The summer project is a fantastic opportunity to start planning your Media coursework. Your summer project contains compulsory and optional elements; everybody will be researching magazines, coming up with a new magazine aimed at rich people and then writing a Statement of Intent first draft. However, if you wish to write and take photos for your production over the summer while you have time available we would fully support you in this approach.
Summer project tasks Complete the following tasks on a blogpost on your Media blog called 'Summer Project: coursework planning': 1) Research: Magazine covers and features You need to research magazine front covers and double-page spread features.
Tatler magazine covers Find three different Tatler magazine covers:
Front cover conventions:What conventions or typical features can you find on the covers you have researched?
Image analysis:What do you notice about the central images on the magazine covers? What do you notice about the mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) - particularly costume, make-up and setting?
Representations: What representations of people and groups can you find on these covers?
Double-page spread features
Find three different double page spread magazine features like these:
Double page spread feature conventions:What conventions or typical features can you find on the double page spread features you have researched?
Image analysis:What do you notice about the use of images? How are they laid out on the page? How does the mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) create meanings for the audience?
Representations: What representations can you find in these features?
Additional research: optional extension Depending on your coursework plan and the type of magazine you wish to create, you may want to research additional magazine covers and features. Focus on the lifestyle genre of magazines and try to find titles that are aimed at rich or successful audiences.
Whatever you research, make sure you write some additional notes or bullet points about these magazines on your blog so you are documenting your research. 2) Magazine planning
Plan out the title and cover star for your new, original lifestyle magazine.
Complete this Magazine planning document with your NEW original idea for a lifestyle magazine aimed at rich and successful people. Copy and paste the questions from the Google doc into your blog.
3) Statement of Intent
On the same Summer Project blogpost, write the rough first draft of your genuine 300-word Statement of Intent for the magazine and double-page spread feature you plan to create. The final draft of this document will be submitted to the exam board alongside your production work and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available. Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent suggested content document too.
Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in the second lesson back in September.
Our second music video CSP is Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from Sheffield. The lead singer is called Alex Turner. Since forming in 2002, they have released six albums and won seven Brit Awards. They were one of the first bands to come to the public’s attention due to the internet, heralding a new way that bands are produced and marketed. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is their first single from debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not released with niche, independent record label Domino. The album was released in January 2006 and went straight to number 1 selling over 350,000 copies in its first week. Unlike BLACKPINK, Arctic Monkeys weren’t put together by an entertainment company, they were all friends from school. They formed in 2002 and wrote songs based on their lives and what they saw on nights out in Sheffield. They played pubs and small venues in and around Sheffield, and built up a huge following online using Myspace. You can read more about the Myspace phenomenon on Forbes here and specifically find out more about Arctic Monkeys and Myspace here. This background video on the Arctic Monkeys is relevant for us up until around 3mins 30:
Video analysis and audience appeal
The power of the internet
Social Media was only starting to be introduced in the early 2000s.
You could chat to people with similar interests on chatroom or forums.
You used AOL or MSN Messenger to talk to your friends, send emojis and share pictures and music.
Myspace was released in 2003 and was one of the first major social networking sites. Myspace was used by bands and artists to gain fans without the need for a record company.
Arctic Monkeys' music was shared on P2P sites, though this wasn’t known by the band or promoted when they found out. It allowed their music to be heard by a much wider audience.
The sharing of their music encouraged people to talk about and share their music, which created a buzz about the band.
Their fan base moved online, creating online communities where they could share songs and information.
Arctic Monkeys: performance video
This is a performance video designed to look like a 1980s TV performance on programmes such as Top of the Pops or The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was filmed using old 1980s Ikegami 3-tube colour TV cameras to give it an authentic, nostalgic effect.
The simple performance video subverts music video conventions that became steadily more complicated and narrative-based in the 1980s and 1990s.
It opens with the singer introducing the song and adding the words 'Don't believe the hype'. This could be a reference to the online following the band built up using Myspace.
Audience
Arctic Monkeys' audience are likely to be predominantly white, middle class and reasonably young. Psychographic groups might include Reformers and Explorers. Recent global success pushed the band into bigger psychographic groups such as Mainstreamers.
Audience pleasures would include diversion - the song is upbeat and fast-paced. Fans who followed the band from the early days might find a sense of personal relationship while many young people would get a sense of personal identity from the lyrics to the song (about going out to a club and drinking).
Older fans would enjoy a sense of nostalgia from the 1980s-style performance video.
