Speech Package - Styles of Production
The main purpose of radio is to entertain the listeners that tune into the broadcast; radio shows do this in many ways, such as; playing live/pre recorded music, news, weather and game shows hosted by the presenters. There are 2 types of radio, commercial and non profitable. The main example of non profitable radio is the BBC radio channels which are owned by the public state. This means that the general public pay into a service to fund it, of which all money goes into the shows and not for profit. For the BBC the public pay for a licence fee which covers all of the BBC's media. (More details further on in guide). Because the public pay into the service, the BBC provides a variety in radio channels to appeal to all types of listener.
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BBC 1 specializes in modern and popular music charts in its regular broadcasting day. With its target audience mainly being aimed at ages 15-29. On the other hand Radio 2 focuses on music from the 60's and 70's to appeal to an older audience and is played on the frequency FM, a type of modulation used in the broadcasting audio. Last of all Radio 3 focus's on classical music, opera along with jazz and world music.
Whilst public owned stations focus on a range of audiences. Commercial radio stations focus on niche target audiences. With some stations, they own a series of radio channels and focus on a variety of audiences. Commercial radio normal uses the frequencies of FM, AM is out now out of date and is rarely used due to advances in technology. With DAB also being used as a substitute (Digital audio broadcasting) which uses binary rather than analogue signals which can easily be interfered with. As DAB can multiplex information and send more information at a time but the quality is lower.
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Commercial radio channels are also local stations and are specific to location whilst public radio often spans across the UK. Examples of commercial radio consist of:
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For example Capital is a group of networks owned by Global radio (Radio conglomerate) and spans across the UK. However in the north east we are only able to hear the broadcast coming from Newcastle due to limited receivers and transmitters. Capital North east uses the frequencies of 106.4Mhz in Teesside and mainly plays the latest hits during the day. Unless the presenter hosts a segment at specific times to draw certain audiences in. For example having a "on demand hour" where listeners can request their own choice of song. Capital is a CHR radio station, which stands for contemporary hits radio. This means they get the right to play songs earlier than other stations and that there music is aimed more towards 13-28 year olds as they play more up to date songs.
Community radio is a third type of service to which listeners can tune into. They will often serve niche geographic communities and interests. The content will be relevant and well known to a local and specific audience. They are often run by volunteers and funding will be no where near the size of public and commercial funding. Meaning that they are operated, owned and influenced by the community. They aim to be non profit and will allow those around them to share their experiences by creating and contributing media to those around them. For instance a college might run a radio station for themselves and will run of the kit around them. Stories won't be off a high standard as a commercial or public radio. They may do short pieces on stories in the college, or college news. But time and money is a key concern.
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All of these styles of radio product will have different types of content they produce depending on a series of factors. Let's break down the 3 sections and see how they all operating differently. First of all lets look at the difference between commercial and public radio. Radio listeners will often have a favorite channel, or they will look around until they find something they like. Public companies will do things different things to commercial radios.
They won't try and sell time, they will play a variety of top quality music and create a good array of content for the audience to listen to. As the public radio section in the UK is the BBC. They are funded by the license fee so they have a duty to provide a wide range of content for the whole UK to listen to. Because they focus on the whole of the UK they will often be widespread and not for local towns. The BBC has radio channels for a wide variety of audiences; as we have saw above. So they have the funding the produce high quality content from documentary's, radio drama and the power to broadcast news worldwide, aiming to be non profitable and just there for providing entertainment. If they only have one channel then they would fail to meet all the needs of the nation.
On the other hand, commercial radio stations are all about profit. They will work in small local areas to broadcast their content to a niche target audience. Because they have smaller funding than the BBC they need a way to rake in the most money they can. So commercial radios won't go out of the way to produce a documentary or factual radio piece. They will put news into their links between songs but a factual programme is rare. They will also put in 3 minutes of adverts between songs to rake in from advertising. Each radio station will adapt their adverts during the day or by the audience. As if they manage to target the right people; it helps rake in a greater profit. I.E Capital radio will often play adverts for colleges as younger audiences are drawn in by the hit music by the latest pop stars.
Whilst the BBC is there to provide other means of radio, which any age range can tune into depending on the BBC station and show. This often provides a chance for the two sectors to compete for audiences. Commercial will often get the greater masses due to the style of presenters and the type of music they play; where as an audience with a select taste or interest will turn to a public station. So overall the BBC will produce the most amount of radio content from both types of radio: Factual and News. Due to a standard set up by the company and the rules of license fee and the higher funding. Where as commercial radio will often include news in their links and rarely some factual pieces. Although, if you want to find a large amount of good quality factual and news content look to public radio stations.
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Now lets compare commercial radio and non commercial radio. Whilst community radio may use advertising, it is not their main source of income. They are wide in their content as they are trying to appeal to various amounts of people in a local area; although they don't carry the same purposes of a commercial radio as they are non profit. Non commercial radio will also be more flexible and will play a variety of music, news and factual programmes for the audience. I.E a local Middlesbrough radio may have a speech package on transport in Middlesbrough, A guide to the election of the Mayor or the latest events at the Town Hall. Where as commercial radio will only briefly cover the news in a short links between an advert and a music break.
Community radios don't need to chase ratings and they can afford to take risks into a variety of content. Where as a commercial radio cannot afford to losing audiences as they will loose audiences. Which is an advantage to volunteer radio. Community can also focus on niche areas of broadcasting, where as community will focus on a select audience as they are more likely to bring in a larger profit. The bigger the audience, the bigger the funding, the bigger the profit. Whilst commercial will cover a wide amount of news, community will cover select areas of news for a local area so they are even in terms of news content. Whereas, a community may focus on more factual content as a commercial radio is entertaining an audience through music, adverts and links between pieces.
Lastly, community and public. A community radio is a smaller version of a public company as they aim to serve the people and interests. Instead of just the people like a commercial company. Community radio does not have the funding of a public company therefore their production is tiny compared to a larger public radio. As the BBC covers a wide range of media, the BBC could get audio for one story and use it for another media product. The BBC can also afford to get stories from worldwide, whilst also broadcasting worldwide. Meaning their overall production value is greater than any other type of radio station. Which a community radio cannot aim to serve, as they are looking at one niche area in the county. Overall, the list of highest producers of content in the two types of radio (Factual and News) is Public, Community and then Commercial. You could say the last two are tied, but that interpretation from by break downs is all down to you. The number one is without a doubt, public radio.
Types of Radio - Factual/News
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A news piece will often start of by reading the headlines. The headline is a quick summary about what the piece is going to be about. For instance if you were doing a piece on the Nepel earthquake your headline may be : "Nepal takes another 4 victims after a second earthquake". This is a way to engage the listener who will wait until later on to hear the story in full. Proximity is also key for a news piece. This means the region in which something takes place. Local new's pieces will often aim to report the news in their area, with only a tiny focus on the world around them. The closer the story the greater the interest. This is also combined with dramatic events, as a drastic story can leave an audience of millions feeling sorrow. Although we may care for the story, the news of the Nepal earthquake will be more dramatic in the country of origin. The main key to the news is that it is happening NOW. Other features of a news programme can also be related to the production techniques.
One of the key techniques/features of the news is the news reader. Depending on the audience the reader will vary from station to station. If it is a local news station they will read it in their normal accent from their region.If it was a public station that goes national and international then they will need to have a clear and monotone voice so everyone can understand them. The news reader will read out the headlines and will then look at each news story individually. These in depth stories will often include facts and figures about the story and may be joined with extra audio from an expert, witness or member of the public in the form of a vox pop. This allows the story to be fully broken down for what it is, which not only makes the story more viable and believable, it fully explores an area of interest for the audience. The expert will often back up the facts to make a program more accurate, whilst a witness gives their point of view on what they have witnessed. For instance a manager of a football team may be the expert on a sports news piece, whilst the referee is the witness. A vox pop could then could from the audience to see what they thought out the game. Fully look at a wide story due to looking at the opinions of all those who were present.
The last features include music beds,jingles, sound effects and actuality clips. A music bed is simply a piece of music that plays throughout a piece. If it is a serious piece music is not normally part of the programme as it takes away from the meaning. The most common place for a music bed is during the headlines, as it carries the through until the main story. The music will then become faint during the main proportion of the news so the stories can get across. A jingle is a catchy piece of music that will introduce a show. For instance the BBC will have a jingle before the news begins such as "BBC Radio 2" which is often sung by someone which is joined alongside some music. Sound effects are often used in the jingle and sound bites and artificial sound effects are not all that common on their own during the news. As we use actuality clips as well. Which is the real sound from a story. For instance a sound on a sports event may be the crowd in the background whilst someone is speaking; or say the story was from a war zone you may hear the gun fire or warfare in the background. It gives you a sense of reality and adds to the fact that what you hearing is real and not artificial.
Factual
Instead of looking at NOW, factual programmes will often look at real life stories from the past or will give a speculation to what may happen in the future. The types of factual programming you may find on the radio are: documentary, educational, wildlife, special interest, magazine, discussion or an investigative piece.
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Instead of having a news reader, these styles of programmes will often be led by a presenter. There tone of voice will be adapt to the audience like we mentioned before (Again check later on for details). This presenter will often have a vibrant and cheerful tonne in order to appeal to a mass audience. If its a larger programme there maybe one or two presenters so the audience get a variety of voices; this is to maintain the audiences attention as one voice for too long will often bore audiences. The presenters may be used throughout the programme, or they may over a voice over in the form on links to join other pieces of audio together. Some presenter may give the impression that they are talking to each other rather than an audience, this is a more informal approach. Or some presenters will talk directly to the audience. Which is not only more formal but it also gives the radio programme a sense of authority.
Songs are also a common factor of a factual programme as it adds another sense of charm to a story. For instance if you had a documentary on a musician, you would play alot of their music to build up a story around them. Music will also set the tonne of the piece. Again sound effects,jingles and actuality clips are used in the same way a news story does. On the other hand, interviews there are a lot more about a topic. For instance if you were doing a story on the education of primary school children. You may get interviews from, MPs, the education secretary, Teachers, Parents and maybe even students. These will be interlaced in the narration between the links, the edit will often remove the questions so that everything flows smoothly.
This also helps create a narrative by looking at all the different opinions and facts in a presentable way. Again, it will have more voices than the news because of attention spans over the duration of the package. The package is also generally longer than a news piece, as there is a lot of things to look at and breakdown. Compared to a quick news story that just looks at the basics of what has emerged. Over time the story may develop as more is discovered. Experts will also be included in interviews to back up what is being said, as they will have studied in that area for several years before making a comment. If the topic is quite old they will also interlace audio clips from the time of origin to go back in time to create a narrative from before, during and after. As all the facts and figures will surface after an event has occurred. The narrative of a piece will be told as the truth, this will become more apparent when we breakdown and compare packages later on in the blog.
