Radio Terminology

Radio Terms

• News reader / presenter   - this is the main voice of the bulletin – the person reading the stories.
• Bulletin – this is the news  segment from start to finish.
• Reporter – this is another person who speaks in the bulletin but usually from  outside the studio. 
• Location – A reporter may be outside the studio building where a story is happening.
• Interviewer – this is the person conducting the interview. 
• Interviewee – this is the person being interviewed.
• Script – this is what a news reader follows – bulletins should never be ad-lib.
• Cross over to…. – this is the news presenter handing over to a reporter.
• Cuts to…. – this is when you hear some audio from an interview.
• Audio  - this is any other voice other than the presenter – usually pre recorded.
• News bed – this is played under the news bulletin in younger style stations. 
• News intro – this is the opening jingle that often says the stations name.
• Promo  - on commercial stations – a section of the bulletin may be sponsored – such as the weather.

Radio Bulletins 

Capital:

News intro

News bed 

Bulletins

Cuts to

Promo

News reader

Audio

Fast pace

1 audio

1 minute bulletin

Range of news stories; JLS helping local (Southampton) football club, teen Facebook party in Holland goes viral with riot police being called, 15 year old school boy charged with murders of two female police officers ect.

Not so local stories

BBC Solent:

News reader

News intro

Audio

Cuts to

Bulletins

Slow pace

4 audios

4 minute bulletin

Range of news stories: fire in local building, political interview with MP, info on the FA cup, local caravan show and forest festival ect. 

Mostly local stories

Capital 

The news bulletin shown on Capital FM is targeted at the young audience with the news stories relating to that. The style is quick and fast pace, the use of news bed helps with the flow of the bulletin making it instant and straight to the point. The delivery is also prompt and fast paced with the news reader going straight to the point with stories. The news stories used were a mixture of local and not local. 30% of the stories were local; JLS helping Southampton football club relates to the local area but also interests a wide range of audience from football enthusiast to JLS supporters. The majority of the stories weren't local but big news stories which the audience would be interested in, the main stories was about a 15 year old school boy from Manchester being charged with the murder of 2 female police officers; a very shocking and headline worthy story. The bulletin lacked local new stories only having 1 or 2 in the minute long bulletin and the rest being either country of worldwide news. Only one advert was used and that was right at the end before the weather was shown. It was an advert for toilet paper which is under household products so an interest to the audience.

BBC Solent 

The news bulletin on BCC Solent is targeted at the older generation and isn't as fast paced and quick as Capital. The news reporter informs the information in a slow tone, allowing people to hear it slightly clearer. The voice of the news reporter is doesn't vary and is all in the same tone and speed. The delivery is very clear and in depth; the news is reporting with more information. The style is very professional or though she made 2 mistakes, the way she told the news was very serious and informative. The type of news stories said were mostly all local, some of the stories included; information about the FA cup, local caravan shows, forest festival event, interviews with local MP's and staff employment at schools. The stories told aren't worldwide worthy or headline hitting but BBC Solent's news bulletins purpose is to inform people about whats happening locally. There was no news bed which makes news bulletins more upbeat but it wasn't needed as it would of made the news reporting less serious. There was multiple audios and cuts to throughout which gave the audience more information about the stories. There was 4 audios in the 4 minute long bulletin which made it more interesting and informative.

Comparing the news bulletins 

Comparing the two news bulletin you can tell they are completely different. Capital is aimed at a younger audience who although still want to hear about the news aren't maybe as bothered to hear every single detail or stories which are local and slightly uninteresting. BBC Solent's main purpose is to inform the audience, (whom are of on older generation) mostly all local stories and with as much information as possible in the 4 minute slot. Capital have around 30% local stories, 70% worldwide, whereas BBC Solent have 25% worldwide stories, 75% local. The news reporters styles were also different; Capital had a presenter who was more upbeat whereas BBC Solent was very serious. There was no promo or news beds in BBC Solent, again making it more serious but on the other hand Capital had one promo in the minute long bulletin and music playing throughout. The Capital bulletin felt very fast and straight to the point, whereas BBC Solent seemed a lot longer (longer then 3 minutes) as it didn't have some form of music to keep the audience still interested and the type of stories weren't hard hitting or shocking to grab the audiences attention.

