Our key concepts for Radio are industries and audience so these are the contexts we need to consider when studying the texts.
The Surgery
The Surgery was an evening radio show on BBC Radio 1 that ran between 1999 and 2017. Most recently, it was on every Wednesday at 9pm and ran for 60 minutes. It featured presenter Katie Thistleton and advice from Dr Radha Modgil.
It worked like an agony aunt column in old teenage magazines and took on controversial subjects such as gender identity, sexuality, relationships and mental health. It featured texts and calls from listeners and the post-watershed slot meant adult topics could be discussed.
The Surgery > Life Hacks
In November 2017, The Surgery was merged into a new Sunday
afternoon show called Life Hacks that runs between 4pm – 6pm presented by Cel
Spellman and Katie Thistleton. This mostly plays music but offers advice
segments with Dr Modgil covering similar topics to The Surgery.
Although both The Surgery and Life Hacks ran in scheduled
broadcast slots, in recent years the programme has been available as a podcast
and encourages digital consumption and interaction.
The Surgery
Life Hacks: Stormzy interview
Life Hacks: debt advice feature on BBC Sounds
Listen to this debt advice feature on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio 1: History
BBC Radio 1 launched in 1967 playing pop music and using jingles in the style of American radio. It was a significant change from previous BBC content and was hugely popular in the 1970s and 1980s (some shows had 10m+ listeners).
It became available on DAB digital radio in 1995 but not promoted until digital radios were more popular in 2002. It is available via digital TV and online via BBC Sounds.
Radio 1 is famous for events as well as radio – summer Roadshows, Big Weekends and the annual Teen Awards.
Industries: Radio in decline
Although the BBC still boasts impressive audience figures for BBC Radio 2 and 4, it has struggled to attract young listeners to BBC Radio 1 in recent years.
Since 2010 listeners have declined – and although BBC R1 targets 15-29 year olds the average listener in 2017 was aged 30. Radio 1 is increasingly focusing on digital and social media with 16m weekly YouTube views reached in 2018.
BBC Radio 1 - The Surgery & Life Hacks: Blog tasks
Analysis
Listen to the extracts from The Surgery and Life Hacks above and answer the following questions:
1) What do the titles The Surgery and Life Hacks suggest?
2) How are the programmes constructed to appeal to a youth audience?
3) What does the choice of presenter (e.g. Katie Thistleton) and Dr Modgil suggest about the BBC’s approach to diversity and representation?
4) Look at this promotional graphic produced by BBC for The Surgery. How does it construct a representation of a youth audience?
5) Now look at the graphic from a digital media perspective: how does it suggest audiences are listening to and interacting with BBC broadcasts in the digital media landscape?
Audience
1) What is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?
2) Who is the actual audience for BBC Radio 1?
3) What audience pleasures are offered by The Surgery and Life Hacks? Apply Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory.
4) Read these Guardian reviews of The Surgery and Life Hacks. What do the reviews praise the programmes for?
5) Read this NME feature on Radio 1 listener figures. What are the key statistics to take from this article regarding the decline in Radio 1 audience ratings?
Industries
1) How does The Surgery and Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain?
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.
3) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and The Surgery / Life Hacks?
4) What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?
5) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience?
Read this Guardian interview with BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper.
6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?
7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?
8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?
9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?
6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?
7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?
8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?
9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?
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.
Complete for homework - due for your first A Level Media PPE.
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