Historical, Social and Cultural Context
1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967?
Before 1967 there were only 3 radio stations available: BBC Radio Home, BBC Radio Light, BBC Third, which focused on education and news (Home), Light Entertainment and some music (Light) as well as arts-based talk.
2) How was BBC reorganised in September 1967?
The BBC split up Radio Light, to create Radio 1 ('non-stop popular music') and Radio 2 ('Easy Listening'); they renamed Third to Radio 3, and Radio Home became Radio 4, offering quiz shows, readings, dramas and plays.
3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular?
Pirate radio was illegally broadcast radio stations which played 'popular music' all day. They were transmitted from offshore by pirate DJs like Tony Blackburn. They were extremely popular as they did not face needle time restrictions and so could play music much more often, unlike traditional radio at the time.
4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?
Pirate radio stopped broadcasting in 1967 due to the installation of new laws, that made pirate radios illegal and closed loopholes that allowed DJs to play from offshore.
5) How did the BBC attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down?
The BBC hired pirate radio DJs, like Tony Blackburn, and with them brought the DJ's loyal audience. Also, the Pirate DJs in combination with the laws against pirate radio stations meant that most listeners had no option but to listen to Radio 1 to get their fill of music.
6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio?
Needle Time was a restriction that Radio stations faced that limited the amount of music that could be played in a day to 5 hours, due to concerns from the Musicians' Union and Phonographic Performance Limited who believed less music would be purchased if Radio played too many songs. This hugely affected BBC radio since they would have to balance a limit of 5 hours of music with a day-long broadcast, meaning they need to fill a large amount of empty space, so they tended to lose listeners due to the lack of music on a music radio channel.
7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations?
Unlike previous BBC Radio Stations, which focused on mainly spoken pieces and on traditional music, BBC Radio 1 was directed at a younger audience, and it was primarily based on music.
8) Who was the first presenter for BBC Radio 1 and why did these new Radio 1 DJs cause upset initially at the traditional BBC?
The first presenter for BBC Radio 1 was Tony Blackburn, who was scouted after his pirate radio station was shut down. This caused upset in Blackburn's loyal listeners since the BBC stood for conventional views and pirate radio stood for the complete opposite.
9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners?
It included a vast range of music and sold itself as the BBC's "Fresh New sound", with a much younger DJ than usual and popular songs. It also allowed its audience to interact with the DJs through P.O boxes.
10) What conventions did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different from previous BBC radio content?Tony Blackburn's radio show included humour and personal conversation, which is vastly different from previous Radio Stations, that were much less interactive. Also, Tony Blackburn's show was much more interactive than the BBC's other stations, much like pirate radio was, and it allowed listeners to make requests for specific songs.
Audience and Industry
1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967?The target audience for BBC Radio 1 was teenagers and the younger generation, around 16 years old, and mainly people who enjoyed pop music and pirate radio.
2) Why did Radio 1 initially struggle to attract young listeners?It wasn't seen as "cool" despite how they marketed themselves, due to the BBC being seen as a very conservative and traditional company. Additionally, due to limitations from needle time, BBC Radio 1 couldn't truly emulate the sound of pirate radio.
3) What audience pleasures did Radio 1 offer listeners in 1967? (Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory).BBC Radio 1 offered Diversions in the form of music, as well as Personal Relationships with the DJs as they talk to their listeners about their personal life daiy. Also Radio 1 offered Personal Identity due to the fact the DJs were much younger and lived similar lives to most of their audience. It could also be argued that Radio 1 offered surveillance as it gave broad information on things like the music industry and similar topics.
4) How is the BBC funded?
The BBC is funded trough a standard TV licence which households had to pay legally to own a TV. It was an annual fee that many people paid to have access to what was one of the very few sources of broadcasted entertainment at the time.
5) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would the preferred and oppositional reading have been of BBC Radio 1 in 1967?
The preferred reading of Radio 1 would be that it is a new and exciting radio station that offered fresh and fun shows as well as popular music. The oppositional reading would be that Radio 1 is not 'cool' and is failing to be what pirate radio was, it is a very conservative and restricted radio station.