Again, you may notice how they use similar techniques to create their programmes. But for a full comparison/breakdown of each show and how they are produced differently to each check out the sections below. Over all the codes of conventions of factual are: presenters , links, music beds, actuality, sound effects, interviews/experts/witnesses and jingles.
Why is Target Audience so Important?
The target audience is all about who you as a producer, want to aim your work at. The target audience is built up of peoples interests, demographics (Age, gender, race, class, income) and geodemographics (where they live). By selecting an audience to aim your work at, it will change how a radio piece is produced. As different audiences will like different things. To get the best understanding on how target audience is important and how it shapes content, I will now breakdown
the listening diary and see what features each use to appeal to their audience.
the listening diary and see what features each use to appeal to their audience.
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BBC World Service - BBC News Summary
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My first example comes from the BBC. Already, there are clues to the target audience in the name: "BBC World Service - BBC News Summary " I will list all of the production techniques used by the BBC and then I will break them down into why they have been used and how it affects the programme as a whole. The BBC uses: a clear monotone voice with no regional accent, a formal style, a set way in the order of news stories and a news presenter.
First of all the target audience has been set as adults, both male and female, of any class on an international scale. This is so the BBC can appeal to outside of the UK due to its strong media representation. This way the BBC can cover external events and still be recognised by other countries. For instance, America has a strong BBC presence. First of all a clear monotone voice is used so everybody in the world can understand what he is saying. As English may not be a first language for every region. By having the clear and unaccented voice, then it makes it much easier to understand. For instance if the reader was from Liverpool, they may have a thick Scouse accent which may be hard for others to understand. The clear and monotone voice also sets the tone of the news.
In this case it sets a formal style. As afterall the news they are reading starts off very serious. By keeping the show formal it also means the audience are more likely to listen as the reader of the news is off a higher ranking of the listener Because they sound sterner,more authoritative clear, it gives you the impression they know what they are talking about. The order of the news is also interesting to the audience. Because it is international there is a whole host of stories from all over the globe to appeal to the mass audience. There is no local news as it would be impossible for the BBC to cover every single story. This is why we have more local news stations to cover this instead.
This package starts with the more serious news in order to grab the audiences attention. This is used to shock the audience, which makes them want to listen more to see if it gets better. In this case there are 7 stories. The first one is about Nepal, which will be used to inform those(In Nepal) involved or who have family. As come countries may not have the resources to have a news station of their own. This is the most serious case in the news as several people died during a series of earthquakes. We then move on to a story about the US. The 3rd story is about a blogger who was slaughter due to the content they posted; this comes under an ethical consideration as the words they used where "Hacked to death" was this the best wording to use? Or do we need to be this clear to get the message across? The stories then go through a piece about the Pakistan President, Indonsia Migrants and then a story about Obama. This is due to the wide target audience as there is a variety of news stories from around the world, if it was a national radio station then you would only get the stories from that country. So thanks to the target audience we get a wide array of news stories. Which are presented in a clear and short format, as news will often be repeated and updated throughout the day. This is so people around the world can leave the radio on and get brief summaries during the day whilst they are doing other things.
The last news story is a lot less serious than the others and means it can leave the audience on a light hearted note. In this case it is a story about Picasso, which is very light compared to someone being decapitated or dying in an earthquake. This is so it doesn't leave the audience distressed and also so that the news is getting a wide array of news stories. Other legal and ethical consideration it must face is accuracy. News has to be accurate. If you lied to an audience, especially on a global scale, it can have massive knock on effects. Look on the Hillsbrough incident for example in Liverpool. By telling your audience the facts you can gain their trust and respect. See later on for more about accuracy. The other ethical side they need to cover is that is must be unbiased and impartial. You should not take one story other another, because you are a international news story you must cover a wide variety of stories. Otherwise there is no point in having the station. Overall, the target audience is shaped (in this case) by the clear, non accent monotone voice; the area of broadcast, the style of programme (formal) and the structure of stories.
BBC Radio 1 - BBC Newsbeat
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Note: I will not be comparing news stations until the next section. This news package comes from the BBC and is 15 minutes long. The news piece draws the same audience as the one BBC Radio 1 aims for. Which is for all people in the UK, of any class. Although the age rating is between 15-29 for both male and females in order to appeal to young listeners with a good mix of content for young teenagers. They may often share similar interests in music and content, which is why they tune into
Radio 1. Newsbeat is a 15 minute news package that covers a range of national news. Again, I will list all the things the news station does and then I will break down each one. To see how each one helps produce the final product. Newsbeat uses the following: Dumbed down words, using a range of different voices, music introduction, starts alongside sound effects, not as much detail in the story but uses more pop culture, headlines then breaks down into the story, interviews and links, summary of vox pops, repeated music beats before or in between stories and order of stories.
One of the key things the station does is introduce the news to a jingle alongside a series of sound bites. A jingle is a catchy way of engaging audiences through up beat music. This will grab the audiences attention and will guide them through into the news piece. For instance BBC Radio 1 has its own jingle before going into the main piece. They also used dumbed down words and slang in order for their language to suit those of the target audience. As younger people will use slang and non standard language to communicate on a day to day basis. Often abbreviating words in text messages or through social media. For instance in Newsbeat they use the word "PM" to make the Prime Minister seem hip and cool.
They will also break down big key words which younger viewers may not understand. For instance when talking about the government they where explaining the terms: Coalition, Election, etc... etc.. After all there is no point in creating a speech package using a language which is not recognised or understood by the target audience. By doing this they can be informal and still appeal to their target audience through the production techniques. Newsbeat will also use music beats in the background and between stories in order to keep the audiences attention.
A catchy beat will often keep the target audience through as they have a short attention span. By having a music beat in the background the audience may tune in still to keep hearing the music whilst also hearing the news. Killing two birds with one stone. The music will also change throughout the piece so the audience doesn't get bored with what they are listening to. The music beats are also used to patch the gaps between stories without having silence in the background.
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The speech package also starts by reading the headlines. As the headline will break down the story and give the listener a hint of what is to come. The headlines is also used as an advert so the audience knows what is coming up, the stories that are more interesting are often put towards the end so the audience will stay throughout to tune in. Sometimes the headlines will include sound bites in order to further give a snippet from the future of the show. There will not be much detail until the actual news story. In the news story they will go over it in the facts and figures whilst using a mix of interviews, links and vox pops to fully break down the story.
For instance during the story of James Cordon they have a link explaining the story and then to go alongside the link they have an interview. Which is with James Cordon which is not only well known the audience, it also adds relevance to the story. Because it is 15 minutes long they have the time to break down each story will a full array of content whilst also adding in lengthy vox pops and interviews. Although they are all relevant and entertaining to keep the audience listening. Another factor that links into this is that Newsbeat has a variety of voices. This is to keep the news fresh as the audience will notice the change in voice which will keep them listening. As sometimes if the same person is speaking for too long the audience will get bored and will tune off. So by having a series of presenters, sound bites, vox pops and interviews it will keep them tuned in. For instance in a story about politics they have audio from David Cameron and then two different vox pops between some one in the South and North to get a fair view. With them both being around the same age (18 +21).
Last of all, the order of the content is very important. In this case the news goes as the following: Sport, Film + TV, politics, TV news, sports and music and charity. Again, sports have come first as it is aiming for the males of the audience as alot of Radio 1 listeners come under this. But in order to keep it unbiased they have a range of stories which appeal to all the target audience such as TV news. Also the male sports is also counterbalanced when they go on to talk about the women football teams towards the end. They also end on a light note by talking about Ozzy Ozbourne helping out a charity through his music.
In terms of legal and ethical. They need to consider accuracy, again since they are talking about real life events all the information must be true. In order to reduce harm and offence to the audience. The BBC also has a duty to the audience to give them trustworthy information. Alongside this duty they also have to be unbiased and impartial (see later on for details) They must also give a fair representation when using sound clips from interviews. As, if its used in the wrong way it could harm the career and life of those involved.
TFM - 10 o'clock news
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TFM is a local private/commercial company that is located in Newcastle. This is my last example from the news genre. In this case this is a 2 minute news piece during the switch over of hosts in the programming. Again, I will compare this during the next section. The target audience for this radio is females 24-44 that are located in the north east region of the UK of any interests and social class. Yet the main social class will be lower and middle class. The main TFM chose females as it has been found that more women listen to radio. So TFM have caught onto this and targeted them so they can aim to make the most money they can. As women in this age will have children so may need to stay at home to look after them, they may also listen at work and due to work patterns they come under a key area for TFM to target. Giving them a wide audience to target.
Like the other sections I will list everything the piece does and will then break it down linking it to the audience: the overall duration is a big key, formal and quick pace, intro and jingle - up beat, news order, presenter and news reader and little interviews. One thing TFM does to keep its audience is to have short news that is concise before going back into the music. The duration in this case is 2 minutes. This is not only so it keeps the audiences attention, through a quick pace, but commercial radio will not get money for news. By having a short news duration they can add in more adverts which gives them a higher profit. The interviews they use are also cut out from larger scales as they don't have the time to have full blown interviews.
Whilst they also stick to a quick pace, they keep up the formal tone. As a formal tone shows the audience respect and you want the news to be read in a formal manner. As it adds to the authority. If someone is giving you the truth you want them to do so in a way which is formal and precise. As an informal news reader may but you off and make the reader less respectable. The show starts of slightly informal as the radio presenter is speaking in his regional accent. Whilst the news reader has a monotone throughout. They also have a jingle to keep the show up beat to show that they can appeal to the audience. This is also accompanied by a catch line at the end: "Putting the positive back in Stockon"
Last of all lets take a look at the news order and the legal/ethical side. Throughout the 2 minutes there is an even mix from local and regional news. As TFM has to have local radio news as it is stated in OFCOM. When they moved back to Newcastle they ended up only using Metro news. Which viewers didn't agree with so they complained to OFCOM. Which resulted in local news reappearing on TFM. In terms of local its places such as Stockon, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool. This is so the target audience get to hear the news around them instead of just listening to the regional news. For instance because it is local news the first story is all about Boro ticket sales. Whereas other stories will come first on other stations. They then cut to a regional news story which involved a nurse poisoning patients. Which is joined by short interviews from experts to prove the accuracy to the audience.
