Radio Recap

The BBC's Remit:

• "to act in the public interest, serving all audiences and through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain." 

What are the five public purposes? 

• To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them.
• To support learning for people of all ages - not even half of the Breakfast Show is committed to news, so not very successful here.
• To show the most creative and distinctive output and services.
• To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all the UK's nations and regions and, in doing so, support  the creative economy across the UK.
• To reflect the UK, its culture and values to the world - largely internally.

Mass and Specialised Audience Needs:

• The needs of audiences are met differently by different radio channels
• the needs of a mass audience such as that of Radio 4 is met by a mix of programming offering a variety of entertainment such as quiz, panel shows, soap operas, chat shows, etc.
• The needs of a niche audience such as that of Radio 3 is met by more restricted programming - classical music lovers.
• Surveillance needs: How audiences use the media to learn what is going on in the world by seeking information and analysis.
• Parasocial Needs: How audiences use media products to provide a sense of companionship ad care about media characters in the way they would care about real people.
• Social needs: How audience use the media to help their social interactions, to feel they are members of society or as a substitute for real social interaction.
• Personal identity needs: How audiences use the media to find role model, to build up their sense of who they are, to reinforce their belief ad values, or by identifying with characters.