R1BS - LESSON 2: INDUSTRY AND AUDIENCE

R1BS OVERVIEW:
//Runs every weekday from 6:30am until 10:00am
//It has been running since 1967
//It is currently hosted by Greg James who took over from Nick Grimshaw
//He is the 16th presenter and took over in 2018.

BBC, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION:
//It is not controlled by the government 
//It is paid for by us via a TV licence fee 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 make it accessible and affordable to all.
//A black and white TV licence is less expensive at £52/year
//If you are found to not have a TV licence, you could face prosecution.

Radio 1 is a key supporter of BBC Introducing, and of new music in general, through initiatives such as Brit List and BBC Sound Of. In 2019/20, Radio 1 will maintain its support of new and home-grown music with 50% of music played during daytime hours being new, and 45% of daytime music played from the UK. It will continue to produce its world-class weekly specialist output and will be the home of memorable music moments, from Live Lounge Month to Ibiza. The BBC and licence fee continue to be a huge debate – regular newspaper articles with distinct opinions comment on the purpose and quality of the BBC – some which are politically motivated.

The BBC are trying to compete with Netflix and Sky as well as other media providers. They are very aware of the changing media environment: More than half of us now 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.

RADIO 1'S REMIT IS TO ENTERTAIN YOUNG LISTENERS WITH A DISTINCTIVE MIX OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC AND SPEECH. IT'S TA IS 15-29 YEAR OLDS. IT SHOULD OFFER:

//A range of new music

//Support new emerging artists (especially 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 every year.

//Offer at least 2 major social action campaigns, supported across daytime output and online each year, together with a number of other initiatives.

THE RADIO 1 PLAYLIST:

//The music on the show is largely playlisted - what is going to play on daytime radio 1 is decided by a committee.

//Radio 1 choose around 40 records each week for repeated daytime play. (A-list records get 25 plays a week, B-list 15, C-list 8-10)

//Choices are partly guided by what is already popular with young people online; many older artists are not included as the network is trying to keep an under-30 audience.

//The current Head of Music has been trying to get away from the data-driven approach to choosing what will get played, in order to make the playlist less globally homogeneous and more distinctive.

//The playlist also appears on the website each week.

//There is also a new brit-list which helps push featured new British artists - again to make the output less globally homogeneous and make it more distinctive.

WHY IS THERE A PSB DEBATE?

//We pay for it and therefore many people believe that we should have more say in what programmes are produced and when they are aired.

//Some people say that Sam Fender guessing the age of a random child is not good use of the licence fee payer's money.

//However, the BBC is a PSB and therefore must produce programmes that benefit the public. It is not owned by the state and is 'not driven by commercial interests' like other TV networks and channels.

//It's creator, Lord Reith, wanted it to 'Inform, educate and entertain.'

PSB OBLIGATIONS:

Radio 1 is funded by the licence fee, so unlike commercial radio it doesn't rely on ratings-based advertising revenue for survival.

On the other hand, it must fulfill Reithian values along with meeting OFCOM's requirements:

//Impartial news and information

//Education

//High quality, distinctive programmes

//Reflecting, representing and serving all communities across Britain

//Supporting creative industries

//reflecting the UK and it's values to the world

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION:

//BBC radio uses a range of modes of distribution, for example, via livestreaming and podcasts on BBC sounds, iPlayer on TV and extra content on digital stations and more outside broadcasts and events.​

//The BBC has recently launched BBC sounds, an equivalent to iPlayer featuring podcasts, highlights and exclusives from their 10 radio stations. ​

//The BBC has a public duty to promote technological development, e.g. digital technologies, such as the BBC Sounds, to prepare for media convergence – this licence payer funded obligation gives PSB popular music radio programming a technological edge compared to commercial popular music radio programming.

//content from the show is distributed across a range of platforms, including BBC Sounds, downloadable podcasts, and YouTube, encouraging convergence and engagement with a younger audience who are predominantly the early adopters of new social media technologies.

HELPFUL LINKS:
Greg James' first link
Radio 1 Article
Sam Fender Interview
Treasure Hunt
Radio 1 Playlist
BBC Sounds trailer