When then cut back to another local story. Which is about how the joining system of Primary Schools is changing in Hartlepool. To support this the interview comes from a local man Carl Roberts. Which not only shows the target audience that the news is local, is also adds viability to the news story. We then cut to two more national/international stories before going to the weather. Which again is suited to the target audience as the weather is all about the local region. The last story is also about the shop being sold from the Tom Hanks movie "Big". Which has been included as the original fans of the movie will have watched the movie as children. So it appeals the current audience as they will have watched it as a child; it is also a light hearten feel to end the news on.
The legal and ethical considerations that come under this are the following: Accuracy, bias, sensitivity and relevance to the area. The first two we have already covered before, but also sensitivity is being included as some stories covered are about murder. Which may not be for everyone. It also must be relevant to the area as we saw with the Ofcom case before.
BBC Radio 2 - Thirty Years Man and Boy : A Calmer Chameleon
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My next speech package is a factual piece by Radio 2, this factual piece focus's on the music career of Boy George. Because this is Radio 2 it already has a set target audience. Radio 2 has a target audience of 35+ for both male and female. This is set by the radio station as they will have other stations for target audiences. These males and females don't have a set class, yet it is common for lower and middle class to tune in. They will have similar interests between the age groups, which Radio 2 will take advantage of when producing content. This area appeals directly to the target audience as those in the Radio 2 target audience will have been around when Boy George was in the highlight of his career. So they are likely to listen as they were fans when they were younger.
Radio 2 uses several production techniques in order to appeal to the audience for instance they: Use an informal tone, use a great deal of his music, use a variety of interviews from those around George and himself, presenters detailing the facts, facts and figures, use of witnesses's and experts and music in the background.
The informal tone is set between conversations within the presenters and the presenters are often using colloquial language while communicating. They often read things out in an enthusiastic way making the simplest of details sound more entertaining than they actual are. This sets the pace of the package as it flows in a nice calm way instead of being too fast or too slow. This narration is also accompanied by Georges music. His music changes throughout the piece as it starts to go through his albums. The use of the music will often give fans a sense of reminisce, as they will have listened to the songs growing up. Meaning not only will they tune into learn information about George, but to also look back on the songs of their childhood.
The music also sets the tone for those who have just tuned in, as soon as they hear the songs they will know what it is about. Due to the fact they are familiar with the song. It also helps set the pace as the music will be used alongside the story of George giving actuality and more detail to Georges life. There is also a variety of interviews relating to Boy George rolling out throughout the factual piece. Although, George is not introduced as the audience already know who he is. For instance Georges producer gets an introduction (Steve Lavine), all the interviewers will get an introduction and they pick up the pieces where the presenters left them off. By getting those close to George to explain the story is helps create a more creative and truthful picture of George as they were witnesses to his life. Its not someone who has done some research, it is the actual truth which creates intrigue for the audience.
Interviews make up the story and because they are giving out expert information about a popular musician to which the audience grew up with, they are likely to listen about the story of George. As not only is there an interview, the facts and figures are read out by the presenter which are then also backed up by an interview with Boy George. The music also sets the tone creating a full circle on the life of Boy George. The use of the multiple voices also helps keep it fresh for the audience, as again you can easily get bored listening to one voice. Especially if its 45 minutes long. By keeping it fresh it can help maintain an audience.
For instance if we look at the structure we have an introduction by the presenter. Who goes over the basics of who George is and introduces his first song. We then get some facts and figures about his life before cutting into the interviews. The interviews come in when the links are finished in order to fully develop the story. These interviews come from experts that worked with George and Witnesses who were not directly involved with George, but around at the time. With all the story rotating around George even if he's not speaking for the whole duration. As the story goes on the music begins to change as it goes through his albums, up until the 3rd album when it was a failure. So the music does not play as frequently.
Although, there is still a host of legal and ethical considerations that should be looked at. Again we have the recurring themes such as Accuracy and Balance. Although in this case they have to be careful because of the representation.If they don't fairly represent Boy George then that could easily destroy his reputation. This is where the guidelines come in to make sure everything runs fairly and accurately. One of the biggest things in this case is copyright. The BBC will have to get a greenlight by Boy George in order to use his music, otherwise there could be legal troubles. (See later on for details)
BBC Radio 4 - 23 Amazing Reasons This Radio Programme Will Change Your Life
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This speech package comes from Radio 2. Which has a main target audience of Adults.In order to fully understand the audience lets take a look at some figures:
"According to the latest official figures, BBC Radio 4 has a weekly reach of almost 9.5 million and has an 11% market share.
Sex:
Men (51%)
Women (49%).
Age:
15-24 (4%)
25-34 (9%)
35-44 (14%)
45-54 (20%)
55-64 (23%)
65+ (30%)
Social grade:
AB (38%)
C1 (37%)
C2 (13%)
DE (12%)"
This gives the understand that it is roughly an equal measure of both men and women. The main age range is also older adults and that the social grade is for mainly AB and C1. This gives the full understanding for the target audience for Radio 4. This speech package goes over the latest digital lingo and tries to break it down for an older audience. For instance they use: An informal tone to approach an audience, an intro to the show, sound clips to go with facts and figures, vox pops about social media, music jingles, experts such as producers and presenters.
The informal tone sets the pace as a conversation. As it appears that you are listening to two people having a conversation. The use of colloquial language makes the user feel they are part of the conversation and sets the tone as being friendly and approachable. They then use an introduction by having a conversation between the presenter and the producer. Which attempts to be humours as the presenter plays the gullible idiot and the producer is putting him in his place. Although it doesn't appeal to me, it will suit the target audience. The topic then breaks into place as they go through the common occurrences on social media.
For instance they will break out a series out facts and figures which is covered by sound clips and music beats. The facts and figures are common for teenagers, although because it is for older audiences the audience becomes more shocked and the facts and figures become more relevant. Alongside the facts and figures there is a series of interviews with experts to back up the clips. This adds a sense of accuracy and informs the audience on what they are unaware off.
For example David Shant who talks about social media. He explains common terms that teenagers understand but the audience do not. For instance the experts will explain the terms such as "Click Bate", "Buzz Feed" and "Feed". They attempt to do this through comedy between the pair (Producer and presenter), although for me as a teenager I find it quite tedious.
Other things include: clips to meetings to further extend the content of the presenter, using music sound effects to add meaning to the humour and the topic, a voice over counting down the tips. I.E 23 tips, 22 tips and so on. For terms that are familiar to the audience there is less explaining in key terms.
Finally, lets take a look at the legal and ethical. Again these come under the common themes we have explored so far such as accuracy, impartial and unbias and fair representations.
BBC Radio 1 - Jack & Deans Guide To Confidence
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Now lets take a look at the final example. This comes from a Radio 1 documentary hosted by the Youtubers Jack and Dean. Who took up the role earlier in the year. They share a very similar target audience to Radio 1, which is one of the reasons why they were hired. As Radio 1 is for 15-29 year old females/males who are middle/lower class and live in the UK as they attempt to create a mix for young teenagers. Where as on Jack and Deans youtube channel (OMFGitsJackandDean) they have over 27 million viewers. There main target audience has been described by Jack as females that are 17-24. Because they are part of Youtube they have a world wide target audience. But in terms for the BBC only the UK will be tuning in. Which means the target audience for this show is 17-24 year old females who live in the UK.
Through an informal tone they explore the theme of confidence by having conversations between themselves and interviewees. For instance throughout the speech package they use: An informal tone, conversations between each other (often classed as Banter), constant music breaks, short and sweet snippets, modern music, celebrities that appeal to the audience, jingle, actuality clips from shows and bands, several voices to keep it fresh and comedic links.
The show starts with a conversation between the pair as they converse about subjects that they easily create comedy through. They do this straight after the jingle which introduces the channel and the show. Again the jingle not only starts off the show but it is used to draw the audiences attention. Through the opening conversation they move onto the topic of confidence. Using comedic self anecdotes to appeal to the target audience. This works well for the target audience as they have been practising the art through their youtube career.
The show is also constantly filled with the most up to date music during the breaks. The music is also related to the actors and bands they are interviewing to act as a promo and to give actuality. The music is used during the breaks to get the audience to continue to listen. It is also used throughout to the same effect. Without this, it would struggle to maintain the target audience as effective as it could be. The breaks are also frequent as the links are short and sweet. As the audience only has a short attention span, so they get the information in a quick and precise manner. Whilst it is broken up with sound bites to maintain an interest. This music is also modern music to keep up with the trends of the modern generation.
To go alongside the conversations, there is also interviews with celebrities on the theme of confidence. The guests they interview are: Raleigh Ritchie (Grey Worm on Game of Thrones), the band Lower That, Lethal B, Matthew Hussey and Proffersor Steve Peters. Alongside the interviews they play clips from their professions. For instance during the Game of Throne actor clips there is sound clips from the show, such as the main theme song and the actor speaking in a role. This adds to the sense of maintaing audience interests.
As a big chunk of the audience will be fans of the celebrities. Which helps draw in a wider audience. The use of several voices also keeps the attention span of the audience as there is a different voice every 5 minutes. Which helps maintain an interest as they keep tuning into a fresh voice. To fully keep the audience entertained the presenters use an enthusiastic and informal voice as they converse which each other. Which has become iconic with the pair and is why the audience tunes in. As they are interested in the presenters of the show as well as the content.
Last of all for the audience summaries lets take a look at the legal and ethical considerations. Again he have things such as bias. There is also the problem of stereotypes. Because they cut down the interviews to short snippets. They have to make sure the guests get a fair representation. If you take something out of context is could damage those involved. You must also be careful with privacy, if someone says something in a interview they feel they no longer want in. You must respect their choices as it is their personal details. Finally, you have the copyright issues as there is music from the latest artists and music and clips from Game of Thrones. If they don't get a clearance then there is the chance the station could be sued. Which for the BBC wouldn't look very good for the license payers.
Comparing News
Now that we have broken down all the speech packages in terms of target audience and their production methods; lets compare how each news package is different from each other. In terms of audiences and how that audience effects the rest of the production.
BBC News Summary V Newsbeat
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Already there is a huge difference between these two speech packages. This is the target audience. Whilst BBC News Summary aims for set as adults, both male and female, of any class on an international scale. This is so the BBC can appeal to outside of the UK due to its strong media representation. This way the BBC can cover external events and still be recognised by other countries. For instance, America has a strong BBC presence. Compared to Newsbeats: Which is for all people in the UK, of any class. Although the age rating is between 15-29 for both male and females in order to appeal to young listeners with a good mix of content for young teenagers. This means both speech packages will use a different approach to appeal to their audiences. NOTE: because they are both news programmes they are more than likely to have the same legal and ethical considerations we looked at earlier.