Industries
Convergence and technology
Technological convergence is the development of technology (such as phones and tablets) that allows us to access all types of media through one device. This has fundamentally changed the way music videos are produced, consumed and shared.
Technological convergence has created both challenges and opportunities for the music industry - both artists and record companies.
Record company
Arctic Monkeys did not sign to a major label, but recorded their own music before signing to independent record label, Domino Records. They were not interested in working with a major as it would undermine their creative control.
Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not went straight to number one and sold over 350,000 copies in its first week of release.
Music video regulation
Music video regulation is controlled by the BBFC who set certain standards and ratings for different age groups who they believe should be exposed to content specific to their age via age ratings and certification. YouTube and Vevo work in partnership with the BBFC to age rate all music videos for artists who are signed to Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK (the 'big three'). However, not all music producers sign up to this though and the BBFC does not have the power to regulate content on YouTube.
The BBFC regulate many different aspects of music videos. The sort of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include:
drug misuse
dangerous behaviour presented as safe
bad language
sexual behaviour and nudity
threatening behaviour and violence
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor: Blog tasks
Arctic Monkeys: Audience 1) What is the main Arctic Monkeys audience - demographics and psychographics? 2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor? 3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to Arctic Monkeys fans. Why did you choose those moments? 4) How did fans take a leading role in making Arctic Monkeys famous back in 2005? 5) How are fans positioned to respond to the band? What does Arctic Monkeys want fans to think about their video?
Our first music video CSP is BLACKPINK - How You Like That.
This 2020 video promoted the lead single from Blackpink’s first Korean-language studio album, The Album. The video, released on 26th June 2020, was premiered on Blackpink's YouTube channel at the same time as the single was released.
The video broke many YouTube records, including most-watched premiere (1.66 million concurrent viewers), most views within 24 hours for a music video (86 million views) and fastest video to achieve 100, 200 and 600 million views. It was the 3rd most viewed music video of 2020. As of Autumn 2021, the video has had over 1 BILLION views.
BLACKPINK: How You Like That
K-pop: global phenomenon
The K-pop genre reflects the global nature of the media and music industries. Over the last 20 years, K-pop has become a cultural sensation as groups like BTS and BLACKPINK enjoyed global success. This has also resulted in Korean culture becoming mainstream in the West.
Audience
BLACKPINK’s audience: Blinks
BLACKPINK fans are known as ‘Blinks’ and are largely teenage girls and young women. Their fans are worldwide but they are particularly big in the Philippines and Indonesia as well as western countries such as the UK and USA.
Avril, a 16-year-old Blink (Blackpink’s fandom name) from Peru discovered them in 2018. “Everything about them made me become a fan,” she tells Vogue over Twitter. “The way they perform, their iconic songs and choreos, their friendship, even the way they dress. Blackpink were on a whole new level.”
Audience pleasures
Applying Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:
Diversion: music video conventions – performance, effects, fast pace etc.
Personal relationships: Fan interaction online through social media is a key element of K-pop’s global success. Fans feel like they ‘know’ the band members.
Personal identity: K-pop fandom often involves copying the look of band members and seeing their own style reflected on screen.
Surveillance: Western audiences gain knowledge of Korean music and culture.
Marketing and promotion to the audience
The video’s release was preceded by a series of teasers on the band’s social media accounts (including posters, photos focusing on individual band members and videos) and a reality show (24/365 with Blackpink, available on YouTube).
A “dance performance” video including the choreography for the music video was released in July 2020; by March 2021 this had achieved over 600 million views and was placed in the top 20 videos of the year by Billboard magazine.
Dance performance:
BLACKPINK 24/365 - Behind the scenes of the How You Like It music video shoot:
Industries
BLACKPINK: manufactured by YG Entertainment
Blackpink was formed in 2016 by Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment and by 2020 was one of the most successful K-Pop bands in the world. As of 2021, the band was the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group, female act, and Asian act on YouTube.
The changing nature of the music industry
How You Like That demonstrates the changing nature of the music industry and how important YouTube and social media has become for music artists.
The way people consume music videos has changed – now phones, tablets and YouTube are the primary ways audiences engage with music videos (known as convergence). It also shows music video has become a media form in its own right, not just a way to sell an album.
BLACKPINK’s billions of YouTube views also bring in money through advertising.
Music: a global industry
K-pop demonstrates the global nature of the industry with BLACKPINK selling out arenas across the UK and USA as well as in the East. They played Wembley Arena in 2019 as well as huge US music festival Coachella.
