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
