Radio 1 Lesson 1

BBC - British Broadcasting Corporations - A Public Service Broadcaster (PSB)

• It is not controlled by the government and paid for by us via the TV licence fee most of us pay each year £154.40.
• If you want to watch TV or listen to radio, then you must pay a licence fee each year - numerous payment options are available to ensure it is affordable for all.
• A black and white TV licence is less expensive, £52.
• If you are found not to have a TV licence then you could face prosecution!

We will report on the range and depth of support for new music on Radio 1 through analysis of its published playlists, and compare performance against the playlists of key commercial stations.

The BBC are trying to compete with Netflix and Disney as well as other media providers. They are very aware of the changing media environment: more than half o us watch TV or films while in bed, for example, with nearly a fifth watching while commuting. Among those using their smartphone for news, 61% read the news while in bed, 45% while commuting, and 35% while in the bathroom.

How many people listen to the radio in the UK?

Wider Industry Research

Heart Breakfast Show

Listener figures: 4.6 million, weekly

Funding methods and allocations: Adverts

Hosts: Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden

'Mission': 'Turn up the feel good'

Changes over time: Local Heart Breakfast shows replaced by a national Heart Breakfast show from London on 3 June 2019.

Audience reach: Aged 25-44

Playlists/music: 

Features/analysis: Quizzes, callers.

Radio 1's place as a PSB

Radio 1's remit is to entertain young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds. It should offer:

• a range of new music
• support emerging artists - especially those from the UK
• provide a platform for live music
• news, documentaries and advice campaigns should cover areas of relevance to young adults
• broadcast at least 40 new documentaries each year
• offer at least 2 major social action campaigns, supported across daytime output and online each year, together with a number of other initiatives

If Radio 1 is just providing new music to a young audience, how can the BBC say that they are providing value for money from their licence fee?

The BBC has multiple radio stations which cater to different audiences, therefore everyone is getting their value for money. For example, BBC Radio 1 is targeted to a younger, 15-29 year old audience, whereas BBC Radio 2 is targeted to audiences around 35 and above. There is a grey area where these ages meet as that is the transition between radio stations.