By Harry Burdon

Radio 1 Breakfast Show

• The Audience of the R1BS with Greg James (Mon-Fri) had 4.4m 10+ listeners.

​

• The remit for the BBC is to “act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain”. The Remit for BBC Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech.

​

• Because Radio 1 is part of the BBC and funded by the licence fee, we make a commitment that at least 40% of the music in daytime will be from UK artists.

RAJAR & BBC 1

BBC Radio 1 Playlist

Some of the music broadcasted by the bbc 1 playlist is American, however just under half is UK and British music such as Central Cee, Fontaines DC & Lola Young. As well as this, there are less songs in each group e.g in the A list, there are 15 songs, B List-15 and C List-12.

R1BS-Entertain, Educate & Inform

• Titles of episodes

​

• Games and quizzes

​

• Trips, tickets and other prizes

​

• News, weather & Sport updates

​

• BBC Bitesize

​

​

​

Greg James and BBC Radio 1

• Unpopular Opinion

​

• Make Me a mixtape

​

• Sit Down Stand Up

​

• Kids ask difficult questions

​

​

Greg James & Social Media

Greg James is the host for the BBC radio 1 breakfast show and has been from 2007-present day.

​

He has multiple social media accounts including Facebook, instagram, tik tok and X.

Instagram-greg_james

​

Facebook-greg james

​

X-@gregjames

​

Tik Tok-gregjames

BBC Questions

1. How old is the BBC? The BBC is 102 years old, it was created in october 1922

2. Who is Lord Reith and what connection does he have with the BBC? Sir John Reith was the Managing Director of the British Broadcasting Company from 1922-1927 and then the first Director-General of the newly-incorporated British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

3. When did it start broadcasting Radio 1? Radio 1 was launched at 7:00 am on Saturday 30 September 1967

4. What is the BBC’s Mission? To “act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain”

5. What is the BBC’s Vision? The BBC aims to inform, educate, and entertain audiences worldwide

6. What are the BBC’s Values? The BBC should provide high-quality news coverage to international audiences, firmly based on British values of accuracy, impartiality, and fairness.

7. What does the licence fee cover? 86% of the licence fee is spent on BBC TV channels, radio stations, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and online services.

8. How is the BBC regulated? How long has this body regulated the BBC and who regulated it before? The BBC is regulated by Ofcom, Ofcom became the first independent regulator of the BBC in 2017 and they are the first company to regulate the BBC.

BBC Questions

9. Who was the first ever Breakfast show presenter? Frank Bough and Selina Scott presented Britain's first ever regular early morning television programme

​

10. List some other DJs that have presented the show. The first breakfast show presenter was Tony Blackburn, who spoke the first words on Radio 1 and remained in the slot for nearly six years. Other DJs who have hosted the breakfast show for more than five years are current host Greg James and former hosts Nick Grimshaw, Mike Read, Simon Mayo, and Chris Moyles.

​

11. Find out a little biographical information about Greg James Gregory James Alan Milward (born 17 December 1985) is an English broadcaster and author. He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 1 since 2007, hosting shows including his old drive-time show and the station's flagship breakfast show.

​

​

12. What are the current listening figures for Radio 1? As of August 2024 BBC Radio 1 has a total of 50 million listeners on average

​

13. Who is the controller of BBC radio 1? BBC Radio 1 is owned and operated by the BBC

​

14. How is it funded? BBC Radio 1 is funded by the public with a l license fee

​

15. How much does the audience pay? How does it work? The audience pay £159 yearly for a license, the money raised from the licence fee pays for BBC shows and services - including TV, radio, the BBC website, podcasts, iPlayer and apps

​

16. How does radio 1 try and be distinctive? BBC Radio 1 aims to be distinctive by focusing on playing a diverse mix of contemporary popular music, heavily featuring new and emerging UK artists

​

17. What is the difference between radio 1 and commercial radio stations? Give a few examples. The BBC is public service broadcaster, primarily funded by license payers' money whereas commercial radio funded by advertising, which is sold to businesses