Music videos: regulation
With music videos now largely consumed on YouTube, regulating the content of music videos is very difficult. Some UK-based record companies get their music videos rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
The kinds of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include bad language, dangerous behaviour presented as safe, drug misuse, sexual behaviour and nudity, and threatening behaviour and violence.
Audience 1) What are BLACKPINK fans known as - and what would the demographics / psychographics be for the BLACKPINK audience? 2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for How You Like That? 3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to BLACKPINK fans. Why did you choose those moments? 4) How was the How You Like That music video marketed and promoted to the audience?
5) Why is K-pop a global phenomenon and what has helped it to become so popular?
Industry 1) How were BLACKPINK formed and what records have they broken? 2) What other successful artists have YG Entertainment created? You may need to Google this.
3) How has technology and the internet (known as technological convergence) changed the way audiences consume music videos?
4) How do BLACKPINK and K-pop show that the media and music industries are now global?
Our next media topic is Music Video. We will be studying the industry and audience contexts for this topic and need to cover two CSPs: BLACKPINK: How You Like That
Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor We need to study the industry and audience contexts for these products: Industry: how music video is produced and marketed and how this has changed over time. Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. How music contributes to an audience's sense of identity. Fandom. How the internet has changed the position of the audience. PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the music videos and the impact of the internet on the music industry. Music video will appear in Paper 1, Section B of Exam Section B is only on INDUSTRIES and AUDIENCES and will consist of:
1 short answer question
2 medium answer questions – one on audience, one on industry
1 extended essay style question on one of the media forms we have studied - which is very likely to be Music Video due to the advance information we have from AQA about the Summer 2022 exams.
This essay question will require you to make judgements and draw conclusions.
Music video: introduction and history
Music video key conventions
Music videos typically feature movement – often fast paced either in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many contain a performance element or narrative. Music videos can also feature visual effects and intertextuality.
Music videos were originally designed as a promotional device to sell the band or artist’s music but have developed over time to become a recognised artform or product in their own right. Modern music videos no longer have the huge budgets of the 1980s and 1990s but digital media means they are now more accessible than ever. Videos such as Psy’s Gangnam Style have received over 3 billion views on YouTube. Intertextuality Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references. Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.
Music video history
Originally, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis)
MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. Programs such as BBC show Top of The Pops also showcased music videos from the charts alongside ‘live’ stage performances.
In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films)
Music video in the digital age
In 2005 the launch of YouTube changed the way that consumers access and enjoy music video. Now self-promotion is more common.
The rise of new and digital media paved the way for bands such as One Direction ‘manufactured’ by the industry and increasingly promoted through convergence on social media to maximise profits for the record companies. Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth: Problems with piracy
Piracy became a huge problem for the music industry as they could not keep up with illegal downloading and streaming services where fans shared content for free therefore… The 2000s saw the rise of streaming services with subscriptions such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beats Music and (most recently) Youtube Music.
New platforms and music apps on smart phones mean that listeners are now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access.
Introduction to Music Video: Blog tasks Answer the questions below to complete your introduction to the Music Video topic: 1) What are the key conventions of music video? 2) What is intertextuality? 3) When did music videos first become a major part of the music industry? 4) What launched in 1981 and why were music videos an important part of the music industry in the 1980s and 1990s?
Well done on completing your OSP assessment - it's a great opportunity to revise the CSPs and develop our exam technique. The first part of your learner response is to look carefully at your mark, grade and comments from your teacher. If anything doesn't make sense, ask your teacher - that's why we're here! OSP assessment learner response: blog tasks Create a new blog post called 'OSP assessment learner response' and complete the following tasks: 1) Type up your WWW/EBI feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). 2) Write down what mark you got for each question.
3) Write down three ways that Figure 1 (promoted Instagram post by American YouTube Influencer Bri Hall - about SpecialK) appeals to an audience. Refer to mise-en-scene - CLAMPS.
4) Give three examples from Marcus Rashford’s website of how he communicates with his audience.
5) Finally, write down three things you want to revise before your next assessment - e.g. media terminology, CSPs etc.
Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom
Our second Radio CSP is the KISS FM Breakfast show. Remember, our Radio products are targeted CSPs and need to be studied with reference to two elements of the theoretical framework - Audiences and Industries as well as Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts. This means we need to study the way radio audiences and industries have changed over time and what impact this may have on society.
Notes from the lesson: KISS FM Breakfast show You'll find the notes from our lessons on KISS FM below.
