Self Evaluation

I think overall our shows were a success, we made 3 different, interesting and appropriate shows that fitted the target audience perfectly. We had allot of technical and group problems along the way, but everything came together for the last live show which went brilliantly.
I hadn't done any radio work before this assignment so had to find out my own personal strengths and weaknesses. fr the first show I did everything except researching the travel news, but due to time restraints I couldn't get all the work done to my high standard on time. By the 3rd show we had decided I was the best person to produce the live show as i knew what i was doing and was capable to do it at a high standard as is reflected in the end show. I also presented the show as i didn't feel I got the recognition i deserved from the first show as the levels were so bad.
For all the shows i made the jingles and wrote at least my script, but on multiple occasions i also wrote scripts for others. I wrote the menus and produced the radio clocks for the 1st and 3rd show, i also made corrections and contributed to the 2nd shows running order and radio clock. I was in charge of the music programming for the shows as i was also in charge of structuring the shows, this allowed me to easily structure the show around songs i chose. These were then discussed with the group and changed where necessary.
In the group I seemed to take a leading roll from the start, I think mainly to ensure all the work got done on time, and the preporation was done ready for recording. If anything had to be done last-minute it was down to me to make sure it got done, this brought on allot of stress as i didnt feel some people were pulling their weight and leaving it to me. I think i showed great persevearance, staying up until 3 in the morning on some occasions editing the shows and correcting mistakes ready for the next day. I think i chose very approprate music and features for the shows that reflected the target audiences interests and lifestyle. I also beleive that when I presented I did it in an appropriate, energetic way that appealed to both the AC audience and the student audience.

Week 3 (student radio live show) Analysis

I think this weeks show went brilliantly, everyone pulled their weight and i think it showed in the final product!
i got allot of positive feedback about my presenting and mixing, but also because of the features of the show and the jingles; people especially liked the student stories section utilising  the common student language 'Fail' and 'Epic Fail'.  I belive our music choice was spot on and our presenting was very good, this helped to keep the audience engaged.
I thought the other groups shows were very good, Group one only made one small mistake with song selection, but rectified it by making a joke about it. their chemistry and mixing skills were impecable and worthy of the distinction they got. Group 2's show had a few mistakes and didn't personally interest me but would be more suited to an older demographic as it was relaxing and easy to listen to. Group 3's show was plauged by technical hitches but appart from that it was very good with dylans presenting massivley improving.
I think our show worked because we had managed to work as a group for the first time, I was producing and structuring the show as the main presenter, charlie was in charge of the student stories section, luke was in charge of the news and chris was helping me introduce and present. This show just seemed to click together, everyone had done relevent preporations and was suitably ready for the show, i think this showed in the final product.

Week 3 Production Live Show

This week we were given the task of producing a radio show for students. My initial idea was to make something different from what i had heard on stations such as Demon Fm and Burn FM. These shows were aimed at someone in my age group, but they failed to engage and interest me. I will use the conventions i have learned from listening to student radio to form a skeleton around which i can build a show that i believe my peers will want to listen to.
I decided to include allot of student interaction and came up with the idea to have 'student stories' where people would text in funny/ drunken stories, i like to see this as a main part of the show as it gives other students and listeners something to relate to and be entertained from. Along with this we will have shout outs, text ins and competitions; i believe this will help keep the audience entertained and fell part of he station.
We are all going to present during this live show to utilise all the groups talent. I would once again take the roll of producing the show as well as being the main presenter, i will therefore produce a script and radio clock for the show to help me.
This show will aim to be 70:30 with music and speech to keep the listener informed, but also have allot of their music to entertain them and give people another reason to  listen to the show. I will create allot of jingles and stabs to lay over the intros of songs and to introduce segments of the show, this was one of the conventions of student radio that I enjoyed; because of this we have decided to name the show Weird Wednesdays as this fits in with the Wacky and Weird nature of the show.
As presenters we must be lively and entertaining, but also sound clear and informed, and it will be my job to correct and set the levels for each of the presenters, the computer volume, and the levels coming from the cd players and Ipods.

