Radio: The Surgery & Life Hacks
Analysis
Listen to the extracts from The Surgery and Life Hacks above and answer the following questions:
1) What do the titles The Surgery and Life Hacks suggest?
The surgery has intellectual suggests, and it also has connotations of digging deeper and getting to the root of a problem.
Life hacks on the other hand suggests something along the lines of helping people in situations and giving tips and tricks for life.
2) How are the programmes constructed to appeal to a youth audience?
The background music is quite upbeat and youthful. The presenters constantly talk about things younger audiences could relate to such as not being sure if they have money in their bank accounts etc. They also have interviews with people who sound like they're in their early 20's and late teens, most likely UNI or College students.
3) What does the choice of presenter (e.g. Katie Thistleton) and Dr Modgil suggest about the BBC’s approach to diversity and representation?
Firstly they're both female instead of male which is most likely done to relate to females as there's slightly more females listening to BBC R1. Katie Thistleton is from Manchester, whereas Dr Modgil sounds like she's from London or somewhere in the South East giving their experiences from different regions. They also interviewed people from Brighton and Birmingham increasing the amount of regional identity.
4) Look at this promotional graphic produced by BBC for The Surgery. How does it construct a representation of a youth audience?
The emoji's obviously are to target a more youthful audience who would be interested in technology and be more up to date with newer trends such as emoji's. The colour code is quite feminine, but also the combination of ping and turquoise is a colour code that the BBC has used a couple times before so audiences will straight away know that it's the BBC before reading it is. Also there is not frequency for the radio station, which is odd because it's a radio station instead showing a hashtag and two numbers as well as a website. This suggests their target audience is more youthful and wouldn't particularly use a radio and if they did it'll be one where they can search for the radio station without a frequency.
5) Now look at the graphic from a digital media perspective: how does it suggest audiences are listening to and interacting with BBC broadcasts in the digital media landscape?
There not being a frequency suggests that audiences wouldn't interact with the radio station through conventional radio, and it would be a modern version of a radio where you can search the name, or it would be through the internet.
Audience
1) What is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?
15 to 29 year old's.
2) Who is the actual audience for BBC Radio 1?
The median age is 32.
3) What audience pleasures are offered by The Surgery and Life Hacks? Apply Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory.
Personal relationships through the way they interview people from all over the UK such as: London, the South East, Manchester, Birmingham and Northern Territories.
Personal identity within the interviews as they speak about experiences most people would have went through (Especially students) such as not being sure about how much money you have or being in debt and the pressures of having a debt at a young age. This then leads onto mental health issues and how to deal with it all.
Surveillance as this educates young people and gives them a form of direction of what to do, and what not to do when you eventually go UNI or beginning working at a younger age which is something a large majority of teens will go through.
4) Read these Guardian reviews of The Surgery and Life Hacks. What do the reviews praise the programmes for?
Life Hacks Guardian review
- Providing the listeners with insight into the truth surrounding many topics - i.e. Stomrzy discussing discrimination in higher education
5) Read this NME feature on Radio 1 listener figures. What are the key statistics to take from this article regarding the decline in Radio 1 audience ratings?
- Lost 200,000 listeners.
- Used to have 9.4m listeners.
Industries
1) How does The Surgery and Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain?
It Informs people of ways to deal with stress and 'FOMO'. It eduates people through giving advice on how to handle situations such as debts and entertains through the personal stories given by the hosts.
It Informs people of ways to deal with stress and 'FOMO'. It eduates people through giving advice on how to handle situations such as debts and entertains through the personal stories given by the hosts.
2) Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. Pick out three key points in the summary section.
3) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and The Surgery / Life Hacks?
- At least three-quarters of all programme hours on the BBC’s most popular television channels should be original productions, commissioned by the BBC for UK audiences.
- We are requiring Radio 1 to offer a minimum number of major social action campaigns each year
- The BBC must support a wide range of genres across its channels and services, such as drama, comedy, factual programmes and different types of music
4) What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?
- Increase requirements around programmes for children.
- Support social action campaigns on BBC radio.
- Safeguard vulnerable genres such as arts, music and religious programmes.
5) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience?
They plan on regulating on-screen diversity and produce something all audiences can watch and enjoy.
They plan on regulating on-screen diversity and produce something all audiences can watch and enjoy.
Read this Guardian interview with BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper.
6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?
6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?
He aims to create a Netflix for Radio.
7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?
7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?
He argues that the averages are skewed as anything under 15 doesn't get measured.
8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?
He argues that they play over 4000 different songs in comparison to commercial radio playing only around 400. He also argues that they try and expose audiences to listening to brand new music and expanding their tastes in terms of genre by discovering something new.
9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?
10) 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 think Radio 1 should continue targeting youth audiences as it's a more unique idea and there's a gap in the market for it. They are also somewhat successful so there's no reason for them to stop.
I think Radio 1 should continue targeting youth audiences as it's a more unique idea and there's a gap in the market for it. They are also somewhat successful so there's no reason for them to stop.
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