Background and history
Kiss FM first broadcast on 7 October 1985 as a pirate radio station, initially to South London then across the whole city. Transmitting seven-days from the start, it would be regularly taken off-air by the authorities and so became a weekend operation shortly afterwards. This means that it has its origins in common with radio in the 1960s (such as Tony Blackburn’s Radio Caroline show) as KISS was originally an illegal station that became legitimate as it grew in popularity. KISS FM is now seen as more mainstream and less controversial and has been operating legally since 1990. In 2007, it was bought by international conglomerate Bauer Media.
The station developed a committed following across London of mostly young people with figures in the press at the time stating that the station attracted some 500,000 listeners while operating as an unlicensed pirate station.
Gordon Mac approached a successful London club promoter, Guy Wingate, to discuss ways of improving the KISS FM profile. As a result, Wingate launched the very successful Kiss nights at the Wag Club where DJs from the station would DJ night club nights. These nights increased the station's reputation as a young person’s music radio station.
KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri
KISS has tried to move with the times by engaging on social media with its listeners and by bringing in DJs who they think will appeal to a younger target audience. Jordan and Perri took over the KISS FM Breakfast show in summer 2020 after previous hosts Rickie, Melvin and Charlie left for BBC Radio 1.
KISS FM deliberately chose younger replacements who have a big social media following (Perri has over one million followers on TikTok).
Personal relationships: important for breakfast radio
Applying Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, a key aspect of the KISS FM Breakfast show is the personal relationship the audience feel they have with the presenters Jordan and Perri. They took over the KISS FM Breakfast show in July 2020 after finding fame as part of the dance group Diversity and also presenting a weekend show on the station. The two are good friends who have worked together for over 10 years and KISS hope that natural chemistry will appeal to their listeners.
Here's just one of the ways KISS FM first introduced their Breakfast show team:
KISS FM deliberately chose breakfast show hosts who are:
Members of a dance troupe called Diversity who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent (watch their first performance below)
Friends in real life and have a natural 'chemistry' which is so important for breakfast radio and connecting with audiences. They are known for their 'banter' and personality.
Connected to political movements such as Black Lives Matter (see clip below)
Diversity - Britain's Got Talent audition:
Diversity - Black Lives Matter:
Active v passive audience
What opportunities are there on KISS FM for audiences to actively engage?
Listeners can send in requests or shout outs to friends via social media platforms (KISS FM are particularly active across Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok).
Audience interaction and involvement is a key aspect to the Breakfast show and Perri has over a million followers on TikTok.
Audiences can download the KISS Kube app to stream shows at a time convenient to them.
KISS runs over 100 events every summer that helps them connect with 300,000+ listeners. They also host an annual Halloween event at Wembley Arena for 11,000 fans.
Industry contexts
KISS is part of Bauer Radio, a subsidiary of the Bauer Media Group (BMG). This multinational cross-media group owns numerous magazine and radio brands but also has interests in digital media, TV streaming and event organisation, mostly linked to its radio and magazine properties.
The KISS Network is made up of KISS, KISSTORY and KISS Fresh alongside recently launched online stations KISS Bliss (chilled out music), KISS Dance and KISS Garage. Each of these targets its own audience within the 15–34 age group with different styles and types of content. All are available on a number of different platforms, but the range is not the same for each of the brands.
All are available on the KISS website and the KISS Kube app, but only KISS is available on FM radio. In contrast, only KISS and KISSTORY can be received on DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).
KISS listening figures
Like most traditional media brands, KISS FM is struggling to maintain its audience in the digital age. The previous breakfast show hosted by Rickie, Melvin and Charlie had over 2 million listeners but by the time Jordan and Perri took over it was already down to 1.4m. The most recent figures have Jordan and Perri at 980,000 listeners so less than half the 2m figure the KISS FM Breakfast show used to enjoy.
How does KISS FM make money?
Bauer Media Group revenue was 1.5 BILLION euros in 2020 which demonstrates how much money is made across their many media brands.
KISS FM makes money through advertising, sponsorship and events (such as summer festivals and the Wembley Arena Halloween party). The KISS FM Breakfast show is one of the most popular slots for the radio station so losing around one million listeners over the last few years means Bauer Media cannot make as much money from the KISS brand as it used to. Indeed, Bauer Media Group's revenue is down from 2.3bn euros - in part due to the increasing pressure on traditional media such as magazines and radio.
