Radio 1 & the breakfast show
BBC radio 1 are very near the top of the biggest radio stations
they don't compete with radio 2 & 4 since there's no competition; the audiences are older and therefore listen to radio more often
Radio 1 first aired on 30th September 1967 and Tony Blackburn was the first DJ and the first breakfast show presenter with 24 million weekly listeners
BBC ownership is crucial to the show, minimising risk by offering familiar formulas
both main competition stations (heart and capital) are owned by huge European company 'global' (concentration of ownerships)
Radio 1's remit
Radio 1's programmes should exhibit some or all of the following characteristics:
high quality, original, challenging, innovative and engaging content - it should nurture UK talent
the service should deliver its remit by producing a wide range of programmes that expose listeners to new and sometimes challenging material they may not otherwise experience, it should reflect a diverse range of new and UK music
Radio 1's daytime programmes should offer a mix of music, information and entertainment and use an extensive playlist to introduce unfamiliar and innovative songs alongside more established tracks
accurate, impartial and independent news should be placed at the heart of daytime output
Nick Grimshaw's Downfall
in 2017, Radio 1 was slumping with lowest record audiences
they blamed Nick Grimshaw and claimed he was losing touch
Nick Grimshaw irritated his audience and was accused of only bringing his celebrity friends on the show to have a laugh which doesn't align with PSB values of the audience being the biggest priority
on 26th October 2017, it was reported that the show had 4.93 million listeners was a record low
Other reasons for slump
RAJAR (radio joint audience report) figures are available very quickly - whereas they used to be ready to review a little too late to be significant - which creates more pressure to reach listeners (i.e. "we were down listeners yesterday, today has to be GOOD")
proliferation (it's everywhere) of digital platforms means now they have to worry about podcasts, live video and other features as well as just the audio
Greg James
in August 2018, Greg James took over the Radio 1 Breakfast Show
the breakfast show is most desired spot in Radio 1 and bringing Greg James in was a bit of a risk since the position is very iconic and he was not a celebrity nor a household name
he was immediately a huge success bringing in features such as new jingles, imaging (audio bits and bobs) and sound-beds (music underneath the talking) to give the show a more energetic feel
he also added sections like ten minute takeover which empower the audience
BBC ownership - PSB - minimising risk, dominant institution
Small number of companies dominate - BBC dominant radio provider in the UK
Both Heart and Capital are owned by Global (largest commercial radio company in Europe)
biggest competitor to Radio 1
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