P3: Describe the multiplatform distribution methods
There are 6 different methods of distributing radio, which can be accessed on a variety of devices. These are:
Internet
Podcast
FM (Frequency Modulation)
MW (Medium Wave)
AM (Amplitude Modulation)
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting)
According to RAJAR, in the 4th quarter of 2018 FM/AM was the method most listened to in the UK, with 47.35% of radio listeners tuning in to analogue stations. 38.26% of UK radio users listened to DAB, 9.39% listened to digital radio via the internet and/or an app, and 5.0% listened to digital radio via their TV. Currently in the UK, and for the past 20 years, radio stations have been trying to transition from FM/AM to DAB because of its many benefits.
One of these benefits is that there are more stations available. The FM spectrum is very crowded since each frequency between 89.0FM and 120.0FM can be bought by a station, and this is the wavelength at which their station will be broadcast. However, since there are so many FM radio stations, these can blend together, especially if the listener is using a car radio and travelling through a patch where the signal cannot reach their car. Digital radio, on the other hand, has no limit to the number of stations that can broadcast via this method. So for companies, digital radio makes it easier for them to start up a station, and for consumers they have a wider choice of stations to listen to.
If the country can transition over to DAB completely, this will reduce costs for the industry. This is because currently, many radio stations are paying for the same station to be broadcast on both FM and DAB radio, since listeners are still split between them. The UK is unusual in that our radio technology is behind the times compared to Europe and the US, when DAB technology has been around for decades. This is because a large number of radio listeners only listen to radio in the car, and UK car owners don't change their car as often as people in other countries. So many cars still being used in the UK only have an analogue radio, they are not modern enough to have a DAB radio installed, so radio stations still have to broadcast on FM radio, otherwise they will lose a large portion of their audience.
Another benefit of DAB radio is the ability to be more interactive. Many DAB radios have the ability to show on-screen the name of the programme being listened to, and even the artist and song name, as opposed to just the name of the station. Some DAB radios can even pause, rewind and record live radio, but these are more expensive.
However, DAB isn't perfect and there are a few negatives to using it - the first being that DAB radios are more expensive than analogue radios, which have been around for years. They cost more as the parts are more expensive to produce, and DAB radios have larger and more advanced screens than their predecessors. Currently, a good quality DAB radio is priced at around £40 and upwards.
Another downside is that DAB reception isn't perfect, and is patchy across the country - especially in urban areas. When reception for FM radio is poor, it will sound 'fuzzy' with lots of static and white noise, whereas DAB radio will cut out and stutter, making it much harder to listen to in an area with bad signal. Fuzzy FM radio can still be understood, but if DAB radio is cutting out it can be very hard to understand, so in areas with bad reception, FM radio is preferred.
As mentioned before, there are millions of cars in the UK on the road without DAB radios installed, and this makes a big impact on the amount of DAB users, as a large portion of radio audiences listen in the car. For people who cannot afford to get a new car often, this means they cannot listen to DAB radio on the road and miss out on this content. A solution to this is DAB adaptors can be bought to allow cars with analogue radios to pick up digital transmissions, but many people aren't aware that this is an option. However, since so many people listen to the radio in the car, efforts have been made to increase DAB coverage of major road networks. This led to a 45% increase in digital in-car listening in 2018.
This is a survey I created to find out what methods of distribution radio listeners use to listen to radio: www.surveymonkey.com/r/TKXRZHJ
Below are the results of this survey.
From this survey, I found out that most people I asked listened to digital radio via a computer, like through the BBC Sounds app. The second most popular distribution methods was a tie between DAB radio in the car and digital radio on a mobile phone or tablet. This primary research will help me decide how I want to distribute my own radio show to make sure it has the biggest audience reach possible.
M2: Explain the processes and technologies involved in producing a radio broadcast
In April, we took a trip to the Heart Cambridge radio station, and talked to the station manager and one of the presenters, Hannah.
While we were there, we asked questions about the equipment and software they use every day for broadcasting. As shown in the picture, they have a purpose-built desk with three touchscreen monitors and different sliders on the desk (mixing desk). There are four professional microphones on adjustable mic stands so multiple guests can be on air in that one room. One of the four TV screens in the room shows the studio clock, which has a countdown to when each segment is meant to begin and end, e.g. 0:20 minutes until travel news. This helps the presenter to stick to their tight schedule, and is in a convenient place where it can easily be seen.
I asked Hannah what the purpose of the three monitors are, and she explained that she uses the left one for doing research, writing her script and reading from it during a broadcast. The middle monitor uses a playout system called Genesis, which is software specially made for radio broadcasting, it is where all the jingles, idents, sound effects, etc. are stored, and on the right hand side of the screen the presenter can see the list of songs for that programme, and how long each one lasts. At the top of the screen, there is a feature where a producer at Heart has counted how many seconds of a song are introduction and this is displayed as a timer - called an intro timer. This means that the presenter can start playing a song, and they know exactly how much time they have to finish talking before the lyrics start - this is called talking up to a song and gives a seamless feel to the programme, as each section flows into the next. The right hand monitor does a similar job to the dials, sliders and buttons on the desk itself, this acts as a digital mixing desk for the presenter. This monitor is also used for recording call-ins and editing them in Adobe Audition so they are ready to go when the presenter is live on air.
Before each show, a producer at Heart creates a playlist of songs that are appropriate for radio - so all swearing and inappropriate language is edited out. The producer will have a meeting with the presenter and put together an appropriate playlist, along with discussing what topics would be ideal to talk about on their show. These are timed to fit exactly into the slot for the show, including breaks for travel updates on the roads in the area. The white area between each song is time for the presenter to talk to the audience, so they must read through this music log in advance to see how much time they have to talk about each topic. For example, they might want to talk about the artist of the song that was just played, and they could have anywhere between 20 seconds to 2 minutes to fill the time, so they need to think in advance what they will talk about.