LO4: Evaluation of Radio Show

Evaluation

I think our radio show meets the majority of the points of the brief that we received. I also think it effectively targets the demographic we set out to reach; below I will analyse the sections of our radio programme to explain why.

Content ("Latest Fixtures" & "Transfer Rumours")

Although we tried to follow the codes and conventions of a typical sports radio show; we tried to convey our content in a more professional manner to distinguish it from other radio shows like TalkSport and Total Football. This meant that there was slightly less "back and forth" conversation between the presenters, however, I would argue that we managed to find a good balance of giving a slightly longer analysis of the matches and keeping a good overall flow to our radio show. We felt this allowed us to better address our target audience as it meant that more of the show was focused explicitly on the facts of football and not just the presenters opinions.

News

The news section was the shortest of the dialogue sections featured on Onside FM. This is because we tried to focus the show explicitly on the football as that was the main purpose of our radio show. We believed that this would allow us to better address our target audience. Although Onside FM was to be broadcast on a local station, we felt it would be more appropriate to give a concise overview of the national headlines as this way our listeners would be well informed of all the day's major events without distracting too much from the main focus of the show, the football. 

Use Of Music

I feel that the music we used in our show represents the target audience well as we played a mixture of indie and Brit-pop music like Oasis and Blur. Our target audience will most likely have grown up listening to music like this so it could even offer a sense of nostalgia which may make listeners think of our radio show in a more positive light. Even if listeners didn't grow up listening to the music we featured I would argue that it is still relevant to them as there is a strong link between football casual culture and the music genres of indie and Brit-pop. 

Changes or amendments

Changes and amendments were made to the show throughout its production; improving its quality to get it to a professional standard was an ongoing task. The main issue was the tone of voice used in the radio show. Both presenters mumbled some of the sentences in the match analysis section of the show as the text that the presenters had to read wasn't worded very well. This resulted in us having to re-record certain sections of the radio show. Another of the larger amendments came in the editing stage of our radio show. We had to adjust the "gain" of the audio clips we used as some of the audio peaked too high and was not consistent throughout the broadcast so we had to ensure that all of the audio peaks were normalised to ensure that the volume of the show was consistent throughout. In the first draft of our radio show, it came to our attention that in certain places the bedding track (crowd background noise) was too loud in parts which sometimes made it difficult to understand what the presenters were saying. As a result of this, we had to split the bedding track into sections and fade its volume in places where it got too loud or the presenters' voices became quieter. Making these changes allowed us to produce a radio show that was consistent throughout its duration, leading to it both following the guidelines of the brief and the codes and conventions of a traditional talk/sports radio show. 

LO4: Producing the Radio Show

Production Schedule

Offline Edit
Our offline edit shows what we were creating and proves that it is important to have a plan to work to when creating a final product. As we did multiple takes of our radio show,  I will have to select the version of each line which I want to use and then put them all in order on Garage Band in order to produce the offline edit. Seeing what issues there are in a raw version of the show with no added effects or audio editing will make it clear what parts need to be edited in the final version to ensure that it meets a professional standard.

Setting up Equipment & Recording

Final Version

LO3: Codes & Conventions of the Genre of Planned Show

The codes and conventions of a sports (particularly a football) show are to be very upbeat in the approach and the presenters should aim to communicate this and enforce the ideal partner/ideal self. The show must be energetic as many fans will still be buzzing from the atmosphere of the football matches they have attended. We should aim to keep this energy to give the show positive connotations to the listener.  In my lo 1 research, i noticed that a lot of radio shows have funny talking segments which are based on everyday life. Sports shows will also always play music to keep the sense of excitement their listeners have gained from watching the football going. I also noticed that they often have listener call in to give their opinions on recent football matches/rumours, this helps to get the audience involved in the show. I have also noticed that in the conventions of a talk/sports show there is a great deal of back and forth conversation between the presenters; this keeps the audience engaged and l allows for anecdotes and content to be communicated seamlessly.

LO3: Legal & Ethical Issues Associated with Planned Show

OFCOM Broadcasting Code Guidance

Section 1: Protecting under 18's and Offensive language on the Radio 

All content of the radio station should be suitable for under 18's. This means swearing, crude comments and other inappropriate content should be kept off the show. Adhering to this section is crucial as people under the age of eighteen may listen to our radio programme. The script has been checked to make sure that any comments that could be seen as inappropriate are not included in the final broadcast.

Section 5: Due Impartiality and Due Accuracy and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions

It is of utmost importance that all information on our radio show is factually correct at the time of recording to avoid being prosecuted for slander. For our radio show, this includes news updates, transfer rumours, opinions and interviews. It is important that we adhere to this information as misinforming our listenership could result in a damaged reputation for any persons mentioned during a broadcast.

Section 8: Privacy 

During the broadcast of Onside FM, the presenters (myself and Josh) must ensure that they do not release any information that was given to them in confidence that would make a person feel uncomfortable. This applies to our player interviews more than any other part of our show. We must ensure that unless information comes directly from the player himself, we have permission to talk about certain comments on the advert. Failure to do so could result in a negative backlash and possibly legal issues.