Week 2 Evaluation (Music Show)

This weeks show was allot better than last weeks, the work was more evenly spread and we are starting to work better as a group, We achieved a distinction grade for our show which shows how much we improved over our previous effort!
The other groups shows we heard were brilliant too, you can tell who had been listening to their respective shows in preparation. Group 1's Student radio show was brilliant and the chemistry between Lemar and Romley worked brilliantly!
Group 2's AC show worked well, and was different from the normal AC formula by adding a christmasy twist; the content and presenting were good as well.
Group 3's show was very good, and again the chemistry between Jemma and sam was brilliant.
Our show was very well structured and i received allot of positive feedback about the interview and the mixing. I didn't have a large presenting roll this time as i thought it was good to see what strengths other group members had. During this show we realised that Luke would have been perfectly suited to the AC show!
From this knowledge and from feedback from our peers we will try and produce the best show we possibly could for our live show drawing on all of our expertise

Week 2 Production

Following on from last weeks less than perfect show this week wewere given the task of producing a music show. I quickly decided and talked over with the group the idea of a Festival themed show aimed at a younger target audience. We would take the spirit of a music festival like Reading or Download and turn it into an interesting radio show. I again made the radio clock and running order and researched appropriate festival events and news that could be used in the show. I also had the idea to use an interviewwith a famous musician as this would add another informative segment to break up the music and add variety.
In preporation for this show i listened to stations such as Kerrang, but also listened and drew what i had learned from student radio to use in this music show as they will have a similar target demographic. I also watched some music channels on my tv including MTV and Kerrang to give me a better idea of interviews and features i could include in the show.
We decided that this show should be called 'Festival Fridays' and would serve to entertain and inform the audience but also give them a good start to the weekend, if tis was to be a commercial station people would be able to know when our show was on and people may start to make a routine arround listening to it and the start of the weekend; this is why it is important to have upbeat energetic presenters and music.
I will once again make Jingles for the show that will help with the station and programme branding.

Week 1 Evaluation (AC Show)

For week one we produced an AC show, I got allot of positive feedback from my presenting and was told it was very fitting for an AC style show. Other feedback also included the good features of the show like interviews and quizes as well as the facts segment. I have very high standards for anything i produce, and i have to say i would not listen to the show i produced, because of time limitations and the fact that i had to produce everything and the software peoblems that caused the levels to mess up, and the conversion between sample rates. Our group only got a pass for this show mainly because of the levels, but if we had been given time in the radio studio when we were supposed to none of these problems would have occured.
For the next show we really need to get on as a group and make sure everyone is in on production days and pulling their weight.
Our groups show was the only one to contain a menu outlining the order of the show and what is coming up to keep the audience interested; it was also the only show that contained self made jingles.
 I thought the other groups shows were very good for first attempts and really enjoyed Group 1's music show.

Week 1 Production

This week was our first production week, following the planning i had done over the weekend since last week i could inform the group of the basic structure of the show. I created a radio clock and running order to keep everything on schedule. I decided to take the main presenting roll for this show as i had wrote the script and planned all of the show. We didn't get any time in the radio studio on the Wednesday as other groups didn't keep to their time slots, we had to make do and record all the presenting rolls separate from the music parts of the show. I had no time In college to use Audition in college so had to edit the show at home using Audacity. This caused lots of problems, mainly with the programme crashing and messing up the levels. I had about 1/2 hour the next morning to quickly edit the show to an acceptable standard which was nowhere near enough time, but its the best i could have done under the circumstances.
I also made the jingles at home, but again these were slightly distorted as the college systems use a different sample rate.
In preparation for my presenting role i listened mainly to BBC Radio 2 as this is the most popular AC station in the country; I based my script and features for my show around these ideas and tried to create a show that would interest someone like my dad who listens to Radio 2 all the time. I also asked my dad and other older family members what the like in a radio show, allot responded with the Jack FM style of show. In my show I tried to create a fusion between the Classic Rock Music from Jack FM and the Witty presenting and informative nature of BBC Radio 2.
As a Group we didn't work its as simple as that; we have never worked together before and didn't know each others strengths and weaknesses, so I had to make sure things were done by doing them myself, that way i knew they would get done.

