It has had to cope with the transformation of radio in the online age.

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Despite year-on-year consistency in the BBC’s share of the radio market, there was a gradual decline in listeners for The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show between 2016 and 2017, leading to much media speculation:

 

BBC Radio 1 posted a reach of 10.5 million listeners aged 10+ and The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw attracts 5.29 million listeners per week compared to 5.7 million in 2016. (Source: OCR Media Studies Factsheet:

The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show 2017)

 

Despite this decline in listeners, The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show consistently attracts young audiences with its programme style and content. It has had to cope with the transformation of radio in the online age. The scale and scope of available music-streaming services and independent digital radio, along with a shift in audience use and gratification of the media, are contributing factors. Radio 1 is ‘suffering’ because its core audience is turning away from traditional listening. This is largely thanks to the arrival of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

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The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show lost audience numbers between 2012 and 2018 throughout the time Nick Grimshaw presented it, but he had been brought in specially to develop larger audiences in the target age range of 15– 29 and to shed the over-30s, a strategy implemented by Radio 1’s controller Ben Cooper. Cooper stated that the station should not be judged solely on Radio Joint Audience Research ( RAJAR ) audience rating figures:

 

You can’t judge Radio 1 on RAJAR figures alone – just as you can’t judge a newspaper solely on physical sales. You have to take into account our digital innovations as well. … I’m pleased that Grimmy is doing what I’ve asked of him by keeping his young audience happy and scaring off the over-30s.

 

In fact, 90 per cent of the dip in Grimshaw’s figures was from losing the over-30s. The show’s use of social media and video content aimed to attract the target audience and, although the show had the lowest figures since RAJAR began, this reflects young people’s media habits. Cooper went on to say that

 

‘Radio 1 is evolving with its young audiences as we live through changing times for traditional radio, so it’s particularly gratifying to see that in addition to around 10 million listeners, we have seen record figures for Radio 1 videos on Facebook with 80 million monthly views, and 1.4 billion total views on Radio 1’s YouTube channel. As you can see, although traditional radio audience ratings exemplify a gradual decline in listeners, online media has raised the profile of BBC Radio 1 and the Breakfast Show in a different way.’

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Digital initiatives

 

Radio 1 has been adapting their production strategies and output to fit the needs of millennial's , a generation that tends to consume heavily and share content on the internet. Joe Harland, Head of Visual Radio for the BBC, has stated how Radio 1 aims to integrate online video in a bid to engage with the younger generation. For example, platforms such as YouTube and Twitter have helped BBC Radio 1 connect with its target audience of 15– 24-year-olds. This is one of the main reasons the BBC uses YouTube, alongside the fact that YouTube data is powerful enough to allow editors to see whom they are targeting.  YouTube provide the BBC with free distribution of short video content. This rise in the visual imagery of radio is crucial in such a competitive online and global media environment. The idea behind sharing these entertaining clips and images is to encourage viewers to seek out the radio station itself. These visual images invite young audiences to co-opt into or be interactive with the broadcast of The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show through their abilities to watch, listen and share.

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 According to the OCR Factsheet on The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show : ‘Social media is one obvious way that the audience is interacting with the programme; even if most of this interaction is not “heard” within the programme itself, it shapes the nature of the programme and the involvement gains and keeps that audience.’

 

TO THIS END THE RAJAR figures alone are not the only indicator of the success of modern day radio

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Radio Explain how economic contexts influence radio production. Refer to The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show to support your points.

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Display understanding of economic contexts and their influence on media products and processes, in this case audience engagement with the remit and the BBC’s popular music policy. Avoid describing the BBC – evaluation questions are asking you to explain why . Aim to spend 25 minutes on this question. [15 marks]

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• pbs

• tv licence

• advertising

• competitions

• global reach

• celebrities

• multiple platforms

• also own heart

• £34 mil funding

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The Radio 1 Breakfast Show is produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and broadcast on BBC Radio 1.The BBC has 10 radio stations covering the whole of the UK (including Radio 1), 6 stations in the so-called national regions of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and 40 local radio stations serving defined areas of England. Each station has a different remit, content, style and target audience. The BBC Radio 1 service licence states Radio 1’s remit is‘to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds and it should also provide some programming for younger teenagers. It should offer a range of new music, support emerging artists - especially those from the UK - and provide a platform for live music. News, documentaries and advice campaigns should cover areas of relevance to young adults’.

 

Radio 1 is funded by the Television licence fee. In 2016/17 Radio 1 had a budget of £34.7 million (over £6m less than it had been in 2013/14). Radio 1 costs 1.2p per user hour (about the same as Radio 4 and less than a quarter of Radio 3). The BBC is a Public Service Broadcaster, producing programmes for the benefit of the public, funded by the public, not owned by the state and not driven by commercial interests. The BBC’s first director general, Lord Reith introduced many of the concepts that would later define PSB in the UK when he adopted the mission to ‘inform, educate and entertain’.

 

This is still seen in the BBC’s Public Service justification for Radio 1, when it says: Radio 1’s programmes should exhibit some or all of the following characteristics: high quality, original, challenging, innovative and engaging, and it should nurture UK talent. The service should deliver its remit by producing a wide range of programmes that expose listeners to new and sometimes challenging material they may not otherwise experience. It should reflect a diverse range of new and UK music. Radio 1’s daytime programmes should offer a mix of music, information and entertainment and use an extensive playlist to introduce unfamiliar and innovative songs alongside more established tracks.

 

In the evening specialist presenters, covering a broad range of musical genres, should support artists at the forefront of new music, assisting their growth and development. A wide range of live events should be covered from around the UK and beyond and live music should be featured throughout the schedule, with sessions and concerts from both established acts and experimental new bands. Radio 1 should encourage its listeners to take part in music events and activities. Specially made speech output including documentaries and social action campaigns should form an integral part of the schedule and accurate, impartial and independent news should be placed at the heart of daytime output.

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The Show’s audiences are declining – as are the audiences for BBC Radio 1 as a whole. As the BBC’s Media Centre posted on 26 October 2017: ‘BBC Radio 1 posted a reach of 10.5m listeners aged 10+ and the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Gregg James attracts around 5.29m listeners per week.The data shows that the station has 9.7 million listeners aged 15+ (from 9.59m last quarter and 9.87m) while the network’s share of listening was 5.9% Over the same period audiences have been increasing for the BBC’s digital music station Radio 6 Music.

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BBC says that Radio 1 should encourage the take-up of DAB and other digital technologies, in particular by promoting 1Xtra and making high quality content available on digital platforms. The broadcast output should be complemented by an online presence with interactive features, including some use of visual enhancements, which enable and encourage the audience to engage with the output and share their views with both the station and other listeners. Radio 1 should experiment with new technologies as they become available to ensure its young audiences have the maximum opportunity to access programmes as and when they want. This podcast demonstrates a radio studio similar to the one used on the Breakfast Show:

(http://www.bbc. co.uk/academy/production/radio/recording-audio/ article/art20130702112135562)

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