BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: Blog tasks

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: Blog tasks

Newsbeat analysis

Use BBC Sounds to listen to Radio 1. Select a Newsbeat bulletin (8am or 12.45pm are good options) and then answer the following questions: 

1) What news stories were featured in the bulletin you listened to?

- Ben Stokes retirement from international cricket

- Investigation into a girl's death (a football player in England)

- Schools in England failing students (White working class students)

- Rosalia in the US as well as Bad Bunny in London sending message to Venezuela who faced earthquakes.

- Scottland boss- Steve Clarke resignation

2) How does Newsbeat appeal to a youth audience?

It talks about sports, which involves a wide range of hobbies that the youth enjoy and resonate with and they use references to people such as the boy named Steven, talking about schools that the younger audiences attend to and explains the lack of support, also creating a sense of personal identity.

3) How might Newsbeat help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster? 

In this bulletin, they inform people of the latest updates of news around the world, such as the earthquakes in Venezuela. They educate the youth on different educative systems that may not fully support students, causing failure and they entertain the youth by talking about sports stories, which are interesting and more appealing to the youngsters listening.

Media Factsheet #246: BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat

Read Factsheet #246 BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. You'll need your Greenford google login to access it. Answer the following questions:

1) How is the history and launch of Radio 1 summarised in the factsheet?

Newsbeat started in 1973. For many years BBC radio had a monopoly of the airwaves, it was the only radio station that people in the UK could legally listen to. However, this monopoly was challenged in the 1960s when pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio Luxembourg started illegally transmitting commercial programming via ships in international waters and on land.

2) Look at page 3 of the factsheet. How is Radio 1 attempting to appeal to its 15-29 age demographic? 

It aims to entertain and engage young listeners. with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. The programmes showcase a wide range of new music styles and support emerging artists, in particular those from the UK; with at least 60 hours a week dedicated to specialist music programming. News, documentaries and other speech content focuses on areas of relevance to young adults in the UK today and aims to help them make sense of the world around them.

3) What did young people used to get from radio? Focus on audience pleasures / Uses & Gratifications here (see top of second column on page 3).

They used to consume radio to:

• To connect themselves to popular culture products (identity).

• To gain an insight into the world beyond their own experience: relationships, romance, politics (information and surveillance).

• To build para-social relationships with media personalities (both musicians and DJs) – create fandoms.

• For pure entertainment (diversion).

4) How has Radio 1 and Newsbeat in particular diversified its content for the digital age?

In order to try and cater for young people’s needs and compete with rival platforms, Radio 1 has diversified its content beyond the studio, from Live Lounge sessions to a Big Weekend of live music, its output is wide and diverse.

5) How is Newsbeat constructed to appeal to audiences? 

Newsbeat was launched on 10 September 1973 and is broadcast during the week on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network at 12:45 and 17:45. It is fifteen minutes long. Short bulletins are also heard throughout the day on three stations on the half-hour with extra bulletins broadcast at peak times. Newsbeat is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC›s other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically younger audience. There is an expectation that the news it provides for young people will be a reliable source of accurate reporting in the context of rising concerns about fake-news. They have adapted to the youth method of consumption, which is now through streaming services and digital apps such as YouTube.

6) What are the three key ideas from David Hesmondhalgh and which apply to Radio 1 Newsbeat?

1) The internet has not challenged the centralised power of all the elite conglomerates as Newsbeat is finding it hard to keep up with appealing to a young audience successfully in the dominated market.

2) Media products are a risky business as it is extremely risky for Newsbeat to target a youth audience as a radio station as the internet and technological advancements have allowed the youth to adapt to newer online services and it has caused radio as a media product to become risky to continue operating due to obsoletion.

3) The idea that the cultural industries are profit driven and public service broadcasters are the only hope for true culture and creativity as believed by Hesmondhalgh applies as the BBC is a PSB that aims to inform, educate and entertain audiences and it's a non-profit organisation funded by their license fee.

7) Now look at Curran and Seaton. What are their key ideas and can they be applied to Radio 1 Newsbeat? 

They both explore the idea that the cultural industries are dominated by the elites, however this doesn't fully apply to Newsbeat because they are a PSB, which are extremely well known with a high market share, who aren't profit driven and they are funded by the license fee.