Student Show:

For our groups last radio show we were given the task of producing a 30 minute live show aimed at a student demographic. In preporation for this I asked students around the college and my friends what kind of music they are interested and what they would want from a student radio show. I had the idea to make the student show quite wacky and random as i bleive this will appeal to the student demographics sence of humour. From listening to other student radio stations such as Demon FM and Burn FM i have decided to go with a mainly musical approach and include lots of audience interaction with text ins and debates. We will also deal with topics that are close to student life such as local events and film/games reviews. Student shows need good chemistry between the presenters, and they also need to know what they are playing so they can inform their audience and not sound out of place. Because this is a live show we will need people that workwell together and utilise the best parts of our group as efficiently as possible.

Music Show:

For our music show we brainstormed ideas and came up with the idea for a ‘Festival Fridays’ show, this show would draw elements from stations such as Kerrang and Planet rock, both of which i listened to in preparation for this show.

Planet rock plays classic rock music that aims more towards the AC Demographic whereas Kerrang aims at a much younger audience, similar to the demographic of radio 1. Because of the nature of the shows they can appeal to very different target audiences depending on the music played. Our show will be aimed at the festival going public, mainly the younger audiences from 16-30 but will appeal to anyone who has an interest in classic and new era rock music. We will have an interview with a famous band member, and have people texting in to ask him/ her questions; this will create audience interaction and make the show more appealing to the target demographic.

We will have appropriate jingles that will identify the show and will also have discussions about past festival experiences and festivals next year. This will include festival news and band tour announcements.  We will also have a news section that will deal with news that is relevant to the listener such as X-Factor  and a segment about the inbetweeners.

Adult contemporary:

In preparation for our adult contemporary show I have listened to allot of radio 2, mainly Steve Wrights show in the afternoon as this is the most popular AC show in the country. I questioned my dad and other older family members that fall into the target demographic of 35+ to find out what aspects of the show they enjoy, and why in their opinion the show is so successful.

The main points that were raised during these discussions were the factoids and the selection of music. This shows that it isn’t just the presenting that attracts an audience, even though Steve Wright’s charisma and personality is a major feature of the show. The factoid segment is one of the more popular aspects of the show and I will try and create something similar in our AC show. We have chosen the name AC Drive time for our show and I have produced jingles for the station that will add variety and fit with the conventions of an AC show. We will also have to have news and travel updates, these again are a major feature of any AC show as the audience want to be kept informed, especially if they are driving.

We have decided on a 30 second facts segment and a quiz that will appeal to the Target demographic in the same way that Steve Wright’s show does. We will also have a drive time travel show and news segment to provide the audience with the information they need.

This afternoon I listened to Demon Fm, specifically the 'Rush Hour' show. Demon Fm is the student radio station for De Montfort University Leicester.  Demon FM is available on 107.5 Fm in the local area surrounding the university and is also available anywhere in the world online.

It has the usual mix of Drum and Bass and pop music you would expect from a student radio station and is presented in an energetic lively manner with lots of student interaction, shout outs and sound effects to keep the target demographic of 16- 30 year olds interested and engaged with the show. It showcases the talent of the presenters and producers at the university and people in the surrounding area. Most of the songs thay play ont last longer than 3 minutes, and if they do they quite often fade them out, this allows for the lower attention span of the target audience and also means they can play a wider range of music; this means that even if you dont like the current track you know the next one will be on very soon. The Jingles and Sound effects are varied and break up the music well, they also succeed in capturing the audiences attention and drawing their attention to specific information such as the frequency and what show they are listening to.

Station & Programming Analysis- Jack FM

Station & Programming Analysis- Jack FM

Jack FM is an multinational brand of radio programming which started out in America, and due to its popularity among the target demographic of 45-59 year olds, quickly spread to other countries.

