LO4 - Platforms for listening (P3)

 When listening to radio stations, there are several ways of having access to listen to them. For example BBC radio 4 there are multiple devices which this radio station is streamed on and can be accessed on. Some examples are: 

• Phone (apple or android)
• iPad/tablet
• Radio box
• Car radio 
• Laptop

Phones can be utilised for listening to BBC radio 4 via applications for android and apple phone users. People are able to listen to many different radio stations through these specific apps. This can happen via downloading a radio station app or downloading the BBC radio 4 app including notifications to keep updated. If you are not able to get the app they also have a website available to listen to the radio station on at BBC radio 4 website enabling access to the stations content.

Radios can be utilised for listening to radio stations and many different types of music, podcasts and audios. If you wish to listen to BBC radio 4 it is available by going to the station it is played at. 

A radio in a car can be utilised for listening to radio stations via switching the knob to different stations of your choice depending on what radio you want to listen you can change it to the certain radio station. 

An iPad is used to listen to radio stations via the BBC radio 4 app or a normal radio station app in which you can change between several different radio stations. iPads has the same procedure as phones. iPads also have access to the BBC radio 4 website to listen to the radio station. 

A laptop also has the same procedure as a iPad and phones, as you can install a radio station app or install the BBC radio 4 app if available. However if your unable to have access to download the apps, you can also access the website to listen to the radio station online.

LO4 - Investigate the technologies for multi-platform radio broadcasting (P3)

 

The labelled diagram above is what a studio looks like and what devices it includes. These devices enable a person to have control in what they are producing content for in the studio, e.g. a podcast, music, radio station. For example the sound boards are connected to the monitors to see the levels of the sounds and what specific sounds are having changes being made, it shows the volume and changes of the sounds. The sound boards allow you to control volume and the style of the sound outcome in other words; how the output of the sounds sound such as high pitched, low pitched normal and so on. The headset allow the person to have better audio experience in the studio. The sound effect board can be used to add in certain sound effects of your choice for example if on a radio station and the producers are speaking and make a joke they can play the classic drum sounds after the joke for entertainment purposes of the audience. The keyboard are used to type onto the monitors to add any additional changes and the mouses are used to move the sounds around as well as making changes and controlling sounds. The microphones are used for speaking into when making music, for a podcast or a radio station for the audience to hear the music/conversation of the producers/speakers. 

Digital Cartwall is a sound player which is simple to use which includes several pages of quick audio buttons ready to play as the audio is saved and loaded on the system. Digital Cartwall save audio on them for easy access of being played back and has the audio files saved digitally which is organised, has easy and quick access, and audio to playback, this is good for those who use digital cartwall as it is organised, easy and quick to use. 

A playlist is made of roughly around 50 songs which are played on repeat throughout the week. playlists are used on streaming services, broadcasting platforms, and apps, for example radio stations, Spotify, apple music and more. Playlists are used for organising audio, music, sounds, you can select any type of genre for audio and music. You can create several different playlists for different usage for example different genres, favourite songs, mixed playlist of different music/audio, different playlists for different weeks if used for a radio station. Music and audio can be rearranged in any order of your desire. 

A digital playout is a play out system involving storage, editing, video & TS capture, broadcasting and management functions. These functions help operators to manage programs efficiently. Digital playout is mainly used for broadcasting and is used for managing and broadcasting audio/ video content and is equal to broadcast playout  systems of radio stations. Digital playout is a software process used for broadcasting, reliable for playing media e.g. audio and changing it to a form of being able to be 'put to air' and enabled to be played externally.

A studio desk is where all the work is done as this is where all the monitors and other important equipment is stored when broadcasting and playing music, audio, sound effects and using the microphones for audio. e.g. BBC radio 4. A studio desk is a main piece of a studio where any part of production is used for, a studio desk allows organisation as all equipment used for broadcasting is kept on there. It is ideal for using a studio desk for space for the equipment for radio stations, studios for podcasts and broadcasting in any way. A studio desk can be placed in radio companies, homes, recording studios, music studios, filled with music, video, audio, radio, sound, and recording equipment, such as monitors, microphones, camera, mouses, keyboards, soundboards, speakers and so on. This equipment is used for recording, editing, sound, combining sounds etc. Studio desks are designed for keeping monitors and microphones on top with keyboards and mouses with having speakers and cameras around the desk and is suitable for staying at for a long period of time for radio stations, producing music and making podcasts. 

Distribution methods (P3)

 

LO1 - Different types of programmes (P1)

Talk/music

Capital FM 

Capital FM is a radio station which broadcast their music and talk on the station. They invite celebrities mostly music artists in which music they broadcast on the station, inviting these celebrities entertain the audience making the radio station more appealing. Capital FM advertises globally and locally. This radio station can be listened to globally via mobile, radio stations in cars, laptops, etc. Capital FM even have an app which you can download on any device so you can listen to it adding on to the concept of listening to the station globally. I would say this is unique as most radio stations are not accessed globally as well as maintaining their own app for their audience to use. 

Conventions of Capital FM:

• Sound effects, when bringing celebrities for entertainment purposes and to fill their fans on information on the celebrities life in the audience they play sound effects if they wish when they're talking or when a joke is made to lighten the mood even more, other stations don't usually do sound effects. 
• Broadcasting at the right time, this radio station broadcasts during rush hour in the mornings on the way to work and school and after school and work. In the evening they let the radio play on however they are not controlling it they would usually leave the remixes of the songs be played on the station for anyone who is still tuned in on the station instead of turning it off completely. 