Written By Aishwarya Odedra
1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967?
Before 1967 there were only 3 radio stations available: BBC Radio Home, BBC Radio Light, BBC Third, which focused on education and news (Home), Light Entertainment and some music (Light) as well as arts-based talk.
2) How was BBC reorganised in September 1967?
The BBC split up Radio Light, to create Radio 1 ('non-stop popular music') and Radio 2 ('Easy Listening'); they renamed Third to Radio 3, and Radio Home became Radio 4, offering quiz shows, readings, dramas and plays.
3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular?
Pirate radio was illegally broadcast radio stations which played 'popular music' all day. They were transmitted from offshore by pirate DJs like Tony Blackburn. They were extremely popular as they did not face needle time restrictions and so could play music much more often, unlike traditional radio at the time.
4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?
Pirate radio stopped broadcasting in 1967 due to the installation of new laws, that made pirate radios illegal and closed loopholes that allowed DJs to play from offshore.
5) How did the BBC attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down?
The BBC hired pirate radio DJs, like Tony Blackburn, and with them brought the DJ's loyal audience. Also, the Pirate DJs in combination with the laws against pirate radio stations meant that most listeners had no option but to listen to Radio 1 to get their fill of music.
6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio?
Needle Time was a restriction that Radio stations faced that limited the amount of music that could be played in a day to 5 hours, due to concerns from the Musicians' Union and Phonographic Performance Limited who believed less music would be purchased if Radio played too many songs. This hugely affected BBC radio since they would have to balance a limit of 5 hours of music with a day-long broadcast, meaning they need to fill a large amount of empty space, so they tended to lose listeners due to the lack of music on a music radio channel.
7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations?
Unlike previous BBC Radio Stations, which focused on mainly spoken pieces and on traditional music, BBC Radio 1 was directed at a younger audience, and it was primarily based on music.
8) Who was the first presenter for BBC Radio 1 and why did these new Radio 1 DJs cause upset initially at the traditional BBC?
The first presenter for BBC Radio 1 was Tony Blackburn, who was scouted after his pirate radio station was shut down. This caused upset in Blackburn's loyal listeners since the BBC stood for conventional views and pirate radio stood for the complete opposite.
9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners?
It included a vast range of music and sold itself as the BBC's "Fresh New sound", with a much younger DJ than usual and popular songs. It also allowed its audience to interact with the DJs through P.O boxes.
10) What conventions did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different from previous BBC radio content?Tony Blackburn's radio show included humour and personal conversation, which is vastly different from previous Radio Stations, that were much less interactive. Also, Tony Blackburn's show was much more interactive than the BBC's other stations, much like pirate radio was, and it allowed listeners to make requests for specific songs.
Audience and Industry
1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967?The target audience for BBC Radio 1 was teenagers and the younger generation, around 16 years old, and mainly people who enjoyed pop music and pirate radio.
2) Why did Radio 1 initially struggle to attract young listeners?It wasn't seen as "cool" despite how they marketed themselves, due to the BBC being seen as a very conservative and traditional company. Additionally, due to limitations from needle time, BBC Radio 1 couldn't truly emulate the sound of pirate radio.
3) What audience pleasures did Radio 1 offer listeners in 1967? (Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory).BBC Radio 1 offered Diversions in the form of music, as well as Personal Relationships with the DJs as they talk to their listeners about their personal life daiy. Also Radio 1 offered Personal Identity due to the fact the DJs were much younger and lived similar lives to most of their audience. It could also be argued that Radio 1 offered surveillance as it gave broad information on things like the music industry and similar topics.
4) How is the BBC funded?
The BBC is funded trough a standard TV licence which households had to pay legally to own a TV. It was an annual fee that many people paid to have access to what was one of the very few sources of broadcasted entertainment at the time.
5) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would the preferred and oppositional reading have been of BBC Radio 1 in 1967?
The preferred reading of Radio 1 would be that it is a new and exciting radio station that offered fresh and fun shows as well as popular music. The oppositional reading would be that Radio 1 is not 'cool' and is failing to be what pirate radio was, it is a very conservative and restricted radio station.
Written By Aishwarya Odedra
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