There are 3 local Jack FM radio stations in the UK, In heartfordshire, Bristol and Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire station is owned by Passion Radio Oxford Ltd and is the most awarded local radio station in the UK having secured 15 industry recomendations in under 3 years. The catchphrase for Jack FM is 'Playing What We Want', this is reflected in the fact that they dont take any recomendations. most of the time the station is without a presenter and relies on jingles and witty soundbites voiced by former Blake's 7 actor Paul Darrow. One of the shows that does utilise a presenter is The Morning Glory; this weekday breakfast show and is hosted by Trevor Marshall, Sue Carter and Greg Burke.

Jack Fm attracted an 2.9% audience share in the last quarter (ending June 2010) and has a reach of 52,000 people. Allot of the Audult Contemporary audience will listen to jack FM for a change of pace from BBC Radio 2 as the music to speach ratio is allot smaller on Jack, with nearly all music playing.

Jack FM can be described as an adult contemporary music station, it plays lots of old hits and classic tracks that adults of a certain age can rmember the first time around; this is the demographic Jack FM is aiming for, but in doing so they will also attract allot of the younger audiences that are more attracted by the non stop music and the variety that Jack offers over the usual stereotyped demographic of hip-hop and drum and bass. I would quite happily, and often do listen to Jack Fm in the car with my dad as they play music anyone can appreciate in a comedic style that appeals to most people.

Station & Programming Analysis- BBC Radio 2

Station & Programming Analysis- BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is a Non-commercial station that is funded through the BBC's licencing scheme. It is broadcast nationwide on FM, DAB, through Digital TV and online, the channel offers popular music programmes including news, documentaries, arts, comedy and current affairs.

The station has a target demographic of 35+ and their programming is tailored to match this target audience. The FM signal from BBC radio 2 is the strongest in the country, and more powerfull than any in europe allowing more people to listen to the show without interfearance or distortion.

In the latest quarter (Period ending June 2010) BBC Radio 2 achieved a 15.9% listening share, the highest for any BBC Radio station. This shows the stations popularity, which has also been backed up with awards including the national radio station of the year award.

The daytime playlist includes music from the 60's onwards, Steve Wrights show in the afternoon plays lots of classic music tracks, with the ever popular 'Golden Oldies' playlist chosen by a listener. Weekday eavenings are more specialist than weekdays with jazz, folk music, country, reggae and classic rock shows that wouldnt appeal to everyone in the target demographic, but may appeal to a younger audience or people from a different socio-economic group. Because of this carefully selected programming slots, and research done by the production team BBC radio 2 will always have an audience of avid listeners and is currently the longest continuously running station in the UK.

Statistics: RAJAR

Programming info: About the BBC Website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/services/channels_radio.shtml)

Presenter Analysis: Wesley Smith (BBC Oxford)

Presenter Analysis: Wesley Smith (BBC Oxford)

Wesley Smith Presents a lunchtime show on BBC radio Oxford at 12:00pm every Saturday, it is available in the oxfordshire region on FM and online, but is currently not available on DAB.

Wesley Smith knows the Oxfordshire region in his own words 'Inside out', allowing him to connect with the listeners and be involved on a more personal level with events effecting the region. The show includes allot of local news and reports, allot from on location. In the September 25th edition I listened to the show was being broadcast from Robin Gib's house ( a member of the bee gees) for a VIP fashion show being held in the region.

Content wise the show includes allot of interviews with celebrities and allot of local news relevant to listeners. There are long sections of dialogue and interviews that the older 40+ demographic will enjoy for the information they provide, but they are also accessible to anyone looking to find out about the regions goings on and news.

Wesley's presentation is very clear and the language used fits in well with the informative style of the show, he has a good rapport with the interviewees, and having been interviewed by him in the past for ITV news I can say he makes the interviewee feel very comfortable, and this shows in the relaxed easy listening style of the show.

Allot of people see the show as the perfect way to catch up on the regions events and news once a week, and the friendly and informative presenting style of Wesley Smith ensures he has an audience of avid listeners every week.