The first notice is that BNS (BBC News Summary) is much shorter than Newsbeat. This is because the BNS is aimed to be a quick snippet that will updated during the day. As the news will play in the background between songs and other programming. Where as Newsbeat is a full on programme that will be given a set time period it has to fill. In this case the programme is 15 minutes long and they can afford to go into detail for a series of stories. As the main things that BNS is lacking that Newsbeat has is the details in the stories. Newsbeat will often use interviews, vox pops, experts and sound clips to go alongside their stories whereas BNS will just have a news reader going over the basics. You could say that Newsbeat uses the variety in order to keep the audience engaged as a fresh voice is more appealing that one voice going on throughout. However, this isn't a problem for BNS as it is a brief news summary.
Another major difference is the style of programme. Whilst BNS uses a formal tone, with language that is of a higher standard in a clear monotone voice, Newsbeat uses an informal tone doing so by using colloquial language, slang and abbreviations. This is in order to match the target audiences for the pair. Because BNS is worldwide it cannot afford to be informal as the BBC is a well respect company around the world (for adults). If they started to speech in slang it would loose its respect as a brand. It must also be monotone and clear as not all the countries it is broadcast to, may not have english as a first language. By sticking to the english language and having a clear voice, it makes it easier for everyone around the world to understand.
Whereas, Newsbeat can afford to use slang and colloquial language as their audience understand it. Not only do they understand it, they constantly use it day in and day out in order to communicate. So by using the "same language" as teenagers Newsbeat can easily relate and meet their target audience.Both packages also use a different style of ordering their programme, their content is also greatly different. As BNS is covering an international coverage, compared to the national coverage of Newsbeat. This is why BNS has the more series stories as a lot more is happening around the world that could be affecting the target audience. As Nepal is the first story for BNS as it is the most tragic event happening in the world at that moment. It then moves through the more serious stories until the end where we have a lighter ending.
Although, the news for Newsbeat is no where near the seriousness of the BNS. Instead they cover topics involving sport, film and TV, music and politics. Which are all topics that teenagers can relate to. Which is why Newsbeat picks their stories, so that the target audience will listen and they will understand the context before them. Which is the key to why these two programmes are different. Not only is their target audience different, but because of this not only is the content different but the approach and style also various in order for them to meet their audience.
The last thing that Newsbeat does that BNS doesn't is play music. This is because of the serious and formal nature of the BNS. Whereas, because Newsbeat is informal and need to meet the needs of teenagers. Music is used to keep up the style and to keep the audiences attention. As an upbeat sound track is going to keep an audience for longer than a news reader. Which is why they repeat sound bites to maintain their attention between stories. If BNS where to use the styles of Newsbeat and vice versa then you could also see the target audience go with the switch aswell. As the target audience will have a huge affect on your product, as it is the foundations of a speech package.
BBC News Summary V TFM
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Now lets compare Newsbeat (a public station) with a commercial radio, TFM.Whilst BBC News Summary aims for set as adults, both male and female, of any class on an international scale. This is so the BBC can appeal to outside of the UK due to its strong media representation. This way the BBC can cover external events and still be recognised by other countries. For instance, America has a strong BBC presence.
Compared to TFM the target audience for this radio is females 24-44 that are located in the north east region of the UK of any interests and social class. Yet the main social class will be lower and middle class. The main TFM chose females as it has been found that more women listen to radio. So TFM have caught onto this and targeted them so they can aim to make the most money they can. As women in this age will have children so may need to stay at home to look after them, they may also listen at work and due to work patterns they come under a key area for TFM to target. Giving them a wide audience to target.
Again whilst the two different packages have various target audiences. There is a series of links between them. For key instance is that they are the most similar in duration. Whilst the TFM is the quickest as they aim to get through the news so they can go back to adverts to make a profit. The BBC is also close, as the whole programme is dedicated to a summary instead of a full break down which may occur on other BBC stations. They both follow a formal style as the news is aimed to be serious for older audiences (see Newsbeat for more). Yet the voice and tone of BNS is a tad more serious than TFM. This is a slight tweak so it appeals more to the target audience of TFM as they are not looking for a full on serious news broadcast.
They also vary in news stories. Again BNS sticks to the order of its news stories depending on seriousness and draws on international news. Where as TFM (as we saw earlier) has a mix of both national and local news. This is used to appeal to the audiences as if you go onto BBC World Service you want global news; if you want local news you would then tune into stations such as TFM. Where you will be able to slightly pick up the regional accent. Again because they are the news they will follow similar legal and ethical codes. As TFM goes from local, national, local and then national .Whereas BNS is wholly global news. Whilst TFM only has 4-5 news pieces the BBC goes through 7 in order to cover a wide variety.
TFM also uses more production techniques than the BBC, but this is in order to make their content more suited to the target audience. We have already saw how compared to the BBC they get no money or time to put into the news which is why it is 2 minutes long. So in order to get the news over quickly, whilst still keeping the audience, to go back to the adverts to make a profit. Because it is 2 minutes it is able to keep the audiences attention span without them getting bored and leaving. They also attempt to keep the news lively.
To keep it lively they use an intro (cue ) by the local presenter and use a jingle to get the audience to listen as they go through the news in under 2 minutes. The stories are also the right amount of detail for a rushed piece. They also use an end tag "Putting the positive into Stockton" ending on a light note for a news piece. Compared to the BBC which keeps its monotone and serious tone, TFM is very similar but is more friendly and upbeat in order to appeal to their audience.
TFM V Newsbeat
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Finally lets compare TFM and Newsbeat. Newsbeat for all people in the UK, of any class. Although the age rating is between 15-29 for both male and females in order to appeal to young listeners with a good mix of content for young teenagers. This means both speech packages will use a different approach to appeal to their audiences. NOTE: because they are both news programmes they are more than likely to have the same legal and ethical considerations we looked at earlier.
Compared to TFM the target audience for this radio is females 24-44 that are located in the north east region of the UK of any interests and social class. Yet the main social class will be lower and middle class. The main TFM chose females as it has been found that more women listen to radio. So TFM have caught onto this and targeted them so they can aim to make the most money they can. As women in this age will have children so may need to stay at home to look after them, they may also listen at work and due to work patterns they come under a key area for TFM to target. Giving them a wide audience to target.
One of the key differences is not just the target audience, but also the style. As TFM is formal due to the target audience, whereas Newsbeat has to use informal language in order to maintain its audience. This is not only a helping hand to prove that a target audience makes up the genre of the programme but that the choice of language used on the radio is important depending on the type of package you want to produce.
Both packages use a jingle to start of the news, in order to grab the audiences attention. This give the audience something to look forward too as they will be fixated on the jingle. They also both use a series of sound beats and music tracks in order to keep the programme up beat. Although the sounds they use vary in order to appeal to the right audience. As modern music is played for Newsbeat for the teenagers, which is different to those played on TFM.
TFM is also a lot shorter than Newbeat as commercial radio do not have the funding or time to cover the news in detail. Which is why Newsbeat can spend 15 minutes of a news programme filled with sound clips, interviews, presenters, vox pops etc. BBC also getting funding from the license fee which is how they can spend the time and money producing not only factual pieces, but worthy news pieces. As 2 minutes is enough for TFM's target audience,which they can then use for more adverts which gives them more funding.
Newsbeat also uses music a lot more regularly as their target audience has a shorter attention span. With music not only playing in the background but before and after each news story. The topics are also different because Newsbeat is a national radio station so they must have a wide variety of topics for the whole nation. As this is required of the BBC as the public fund its programming. Whereas TFM is a local radio station so they must have stories on a local level as well as those of a national coverage. Which is why Newsbeat will have stories on national sport, film, TV, politics and music. Because not only do they relate to the right audience but because they are national pieces.
TFM on the other hand ranges from local, to international, to local and back to international. These stories are more serious as they are more suit to matters that affect the target audience. Since the TFM audience is females between 25-44. One story consists of primary school children and the process of how they join the education ladder. Which within the target audience, there may be a section of mothers to which this will apply. Whereas the news on Newsbeat isn't as relevant to the TFM audience. There is also weather covered in TFM, which isn't used in Newsbeat as the target audience don't have a major concern for this topic.
Again they will share similar themes in legal and ethics. For more information on comparisons see above.
Comparing Factual
Now that we have broken down all the news packages, lets take a look at the factual ones aswell.
23 Amazing Reasons This Radio Programme Will Change Your Life V Thirty Yearsman and Boy - A Calmer Chameloen.
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The first two documentaries we are looking both have very similar target audiences. As
"According to the latest official figures, BBC Radio 4 has a weekly reach of almost 9.5 million and has an 11% market share.
Sex:
Men (51%)
Women (49%).
Age:
15-24 (4%)
25-34 (9%)
35-44 (14%)
45-54 (20%)
55-64 (23%)
65+ (30%)
Social grade:
AB (38%)
C1 (37%)
C2 (13%)
DE (12%)"
This gives the understand that it is roughly an equal measure of both men and women. The main age range is also older adults and that the social grade is for mainly AB and C1. This gives the full understanding for the target audience for Radio 4.Whereas this package has the highest age rating for the stations compared to BBC Radio 2.Radio 2 has a target audience of 35+ for both male and female. This is set by the radio station as they will have other stations for target audiences. These males and females don't have a set class, yet it is common for lower and middle class to tune in. They will have similar interests between the age groups, which Radio 2 will take advantage of when producing content. This area appeals directly to the target audience as those in the Radio 2 target audience will have been around when Boy George was in the highlight of his career. So they are likely to listen as they were fans when they were younger.
Before we start to break down the differences, lets take a look at the similarites. For instance they both use an informal tone. This is so they can appear friendly to the audience and get the information across in a chatty way. Furthermore, this style of programme is often more entertaining. So if you are having fun you are more likely to take in the information. Although 23 reasons will often break the forth wall and speak to the audience "carrying on the conversation" in the informal and conversational way.
Both shows also have an introduction. One goes through in a series of jokes,facts and figures (23 reasons). This is to help set up the topic, as before the intro is a jingle to kick off the show. On the other hand the Boy George package uses facts, figures and links to start off the show with music playing in the background. Which is two very different approachs. Boy George needed a shorter introduction because the audidence will know of him, so they won't need to be brought through an openning. Where as the themes and topics of 23 reasons require an introduction before you get into the swing of things. Again, this is all down to the topic and the target audience, if 23 reasons was more clear in the title. You may have a bigger understanding and the style of introductin would be very different.