Sport

BBC sport 5 Capital FM advertises globally and locally. This radio station can be listened to globally via mobile, radio stations in cars, laptops, etc. Capital FM even have an app which you can download on any device so you can listen to it adding on to the concept of listening to the station globally. 

This radio station talks about sport related news and mainly covers anything to do with sports. This allows the audience to listen in to urgent stories and events of sports that the station talk about for their audience. This station is designed to fulfil the audience about sport events and news as well as entertain and involve them within the news and events. 

Conventions of BBC sport 5:

• Target audience. BBC sport 5 gets a hold of their target audience which are of the age 25-54 as they mainly focus on talking about news to do with sports and covering sport events. This station is known for covering major sports evens and involving the presenters. 
• Entertainment. BBC sport 5 entertain their audience via interviewing players from the sports they cover when broadcasting to involve the players with the audience and to let the audience know how the game went for them and what they were going through when playing and what they think of the outcome etc. 

Current events

BBC news

This radio station is known for talking about current news that goes around the world or within its country region. It mainly talks about global news if it is an urgent global issue/news/event that everyone needs to know. However, this station talks about news events which happen within local areas of the country it is broadcasting in. they talk about the event, the people involved, witnesses and who came to help/rescue and how it is being resolved and what might happen next they also let us know about those who get injured within the news if it is needed. 

Conventions of BBC news: 

• Broadcasting. BBC news broadcasts within rush hour times, you can listen to the news on the way to and back from school/work which is convenient as this is the target audience for the station which is logically smart to get more of their audience listening in when broadcasting, when their audience are free. 

Lifestyle

BBC Asia 

This radio station includes a few channels such as BBC earth, BBC first and BBC lifestyle. BBC lifestyle talks about real life related stories to relate back to yourself and to think about to perhaps change your lifestyle and how you view things in life. This channel mainly has shows about cooking, you can learn many recipes off of these shows, a few shows are MasterChef, Great British bake off and My Swedish Kitchen. One unique feature is the structure, it contains highlights for the audience to look back on which is useful.

Conventions of BBC Asia: 

• Broadcasting. The channel has many episodes of shows broadcasting at different times which fit within their target audience for each show to make it convenient for the audience. 
• Structure. The show contains highlights of the shows episodes once they have been broadcasted for the audience to look back at if they have missed an episode. 

Comparison

Investigating the audience profile for BBC radio 4 (P2)

BBC Radio 4:

The radio is called BBC radio 4. BBC radio 4 has been on air since September 1967. BBC radio 4 is a British national radio stationed which is owned and operated by the BBC. The way BBC radio 4 is funded is through their TV licence fee which is their main source of funding for all BBC radio, TV and other services. 

Demographic:

BBC radio 4 haver an age demographic of 56+ years old, this station mainly distributes for the older audience, however their target audience is 35-54, as the elderly are much more interested in the information of BCC radio 4. The demographics of BBC radio 4 contains a balanced audience of males and females; 49% males and 51% females. This is because BBC radio 4 has a wide range of categories, reason being there are more females than males is because of these certain categories in which males and females are interested in more than others.  For example, the news, science and technology, history, true crimes etc these categories are more masculine and for the female categories there are true crime, music, children, life stories etc which are more feminine, as there are more feminine categories of interest for females there is a wider range of female audience then males. 

The main nationality and ethnicity of this radio station is middle class white males and females. The main religion for BBC radio 4 is Christian, this is because even though they have other topics and categories that represent other religions and communities because the audience is 55+ and mainly targeted at white people the main religion is Christian. 

The lifestyle of the audience may be them partying, going on family and friends' outings to the pub or golf. 

The spending power of BBC radio 4 is 55+. BBC radio 4 have a social demographic of ABC1 indication they have had higher level education and high positions in their careers and tend to have high incomes and are successful. 

The total listeners of BBC radio 4 is 9.3 million. 

BBC 4 radio have a schedule displayed from early, morning, afternoon, evening, and late. This appeals to the audience as they display their content at reasonable timings, for example some of their audience may have work and are not able to listen to the radio in the afternoon hence they are able to listen in the evenings or late at night. Perhaps they may not be able to listen it at night or in the evenings they could listen to it the next day early in the morning, they could also listen to it in the early morning as they go to work or listen to it when they wake up. Overall this is why these timings are appealing for their audience.    

The shows in the morning displays content including forecasts, inspirational talks, and the news. In woman's hour it discusses women's struggles and how life is like for a woman and how it is different for woman with different types of statuses.

The shows in the afternoon also appeal to the audience as the content in the afternoon is the news, politics, and a few shows. the age demographic of BBC 4 usually like to stay tuned with the news and their favourite shows and politics of what is going on around the world. 

The evening shows also include the news at this time for those that missed it in the morning time to catch up with at the end of the day. It also includes dramas and shows on mental health which would appeal to the audience have a different variety of genres to watch. 

The shows late at night also appeal to the audience as it displays shows of the weather forecast of the upcoming days, oceans and this content would attract this age of audience.  

LO1 - Types of radio operations (P1)