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.