Newsbeat

• BBC Newsbeat target audience

  15-30 maybe 35
• How does BBC Newsbeat target audiences

  Hosts are primarily 20s/30s -> young to engage young listeners

  News is presented in a chunked easy way to understand -> young audiences has short attention spans and easy to understand complex news

  Bulletins are usually 2-3 minutes long

  Celebrity based content -> provides entertainment, appealing for audiences

  Many news stories are about topics relating to our generation (e.g. GCSE/A levels)

  Young audiences are active (USES + GRATS/BLUMLER + KATZ) -> offer opportunities to get involved and can submit stories, like, share, vote, vote polls
• STUART HALL AND READING:


  Some listeners complain on social media that Newsbeat has 'dumbed down' important stories (Oppositional reading) -> due to assumption young people won't understand

  Some listeners think that BBC/NB has different political values to them (left wing values)
• BBC R1 Target audience 


  15-29

  Also features some documentaries/interviews
• BBC XTRA Target audience

  15-24 with a focus on ethnic minority backgrounds, POC

  Music played to aim at an urban black audience -> remit to provide content for a diverse audience
• BBC Radio Asian Network

  Asian audiences under 35

  Reduction in NB broadcasts -> reflects BBC budget cuts
• Global relevance of NB

  A global version of NB has been created, focusing on stories from African countries in particular -> drawing in a global/multi-cultural audience

  Fewer young people listen to the radio than the post -> attempting to engage + maintain young listeners for the future
• BBC INDUSTRY BACKGROUND/CONTEXT


  BBC is a public service broadcast -> funded by public via TV license fees

  BBC has an obligation to inform, educate and entertain

  BBC is a global company with 22,000 staff and offices in the UK and globally -> able to gather global resources
• BBC Scheduling 


  NB is broadcasted at 12:45pm -> BBC assumes many audiences will be on their lunch break and will be able to listen

  Second broadcast at 5:45pm -> many finished school/work at this point

  Broadcast is reduced at weekends -> assumption that targeted audience will be out socialising
• BBC Budget Cuts

  BBC offices have moved London to Birmingham -> reduce costs

  NB offices relocated -> staff refused to go (paid less) -> had to hire more people as a result

  NB used to have a separate section on BBC website/app -> closed down, reflecting loss of money, budgeting and listeners

  NB content is now incorporated into main pages
• Social media significance


  NB content mainly consists of previous news bulletins to listen to -> reflects how young audiences are spending increased time on social media pages (TECH. CONVERGENCE)

  Used to target predominantly young audiences -> usage of twitter, instagram and youtube
• BBC Sounds 


  Offers listeners a chance to catchup with missed NB episodes -> flexible scheduling fitting targeted audience

  Other ways to listen via Virgin and Sky TV which include BBC radio channels -> accessibility on a wide variety of platforms to increase listener count
• BBC World Service


  Global version of NB in several languages
• Significance of BBC being a non-commercial organisation?


  They do not have to appeal to mass mainstream audiences -> taking a risk as content is not fitting expectations
• Who regulates BBC?


  Ofcom (Office of Communications)

  Ensures they cover stories in a suitable way for audiences to digest

  Not too graphic/controversial, certain amount of control
• Regulation of BBC R1

  The Royal Charter for BBC said R1 has to include news (Newsbeat fufills this)