Presenter Analysis: Chris Moyles

Presenter Analysis: Chris Moyles

Chris Moyles' Show is aired on BBC Radio 1 from 6:30 until 10am every weekday morning and is available on FM, DAB, Online. I listened to Fridays edition of the show (24th September) on iPlayer as it is convenient for me which is one of the big advantages of Internet playbacks. The shows target demographic is 15-35 year olds and is aimed at working class and lower middle class socio-economic groups. BBC radio 1 is licence payer funded making it a non-commercial station.

Chris' show is the longest running breakfast show in radio 1's history, it has approximately a 50:50 talking to music ratio meaning the show relies allot on stories from Chris and fellow presenters such as Dave Vitty. Allot of people like the show because its honest and people can relate to the stories, it doesn't feel scripted and allot of people just see it as a group of friends chatting about funny stories and incidents. There is a strong comedic element between the presenters, with Chris/ personality shining through; he is constantly changing his voices pitch and volume to emphasise different jokes or stories. This makes for an engaging, entertaining experience for the listener and appeals directly to the target audiences sense of humour.

The show also has many witty back and fourths between the presenters, one i encountered that made me laugh was the suggestion that Chris Moyles 'looks like Jeremy Clarckson on crack' because of his stubble in a recent photo. Its this kind of comedy that wouldn't be out of place in a stand up comedy club, and the fact that they have new material every day adds to the following by people looking for a light hearted, funny start to the day.

Chris' presentation is very clear and he speaks in a fast paced manner which appeals to the target audience of 15-35 year olds perfectly, it is presented in a very informal manner and the level of vocabulary is accessible to anyone in the Target demographic, but at the same time isn't patronising; its like the presenters are talking to you which is very important for a breakfast show. At this time in the morning people don't want to hear about heavy news stories or politics, the show is filled with exactly the opposite, talking about drinking, stag party's, personal stories and what they got up to at the weekend. Because of this the show and Chris' style of presenting will not appeal to the higher Socio-economic groups, but it fits perfectly into the target Demographic for BBC radio 1.

His style of presenting has caused allot of controversy, and he will regularly brand celebrities and callers idiots or make fun of them; but this could be one of the reasons he is successful as he pushes so many boundaries creating a fresh experience for listeners. Because of this style and general listening experience of the show you can tell his efforts aren't aimed at the serious listener, but succeed in raising a smile on the target audiences faces.

Presenter Analysis: Steve Wright

Presenter Analysis: Steve Wright

Steve Wright hosts the Afternoon show on BBC radio 2 every weekday from 2pm until 5. He has built up a huge following spanning 30 years in the radio industry, and I am interested to see what makes him so universally admired. The Steve Wright In the Afternoon show is available on FM, Online, Dab and through Podcasts; The edition I listened to was on BBC iPlayer which was originally aired on the 22nd of September 2010.

The show has a huge following and is one of the BBC's highest rated shows. I chose this show by asking my dad, (who is in the target demographic for the adult contemporary category), what his favourite radio show was, and why it was he liked it. One of the First things he said was he had been listening to Steve Wright For years, showing how he has the ability to capture an audience; this also shows how people see him as a companion when they're listening, they choose his show over all the others in a similar time slot as they have a routine built subconsciously in their mind.

One of the First things anyone notices about Steve Wright is the way he presents, he is very confident without seeming over the top, his delivery is very clear and it is easy to understand him, he has a very distinctive voice, and most people in the target demographic, including my dad, can identify his just after listening to one sentence. Even his voice acts as a audio queue for the station even without the jingles and branding, I personally think his presenting style is brilliant, and am more than happy to listen to his show even though I am well outside the Target demographic showing how wide his influence reaches and why his show is so successful.

Asking my dad what he liked about his presenting style he commented on his comedic back and fourths with guests and his general crisp links and introductions and the familiarity of his voice; this feeling of familiarity coupled with the perfect selection of music for the 40+ Demographic ensures Steve Wright and his show are listened to and admired by tens of thousands of people every day.