8) What key idea for Livingstone and Lunt is on the factsheet and how does it link to the CSP?

That the media can have a citizen-based approach to regulation- applies as The BBC is an example of a citizen-based approach to regulation:

- Citizen-orientated regulation is concerned with content-based issues.

- Citizen-based regulation is a positive form if regulation that directs media content so that it can improve the lives of citizens and contribute the wider well-being of society.

- Citizen-based regulation promotes forms of media that can hold powerful groups to account.

9) How can we apply Stuart Hall's Reception theory to Radio 1 Newsbeat?

The idea that media producers encode products the way they think will appeal to them, which isn't always successful - seen as an example from BBC as they try to appeal to a young audience but face the challenge of other platforms being more attractive to them.

10) Choose one other audience theory on the factsheet and explain how it links to Radio 1 Newsbeat.

Gauntlett's identity theory applies as Newsbeat they offer a range of different content representing all demographics in their targeted 15-29 audience.

Industry contexts: reading and research

Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. 

1) Pick out three key points in the 'Summary' section.

1) The public has exceptionally high expectations of the BBC, shaped by its role as a publicly-funded broadcaster with a remit to inform, educate and entertain the public, and to support the creative economy across the UK.

2) To meet these expectations, the BBC must deliver the mission and public purposes set out in its new Royal Charter (the Charter).

3) On 29 March 2017, we consulted on a draft Licence setting out requirements for the BBC to fulfil its remit, and plans for Ofcom to measure the BBC’s overall performance.

2) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points could we relate to BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat?

To support a wide range of valued genres and safeguard vulnerable genres such as arts, music and religious programmes- this applies to Newsbeat as they appeal to a younger audiences by adapting to a wide range of genres like, music artists, sports etc.

3) Which do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?

Reflecting the full diversity of the UK populations (because they need to be representative to appeal to all cultures and prevent any backlash), Strengthen news and current affairs rules (in order to maximise consumption from audiences by being competitive) and supporting a wide range of valued genres (as that is how they will appeal to all audience demographics and attract more consumers).

4) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience? 

We are also announcing an in-depth review of how different audiences are represented and portrayed on the BBC. All audiences should feel that the BBC offers something for them, however, our research shows that several groups feel that it does not adequately represent their interests or lives. This is our first ad hoc review of the BBC. As part of our analysis we plan to examine the on-screen diversity of the BBC’s programming, including in its popular peak time shows. The review will ask what audiences expect from the BBC to understand whether it reflects and portrays the lives of all people across the whole of the UK, ranging from younger and older audiences to diverse communities. We will take into account the outcomes of the review as we shape our future oversight of the BBC, and we will take further measures where needed to ensure that the BBC is delivering for all its audiences.

5) Based on your reading and research, do you think BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat offers licence fee payers good value for money?

I think it somewhat does as it covers a wide range of media products and targets a younger audience, while fulfilling the BBC remit to inform, educate and entertain, which is what they license payers are agreeing to consume in return for their money, however I personally think that most children don't listen to the radio so the station is somewhat irrelevant to the contemporary world and it doesn't provide a good value for the extremely high priced license fee.

A/A* Extension tasks

As an extension, read this Guardian interview with former BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper. It's a few years old but has some excellent discussion of the challenges facing radio and public service broadcasting. You may want to answer the following questions:

1) What was Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?

His focus was to bring new audiences and new ways to the BBC as his relentless mission is to make BBC Radio 1 a truly multi-platform business that keeps pace, and maintains relevance, with the digital-savvy youth audience it is tasked with targeting.

2) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?

In his five years in charge of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Cooper has supercharged its multi-platform presence. Major successes include the station’s YouTube channel, which now has almost 3.5 million subscribers and more than 1bn views.

3) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?

He says, “We will play something like 4,000 different tracks a month, commercial radio plays about 400. We need to play hit music to get audiences in to expose them to new music. I think we need to look at the fact that we are no longer competing just purely with Rajars against Capital and Kiss."

4) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?

This is because that is how they can adapt to further appealing to younger audiences who are attracted by the newer digital platforms like YouTube.

5) 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 it should be left with commercial broadcasters as they can appeal to younger audiences more successfully in the digital age, compared to the BBC.