Read the notes and listen to the extracts from Life Hacks above before answering the following questions:
1) Go to the Life Hacks iPlayer page and analyse the content. What does this suggest regarding the Life Hacks audience and what the BBC is hoping to achieve with the programme?
This suggests that the audience for Life Hacks are young adults. Life Hacks cover controversial topics and so it can be seen as a perfect platform for young adults to come and learn more. The BBC is hoping for young adults to seek a little bit of advice from Life Hacks as they are surrounded by people who may be going through the same things as them too. 2) Go to the Life Hacks podcast episodes page. Listen to a few episodes of the podcast and explain how the topics may a) appeal to a youth audience and b) help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.
The topics can appeal to a youth audience as they seem to be relevant in young person's life. Topics such as anxiety and self love are usually prone to be quite common in young people's lives and this is why they appeal to a young audience as Life Hacks can be safe space where they are able to learn more about these topics as well as establish the fact that they may not be the only ones undergoing the same experiences. The BBC quite often cater their content towards an older audience however, recently they have been trying to put out content that also caters for younger audiences as they failed to do so in the past. Life Hacks can be seen as their way of providing such content for younger audiences especially through the fun and creative podcast topics that are available and relevant to modern day life.
1) Read the first page of the factsheet. What content does Life Hacks offer to listeners?
Content that renders advice on 'touchy' and mature topics such as sex, relationships and mental health.
2) Which of the five central purposes in the BBC's remit does Life Hacks cover?
1.) To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them.
2.) To support learning for people of all ages (including educational content to help support the learning for children and teenagers across the UK.)
3.) To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services.
4.) To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom's nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom.
5.) To reflect the United Kingdom, it's culture and values to the world.
Out of all of these, I believe Life Hacks covers: " To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services."
3) Read the history of Radio 1 on page 2. Why was the launch of Radio 1 both significant and controversial?
Radio 1 itself was launched in 1967 to meet the needs of the youth audience in the UK. Prior to this teenagers and young people were not really catered for by BBC Radio, whose output consisted of just three ‘stations’: the Light Programme (for popular music), the Home Service (for features, news and discussions) and the Third Programme (for classical/serious music).
4) Do you consider Life Hacks to be a 'distinctive offering' that helps the BBC to fulfil its public service broadcasting remit? Why?
Yes, because it offers everything the youth is looking for. It is fun and creative and light hearted. It can also be seen as a place where "adult" topics can be discussed and offers advice and knowledge to young adults
about growing up.
5) Look at the figures on page 3 of the factsheet. How much does the BBC spend on Radio 1?
1.6 million
6) How has new technology impacted on radio?
Radio has generally thrived in the digital environment with overall listening figures demonstrating an upward trend with audiences able to consume on a range of platforms and by personalising their listening through access to a podcasts. The recent launch of BBC Sounds - and its massive marketing push - recognises that modern audiences have greater control over their listening and demand more flexibility.
7) What has Radio 1 done in response to the changes new technology have had on radio?
This has led Radio 1 (and 1Xtra) to innovate by making its live radio more visual, informative and social, through its Live Lounge and presence on social media.
8) What are the audiences targeted by Radio 1 and Radio 1 Xtra? What is their actual audience?
Research shows that Radio 1, while aimed at teenagers and young people (aged 15-29), has an audience with a median age of 30. It also skews more to female and ABC1 listeners, with 90% of its listeners being white. Radio 1Xtra’s more urban music content aims to target teenagers and young people (aged 15-24) particularly, but not exclusively, from ethnic minorities. The audience profile currently shows a median age of 24; slightly more male than female; evenly split between ABC1-C2DE but with a higher reach among BAME audiences (31%).
9) Applying Gerbner's Cultivation theory, how might Life Hacks influence its listeners (or 'cultivate' certain views)?
10) Applying Hall's Reception theory, how might different audiences 'read' Life Hacks? What pleasures or reactions might different audiences have to the programme?
Dominant reading: The dominant reading could be that young adults take on the advice that is offered and gain knowledge about the topics discussed.
Negotiated reading: The negotiated reading could be that the advice and tips given are somewhat useful but do not correlate with the listener's current situation.
Oppositional reading: The oppositional reading could be that the advice given is rather futile and doesn't actually help the listener in any way.
My self-mentoring began with Radio 1’s Life Hacks, a long-established programme and, now, podcast. One of its most recent episodes features Stormzy, which is why I had a listen. He was on with author Jude Yawson, who co-authored Rise Up, the first book published by Stormzy’s new imprint, #Merky Books. The chat was interesting: Stormzy explained his decision to set up a scholarship for BME candidates for Cambridge University and the ideas behind what he wants to do with #Merky in general.
The 9.2 million listeners that Radio 1 now pulls in each week is officially the second-lowest ever recorded ratings for the BBC station, and is close to equalling the lowest weekly rating of 9.1 million, which was posted in May 2017.
The decline in the station’s ratings has been steady since 2012, when it attracted over 11.1 million weekly listeners.
Despite the overall decline, outgoing Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw has actually seen a slight increase in his ratings – pulling in an extra 300,000 listeners since May for a new total of 5.3 million.
Industry contexts: final tasks
1) How does Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain?
Life Hacks informs young adults about important things whilst also educating them about such topics that are a vital part of growing up and entertains their audience through creating a fun, creative and interactive platform with special guest speakers and hosts for listeners.
2) Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. Pick out three key points in the summary section. The BBC is the UK’s most widely-used media organisation, providing programming on
television and radio and content online. 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. To meet these expectations, the BBC must deliver the mission and public purposes set out
in its new Royal Charter (the Charter). For the first time, the BBC will be robustly held to
account for doing so by an independent, external regulator. The Licence will:Increase requirements around programmes for children. CBBC must show at least 400
hours – and CBeebies at least 100 hours – of brand new, UK commissioned
programmes each year. CBeebies has to provide a range of programming that supports
pre-school children’s learning;
3) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and Life Hacks?
Support social action campaigns on BBC radio. Secure a more distinctive BBC. Require the BBC to reflect the full diversity of the UK population. 4) What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?
Require the BBC to reflect the full diversity of the UK population- England is vastly diverse and it's fair to say, the BBC should do their upmost best in order to reflect the true diversity of England. Safeguard vulnerable genres such as arts, music and religious programmes- All of these are a vital part of one's life and could also prove to be quite entertaining and interesting. Support social action campaigns on BBC radio- This raises awareness and also increases the number of listeners and supporters. 5) 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.
Read this Guardian interview with BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper. 6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1? “My focus is to bring new audiences and new ways to the BBC,” he says. 7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest? The 46-year-old is armed with some statistics of his own to illustrate his point. Using figures based on those aged 10 and up, he reckons the most common age of a Radio 1 listener is 18. And for its YouTube channel it is 12- to 17-year-old females. “There is no holy grail of one single digital footprint figure in the industry unfortunately,” he says. 8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio? Offers more entertainment than commercial radio. 9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?
It is a way for them to grow and get more views especially seeing how popular and huge YouTube is.
10) 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 that the BBC should continue as they are because as we see, they are already incorporating content that is targeted to the youth such as Life Hacks and if they targeted young audiences via Radio 1, they may prove to be an ultimatum to other radio services.
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