The changing nature of radio
Young people tend to listen to radio much less as the media landscape is saturated with other products for them to consume (games, apps, numerous TV channels, streaming services, etc). Also, people now expect to consume media products not in a linear fashion (you turn on the radio and hear what’s currently broadcast) but on-demand (streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer). This means Kiss FM is attempting to target an audience of 15-34 year olds who are consuming media in a totally different way compared to radio in the 1960s.
Radio in the 1960s v radio today
There are many differences in the radio industry between the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 and the global online marketplace we see today:
More radio stations broadcasting (There are around 600 licensed radio stations in the country) and thousands of online broadcasters.
Improved quality as radio moved from AM to FM and now to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).
Radio stations have become increasingly specialised (look at KISS, KISSTORY and KISS FRESH or rivals Absolute Radio, Absolute 60s, 70s, 80s, etc.)
Many shows are downloadable on-demand (e.g. as podcasts), on a range of devices (e.g. using iPlayer on TV) and streaming-only ‘stations’ (e.g. Spotify ‘stations with no DJs')
Regulation: how is KISS FM regulated?
KISS FM is regulated by Ofcom. This means the KISS FM Breakfast show must follow the Ofcom broadcasting code and not include anything inappropriate for children or younger listeners.
In 2006, KISS was fined a record fee for any UK commercial radio station of £175,000 by media regulator Ofcom. Ofcom punished KISS for "numerous and serious breaches" of broadcasting codes after receiving 10 complaints from April to November 2005. They involved prank calls on the Bam Bam breakfast show where consent was not sought from the "victims" and controversial material aired when children were likely to be listening. KISS said it accepted the findings and apologised for any offence. You can read more on that case here.
KISS FM Breakfast show CSP: blog tasks
Work through the following questions to complete your final Radio case study on the KISS FM Breakfast show CSP:
Audience
Look at the KISS media pack carefully. This will give you a brilliant background to the brand and how they target their audience (important note: it features the old Breakfast presenting team).
Answer the following questions:
1) Read page 2. What is KISS FM's mission?
2) Look at page 3. What is the target audience for KISS FM? As well as writing the key statistics from the media pack, try and suggest what psychographic groups would fit the KISS audience too. 3) Now look at page 5 - The KISS network. How does KISS use digital media and technology to reach its audience? 4) Now look at the other side of page 5. What content do KISS Fresh and KISSTORY offer and how can audiences access those stations? 5) Read page 6. What are the different ways audiences can actively engage with the KISS radio brand?
6) Are listeners to the KISS Breakfast show active or passive? You can argue this point either way - explain your opinion in your answer. 7) Now think about the clips you've watched or listened to of the KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri. What audience pleasures are offered by the KISS FM Breakfast show? Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory here.
8) How have audiences changed in terms of how they listen to music and radio since the 1960s?
9) How does the KISS FM Breakfast show contrast with Tony Blackburn's 1967 Radio 1 Breakfast show and the launch of BBC Radio 1?
10) Use Stuart Hall's Reception theory to offer a preferred and oppositional reading of the KISS FM Breakfast show. For the preferred reading, why do fans love the show? On the oppositional side, why might someone criticise the show or not want to listen?
Industry 1) When did KISS FM first launch and what type of station was it then? 2) Look at the Bauer Media Group's list of brands. How many different types of media can you find on there? What brands do you recognise?
3) How does KISS FM make money and how much revenue did Bauer Media Group make in 2020?
4) How many listeners does the KISS Breakfast show have and how has this changed in recent years?
5) How is KISS FM regulated and what can happen if they break the rules?
Finally, try this exam question on Radio: How successful have radio stations like KISS FM been in attracting a young audience to traditional radio? Due date on Google Classroom
Our next unit is Radio - a targeted topic that involves looking at the history of radio in the UK. We need to study the key concepts of Industries and Audiences for Radio.
BBC Radio 1 launch 1967 Our first Radio CSP is the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967.
Our Radio products are targeted CSPs and need to be studied with reference to two elements of the Audiences and Industries as well as Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts. This means we need to study the way radio audiences and industries have changed over time and what impact this may have on society.
Notes from the lesson: BBC Radio 1 launch The launch of Radio 1 was an event of historical and social significance and an important turning point in the history of radio. You would not normally be aware of this historical period in radio, but it provides a useful point of contrast with modern radio stations that can be online / niche / youth-orientated / available on a number of different platforms. The history of BBC Radio It is key in this unit of work to understand the importance of radio in 1967. Television was not yet universally available and radio was the key entertainment device. The radio provision in the mid-1960s was:
BBC Radio Home (1939-1967) broadcasting education programmes and news. Mainly speech-based. Replaced by Radio 4. BBC Radio Light (1945-1967) broadcasting mainly light entertainment (comedy / drama) and music. Replaced by Radio 2. BBC Third (1946-1970) broadcasting intellectual arts-based talk and music. Replaced by Radio 3.