Both packages also use a variety of interviews to get various voices popping in and out. Not only does this keep it fresh for the audience; it also helps add to the narrative. As all those in the Boy George package add to his career story, which is the main theme of the programme. As they looking at the producer, the recording crew etc.In 23 reasons they use interviews to find out more about the modern lingo and social media. As they break down terms such as feed, thumbnail, feed and viral lift. Both programmes use the interviews to breakdown information to help with their topic. If they had the same topics then its more than likely they would be asking the same questions to the same people. Which then reflects onto the target audience, as if your questions are related to the topic. Then is also matches the target audience. They also include a mix of facts and figures in the links, to which the interviews will often reveal more about the subject. NOTE: these interviews can also be classed as interviews with experts. Now lets break down the differences.
Alongside the informal nature, 30 years uses an up pace, variety of music and a series of interviews to do this. The use of music comes in from Boy George as it goes through his career, as we looked at eariler. The variety of the music through the ages helps keep it up pace and the series of interviews add to the story. Where as in 23 reasons there isn't as much music compared to Boy Georges programme. The main reason is of course the docuementary would require music from Boy George to help add to the story, where as the topics in 23 reasons are much different. With music being used in the jingle to introduce the programme. This is also because Radio 2 is a very music heavy station.
Boy George's package is also more informative then it is entertaining. Where as 23 reasons is trying to use comedy to get their messages across, by jokingly asking what phrases such as "buzzfeed" or "feed" because the audience are not aware of these phrases. Where as the audience for Boy George fully understand what is going on as they will know the basics if they were a fan. Which is why Boy George isn't introduced. Then all the "side charatchers" in Georges life are introduced by a narrator as some people may not have been an avid fan. Yet the show still recognises this and does so, so everyone can still follow the package.
Another key detail is that in the Boy George speech package is that the narrators speak more on topic in a direct way. They are still informal, but the way they do so helps move onto the next interview, song or vox pop. Whereas the narrators in 23 reasons have a ramble and a chat about topics before kicking off into the main package. As the main presenter will often joke around with the producer and use funny anecdotes between interviews. This is because the audience is slightly older for their audience so they are trying to keep them interested by humor. Where as Georges target audience is more niche and the topic of Boy George comes under their Psychographics (interests) rather than the demographics.
Again these styles of programmes will often share similar legal and ethical problems. For instance in Boy Georges, they will need to have accurate data, a fair balance and a the correct representation. Otherwise it could insult his whole career through a simple slip up or direct targeting. They must also consider copyright due to the music they are playing. They will have to check with George to see if it is okay to air on the radio. 23 reasons must also look into accuracy as they are also presenting a series of facts, figures and definitions. Finally, they also have to consider balance and fair representations. As both packages are products of the BBC.
Jack and Dean's Guide To Confidence V Thirty Yearsman and Boy - A Calmer Chameloen.
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Now that we have compared the two with the closet target audience. Lets take a look at a pair that have very different target audiences. One being the Boy George documentary which has a target audience of of 35+ for both male and female. This is set by the radio station as they will have other stations for target audiences. These males and females don't have a set class, yet it is common for lower and middle class to tune in. They will have similar interests between the age groups, which Radio 2 will take advantage of when producing content. This area appeals directly to the target audience as those in the Radio 2 target audience will have been around when Boy George was in the highlight of his career. So they are likely to listen as they were fans when they were younger.
Compared to Radio 1 which is for 15-29 year old females/males who are middle/lower class and live in the UK as they attempt to create a mix for young teenagers. Where as on Jack and Deans youtube channel (OMFGitsJackandDean) they have over 27 million viewers. There main target audience has been described by Jack as females that are 17-24. Because they are part of Youtube they have a world wide target audience. But in terms for the BBC only the UK will be tuning in. Which means the target audience for this show is 17-24 year old females who live in the UK.
Whilst the target audiences are miles apart, it offers some great similarities and differences. As in the Boy George documentary they now all about the artist so don't need an introduction. There is a similar effect in the Jack and Dean factual piece as their audience is made up of fans of their YouTube channel so they don't need to introduce themselves as often (only for new listeners). Which is interesting as both target audiences already form a nice physcographic as well as a demographic.
Speaking of interviews, Jack and Dean have a good variety of interviews and the duration is often longer than those of Boy George. Although, Jack and Dean split up the interview into segments so they can have regular music breaks in order to keep the audience entertained. As the music keeps the attention span alongside the short snippets. Jack and Dean speak to all sources of people that apply to the target audience. Whether its a cast member from Game of Thrones or a band member. The use of the guests helps prolong the package. But it does not drag it out to create a boring piece, as everything used in the edit is kept to entertain the audience. The use of fresh voices also keeps the audience entertained as the same voices over a prolonged series of time can often bore people. Where as Boy George uses a similar amount of variety, they use the interviews to tell the story of Boy George and will stop the interview when they get the piece of the narrative they need before cutting back to the links. Not only does this keep it to the point, it also makes a tighter narrative. Whereas Jack and Dean can get off topic very easily, yet the target audience is still interested as they find the conversation interesting. As the pair have become famous for their relationship online.
This sums up the majority of differences between the pair, for more breakdowns check out above. Both of these factual pieces also share similar legal and ethical issues. For instance they will need to check the copyright with artists and companies before using them in the show. Game of Thrones theme tune for instance. They must also be careful with accuracy and representation as it could easily affect the careers of those involved if not dealt with correctly. Privacy must also be respected in both cases as some guests may have said something that they don't wish to go on air.
23 Amazing Reasons This Radio Programme Will Change Your Life V Jack and Dean's Guide to Confidence
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Sex:
Men (51%)
Women (49%).
Age:
15-24 (4%)
25-34 (9%)
35-44 (14%)
45-54 (20%)
55-64 (23%)
65+ (30%)
Social grade:
AB (38%)
C1 (37%)
C2 (13%)
DE (12%)"
This gives the understand that it is roughly an equal measure of both men and women. The main age range is also older adults and that the social grade is for mainly AB and C1. This gives the full understanding for the target audience for Radio 4. Compared to Radio 1 which is for 15-29 year old females/males who are middle/lower class and live in the UK as they attempt to create a mix for young teenagers. Where as on Jack and Deans youtube channel (OMFGitsJackandDean) they have over 27 million viewers. There main target audience has been described by Jack as females that are 17-24. Because they are part of Youtube they have a world wide target audience. But in terms for the BBC only the UK will be tuning in. Which means the target audience for this show is 17-24 year old females who live in the UK.
Again, both packages use an informal tone in order to relate to their target audiences. Jack and Dean use the informal tone and conversations between themselves to create entertainment. They will then use the conversation and turn it into the package by relating the stories and conversations back to confidence. Which they will then carry on with in the interviews by seeing how celebrities test their confidence in the field. They use more slang in their package compared to the 23 reasons. As in 23 reasons they hold staged conversations between the producer and the presenter. Not talking in full slang, but it a go between, between the two formalities. As they pretend to know nothing about the subject, as the presenter will say a term such as "buzzfeed". The presenter will joke about the phrase to which the producer will then correct him. This style of humour isn't the same as Jack and Dean as it is more suited to an older audience.
23 reasons also kicks off with an conversation about the modern age and what the package is going to be about. Whereas, Jack and Dean kick off with a jingle which draws in the audiences attention. Where as 23 reasons slowly builds up to the package which the audience can flow with. Whereas Jack and Dean kicks off straight away in order to catch the audience. After the jingle they introduce themselves and then start with a funny anecdote to give the audience a taster of what is to come. This is also notably in the style of presenters aswell. As 23 reasons has its own presenter who might be known to the audience. Whereas Jack and Dean have a mass following by their audience. Because of the modern age younger people are more likely to have heard of Jack and Dean instead of the 23 reasons presenter. Which helps Radio 1 draw in its audience by having well known and likely presenters.
Again to further appeal to the audiences their are different types of people in the interviews. As 23 reasons will often state facts and figures in the link; then they are accompanied by expert who takes this facts and figures further in the narrative. This is because this audience is out there to learn information about the digital age. Due to the theme of the package.The audience wouldn't respect the information if the interviews were with a celebrity who know nothing about the subject. Whereas, Jack and Dean can interview celebrities as there topic is a wide topic and doesn't need to be fully educational. As they don't give a definitive guide to confidence, instead they explore how they deal with confidence alongside confidence and celebrities. Creating humour around the topic through conversations instead of aiming to be educational like 23 reasons. Which is also why 23 reasons explains their key vocabulary unlike Jack and Dean who just have a normal conversation.
The final comparison between the pair is the use of music. 23 reasons focus's on the facts and figures to create a narrative. One where the audience doesn't need to music in order to keep them listening Instead the information is keeping the audience as they are older and more respected when listening new topics. Where as younger audiences need some music to keep them entertained as they have a short attention span. By using it in the background and in breaks the audience are more likely to listen to the whole duration. It is also known that younger people enjoy listening to the latest hits, which this is providing. Which is how audiences can determine the production techniques used by a package.
Again they will share similar legal and ethical issues. As they must be accurate in the facts and figures for 23 reasons as it is an informative piece. They must also be unbiased and have a fair representation to the topic as it may be foreign to a majority of the audience. Jack and Dean will need to check the copyright with artists and companies before using them in the show. Game of Thrones theme tune for instance. They must also be careful with accuracy and representation as it could easily affect the careers of those involved if not dealt with correctly. Privacy must also be respected in both cases as some guests may have said something that they don't wish to go on air. For more comparisons see above.
Again, both packages use an informal tone in order to relate to their target audiences. Jack and Dean use the informal tone and conversations between themselves to create entertainment. They will then use the conversation and turn it into the package by relating the stories and conversations back to confidence. Which they will then carry on with in the interviews by seeing how celebrities test their confidence in the field. They use more slang in their package compared to the 23 reasons. As in 23 reasons they hold staged conversations between the producer and the presenter. Not talking in full slang, but it a go between, between the two formalities. As they pretend to know nothing about the subject, as the presenter will say a term such as "buzzfeed". The presenter will joke about the phrase to which the producer will then correct him. This style of humour isn't the same as Jack and Dean as it is more suited to an older audience.