LO2: Production Technologies

Whether its a public service broadcaster like the BBC or a commercial broadcaster like Kerrang FM or Hallam FM, all radio stations use similar, if not the same equipment. The quality of equipment might vary depending on the how successful the broadcaster is or who it is owned by as a radio station owned by a conglomerate is highly likely to have a good amount of funding. For example, a national and public funded broadcaster like the BBC will have state of the art equipment whereas a smaller, regional broadcaster like Sheffield Live will not.

Microphone

This is the most vital piece of equipment used for creating a radio programme as it allows the presenters to record what they are saying. A microphone processor will also be used to control the volume of the microphone. The processor is what connects the microphone to a computer, allowing it to be digitally manipulated into a digital file (.mp3, .WAV etc).

Mixing Desk

An audio desk is used in all radio productions that have some sort of a budget. It allows for the volume of different audio channels to be controlled quickly. An audio desk is very large and expensive and many of the functions that it was created to perform can be done on a computer for most radio shows. 

Computer

A computer is arguably one of the most important pieces of technology to have when creating a modern, cost-efficient radio programme. Technological convergence has allowed for many of the tasks that would usually be completed on a larger, more expensive piece to be performed by software such as Adobe Audition. 

Phone Talkback System

Some radio shows feature call-ins from their listeners; a phone talkback system allows for the call to be broadcast directly into the main microphone on the show so that listeners can hear what the caller is saying live. The devices often come with echo cancelling technology so the calls are easy to hear.

LO2: Distribution of Radio in the UK

In the 1920's, AM radio was the most common form of radio when it became widely available to everyday people. In the 1950's, FM radio became available to the public. This change was made as AM radio is more prone to interference, although FM radio can still be interrupted by physical factors (e.g. when a car radio stops working as it goes through a tunnel). FM radio also offered a higher definition sound. 

In modern times there are a number of ways people can access the radio, not just the previousley mentioned traditional analogue ways. The most common would be digital radio, which allows people to listen to the radio using the internet. This has lead to a reduction in people owning physical radios as the overwhelming majority of homes in the UK have access to the internet. Methods of accessing the radio digitally are very accessible thanks to technological convergence. Many companies, like the BBC for example, have smartphone applications that can be used to access the radio digitally; this has added a portability element to radio usage. Mobile applications like BBC Iplayer allow people to catch-up on things they have missed. This could be particularly useful for people who listen to radio soap operas like "The Archers" as it means people don't have to have a set time for when they listen to it, they can watch it at their convenience. 

As well as digital radio, some of the UK's most popular radio stations like BBC 1 and Capital FM have made their radio broadcasts avaliable over television. Technological convergence has also allowed for the size of many radio components to become smaller and easier to make cheaply. This means that many devices now can access radio stations such as cars, phones and headphones.  

In conclusion, the distribution has changed drastically over the last century. This has gone some way to stop the platform from becoming entirely obsolete; however, with the increasing popularity of streaming services like Spotify, it is only a matter of time until radio stops existing in its current form at least. 

LO1: Analysis of a Radio Programme

Analysis of TalkSPORT - The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast

Purpose

The purpose of this talk show is mainly to entertain as Alan Brazil could be described as quite a lively character. We can assume the purpose is to entertain primarily because of the host. Alan Brazil is a boisterous character that brings an element of humour to everything he does. The show's purpose is also to inform as Alan Brazil discusses all the latest sports information from the last 24 hours. The show also features an hourly news segment that lasts for a few minutes. The show is aired on weekday mornings between 06:00 am and 10:00 am.

Income

TalkSport is owned by
The main advertiser is Ford (particularly transit vans),  a car company that has a similar target audience to the radio show. Other advertisers include Selco builders warehouse and Paddypower. All of these companies could be said to cater specifically to people from the C2DE categories of the NRS social scale. As football is traditionally considered a working-class sport; I would say that these sponsors/advertisers are very appropriate as Ford Transit vans, for example, are primarily used by tradesmen and women who would mostly belong to the same C2DE brackets of the NRS social scale that would listen to The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast or any other TalkSport show.

Scheduling

As stated in the title of the show; the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast is broadcast in the morning. Other TalkSPORT shows are broadcast after the regular kick-off games have finished (5pm) or during some Tuesday Night games.

Content

In terms of content, the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast discusses a plethora of sports, not just football like the majority of the shows. There is a 60-second news bulletin every half an hour. This show doesn't feature any "phone-ins" however other shows that take place after live football matches usually do.

Staff & Resources

The main presenter is of the programme is Alan Brazil. I believe he is a good choice for the presenter as he is loud and talkative. This works well for the programme as it enables him to put more passion into his football discussions. As the show is broadcast in a morning, his boisterous tone probably helps wake people up a bit too.