P1: Describe the different radio industry operations
There are many different kinds of radio operation, and different stations operate differently. Here are a few categories of radio operation:
Non-Profit: Radio stations that are non profit are exactly as it sounds. They are not aired for profit. This means that the contributors do not get paid for their contribution and the station does not make profit through advertisement or other means. Typically university stations, hospital stations and charity stations are non-profit.
Commercial: Commercial radio stations are essentially the opposite of Non-profit. These stations make profit through advertisements, sponsorships and other methods. The contributors are paid for their efforts and the operation is funded through these profits.
Public: Public stations are similar to non-profit stations in the sense that they have no advertisements and are not "For Profit." These stations are funded entirely through a tax on the people, much like the television license. This means that these stations are Public Service Broadcasters, and as such must provide content to their remit that appeals to many different audiences. An example of this kind of station would be any "BBC" radio station.
Internet: Internet stations could fall within any of the previous categories, though most are either non-profit or commercial. These operations are run and broadcast through internet based services such as a website.
National: National radio operations are stations that are broadcasted across the nation e.g. "BBC Radio 1."
Regional: Regional operations broadcast in just one specific region e.g. "BBC Radio Cambridgeshire."
Local: Local operations broadcast to an even smaller area, such as "Town FM" which broadcasts only to ipswich.
Community: Community radio stations are typically run by small or local organisations such as hospitals, schools, etc.
Commercial: Commercial radio stations are essentially the opposite of Non-profit. These stations make profit through advertisements, sponsorships and other methods. The contributors are paid for their efforts and the operation is funded through these profits.
Public: Public stations are similar to non-profit stations in the sense that they have no advertisements and are not "For Profit." These stations are funded entirely through a tax on the people, much like the television license. This means that these stations are Public Service Broadcasters, and as such must provide content to their remit that appeals to many different audiences. An example of this kind of station would be any "BBC" radio station.
Internet: Internet stations could fall within any of the previous categories, though most are either non-profit or commercial. These operations are run and broadcast through internet based services such as a website.
National: National radio operations are stations that are broadcasted across the nation e.g. "BBC Radio 1."
Regional: Regional operations broadcast in just one specific region e.g. "BBC Radio Cambridgeshire."
Local: Local operations broadcast to an even smaller area, such as "Town FM" which broadcasts only to ipswich.
Community: Community radio stations are typically run by small or local organisations such as hospitals, schools, etc.
Knowing the different kinds of radio operations, I will now illustrate their differences by looking deeper into two radio stations, and noting similarities and differences between them. The two stations that I have chosen to look at for this task are BBC Radio 1 (A public, non-profit organisation) and Kiss FM (A commercial, for profit organisation.)
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC radio 1 is one of the two "Flagship" BBC radio stations, and one of many stations that the BBC broadcasts from. It launched in 1967 along with BBC 2. One of the key reasons for BBC launching this station was due to the popularity of offshore "Pirate" radio stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London. These stations had been outlawed and disbanded, and the demand for music generated by these stations was extremely high. BBC radio one was founded to meet this demand, and even hired members of these previous "Pirate Stations" such as Tony Blackburn, who was the first to broadcast on the new station.
BBC Radio 1 is a great example of a "Public" operation. It is owned and broadcast by the BBC which is a public service broadcaster. All of the BBC's operations are funded and paid for the the national "TV" license that anyone with a television and access to the BBC in the UK.
As a public service broadcaster, the BBC is required to appeal to all audiences, and does so through it's various stations and channels. BBC radio 1 is one of these stations, with it's focus being on young teenagers to adults in the target audience of 15-29. as a public service broadcaster, the station must adhere to this remit and endeavour to produce a variety of material for this target audience. They also have a duty as a public service broadcaster to provide the news, which they do through "Newsbeat Bulletins" hourly throughout the day. They also broadcast documentaries and interviews, which give the station variety. However the key focus of the station is clearly current and upcoming hits music from various genres such as pop, rock, indie, hip hop, etc. |
Kiss FM
Kiss is a radio station broadcast across the UK nationally through DAB digital radio as well as through FM in London, east anglia, Bristol and Severn Estuary.
Kiss is a good example of a "Commercial" broadcaster. They are for-profit and are funded by advertisements and sponsorships that play throughout the stations broadcast.