23 reasons also kicks off with an conversation about the modern age and what the package is going to be about. Whereas, Jack and Dean kick off with a jingle which draws in the audiences attention. Where as 23 reasons slowly builds up to the package which the audience can flow with. Whereas Jack and Dean kicks off straight away in order to catch the audience. After the jingle they introduce themselves and then start with a funny anecdote to give the audience a taster of what is to come. This is also notably in the style of presenters aswell. As 23 reasons has its own presenter who might be known to the audience. Whereas Jack and Dean have a mass following by their audience. Because of the modern age younger people are more likely to have heard of Jack and Dean instead of the 23 reasons presenter. Which helps Radio 1 draw in its audience by having well known and likely presenters.
Again to further appeal to the audiences their are different types of people in the interviews. As 23 reasons will often state facts and figures in the link; then they are accompanied by expert who takes this facts and figures further in the narrative. This is because this audience is out there to learn information about the digital age. Due to the theme of the package.The audience wouldn't respect the information if the interviews were with a celebrity who know nothing about the subject. Whereas, Jack and Dean can interview celebrities as there topic is a wide topic and doesn't need to be fully educational. As they don't give a definitive guide to confidence, instead they explore how they deal with confidence alongside confidence and celebrities. Creating humour around the topic through conversations instead of aiming to be educational like 23 reasons. Which is also why 23 reasons explains their key vocabulary unlike Jack and Dean who just have a normal conversation.
The final comparison between the pair is the use of music. 23 reasons focus's on the facts and figures to create a narrative. One where the audience doesn't need to music in order to keep them listening Instead the information is keeping the audience as they are older and more respected when listening new topics. Where as younger audiences need some music to keep them entertained as they have a short attention span. By using it in the background and in breaks the audience are more likely to listen to the whole duration. It is also known that younger people enjoy listening to the latest hits, which this is providing. Which is how audiences can determine the production techniques used by a package.
Again they will share similar legal and ethical issues. As they must be accurate in the facts and figures for 23 reasons as it is an informative piece. They must also be unbiased and have a fair representation to the topic as it may be foreign to a majority of the audience. Jack and Dean will need to check the copyright with artists and companies before using them in the show. Game of Thrones theme tune for instance. They must also be careful with accuracy and representation as it could easily affect the careers of those involved if not dealt with correctly. Privacy must also be respected in both cases as some guests may have said something that they don't wish to go on air. For more comparisons see above.
Legal & Ethical
There is a whole host of legal and ethical issues that surround radio. These include: accuracy, balance, impartiality, objectivity, subjectivity, opinion, bias, representation, privacy, copyright and intellectual property and a whole of ethical reasons.
Accuracy
The term accuracy in factual programming means that any facts or figures presented to the audience are of quality, precision and are correct. This means all research and pre production into the field of the chosen subject area, whether its a news report on "red meat causes cancer" or a documentary on the Pyramids of Egypt, has to be fully backed up and well investigated. Things such as speaking to experts (often scientists or people with degrees in niche subjects), going out and completing first primary research through surveys and vox pops and not just taking the first fact thats presented. If you do not fully research your area well enough then inaccuracies in your data and incorrect facts are likely to be broadcast.
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However, this creates a huge amount of problems. For a start all factual programmes, especially the news, have to be accurate otherwise the audience is being mislead. Depending on the context, this can further snowball out of control and cause mass panic.
Also, because the audience is listening a factual piece they know to expect facts and figures; not opinions. Which makes them more likely to trust in what is being said to them. If a programme is pulled over for being inaccurate then viewers will begin to mistrust the network and could lower the ratings for that station. Branding that programme as having a low credibility. Which would result in a lose of profit for the production teams, networks and those involved.Another big area of factual radio programming that relies on accurate information is any documentary, as again the audience is trusting on the information that is being fed to them. If the viewer is new to a topic area, then they are more likely to be fooled by false facts and figures which they could take through live believing to be true.
If it was a documentary based on lifestyles and it presented something that states it improves your life expectancy; when in fact its true can have physical effects to the audience. As they have misled the audience in a way of thinking which has reduced their health because they listened to inaccurate information; which again is why accuracy is really important for the "ignorant" consumer who might not know better. Last of all it is important that accuracy must come before speed. Which means no matter how long it take to build a news piece, documentary of other factual programme the detail and the facts make the story. Which pays of more for the audience and production company as they have attained quality through the facts and figures.
Balance
Balance is looking at a topic from both sides of the argument. Think of a radio factual programme as a law suit, you don't just hear from the victim you hear both accounts of those involved. This way both sides get a fair representation which the audience (or jury) decide which is the side for them. This being said both sides of the argument should be accurate and fair otherwise problems referenced previously could occur. One of the main reasons there is balance in factual, is to stop glorification. This means targeting one area and will often not focus on the other topic.
Take the subject of Middlesbrough for example. A factual programme exploring the area could explore all the negative sides of the area; which would put of tourists and audiences. As they are only seeing the harmful and highly negative side without exploring the good in the town. By doing this you are making the audience believe what your telling them, as there are no counter arguments against your view,which may well be biased.
By segregating a show by a biased opinion the relevant facts get took out of the mix and the programme will be lacking in quality. The audience will then notice this and brand the programme as favoring one thing other another.This can easily be avoided by remaining neutral and fair by not including an opinion on a topic; unless its a member of the public doing a vox pop or an expert being interviewed. Most factual programmes will have conclusions which will sum up both sides neatly at the end. Some shows may end on the side they think is right, although there should be plenty of information throughout that applies to both sides of the subject area.
Impartiality
Impartiality is linked very closely to balance. As by being impartial you do not favour one side over the other; instead being unbiased by taking no side. Which is how it links in very closely to balance, as by having a balance you are then also being impartial by being on a fair and neutral standing. This also means opinions and prejudice are taken out of the mix; for instance if you were doing a factual piece on Asian culture you would keep an open mind to the subject instead of using stereotypes and derogatory terms. Due to the fact you would then be moving into dark territory which is no longer balanced and fair as you have a partial motive.
This can then go on to be seen as controversial by the audience who can then go and complain to the regulatory bodies such as OFCOM. So in order to please the public factual programmes aim for high standards when it comes to the concept of impartiality. By having an open mind and no bias towards a subject; you can really pull out the facts and narrative of a story in a fun and presentable way. Although there has been a few times when a programme has been deemed controversial due to harmful comments.
Objectivity
Objectivity is a judgement based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices to certain topics. Which in general means: "Striving (as far as possible or practicable) to reduce or eliminate biases, prejudices, or subjective". Which is generally done by supplying the audience with true facts in a balanced manner. Other wise they would be failing into subjective territory (making judgement on opinions and impressions.) This concept is generally applied to subjects where audiences don't have to think much about the topic area; instead they are being taught something interesting. Whereas subjective pieces will get the audience thinking, as the opinions provided will be looking past the facts. Objective factual programmes still look at things form both sides but stick to facts rather than opinions. Leaving the audience to form their own opinion on the subject rather than making an opinion of others judgments.
Objectivity can easily be seen in the News. As the reporter has to be unbiased and show a story from a fair point of view as there job is to inform the audience with facts. When the reporters are presenting a news piece they leave the opinions to those involved in the story rather than themselves. This is so they have no bias or subjecting over the matter which allows the audience to make their own choice. As you cannot force an opinion in the news, otherwise you are misleading the audience. Instead reporters will offer facts and statistics alongside the interviews/vox pops.
Subjectivity
Subjectivity is the complete opposite of objectivity; instead of making judgement based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices to certain topics. subjectivity is making judgements based on personal feelings and opinions. The main difference is that subjectivity focus on the thoughts of people rather than the facts. Instead of allowing the audience to make their own decision, a subjective factual programme will use a controversial topic to persuade and form an opinion rather than presenting the truth through facts which an audience can adapt into their own opinion. This means programmes will be biased as you can present the topic in any way you want. This is why the news stays objective in order to avoid controversy. Unlike the other areas we look at earlier ,balance, subjective forms a more one sided view.
Without another side to the story the audience is being mislead into a mindset that does not allow for open thinking.
Opinion
An opinion is someones view point on a certain topic.A persons opinion can be based on fact or on anything they may of come across. A passive audience is one that takes media and uses it to create their own opinion. This often means a persons opinion might favour one side of a story other another. Which means producers have to get a wide range of opinions included into the news/factual programme in order to keep a balanced and unbiased view point. As the viewer should be able to see both sides and then decided for themselves where they stand. This is why news reporters will stick to the facts and allow the general public, who have no background with the case, to offer their opinions on the news story through a vox pop.
Bias
Bias is a personal motive where you favour one side of an argument over another. I.E when a parent might defend the actions of their child at school because of the way they see the child at home. They see it from the perspective that no matter what their child is perfect in every way; ignoring that facts over personal opinions. Although it is common for the newspaper industry to favour political parties, for instance the Sun supports Conservatives, factual programmes should try their best to avoid using bias in there products. As by being biased in a documentary/programmes can cause audience backlash which could also create a great deal of hassle for the channel and the broadcaster. For instance, the BBC has a role in being impartial but doesn't always stick to it; which also has the effects of offence and mass debate.
Privacy Law
The privacy laws are defined as the right of the individual to determine when, how, and to what extent the person will reveal personal information. The only expectation to this is the government recording the situation to provide evidence to whether a crime has been committed or not. Which helps prove whether the person is guilty or incident.
This can affect the production of your work in a series of ways. You must consider the content you're publishing when talking about people, you cannot tell people private information if someone is holding it back. If you do reveal information you must get clearance from the person involved before you do so. You must not snoop into peoples lives and try and get information out of them if they refrain from giving it to you. You must also not get information in illegal ways, such as hacking computers and phone calls. Most importantly, you must inform the person involved that what your recording is for a specific purpose, I.E an interview. Your right to privacy comes under the Human Right Act.
Copyright and Intellectual Property Law
Copyright is a legal document/right that protects the creators work from being plagiarised by others. Copyright allows the creators to do what they like with their work and receive money for their content. This means only the creator can use the work, so if anything was copyright such as music or audio footage from another radio station I could not use it in my work. For example for a short speech package you may want to use some music from YouTube, you would not be legally allowed to do so as the work is not created by yourself. Anything that is protected under copyright displays the following symbol:
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In short, intellectual property is something that is original to you, for instance you physically created some thing. An I.P is not an idea but your creation written or in a physical form. Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects your creation. By being informed on what your rights are and you have the right protection you can stop people from stealing your creation, invention, design, trade secrets or any of your written work.
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After all the law was created to protect a wide variety of content produced by: authors, artists, musicians, film makers and inventors. Which is controlled by a federal law, but the state may also get involved. It is used to encourage content producers to continue to create original ideas without others plaguing their work. Other things such as trademarks protect noticeable features of a product such as a brand name or packing design.