BBC: funding and reorganisation of radio As you have seen from our work on Doctor Who and His Dark Materials, the BBC is funded through the compulsory licence fee (£159 now; it was around £4 a year in the 1960s). As everybody pays, then everybody should receive content suitable for their needs. Given the growth of pirate radio in the mid-1960s, the BBC realised that it was not providing content for this growth market of younger people. In response, the BBC reorganised and renamed their radio channels. On 30 September 1967, the Light Programme was split into Radio 1 offering continuous "Popular" music and Radio 2 for more 'Easy Listening'. The "Third" programme became Radio 3 offering classical music and cultural programming. The Home Service became Radio 4 offering news, and non-musical content such as quiz shows, readings, dramas and plays.
Historical context: the 1960s and pirate radio
There were changing attitudes to music and youth culture in the early 1960s. ‘Pop’ music was becoming more popular and attitudes in young people were becoming more relaxed. There was clearly a need for a radio outlet for this music with a less formal presentation style; but there was nothing on the BBC. This led to the growth of ‘pirate’ radio stations who could produce these shows for young people, but were beyond the control of regulators.
Needle time
There were concerns that too much music on the radio would mean that people would no longer buy records, so the Musicians' Union and Phonographic Performance Limited (a music licensing company) restricted the amount of recorded music that could be transmitted by the BBC during the course of any 24-hour period. This was called ‘Needle Time’ and in 1967 meant they could only play five hours of music per day. Pirate stations did not have these restrictions imposed on them because the law was difficult to apply offshore - and so could play more music. They were, therefore, more popular with young people than the BBC.
Radio 1 target audience
The Radio 1 target audience in 1967 was young people who were listening to pirate radio. Today, the BBC Radio 1 target audience is 15-29 year olds but they are struggling to attract these listeners. The median age for a Radio 1 listener is 32 and only 41% of the audience today are aged between 15-29.
BBC Radio 1 launch: successful?
When first launched in 1967, Radio 1 was not as popular as the BBC had hoped. There were a number of reasons why Radio 1 was not a success initially:
It was not seen as ‘cool’ by many young people as the BBC stood for traditional, conservative values.
It struggled financially as there was no increase in the licence fee to pay for this extra radio station.
Whilst Radio 1 tried to copy the pirate radio’s style, it didn’t quite do it effectively initially as it broadcast simultaneously with Radio 2 – so it had to have a more formal style than the pirate broadcasters. Some young people didn’t respond positively to this.
However, the 1967 the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act officially outlawed pirate radio stations. The Government had closed the legal loophole that allowed these stations to broadcast and these had a British audience of 10 to 15 million. This meant the audience had to go to Radio 1 if they wanted to listen to popular music.
Many of the pirate station broadcasters then were then employed by BBC Radio 1, thus bringing many of the their loyal listeners with them. Commercial radio didn’t broadcast until 1973 so it had no competition. Radio 1 also developed better content more suitable to the target audience as it became more popular. In the 1970s and 1980s, Radio 1 became the most listened to station in the world with audiences regularly over 10 million.
Radio 1 Launch CSP: blog tasks Work through the following questions to complete your first Radio case study on the launch of BBC Radio 1: Historical, social and cultural contexts 1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967? 2) How was BBC radio reorganised in September 1967? What were the new stations that launched? 3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular? 4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967? 5) How did the BBC attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down? 6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio? 7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations? 8) Who was the first presenter for BBC Radio 1 and why did these new Radio 1 DJs cause upset initially at the traditional BBC?
9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners? 10) What conventions did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different to previous BBC radio content?
Audience and industry 1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967? 2) Why did Radio 1 initially struggle to attract young listeners? 3) What audience pleasures did Radio 1 offer listeners in 1967? (Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory). 4) How is the BBC funded? 5) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would the preferred and oppositional readings have been for BBC Radio 1 in 1967? Extension tasks Look at this BBC Radio 1 timeline from its launch in 1967 to today. What do you notice has changed in BBC radio over those 50+ years?
Read this Guardian interview with the second DJ to broadcast on BBC Radio 1. How does he describe the 1960s and his move to the BBC? The BBC is a public service broadcaster. What does this mean and why is it an important part of the history of BBC Radio 1? Due date on Google Classroom
