Life Hacks: Case Study

Analysis

What do the titles The Surgery and Life Hacks suggest?

• The titles 'The Surgery' and 'Life Hacks'  suggest that this is an advice radio show, or perhaps handles controversial or 'heavy' topics regarding life and lifestyles.

How are the programmes constructed to appeal to a youth audience?

• The 'Life Hacks' programme includes key topics that are prevalent in today's zeitgeist, by discussing topics such as money, sexuality and gender as well as being available on demand, which appeals to the dynamic digital age we live in and the growing expectations of a youth audience to have content such as discussions on gender etc. at their disposal. 

What does the choice of presenters (Cel Spellman and Katie Thistleton) and Dr Modgil suggest about the BBC’s approach to diversity and representation?

• The choice of presenters suggests this show is diverse and offers a range of representations, through a female doctor, which is a sign of the changing times, to regional representations as you can hear through their accents. 

What does this suggest regarding the Life Hacks audience and what the BBC is hoping to achieve with the programme?

• This suggests that the Life Hacks audience has a far more liberal mindset and is attracted to contemporary content from radio shows, this could link to BBC's remit to provide content that suits a range of audiences whilst also informing and educating listeners. 

Listen to a few episodes of the podcast and explain how the topics may a) appeal to a youth audience and b) help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster. 

• I listened to the 'Choosing a Career', 'Knife Crime' and 'A Gay Kid's guide to life' podcasts and I believe they appeal to a youth audience since within the ten minute slots, in which these topics are discussed [Exc. A Gay Kid's Guide, that was around half an hour] they deal with a diverse range of topics, that are extremely prevalent within a young person's life particularly in England. Young people today are handling University prospects, as well as the sheer density of knife crime upon many of their doorsteps- although 10 minutes is not long enough to discuss the sheer complexity of a topic, it is manageable for a bus ride to school or during a free period without too much commitment, this appeals to a youth audience - in particular those who prefer to listen to something whilst commuting. All 3 podcasts help fulfill the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster since they all offer an education on important topics, without bias, as well as also being easy to listen to and entertaining through the use of linguistics.

Audience

What is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?

• 15-29 year olds.

Who is the actual audience for BBC Radio 1?

• The average listener is 30, which falls outside the intended listener age range.

What audience pleasures are offered by Life Hacks? Apply Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory.

• Surveillance, Life Hacks offers educational talks and advice on contemporary topics, Personal Relationships through celebrity interviews and radio djs as well as Personal identity through national accents and regional interviews within the broadcast.

What points does the reviewer make about Life Hacks and the particular podcast episode they listened to?

• The reviewer mentions that the content is both 'interesting' and informative - he speaks about how the interviews with Stormzy regarding the Cambridge scholarships, and Chelsea Kwakye [a Cambridge graduate] on how race comes into play at institutions such as Cambridge, where the realities of the disparity are hardly known by the young people that are perhaps considering going to university etc. The reviewer suggests that this podcast seeks to educate the audience and help them 'make sense' of the reality that although many deem as obvious, is simply not as explicit as we may perceive. 

What are the key statistics to take from this article regarding the decline in Radio 1 audience ratings?

• Radio 1 have suffered a 200,000 listener drop [AUG '18] and it has seen a steady decline since 2011. Breakfast Host Nick Grimshaw, sees an increase of around 300,000 listeners [AUG'18] and reaches 16 million Youtube viewers a week - with the station being the first choice for listeners aged 15-24.

Industries

How does Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain? 

• Life Hacks is a podcast that talks about all topics 'controversial' and offers information through discussions on 'controversial' topics, they also include discourse with Dr Modgil, who helps fit the Educate part of the remit, there's also a high density of music available which helps fulfill the 'entertain' aspect of the remit. 

Pick out three key points in the summary section.

• The BBC provides content online, through the television and the radio.
• The BBC is regulated by OFCOM
• OFCOM is responsible for taking audience's opinions into account and creating the guidelines for the BBC to fulfill - this is what lead to the changes made in 2017/18 regarding Radio 1

Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and Life Hacks?

• The points d, g and h, OFCOM's guidelines and enforcement lead to BBC making changes regarding the radio schedules and ultimately cancelled the Surgery and changed the scheduled times for Life Hacks to be pre-watershed, they also introduced BBC Sounds, which helped appeal to a younger audience and provide content that arguable helped fulfill their remit. They also have Vox Pops and a range of regional accents which help fulfill the final point, whilst also providing a platform for voices that may not have mainstreamed opportunity through BBC Sounds.

What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?

• Personally, I believe that points d [support social actions on BBC Radio], a [increase requirements around news content] and e [safeguard vulnerable genres] are the most important aspects. Social actions, in particular, is one of the most important aspects, it is a listeners prerogative to engage in social activism, however I believe that the media has a responsibility to provide as much education and information regarding our changing social climate as possible to allow listeners to make educated decisions and involve themselves with much needed changes within the dynamics of our society. Point A regarding news programming is also substantial for similar reasons as above however with a clear focus on widening audiences and reaching a diverse quota of listeners, something Life Hacks has the potential to do. Finally, the safeguarding of vulnerable genres, this links to the media argument of Art vs Commerce quite closely, therefore the importance of this is free for negotiation however I believe that inclusivity within the media will also have major cultural significance, therefore it is the BBC's prerogative to provide a diverse range of genres through their company. 

What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience? 

• Ofcom plans to review the on-screen diversity of BBC programming, including 'peak time' programmes and ask what audiences expect from the BBC and whether the BBC are successful in fulfilling this approach.

What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?

• He wants Radio 1 to be the 'Netflix of Music Radio' and wants to integrate 'phone-first' content with regular traditional radio shows. 

How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?

• Although the traditional radio listener average has gone down, the companies Youtube platform still brings around significant viewing figures, which supports the idea that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences despite what statistics show.

Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?

• Radio 1 plays around 4000 different tracks a month compared to commercial radios 400. They play 'hit music' to 'expose' their audiences to newer tunes and tracks.

Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?

• As the digital age changes the dynamics of traditional media, establishing a stable social media and digital platform is vital for sustainability within the industry, in particular when appealing to a younger audience, who have grown up with the digital age and became accustomed to digital culture.

In your opinion, should the BBC’s remit include targeting young audiences via Radio 1 or should this content be left to commercial broadcasters? Explain your answer.

• I think that the BBC's remit should be enforced by Radio 1, commercial broadcasters offer content however are mainly motivated by profitability and commercial potential of content, this could impact the education and diversity of content provided to young people, whilst the profitability of Radio 1 is up for debate, running a Radio broadcaster that has to align with certain values and fulfill a remit, allows regulation of content and ensures the provision of quality, informative and entertaining content to a diverse youth audience, as it grows and adapts to the contemporary norm as they do.