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For instance I am going to create a speech package about the increase of crime in a local area. As a producer I will make sure all my productions use original content , that is not others work. If their work is used I would make sure I ask for permission before use, after using it I would also credit the original artist giving them full credit. To get permission I would make sure I got a verbal and written clearance, and any product placements will be placed with a P (see ethical section for more). If the content producer wants a fee for their work being used, I will understand their needs and pay the sum if I want to 100% use their content. If I go to use public domain content I will make sure that it falls into this category before use; again any creative commons footage will be doubled check for permission and fees.
Official Secrets Act 1989
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This act means that people are legally obliged to maintain secrecy; even if there is a public interest defence you are not allowed to publish to content. This applies to all employees in government, including the armed forces and civil services. This covers the disclosure of information and if this act is broken it can have serious consequences; depending on the type of secrets disclosed. A person found guilty of breaking the act may be convicted to jail for 2 years/more or a fine or both. The act came into place to replaced the official secret act of 1911. It sums up that any one with official information who discloses it without lawful consent. The type of information that is covered is:
- Security
- Defence
- International Relations
- Foreign Confidences
- Information of Crimes
Official information means that the person has received any information,article or document during their role in their job. As a producer I would make sure that the content I release is public information and is not under the official secrets act. To do this I would check the history of my staff, so they do not reveal any content from their previous jobs. That may well come under the act. I would also check with the authorities to make sure that the information is given to go to be released; if not I will not publish the content.
Ethics
Now that we have looked at the legal side of things, alongside some ethical issues. Lets look at a greater deal of ethical issues:
Ethics and law are very different. The main difference is that ethics is not a legal matter and is not the law. Ethics is a rule of conduct and responsibility that a producer must stick to. Ethics involves what is right,equitable,fair,dutiful and responsible. If you break an ethic code, often set up by the company's guidelines, that you will be made to act with disapproval from other colleagues and your place of work. Therefore, it is your duty as a producer to take ethical considerations seriously and into account when creating products for media. To reduce the risk of breaking a code of conduct, you must make sure your are working within "social norms" what the general public think is accepted.
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The sort of ethical considerations you must take into account are:
- Not causing anyone harm or offence - A key point is to not target minors (those who are under 18) as they are not of age to be mocked and ridiculed. These means in my products I cannot make aim to cause harm/offence to anyone.
- Respectful of people’s sensitivities - Things such as those who have been involved with alcohol problems may take offence. As the story line maybe unbelievable and causes stereotypes to alcoholics that are not true. So in my productions, I will have to take other peoples view points into consideration and not just my own.
- Language/violence/sex - Some viewers may not wish to listen to this on the radio warnings are often put at the start of programmes to make the audience aware. This means my productions cannot be overly violent, use constant vulgar language or constant sex references. Unless a warning is put in place, which will reduce my programmes target audience.
- Stereotypes - The stereotyping of people must be true and cannot portray a situation/group of people in an absurd way. So when trying to make a statement from my view point, I will have to be sensitive in the way in which people and events are set up to be like in my production.
- Representations - People and subject matters must all be represented in the same way. If the show was a reality show, everyone must be treated the same and in a fair way. As you cannot favour some over others.
Now that we understand what issues are possible in a radio product what companies are out there to make sure these social norms and laws are not broken on the radio
Ofcom - Broadcasting Code
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Ofcom/Office of communications is a communications regulator in the UK. They regulate TV,Radio,Phone Lines,Mobiles,Postal Services and the communications of wireless devices. They operate from a series of Acts of Parliament and must act within the legislation. They are funded by fess from the industry and has a grant-aid from the government. They main legal duties are to "ensure:
- the UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high-speed services such as broadband;
- a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;
- television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations;
- people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material;
- people are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded;
- a universal postal service is provided in the UK - this means a six days a week, universally priced delivery and collection service across the country; and
- the radio spectrum (the airwaves used by everyone from taxi firms and boat owners, to mobile-phone companies and broadcasters) is used in the most effective way."
Although they are not responsible for regulating: arguments between you and a communications provider, mobile phone text services and ringtones, content of adverts, complaints of accuracy in BBC programmes,the BBC license fee,poster offices or newspapers and magazines. Through this they have set up a broadcasters code , which professional bodies like the BBC . The code is a rulebook for which any TV or Radio station must follow and sets rules for programs and broadcasters. It was created to protect audiences and listeners from harmful and offensive content, whilst producers/broadcasters have the freedom to make challenging programmes. In fact, Ofcom covers nine key areas:
•Protecting the under-eighteen's
•Harm and offence
•Crime
•Religion
•Due impartiality
•Elections and referendums
•Fairness
•Privacy
•Commercial references in TV programming
•Protecting the under-eighteen's
•Harm and offence
•Crime
•Religion
•Due impartiality
•Elections and referendums
•Fairness
•Privacy
•Commercial references in TV programming
If we look at Privacy for example, there are 7 rules a producer must follow. For instance rule 8:22 states "Practice to follow 8.22 Persons under the age of sixteen and vulnerable
people. A child of five has a very different view and understanding of the world around it than a 15
year old teenager has. Questions need to be appropriate to both age and development
whether the child or young person is taking part in a factual programme or an entertainment
programme. Care must be taken to not to prompt children and that they should be allowed to speak for
themselves. Questioning that is likely to cause distress should be kept to a minimum."
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Rules like these are regular brought up to broadcasters as they are told:“Broadcasters are reminded of the legislative background that has informed the rules, of the principles that apply to each section, the meanings given by Ofcom and of the guidance issued by Ofcom, all of which may be relevant in interpreting and applying the Code. No rule should be read in isolation but within the context of the whole Code including the headings, cross references and other linking text.” Which means that each rule is significant and can link to other sections of the code as well. Which highlights to the broadcaster that you need to stick to code carefully.
When an audience complains about a programme, Ofcom will check the report against the code. If the programme breaches the code, they write a decision/recording of the breach. The result of the breach is then published on the website, under Broadcast Bulletin. If a broadcaster commits a serious offence, Ofcom has the legal right to impose consequences. Which can include fines, or removed the permit from the company. Removing the permit means they are no longer legally allowed to broadcast material.
We will now look at some guidelines by professional bodies such as the BBC. A professional body must: do the right things, work for the public's benefit, have moral values and judgments, have a high professionalism, follow rules and guidelines, provide guidance and have a professional duty. We will look the BBC producer guidelines first.
The 10 Sections of The Broadcasting Code
Any content that may seriously impair physically, mentally or morally under 18 should not be broadcast. The scheduling of programmes should be done in a way so children, under 15, will not witness unsuitable content. Scheduling must revolve around the time children are likely to watch TV/listen to radio, the start and finishing times of programmes and when children are in and out of school. The broadcaster must also be aware of watershed, I.E after 9pm child should be asleep therefore different content is allowed after this time slot. If a risky programme is aired before 9pm, warnings must be put into place.The reference to drugs, smoking and drinking must not be included in content unless there is a strong reason to why. They should not be glamorised, the same should be said for violence and strong language. No sexual content should be broadcast before the watershed unless it is PIN protected. Nudity before watershed must be justified and any film banned by the BBFC should not be broadcast, unless it meets the standards set for a cut or lower rating. This must be agreed by the BBFC.
•Harm and offence
All standards must apply to the contents of TV and radio and must have protection for the members of the public. Factual programmes cannot bend the truth and mislead the audience. Any content that could cause offence must be justified by context. The programme must not glamorise violent and dangerous behaviour. Methods to commit suicide and self-harm must not be included in the programmes content. There also must be no demonstrations of acts relating to the paranormal. Any acts of hypnotism must not be down straight down the camera, any fake news must be done in a way so the audience do not think it is real.All methods of voting must be fair, simple and not misleading. Last of all, any viewers with epilepsy must be warned about strobe lights at the start of the programme.
All standards must apply to the contents of TV and radio and must have protection for the members of the public. Factual programmes cannot bend the truth and mislead the audience. Any content that could cause offence must be justified by context. The programme must not glamorise violent and dangerous behaviour. Methods to commit suicide and self-harm must not be included in the programmes content. There also must be no demonstrations of acts relating to the paranormal. Any acts of hypnotism must not be down straight down the camera, any fake news must be done in a way so the audience do not think it is real.All methods of voting must be fair, simple and not misleading. Last of all, any viewers with epilepsy must be warned about strobe lights at the start of the programme.
Content must not encourage the audience to recreate/commit crime. Any demonstrations or descriptions of crime must not reveal details, this is to stop the creation of potential criminals. No payment may go to any witness's or criminals, this is to avoid creating mixed stories and messing with the legal system. This is unless the information is important and is for the public interest.
•Religion
Broadcasters must show respect to the content of religious programmes. The views and beliefs of a religion on a show must be treated in an non abusive manner. The religion must be clear to identify, so that the audience is not mislead. Shows cannot aim to promote and recruit new members without telling the audience. Although TV programmes are not allowed to seek recruits in the first place.
Any form of news must be reported accurately and present in a balanced manner, they cannot show any favouritism. Any mistakes in programmes must be fixed correctly and quickly. Political figures cannot be the host of a news show and can only answer questions set by an interviewer. No personal opinions of the broadcasters must be included in the broadcast of news.Views and facts cannot be misrepresented.
The rules from Section 5 are also applied to this section. There must be a fair representation of all candidates/organisations in elections and referendums. Any discussions on results must finish when the polls open, the results of the poll must also be released after the polls have closed and not during. The candidates of the election should not appear in programming unless it was filmed before election.
Broadcasts have to treat everyone the same and cannot have unfair treatment towards people and organisations.When invited on a programme, the individual must be told: what they are doing, what they are expected to say/do, what the programme is, be aware of changes to the programme,and be given information such as preview dates. If the person is under 16, then parental permission is required, editing should give a fair representation of that persons contribution. The re use of footage must be done in a way so it does not create unfairness. Dramas must not aimed to create hatred to figures and events. If a person does not want to be included in a programme, the broadcast should make it clear and should not include them; unless censoring is used. All permissions of use of footage and audio of any kind, including prank calls must be clarified by the persons involved.
Any infringement of privacy in programmes/ connections made in the obtainment of material must have a warrant. The same should be said for peoples addresses. Consent of information must be checked and agreed on by the persons involved in the programme. A broadcaster must stop recording a person if they no longer agree. Permission for shooting on location must also be arranged. Warnings and arrangements must be set up for formal interviews, that are going to be used in the programme. Phone calls cannot be recorded unless the full details have been shared with the parties involved. Footage of those involved in accidents, names of those who have died or been murdered must also not be released. Any footage of under sixteens must be granted parental permission and may not be quizzed on personally matters.