Timings of Events and What’s Happening

Colour code:

•Audience chat and what it’s about

•How it promotes British Music - British music tracks played

•Celebrity Interviews/Chat

•News Items

•Quizzes and Games

​

Radio Questions

AL Component 2: Evolving Media

Section A: Media Industries and Audiences

​

Media industries

Media audiences

Economic, political

and cultural contexts

MEDIA LANGUAGE

AUDIENCES

CONTEXTS

MEDIA INDUSTRY

REPRESENTATION

Stuart Hall #1

#stereotypes

#Signs

#Power

David Guantlett

#Straightforward past

#Pick’n’Mix

#Diversity Present

Lisbet Van Zoonen

#Domestic Roles

#Objectification

#Spectacle (men)

bell hooks

#Struggle

#Oppression

#Race Class

Curran and Seaton

#Power and Profit

#Limit Creativity

#Social Diversity

David Hesmondhalgh #Vertical Horizontal

#Formatting

#Different industries

Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt

#Protection

#Consumers

#Internet

Roland Barthes

#Signs

#Connotations

#myths

Tzvetan Todorov

#Equilbrium

#Disequilbrium

#ideology

Steve Neale

#Repetition Difference

#Borrowing

#Industry

Albert Bandura

#implant

#modelling

#transgressive

Cultivation Theory

#Repeated Patterns

#Mainstream Values

Claude Lévi-Strauss

#Structure

#Binary Oppositions

#ideology

Judith Butler

#Hetronormativity

#Performance

#Rituals

Paul Gilroy

#Colonialism

#Racial Hierarchies

#Binary Oppositions

Jean Baudrillard

#Reality Simulation

#Simulacra

#Hyperreality

Reception Theory

#Preferred

#Negotiated

#Oppositional

Henry Jenkins

#Active

#Textual Poaching

#Borrowing

Clay Shirky

#Speak Back

#Creating

#Sharing

Historical

#Representations

#Production

#Audiences

Social / Cultural

#Representations

#Audiences

​

Economic

#Ownership

#Funding

#Global

Political

#Ideologies

#Production

#Ownership

• Genre
• British Acts
• interviews
• callers
• topics discussed
• news
• cross media
• other products
• Plus, BBC Radio 2, 3 and Capital Radio

​

What do we expect from a breakfast show?

Map out your ideas in pairs

Create a running order of one episode; we will make notes on the following:

You are going to produce a guide to radio in the United Kingdom.

R1BS case study

• Q. How many songs were played during the Radio 1 Breakfast show?
• A. 19
• Q. Of these tracks how many (number and percentage figure) were by British Artists?
• A. 11 (58%)

​

• Q. Why do you think there is larger percentage of British artists played on The Breakfast Show? British music has to be promoted and played on the BBCR1BS due to the remit and laws of the radio show

​

Production and Distribution

Where can audiences listen to BBC Radio? BBC Sounds, Smart speakers, internet radio etc

Write a short description. What is the breakfast show, including length and time of the day. The breakfast show is a radio programme hosted by Greg James from 7:AM-10:30AM (3.5 hours)

​

How is the music on BBC Chosen? Through groups A,B or C depending on how many times the song will be played on the radio Follow the link: BBC Radio 1 - BBC Radio 1's Academy - How do I get my music played on Radio 1?

What is the production process?

​

• Add the following information to your radio guide.
• Profile: Executive producer, radio
• Profile: Music Radio Producer
• Profile: Presenter
• Nick Grimshaw: Radio 1 Team Assistant for a day

What is the production process?

• Listen to the podcast
• BBC Radio - The BBC Academy Podcast, Making Radio 1's breakfast show with Nick Grimshaw
• How the BBC radio 1 breakfast show is produced and answer the following questions.
• How many listeners are there a week?
• What are the different responsibilities of presenters and producers?
• What preparation that goes into each programme?
• What's most challenging and most enjoyable about working on the show?
• What are the team dynamics like?

