Investigating Media Industries and Audiences: Late Night Women's Hour

1. Radio Section B: Investigating Media Industries and Audiences Late Night Women’s Hour

2. What is a public service broadcaster? Public service broadcaster (PSB)= A radio or television broadcaster that is seen to offer a public service by catering for a range of tastes and audience. The main PSB’s in the UK are the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C. Each broadcaster has a distinctive profile and identity, and appeals to different audiences.

3. What are the 5 Categories of commercial radio stations in the UK? National commercial radio: There are three of these stations broadcasting at the time of writing: Classic FM, Talksport and Absolute Radio. National Brands: These are regional stations that have been collected into networks, sharing some programs and syndicated output. Global Radio - Heart, Galaxy, Gold and Radio X Bauer Media Group - Kiss and Magic Guardian Media Group - Real Radio Independent local radio: These are regional commercial stations. They are specific to a certain area of the country and are not part of a network group. Community radio: This is a different format from PS and commercial stations. Community stations serve their local areas and produce content of interest to local people. The station are non-profit making and are usually funded by the local community. Hospital radio: There are hundreds of these radio stations based in hospitals and staffed by volunteers, broadcasting in the UK. Many radio presenters started out in hospital or community radio.

4. What is the BBC? The BBC is a public service broadcaster that is funded by the licence fee and does not air commercials. BBC radio is both national and regional, there are over 40 local/regional stations attracting more than 9 million listeners each week. However, these numbers have been steadily falling due to the competition from commercial broadcasters. The BBC informs, educates and entertains.

5. Marketing: How does the BBC promote its stations and programmes? BBC radio uses marketing strategies to promote its stations and programmes. These strategies are as follows: • Cross-platform marketing. BBC radio promotes T in the Park Festival. • Billboard and magazine advertisements for stations and presenters. • Each station has its own website within the website for BBC radio which allow listeners to access lives audio streaming and to listen to archive programmes. The provide interactive opportunities for an audience and can be accessed by a global audience. • Produces promotional films focusing on a particular part of its output. E.g. its presenters or news coverage. • BBC Taster. An interactive service that enables the BBC to showcase experimental ideas and new talent. Allows audience to give feedback.

6. A presenter - Acts as an anchor to guide the discussion between various guests. What are the seven codes and conventions of speech-based radio programmes? Discussions - A group of people discussing a range of topics. This sub genre of programme is often a key part of Radio 4’s schedule. LNWH uses this style, with each programme centring on a key topic. Phone-ins - Effective, Cheap ways of involving the listeners who are encouraged to take part in the programme and offer their points of view. Contributors - News magazine programmes invite guests who tend to be experts or knowledgeable in the topic under discussion. Drama - Radio 4 has a regular feature of The Afternoon Play. Other dramas include the long-running radio soap The Archers. Documentaries - These may be related to news items/current affairs/music themed. Outside broadcasts - Reporters, presenters d mobile studios bring stories and features from different national and global locations. The flexibility of the radio medium means that it does not have to rely on visual images and therefore the reports can be more immediate. The focus is on the human voice and sound effect.

7. What is scheduling and how does it work in the BBC’s radio programming? Each radio station has a schedule and programmes are stripped across the schedule. The regular programmes for each station are broadcast at the same time each day. The scheduling of a particular programme will have been researched in order to maximise the target audience. Listeners can catch up on radio programmes through ‘Listen Again’ and podcasts. The radio divides up its day related to what the audience may be doing. i.e Breakfast shows in the morning (BBC Radio 1 and 2) - These are largely music led but also incorporate chat, sport, traffic and regular slots specific to the programme. These regular features build up expectations in the audience and give a structure in the programme.

8. Who is the voice of Late Night Women’s Hour (LNWH) on Radio 4? Lauren Laverne is the voice of Late Night Women’s Hour. Lauren Laverne is of similar age to the TA and is known for her involvement in music and the arts. She is a presenter on Radio 6 and has also covered Glastonbury for the BBC. LNWH has been running for more than 70 years. Each episode is based around a theme and involves informal and in-depth discussions. 3.10 - Understanding of the set product. LNWH Series Each podcast is of different themes and can be recorded anywhere. For example, one podcast I listened to was recorded at a science festival. It keeps the audience engaged and interested in the next podcasts to come.

9. Who regulates the Radio and Television Broadcasting Industry? The Communications Act of 2003 established Ofcom at the new UK regulator. It has previously been regulated by regulatory bodies. The BBC was once regulated by the BBC Trust and Ofcom but now is solely regulated by Ofcom only. Ofcom is funded by fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks, and grant-in-aid from the government. Like televison, the BBC radio has a public service to inform, educate and entertain. Commercial and community radio stations have to apply for their licenses from Ofcom, and have to abide by their rules and regulations regarding output. The BBC is also self-regulatory. The company works with producers to ensure that there will be no need for Ofcom to intervene expect in extreme circumstances.

10. What is the role if this regulator? • The role of Ofcom with regards to broadcasting is: • To ensure that a wide range of television and radio services of high quality and wide appeal is available. • To maintain plurality in the provision of broadcasting. • To adequately protect audiences against offensive or harmful material. • To protect audiences against unfairness or infringement of privacy.

11. Key Theory: How can Curran and Seaton’s Power and Media Industries be applied to the BBC and LNWH? • Main points of the theory: The idea that… • The media are controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power. • Media concentration generally limits or inhabits variety, creativity and quality. • More socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions. The BBC is a major deliverer of radio and television programmes. Consider: The role of the BBC being a PSB and its relative freedom from commercial pressures. The ethos of the BBC and its need to address a range of audiences. The flexibility of the BBC which funds its programmes from licensing fees and not advertising revenue. The organisation of BBC radio means that specific stations have a distinct style and ethos therefore appealing to different audience. LNWH is a good example as it has more scope to produce innovative and creative programmes, targeting niche and diverse audience.

12. What are the 4 factors that create appeal for Radio audiences? The blind medium: it only involves the sense of hearing with no visual images. The medium can be seen to have advantages in that it allows the audience to use their imagination. The companion medium: The radio format provides a strong sense of personal communication for the audience. It also offers interactive opportunities - audiences can text and email programmes and get a ‘mention’ or a ‘shout out’ on it. Some programmes have phone-ins where listeners can air their views or select music to be played. The intimate medium: radio is very personal. It encourages intimacy by the use of direct mode of address. The undemanding medium: It allows the audience to do other things while listening. A criticism of television in the early days was that it didn’t go around corners’; with radio, a listener does not need to devote their time entirely to the platform.

13. How does LNWH appeal to audiences?

14. How can you apply Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory to LNWH? pg. 89 Hall said said there was three ways in which messages and meanings may be decoded by audiences. The dominant meaning - the audience accepts the intended meaning encoded in the product. The negotiated meaning - the audience acknowledges some of the message encoded by the producers of the product but may question or adapt the message to be more relatable to their own experiences. The oppositional position - the encoder’s message is understood, but the decoder disagrees with it.

15. What is the social and cultural context of LNWH? The introduction of LNWH into the Radio 4 schedule demonstrates the BBC’s awareness of the need to cater for all areas of society. The topics discussed int he programmes reflect what is of interest and concern to young women in socially today and cater for a specific social group who have been previously under-represented.