P2: Focus & Structure of a Radio Station

P2: Research and populate this post telling uses about the different types of programming, detailing their purpose, who they would be aimed at & how they can vary from other forms of programming

In this post I will talk about how different radio stations choose different types of programmes to cater to a certain target audience, where I will discuss purposes, target audience and how they differ to other programming types. I will use my knowledge from Unit 1 (media products and audiences) and talk about conglomerates, commercial companies and synergy. I will also use my knowledge from Unit 2 (pre-production & planning) to research how different radio shows plan the content for their show such as a script for the host to follow.

Music Radio Programmes

Radio 1xtra

Radio 1 and Capital are music radio programmes that's purpose are to entertain the audience. Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra contain different content to achieve a different wider audience and increase brand identity. BBC Radio 1 broadcast on many platforms including AM, FM and DAB. You can also listen to it on catchup on BBC iPlayer radio app and the BBC Sounds website. This is to ensure it can reach more people and that everyone has access to high quality radio shows. The audience is made up of different ages varying from 15-30, who like different styles of music like rap, hip-hop and pop such as black mainstream audiences, which can be backed up by the hosts and guests that appear. Some radio stations will aim at adults and will play 'throwback' songs from 1980's and 1990's. Radio stations play different genres of music to cater to the audiences such as pop, rap, hip-hop and will occasionally play 'throwback' songs of different genres such as classical music.

Charlie Sloth hosts shows on Radio 1xtra such as Fire in the Booth. Sloth is one of the most loved presenters in the radio industry. He began his BBC Radio 1 career in 2010 with his Friday Hip Hop mix and the stations Saturday morning show. He became the key host in 2013 after Tim Westwood moved along from BBC Radio 1xtra. Currently, he hosts segments like his Fire in the Booth shows where it features freestyles from the best artists. Also, Charlie has been a busy DJ as he has created complications that were published on Virgin Records. 

BBC 1xtra is a national radio station, which means it can be accessed by anyone in the UK.

BBC isn't a conglomerate as it is publicly funded and is not a private company. This means BBC can't use synergy because they don't have any subsidiaries to promote across and can't profit as they are funded by people who pay TV license.

On the other hand, there may be some synergy between different channels of BBC to advertise their own content such as TV shows advertising radios or other shows.

Talk Show

 LBC and TalkRADIOTV are 2 radio stations that are talk shows, where the presenters might talk about news, sports, movies, games etc to entertain and inform the audience. 

On the TalkRadio schedule you can see a radio show called 'The Unexplained', which discusses paranormal activitis with its viewers. 

On LBC schedule, there are different hosts however it is almost the same show. LBC radio is a phone-in show where viewers and guests can call in and hae their say while on the air. They show the latest weather, war updates in Ukraine, breaking news of London and the UK, which is aired quickly to make viewers aware. They also often talk about politics as this is the talking point for many of the phone-ins and debates; they have even had Prime Ministers such as Boris Johnson on the show to discuss how his government were going to beat the Coronavirus. This radio show is informative and entertaining as you can have news on one hand but on the other be able to discuss and have open debates on air with the hosts.

LBC is a commercial company where their objective is making profit. LBC is owned by Global which is conglomerate. Global also own many of the popular radio stations such as Capital, Heart, Capital Xtra and more. Global uses multiple platforms to use vertical and horizontal integration to maximise success.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle shows such as BBC Radio 5 Live with Martin Lewis often educate listeners as hosts and celebrity guests talk about money, mental & physical health, food etc. They invite celebrities such as Martin Lewis on the how as he gives advice on how people can cook healthier to live healthier lifestyles and feel happier and save money. Saving money is more important to people now more than ever as there is a cost of living crisis and the price of a lot of foods, drinks, clothes and more risen to its highest ever point. Some other examples of a lifestyle programme is the Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4, where they educate listeners on different types of cultures and encourage people to open up and try different cultures.

Dramatizations

Dramatizations are used to entertain audiences by crating live stories on the radio so that the audience can listen to a story. BBC Radio 4 Extra have their own programme called Truman and Riley. These shows can be based around drama, horror, comedy, detective, love etc. Their listeners can tune into the radio and listen to each episode. They must make these shows entertaining as the audiences are more likely to tune into the next show if they liked the first one.

On music radios, the host will announce the song and the artist and play the song, where some shows like Fire in the Booth on Radio 1 Xtra may add loud and high energy sounds to create hype and excitement. In comparison to other types of programmes, the hosts don't have much involvement as they do in the talk show, lifestyle and drama. However, music presenters are typically more fun and cheerful and create a better experience. On the other programmes, the presenters may not be laughing when announcing the news and current events unless the news article is funny. Lifestyle can aim at younger audiences as they might want to learn skill and habits from a younger age. This is more educational compared to other stations. BBC as used for many examples in my report but this is because the BBC is funded y the public through taxes and TV Licenses. Because of this, BBC Radio must inform, educate and entertain audiences of different types such as young and old. Dramatizations mean the host speaks like they are acting out a live story, which is different to other shows since they actually let the audiences be included in it.