​

Ownership and Funding

What is the BBC? What is the public sector? How is it funded? The BBC is a public service broadcaster funded by the public with an annual (usually) license fee

What is the BBC remit? Apply this to Radio 1 (read the PDF Radio 1) to “act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain”

Provide a short description of the other radio channels owned by the BBC. Add this information to your guide.

BBC: Lord Reith ‘Reithian Values’

• John Reith (1889-1971) was the founder of the BBC.
• Father Minister, Brother Vicar
• He was its first general manager when it was set up as the British Broadcasting Company in 19…..;
• Reith fought off the politicians' attempts to influence the BBC, while offering the British people programmes to educate, inform and entertain.

BBC: Lord Reith ‘Reithian Values’

• ‘we are apparently setting out to give the public what we think they need- and not what they want’

​

• What would he value in the 20s?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=bNk2LXDu9jE

Add this information to your guide.

Regulation

• From 3 April 2017 Ofcom became the BBC’s first external regulator.
• Ofcom holds the BBC to account, ensuring it keeps to its Charter and Agreement (which was renewed in December 2017). See page 4 of the handout.
• Protecting under 18s
• Write a short description of OFCOM and the BBC.

OFCOM are the regulators and owners of The BBC, who are The British Broadcasting Corporation, and the BBC are a public service broadcaster providing entertainment and education to the public.

​

Media Industry: Remit / Royal Charter / OFCOM - Research

1. The Radio 1 Breakfast show is produced by the? BBC
2. Each station has a different? Audience
3. Radios 1 remit is?  to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain
4. BBC Radio is funded by? The public
5. Who is Radio 1’s target audience? 15-29 year olds
6. What is a Public Service Broadcaster? a psb is a broadcaster that makes money through license fees rather than advertisements, intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interest
7. Radio 1’s programmes exhibit characteristics of: Youth, education, information and entertainment
8. Radio 1’s programmes should offer a mix of? interest and music
9. What did the Annual Report 2016 say? Not a lot
10. The BBC Trust said that Radio 1 should contribute to the Public Purpose through music promotion, live music performances, social action and education & reflecting youth culture
11. Now find an example or evidence from the episode we studied together in class for each of the six areas.

​

How does the breakfast show follow these guidelines in the episode you have listened to? Accurately follows as all music played is new/popular music and the show is at the time of day where most 15-29 year olds would be awake at

Fairness

• be told the nature and purpose of the programme, what the programme is about and be given a clear explanation of why they were asked to contribute and when (if known) and where it is likely to be first broadcast.
• be informed about the areas of questioning and, wherever possible, the nature of other likely contributions;
• be made aware of any significant changes to the programme as it develops which might reasonably affect their original consent to participate, and which might cause material unfairness;
• If a contributor is under sixteen, consent should normally be obtained from a parent or guardian, or other person of eighteen or over in loco parentis. In particular, persons under sixteen should not be asked for views on matters likely to be beyond their capacity to answer properly without such consent.

Technology (digital media)

https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/bbc-radio-1-uses-a-trail-of-breadcrumbs-to-engage-with-listeners/s2/a592742/

�and 

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/03/bbc-radio-1-iplayer-youtube-social-media

​

How does Radio 1 use social media? They have multiple social media accounts such as tik tok, instagram and facebook

Maintaining / Reaching Audiences

• How do audiences listen to radio and on what devices? Through the bbc sounds app, and other bbc streaming services as well as the bbc radio station in the car
• Who is the audience and how have figures fluctuated over the last few years? The audience is between 15 and 29 year olds. Three months ago, the breakfast show averaged 5.37m listeners a week, and now that's up to 5.44m – also a 465,000 increase on last year-october 2018
• The BBC may be publicly funded but still has to keep up audience figures – why?
• https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/a869206/rajar-ratings-radio-1-nick-grimshaw-greg-james-chris-evans/

​

How is the show distributed including reference to digital media?