The station has a key focus on music based content, with a target audience of 15-34 year old. They aim at this audience through playing popular music genres such as dance, hip hop, pop etc. Kiss keeps it's content wide and varied through it's various presenters and shows. It has roughly 20 shows, all with different focuses. the majority of these shows are focused on music, but the music played varies from show to show to appeal to many audiences within the 15-34 target audience. For example, their show "Kiss Jams" broadcasts hip hop and R&B music, while Kiss Grime broadcasts Grime music. There are segments where music is not being played in which presenters discuss various topics. This content also keeps the station varied, and is kept even more varied by the wide range of presenters. There are around 24 presenters for the different shows who bring their own knowledge and personality to the station. These presenters are typically within the age bracket of their target audience as well so that the show appeals to this age bracket even more. |
Differences between the stations
There are a few notable differences between these two station. Firstly, The BBC is not for profit, and as such has no advertising, Whereas kiss are a commercial station and broadcast ads for profit. The BBC is also a public service broadcaster, while Kiss is not. This means that kiss is under no obligation to provide accessible content that caters for a wide audience. This is clear as the BBC has to provide news updates through all of it's station as part of it's PSB status, while Kiss is under no such obligation.
BBC radio 1 also has a wider variety of content such as documentaries and public information segments, while Kiss maintains it's core focus of music throughout all of it's many shows.
BBC radio 1 also has a wider variety of content such as documentaries and public information segments, while Kiss maintains it's core focus of music throughout all of it's many shows.
Key job roles
Here I have researched a few of the key job roles within a radio station operation, to give an idea of the kind of people who make a station run and broadcast:
Presenters: Of course, presenters play a key role in radio operations, especially like the ones mentioned above. The presenters give the station's shows their personality and energy, creating a unique identity for each show and building the identity for the station as a whole. Some presenter's are more crucial to their shows than others, but all shows gain something from their presenters.
Producers: Producers are responsible for overseeing radio operations as a whole, as well as being responsible for audio content present within the show. They work with all of the other members of a radio station to ensure that everything is running smoothly and that all parties are happy and doing their jobs correctly.
Sound engineers: The sound engineers ensure that all of the sound elements of the broadcast are at the right level and ensure that all of the content is being broadcast correctly.
Broadcast assistants: Broadcast assistants have many tasks within the station. Their key role is to assist the producer and presenter in ensuring that the station and broadcast are running smoothly. Duties might include researching topics for presenters, looking after contributors, managing phone-ins, etc.
Presenters: Of course, presenters play a key role in radio operations, especially like the ones mentioned above. The presenters give the station's shows their personality and energy, creating a unique identity for each show and building the identity for the station as a whole. Some presenter's are more crucial to their shows than others, but all shows gain something from their presenters.
Producers: Producers are responsible for overseeing radio operations as a whole, as well as being responsible for audio content present within the show. They work with all of the other members of a radio station to ensure that everything is running smoothly and that all parties are happy and doing their jobs correctly.
Sound engineers: The sound engineers ensure that all of the sound elements of the broadcast are at the right level and ensure that all of the content is being broadcast correctly.
Broadcast assistants: Broadcast assistants have many tasks within the station. Their key role is to assist the producer and presenter in ensuring that the station and broadcast are running smoothly. Duties might include researching topics for presenters, looking after contributors, managing phone-ins, etc.
P2: Describe the focus of a chosen radio station
Here I will be looking at a specific radio station and describing it's focus in depth. Here I will be looking at BBC radio 1 in more depth.
BBC radio 1's remit is "to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech." "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."
Their target audience as previously mentioned is "15-29 year olds." it's focus is stated in the remit above, and serves to allow the BBC to produce content catered towards this target audience. BBC radio 1 achieves this goal by broadcasting a wide range of content that will appeal to this audience, such as hits music and music from upcoming UK artists, as well as documentaries and speech segments relevant to this audience. This is helped by it's wide range of shows and presenters, allowing it to cater to different interest groups within this target audience. |
Information about Remit and target audience sourced from:
BBC trust- http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/service_licences/radio/2013/radio_1.pdf
Radio 1 website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1
BBC trust- http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/service_licences/radio/2013/radio_1.pdf
Radio 1 website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1