Music Formats

Capital South Coast 
Capital South Coast is a regional radio station.
The company is owned by Global Radio as part of the Capital radio network.

Print screen from Capital South Coast's official radio station.











1. What is the station? 
Contemporary Hit Radio.

2. How do you know this? – give examples 
On the official website for Capital FM the subheading is ‘The south coast’s no.1 hit music station!’ which suggests Capital is a radio station that caters for the more popular music and hits in the music industry.
Again on the Capital website it has a lot of information about ‘popular’ and young artists, 90% of music shown on the website is under the age of 30 which relates to the station being CHR.

3. What area does it broad too?
Around South Hampshire from studios in Segensworth Fareham.

Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations.
Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM from studios in Western House.

Print screen from Radio 2's official website.












1. What is the station?
Adult Contemporary.

2. How do you know this? – give examples 
Radio 2 is famous for being the more grown up and mature version of radio 1.
The majority of presenters on Radio 2 mirror the stereotypical listeners; older people, predominantly males.

3. What area does it broad to?
United Kingdom; available worldwide through the internet.

Kerrang 

This is a print screen from Kerrang's official radio website.











1. What is the station?
Specialist.

2. How do you know this? – give examples 
Kerrang radio only play a specific genre of music being rock metal which it’s a specialist.
On the official Kerrang radio website, it has a section about ‘music news’, but which are completely different articles that you’d see in a contemporary hit radio. The music news aren’t popular and mainstream in the music industry.

3. What area does it broad to?
Around United Kingdom.

Notes on Music Formats

Definition of formats: 
A format document sets out the type of broadcast output that each radio station is required to deliver. It encapsulates the character of the service. A service station is obliged to deliver as a condition of its licence.

Contemporary hit radio (CHR)
Adult Contemporary (AC)
Gold
Community (In hospitals and shops)
Specialist (targeting a specific audience)
These define what music a station stereo typically plays.

What defines how a station sounds?

• Music
• Presenters 
• Competitions
• Speech Content
• Production

Radio Stations are media products; they are audience driven. 

Contemporary Hit Radio

Mainstream, popular music which young people usually listen to. 

Songs which are played a lot and build popularity.

UK Top 40 (example). 

Adult Contemporary

 Cross over from CHR, but mostly will play older classics like rock and ballards. 

Songs from 60,s, 70,s, 80,s - limited mainstream. 

Radio 2, Jack FM (examples). 

Hot AC

Radio stations like Heart.

Play both hits from the 80,s but also chart songs - mixed variety of music. 

Targeted at females in there 30's. 

Gold, Classical Hits

Aimed at the older audience. 

Mostly hits from the 60's, 70's, 80's. 

More speech content; not so music orientated, the presenters also speak aswell as playing music. 

Community

Non profit - aimed at serving the community.

Play a mixture of songs but generally mainstream. 

Presenters of community radio stations are often volunteers.

Friendly and casual station. 

In mostly stores and hospitals.

Express FM (example). 

Specialist

Focus on a specialist area of music. 

Focuses on specialist interests, for example religion and certain interests. 

Radio Stations Broadcasting Nationally 

• Specialist 58%
• Contemporary Hit Radio 4%
• Speech 19%
• Gold 18%
• AC 11%

Definitions of the main music formats

Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)

This stations main aim is to provide information to the people living nearby. They can play a mix of music to cater for a wide range of tastes. They may also feature local artists to. 

Artists usually heard on this station: Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Artic Monkeys. 

Adult Contemporary (AC)

This station is aimed at an older audience who still like listening to mainstream chart artists. There will be an influence of music from the 80's and 90's through to current hits.

Artists usually heard on this station: Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Wham!. 

Specialists

This format is characterized by a certain interest - this could be taste in music, influenced by religion or culture. It could also be determined by other interests including sports ect. 

Artists usually heard on this station: Foo Fighters, Artic Monkeys, The 1975.

Gold 

These stations are listened to by an older audience who enjoy popular music from their generation. Music on these stations tends to date back to the 60's. 

Artists usually heard on this station: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones. 

Community

This station's main aim is to provide information to the people living nearby. They can play a mix of music to cater for a wide range of tastes. They may also feature local artists too. 

Artists usually heard on this station: Any artists which create popular hits.