Categorisation

Write a short demographic profile for Radio 1. How does the programme you listened to target that demographic? Depending on the radio programme, different BBC radio stations provide different information targeted to separate audiences. For BBC Radio 1- their audience demographic targets primarily teenagers, young adults and Millennials.

Website: What does the show offer and how does the programme encourage interactivity and social participation?

Audience Interaction

Clay Shirky

#Speak Back

#Creating

#Sharing

Marketing: How is the show marketed including reference to digital media?

• Research into all of the ways the show is marketed via different media and technology platforms.
• (twitter, facebook, Instagram, website, posters, adverts, unique advertising?)
• Screenshot examples of each and save them with an explanation as to how it helps attract audiences.
• Can the BBC do more to attract younger audiences? (their wish for the breakfast show)

​

We are going to listen to the first minute of the very first broadcast in 1967 and then the most recent from earlier this year.

Compare their contents:

What similarities do they contain?

How do they differ?

Tony Blackburn, along with several other DJs, had been poached from Radio Caroline. Radio Caroline was a pirate radio station with huge listening figures that was broadcast from a ship off the coast of Essex.

It was hoped that they would bring their audience with them to the BBC – and this proved to be true.

Historical Context

• Explain how economic contexts influence radio production.
• Refer to The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show to support you points.

​

• BBC License Fee
• Commercial

​

Economic Context

Curran and Seaton

#Power and Profit

#Limit Creativity

#Social Diversity

• The BBCs role in British culture, especially among cultural elites, as an upholder of Reithian Values’ and thus a supporter of The Arts.
• The cultural downgrading of popular music compared to high arts, means that popular music radio programmes such as the BR1BS are seen as lower in cultural status than Radio 3.
• The cultural downgrading of recorded popular music as less authentic than live performance, meaning that the BBC, including through the BR1BS, covers live events such as music festivals in order to be distinctive, reinforcing the lower cultural status of recorded popular music programming. (elitist).
• Budget draws in global stars / guests / celebrities (Sir David Attenborough and Sean Paul)

​

Cultural Context

How the show is distinctive compared to the commercial radio?

​

• How and why has the BBC had to re-invent itself?

​

• Reithian principals of education, information and entertainment can be seen in the Breakfast Show, but perhaps not in that order.
• Are there signs of distinctiveness compared to commercial breakfast shows?
• Compare to Capital Breakfast Show (on estream)
• Bullet point the similarities and differences (BR1BS and Capital)
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1
• https://www.capitalfm.com/

​

​

​

Curran and Seaton

#Power and Profit

#Limit Creativity

#Social Diversity

• Political context calls for Radio 1 to be privatised as it is simply competing with commercial radio, reinforces the low status of popular music programming and means there is extra pressure on R1BS to be distinctive.
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7967413/NICKY-MORGAN-explains-plan-decriminalise-nonpayment-TV-levy.html
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7993417/BBC-boss-David-Clementi-warns-corporation-slash-TV-radio-services-licence-fee-axed.html

​

• Read both links above and bullet point an argument for and against the existence of the TV licence:
• FOR
• Against
• https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one?&&WT.mc_id=mec_Search_Brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkaTGj4K65wIVDbTtCh02ygGmEAAYASACEgLIYfD_BwE

​

�

Political Context

Reception Theory

#Preferred

#Negotiated

#Oppositional

Assessment: 15 marks / 25 minutes

• Explain why digital technology is important in the radio industry in maintaining audiences. Refer to The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show to support your answer. In your answer you must consider how economic, political and cultural contexts influence the radio industry. [15]
• Explain how the economic and cultural contexts of the British radio industry influence commercial and public service broadcasting. Refer to your case studies to support your response. [15]
• Explain how popular music radio programmes target, reach and maintain a variety of audiences. Refer to The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show to support your answer. [15]
• Explain how public service broadcast radio shows can use audience data to influence their content. Refer to The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show to support your answer. In your answer you must consider how economic, political and cultural contexts influence the content of radio shows.
• Explain how social and cultural circumstances might affect audience interpretations of radio programmes. Refer to The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show (R1BS) to support your answer. [15]