•Commercial references in TV programming (Section 9+10)
Content must not encourage the audience to recreate/commit crime. Any demonstrations or descriptions of crime must not reveal details, this is to stop the creation of potential criminals. No payment may go to any witness's or criminals, this is to avoid creating mixed stories and messing with the legal system. This is unless the information is important and is for the public interest.
•Religion
Broadcasters must show respect to the content of religious programmes. The views and beliefs of a religion on a show must be treated in an non abusive manner. The religion must be clear to identify, so that the audience is not mislead. Shows cannot aim to promote and recruit new members without telling the audience. Although TV programmes are not allowed to seek recruits in the first place.
Broadcasters must show respect to the content of religious programmes. The views and beliefs of a religion on a show must be treated in an non abusive manner. The religion must be clear to identify, so that the audience is not mislead. Shows cannot aim to promote and recruit new members without telling the audience. Although TV programmes are not allowed to seek recruits in the first place.
Any form of news must be reported accurately and present in a balanced manner, they cannot show any favouritism. Any mistakes in programmes must be fixed correctly and quickly. Political figures cannot be the host of a news show and can only answer questions set by an interviewer. No personal opinions of the broadcasters must be included in the broadcast of news.Views and facts cannot be misrepresented.
The rules from Section 5 are also applied to this section. There must be a fair representation of all candidates/organisations in elections and referendums. Any discussions on results must finish when the polls open, the results of the poll must also be released after the polls have closed and not during. The candidates of the election should not appear in programming unless it was filmed before election.
Broadcasts have to treat everyone the same and cannot have unfair treatment towards people and organisations.When invited on a programme, the individual must be told: what they are doing, what they are expected to say/do, what the programme is, be aware of changes to the programme,and be given information such as preview dates. If the person is under 16, then parental permission is required, editing should give a fair representation of that persons contribution. The re use of footage must be done in a way so it does not create unfairness. Dramas must not aimed to create hatred to figures and events. If a person does not want to be included in a programme, the broadcast should make it clear and should not include them; unless censoring is used. All permissions of use of footage and audio of any kind, including prank calls must be clarified by the persons involved.
Any infringement of privacy in programmes/ connections made in the obtainment of material must have a warrant. The same should be said for peoples addresses. Consent of information must be checked and agreed on by the persons involved in the programme. A broadcaster must stop recording a person if they no longer agree. Permission for shooting on location must also be arranged. Warnings and arrangements must be set up for formal interviews, that are going to be used in the programme. Phone calls cannot be recorded unless the full details have been shared with the parties involved. Footage of those involved in accidents, names of those who have died or been murdered must also not be released. Any footage of under sixteens must be granted parental permission and may not be quizzed on personally matters.
•Commercial references in TV programming (Section 9+10)
We will now look at some guidelines by professional bodies such as the BBC. A professional body must: do the right things, work for the public's benefit, have moral values and judgments, have a high professionalism, follow rules and guidelines, provide guidance and have a professional duty. We will look the BBC producer guidelines first.
BBC Producer's Guidelines
The BBC puts the audience first and listens to their opinions, whilst producing good quality content. They respect the privacy of the audience and do not make the details of the public widely available/ available at all. They need to be fair with the audience and not make rash decisions, they must also not cause offence to the audience. Last of all, one of the main responsibilities is to protect the audience from harm. To maintain these responsibilities, the BBC put into place some guidelines they must follow, along with Ofcom on top. Here are the BBC guidelines from the previous link:
—1.2.1 Trust – independent, impartial and honest
—1.2.2 Truth and Accuracy
—1.2.3 Impartiality – fair and open minded
—1.2.4 Editorial Integrity and Independence – decisions not influenced by outside sources
—1.2.5 Harm and Offence – to protect our audiences from this
—1.2.6 Serving the Public Interest – the truth
—1.2.7 Fairness – fairness, openness and honesty
—1.2.8 Privacy – respect privacy
—1.2.9 Children - safeguarding
—1.2.10 Transparency – be transparent and let our audiences make informed decisions
—1.2.11 Accountability - be fair and open with our audiences
—1.3.1 Royal Charter
—1.3.2 - "to ensure that controversial subjects are treated with due accuracy and impartiality"
—1.3.3 - Forbids any BBC service funded by the licence fee or grant-in-aid from carrying advertising or sponsored programmes.
—1.2.2 Truth and Accuracy
—1.2.3 Impartiality – fair and open minded
—1.2.4 Editorial Integrity and Independence – decisions not influenced by outside sources
—1.2.5 Harm and Offence – to protect our audiences from this
—1.2.6 Serving the Public Interest – the truth
—1.2.7 Fairness – fairness, openness and honesty
—1.2.8 Privacy – respect privacy
—1.2.9 Children - safeguarding
—1.2.10 Transparency – be transparent and let our audiences make informed decisions
—1.2.11 Accountability - be fair and open with our audiences
—1.3.1 Royal Charter
—1.3.2 - "to ensure that controversial subjects are treated with due accuracy and impartiality"
—1.3.3 - Forbids any BBC service funded by the licence fee or grant-in-aid from carrying advertising or sponsored programmes.
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For instance there was one key event that Ofcom needed to deal with.
Sachsgate
The following clip is from the radio broadcast of the Russell Brand Show , featuring Johnathon Ross. The clip was prerecorded and was released on the 18th of October 2008, which was a Saturday. The broadcast came under controversy after the contents of the broadcast were deemed unsuitable, and has the potential to cause harm and offence. This was because the pair, Russel and Ross, were going to interview actor Andrew Sachs (Famous for Manwell in Fawlty Towers). Although after being unable to contact Sachs, as he was busy else where, they decided to leave a series of messages on his answer phone.
Instead of being polite and respectful comments left on the machine, it was quite the opposite. They not only targeted Sachs for mockery but his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie who was a member of the group Satanic Sluts at the time. Comments left ranged from "I had a go on his daughter" from Brand who had a relationship with Baillie in the past, to "He f****** your granddaughter... I'm sorry I apologize. Andrew, I apologize, I got excited, what can I say - it just came out." which was said by Ross. Over comments that ranged from a series of 4 messages left were She was bent over the couch...", Ross and then Brand burst out into a song of mockery with lyrics including "I said some things I didn't of oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter...". There was also insults towards Sachs himself with comments like "I’m sorry Mr Fawlty, I’m sorry, they’re a waste of space" ,“You only ever played Manuel . . . ” Yes! We’ll just sing to him and ‘Hello, Manuel is not in right now. Leave your message after the tone.’ For a full transcript check out the link here.
As a result Georgina and Andrew were left shocked and offended as there relationship could of been jeopardized after hearing the broadcast. Baillie states in an interview that "After the [prank] phone call, Russell and Jonathan [Ross] left me a voicemail immediately. It was Russell saying, "Erm, I've just left a voice mail on your granddad's phone. I think you should break into his house and destroy his answering machine." and" I got a call from my granddad, after [the broadcast] had gone out, saying, "It's awful, I'm going to make a complaint to the BBC." " and this was her response when asked about the last time she and her granddad spoke, "Quite a long time ago. Time needs to go by before I can face my family. My grandparents are from a different generation. Things that are acceptable, or almost acceptable, to me are not acceptable to them, so it's going to be difficult for a while."
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There was a total of 37,500 complaints to the BBC but, there was only 2 straight after the broadcast aired. This was due to an article in the Mail on Sunday a corporate brand, which tried to point holes in the BBC so those who are against the state system could make a point. There was also a string of criticism from various figures including Gordon Brown who states it was "clearly inappropriate and unacceptable". As a result Ofcom were involved and found that they breach 3 rules:
- Rule 2.1 – generally accepted standards must be applied to programmes
- Rule 2.3 – offensive material must be justified by the context
- Rule 8.1 – the ‘standard’ requiring adequate protection for members of the public from unwarranted infringements of privacy
For breaking both 2.1 and 2.3 a total of £70,000 per fine was given and an £80,000 fine for breaching rule 8.1. Which due to being part of the public state funding came straight out of the general public's pocket. Which got viewers/Brits furious, which seriously let down the BBC as a whole. Not only were there fines they also had to produce a list of high risk programmes, so this doesn't happen again. Russel Brand also quit his show whilst Jonathon Ross was suspended for 12 weeks without pay. Lesley Douglas, Radio 2's head of compliance, also resigned. Ross was not heard on radio again, until recently when he stepped in for a show one week.
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This broadcast also allowed viewers to point out flaws in the programme and the BBC. If the programme was pre recorded, why did no one listen through the content to make sure it was suitable for air? They should of also got more than one person to listen, as everyone has different tolerances when it comes to humor. Also, because it was prerecorded they could of arranged another interview which would of avoided all the chaos. They could of also cut the content after the first message was left, instead of adding insult to injury by playing all 4 messages. Ross had stated that he only wanted to broadcast to go live if both Sachs and Baillie gave permission, yet the BBC had not been able to communicate properly and thought they had the green light. When in fact, neither of them gave permission.
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Although the presenters had said sorry, it took several days/weeks before the BBC actually gave an apologetic statement. Last of all, if the BBC had put in the correct guidelines then this case would never of happened. So as a producer of my own content, this highlights why it is important to stick to the guidelines given. So my presenters, myself and the viewers are not ethically harmed and that my production does not get controversy or fined as a result. For a full time line of events, check out the link here.
Kiss FM
The radio station Kiss FM was found in breach of Ofcom after playing an explicit and uncensored song by DJ, Calvin Harris. Ofcom received a total of 2 complaints, after the song "Open Wide" was featured on the Kiss Top 40 charts on November 2014.
Ofcom stated that at 17:45 there use of "sexually suggestive" lyrics were "clearly unsuitable". During the investigation, Ofcom pulled the station up for not listening to the song before it was aired. For instance one of the lines in the song is "I'm taking off her blouses/while she taking off my trousers". The use of swear words is also constant throughout the song. Kiss has stated the song was offered as an exclusive and a first play, which they based the programme for the evening around. They then realized the mistake and deemed the song unsuitable for family radio.
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They also state an apology would of followed the song (or any other unsuitable behavior), but due to the content being pre recorded the apology was put into place at the same time the following week. Kiss must now followed a new procedure for checking the content of new songs and the stations producers was disciplined as a result. Ofcom deemed the show of not having enough excuses to be deemed safe, as a result it breached the editors code. Noting that at the time of place children were likely to have been listening . Overall, this is another example of a programme breaching the regulatory code of conduct.
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