LO1 Task 1 - Investigating a radio station

Programme Types

The ethos of Sheffield live is that it is a community radio station catering for underserved audiences. The station is owned by Commedia Sheffield which is a non - profit organisations which supports many projects like community radio, television and community-based internet projects. Sheffield live produce many different programmes like communities live which involves different groups of volunteers to provide a wide mix of styles and subjects for discussions, another programme is the local talent show where some of the best upcoming bands and artists from Sheffield and other surrounding areas. The other programmes involve Soul purpose and Vancouver Manoeuver. They produce a variety of programmes like the spirit of the Wapentake, local talent show and many others because it is popular with a lot of people in Sheffield and places nearby. The variety gives a wider range of audience because a person may not like one or two programmes produced but may like another. The spirit of the Wapentake is a programme where the best rock music from the last 40 years or before is played which also updates you on rock news and local rock information about gigs. Soul purpose is about deep soulful music including the deepest of deep house, soulful garage, jazz, funk, disco, hip hop, soul, techno and anything between with interviews, music and live performances. Vancouver Manoeuver is laid back west Canadian guys with awareness for good music from home into the UK.

The picture above is the radio schedule for Sheffield live showing all the different programmes which will be shown on different days at different times.

Genres

Sheffield live broadcast a variety of different programmes with each having a different genre like the music output which provides a mix like reggae, raga, jungle, Asian and more. Sheffield live also provides a variety of genres for shows like breakfast shows, talk shows and many more which aren't produced by many other radio station.

Sheffield live provide different genres like Latin, dance and RnB because each person has a their own taste in music with one group of people which may like Latin but not like RnB and another group of people may like dance and not any other type of music so there is a variety of choice so it caters for a vast amount of people which could bring in a bigger audience as it offers something different and something everyone will like.

 C. Audience profiles

Sheffield live don’t have a main audience but they do have a particularly aimed residents in Sheffield like in Central, Nether edge and other places this is because there is high population of ethical minority, the minority which are targeted and some people which aren’t well off but it allows them to have an input and they can share ideas for radio shows which they want to listen to.

The local talent show do cater for a range of audiences with their products because the music and bands which are played on the show aren't just one specific genre like one of the bands which appear could be Rock and another could be indie and another could be indie rock where one listener may not like one but may like another. If the listener likes that specific band then they can learn more about them and what they’re about and where they’re playing but it could be aimed at a specific audience who have an open mind and like listening to different types of music so that they can get into other genres of music then what they would listen to usually.

The listener

Alex, 18, When he isn’t at college Alex likes to be around friends and enjoys being in his car and travelling to different places. He spends a lot of time in his car listening to a lot of different genres of music and enjoys following the band and planning to go to gigs where they’re playing where he will try and bring a long his friends. He works at TK max where he spends most days and evenings working around 6 hour shift where the money he has collected will usually be spent on fuel for his car so he can go out with his friends and travel around and go to different gigs. Alex is doing music at college where he loves playing a variety of different instruments like Piano, guitar and clarinet which he will sometimes play with his friends joining in as they are in bands too. His friends who are just starting off in bands he will often help them out by spending time to share their music on social network and with his friends and getting them to share the music to help them get noticed. He often buys fast food like Mcdonalds, kfc and goes down to the pub with his friends and buys a lot of his clothes from shops like topman, hollister and vans.

Production Process 

 

Pre-production

 

• Radio Script
• Treatment
• Research
• PRS License
• Meetings & schedule/production content

Production

 

• organized sound effects
• Live broadcaster or pre-recorded content
• pre-recorded voxpops and interviews

Post - production

 

• jingle broadcasted in pre-recording/edited
• editing is being done while it is being recorded as it is live
• mix-desk is used to add in sound resources

 

Market share

 

The main competitor for Sheffield live is both Hallam FM & BBC Radio Sheffield. They are considered competitors because they both, like Sheffield live produce some similar content, they're also based in Sheffield with them having the same target market as Sheffield live. They stand out from the competitors by offering different talk shows and aiming the target market at a wider audience then the competitors. The TSA of Sheffield is 11% which is 32,000 people.