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

�

REVISION – PLAN YOUR REVISION DOCUMENTS IN SEGMENTS

Production

Distribution

Audience use, social interaction and figures

Technology

Ownership / funding

Regulation

Marketing

Contexts (E, C, P)

​

Radio 1 Breakfast Show

​

You will need your compiled radio 1 programmes with examples

​

Greg James OCR Fact sheet (emailed to you)

​

Media- BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show Flashcards | Quizlet

Radio 1's Big Weekend 2023 - BBC

​

• BBC radio stations ranked by listeners UK 2021 | Statista

​

​

BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James, Ask the Nation

​

t Show with Nick Grimshaw (ocr.org.uk)

Production and Distribution

​

working_with_radio1_1Xtra.pdf (bbc.co.uk)

BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James

​

• Broadcasts weekdays from 07:00–10:30 am.

• Has been running since 1967.

• Greg James became the 16th presenter in 2018.

• Broadcasts on various platforms including FM, DAB, Freeview, Freesat, Virgin, Sky, and online via BBC Sounds.

• Accessible via smart speakers like Amazon Echo devices.

• Produced by the BBC from its own studios at Broadcasting House in London.

• Produced by a committee, with around 40 records chosen each week for repeated play.

• Music selection is largely playlisted, with A-list records receiving 25 plays a week, B-list 15 plays, and C-list 8-10.

• The Head of Music aims to make the playlist less globally homogenous and more distinctive.

• The playlist also appears on the BBC website each week.

Distribution

Radio 1 broadcasts throughout the UK to all on FM, DAB digital radio and digital television platforms and it may be simulcast on the internet.

​

The content is shared through BBC sounds to listen live, it is also broadcasted on the BBC radio station through cars, mobile phones and any other digital devices

​

The aim for music played on BBC Radio 1 is ‘to aim to play a mix of genres, ensure we support new UK artists as well as more established acts and feature more challenging tracks not played by most other stations’.

Ownership and Funding (remit and article) summary

The BBC isn't owned however it is regulated by OFCOM and they decide what is produced and how well they keep in touch with their remit

​

The Remit of the BBC is ‘to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech’.

​

The BBC is funded by the public with TV license fees/subscriptions costing £169.50 per year

Technology - social media, youtube, bbc sounds

Youtube-

(greg james’)

How many followers-2 million followers

How many posts for radio 1 and GJ - check social media and youtube, The BBC Radio 1 youtube account has 4k+ posts and its Instagram has 15k+ posts. Greg James has 3,076 posts with 1.1 million followers.

Regulation

BBC Radio 1 is regulated by OFCOM and has been since 2017, previously to them it wasn’t owned by anybody.

​

“The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the UK’s broadcasting, telecommunications and postal regulatory body. It became the BBC’s first external regulator in 2017.”

​

“Ofcom will publish an annual report which will set out how it has carried out its functions as the BBC's independent regulator, and assesses the BBC’s compliance with the requirements of the Operating Framework, Operating Licence and associated documents”.

Maintaining audiences-The 3 main factors

2023

2019

• Consistent Scheduling:The show airs at the same time every weekday, making it a part of listeners' daily routines.

​

• Engaging Content:The show keeps listeners engaged with a mix of music, interviews, and discussions

​

• Listener Interaction:The show encourages listener interaction, such as phone-ins, text messages, and social media engagement.

​

​

Media Audiences - Categorisation

The primary target audience for the BBC Radio One Breakfast Show is young adults, specifically those aged between 15 and 29

​

This is reflected in the show's content, which often includes: Music that appeals to this demographic, including pop, rock, and indie genres

Audience interaction

​

BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James - Available now

• Audiences can interact via calling in, responding to posts/tweets/comments made online by Greg James/The BBC

​

• Audiences can also play games on the show such as the quiz, unpopular opinion or a chance to win concert tickets

​

• Finally, audiences can interact via social media and can post their opinions online.

