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.