P2 - Focus of a Radio Station

 Focus Radio Station

My Chosen Radio station to look into is BBC 3. This is because out of all the other radio stations which play constant pop music and overly-enthusiastic presenters, BBC 3 has a more calmer feel to it and genres which are different and unique to radio.

About BBC 3 Radio

BBC 3 radio, owned by the parent company BBC, is an orchestrated radio station known for playing classical, jazz and opera music. These can range from British classics to music across the world from many different cultures. Its sister stations, BBC 2 and BBC radio, play more mainstream content that appeals to a general audience while BBC 3 focuses on specific content which might not be enjoyed by everyone; As a result, the station is not as popular as its sister programs. It, and all the other BBC radio stations, has a DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) of 12B, and an FM (Frequency Modulation) of 90.3 - 92.6 MHz, which is more than BBC and BBC 2 radio. Because the company behind the radio station is government funded, no advertisements or competitions are promoted on the station, placing the content as its highest priority.

Audience

Although the radio station has an audience of 2 million a week, the majority of that audience age between 55-64 years old. This shows that the classical music and content the radio station holds appeals to this type of audience the most, possibly because it's nostalgic to them or the music they grew up with. Classical music fans can be of any age but it's clear the target demographic of an old audience suits the radio station the most. It also shows that the psychometrics target audience are resigned and prefer traditional content over modern content. This station attracts its audience by standing out against the many pop and latest hit stations and providing music that appeals to an older audience the most, as well as an audience that's most likely going to listen to radio in their free time, because they're old enough to have lots of it.

Focus and Purpose

The main focus of BBC 3 is to express a passion for classical and traditional music that's still present in many cultures. It holds both the history and the future of orchestrated music which is why I believe it's a very important radio station. It also holds events and programs for young musicians to join music concerts and show their passion for cultural music. This is content no other radio stations, including its sister stations, will discuss or prioritize because its not relevant to the mainstream audience. An example would be their in concert special, which is a series of opera songs and music tied in with a dramatization of the Hansel and Gretel story.

Presenters and Content

Due to BBC's government funding and large budget, BBC 3 takes on multiple presenters for each time of the day as well as what's scheduled to be played or discussed. During mornings with a selection of classical music, Georgia Mann presents in between songs, giving any information about the composer or artist. During the evenings, Nicola Benedetti presents orchestrated music often pre-recorded but sometimes played live in a theater hall. With how vast this cast of presenters are, they cycle through them throughout the week, with other presenters such as Tom McKinney, a breakfast presenter, Katie Derham, an 'In Tune' (Midday) presenter and Danielle Jalowiecka, who presents throughout the night. Although their prevalence and talk time varies, they all have a duty to present classical music and talk about its history in a formal and communicative way.

Comments