Big Weekend Radio 1's Big Weekend 2023 - BBC

HISTORY

Radio 1’s Big Weekend is one of the most popular music festivals that attracts large audiences every year due it featuring some of the most proclaimed artists in the music industry. It is held in different locations every year in the UK.

TICKETS

​

Tickets for this years Big Weekend are £18.50 with £4.50 booking fee however, due to dynamic pricing, this can change over time when demand for the tickets starts to increase.

THIS YEAR’S BIG WEEKEND: In Liverpool with performing artists such as Sam Fender,Lola Young,Myles Smith Wet Leg

Public Service broadcasters (PSBs) such as The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show differ drastically from Commercial radios such as Capital and Kiss FM due to a variety of separate reasons, the primary 3 being funding for both, their reputations and political interests.

​

Firstly, the BBC have a remit to the public which states that a certain amount of British music must be streamed on BBC Radio 1, making sure there is a variety in songs played and a limit to the amount of times one song can be played, for example on February 3rd 2025, Greg James played a total 46 songs including 29 songs from British artists such as Lola Young, Central Cee, Stormzy and Calvin Harris for a massive 63% of British music. On the other hand, Commercial radio stations have no limit to the amount of times a song can be played and will therefore repeat the same song, such as a number 1, top 10 or top 50, multiple times in one day. The difference between the two being that PSBs are more appreciated by the general public compared to Commercial stations. As well as this, the remit of the BBC states that it must ‘inform, educate and entertain’ the audience which shows a true moral rather than economical relationship between the Public service broadcaster (as it states in its name) and they do this through different methods such as BBC bitesize to educate, present global and UK news with breaks in between songs as well as having a separate news section to make up for advertisements whereas radio stations such as Capital and Kiss FM have no similar promise.

​

Secondly, the economic stance of both Public service broadcasters and commercial radio stations are also completely different. PSBs like the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show are funded by the public with streaming license fees costing £169.50 per year which allows for no advertisements and pays for TV, radio and online programmes and services including iPlayer, Radio 1, CBeebies and the World Service. This, again shows that they care less about the economic values and more about their audience and sustaining a moral image as well as keeping in line with their promises in the the remit, however Commercial radios are funded by advertising so they try to fit as many adverts as possible in one broadcast: every hour, a total of 18 minutes of adverts are played, advertisers can buy in slots of 15, 30 or 60 seconds of adverts, the prices of adverts vary at different times in the day as well as depending on the amount of listeners there are at specific times in the day, which portrays that the commercial radio stations prioritize their advertisers over their audience given that they profit primarily from ads as opposed to their audience.

​

Finally, cultural contexts such as news/global politics presented by BBC Radio 1 shows how PSBs are distinctive from Commercial radio. The BBC presents impartial news with an ‘unbiased stance’ as it states in the remit that they are unable to give an opinion on all news topics and that they must be neutral, as well as this they include multicultural broadcasting and introduce new music to the UK’s youth and adult generations, and this is helped by their youthful target audience of 15-29 year olds. On the other hand however, cultural contexts of commercial radio are that of helping increase awareness of social action and do not benefit the public as much as PSBs such as BBC radio 1 do.

BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show Feedback

1. Being the new BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show host
2. Myself-Presenter, Toby R-Timothée Chalamet, Ellie & Kierron-Callers
3. We created a game called ‘songs of the sixties’ where Timothée had to play with his callers to guess popular songs from the 1960’s
4. Timothée Chalamet
5. Idk
6. A range from 18-55 year olds
7. Played and discussed topics of film and music from the 1960’s to 2020’s
8. Speak on topics of interest and educate both the older and younger generations.
9. Added more content-interview more people in more detail and discuss more topics aimed at the younger generations
10. Idk
11. WWW-Good audience interaction, music and topics of discussion, EBI-Talked more colloquially to audience to make it sound more conversational as well as including more for the younger generations.