Radio

What Radio covers

Radio is examined in Component 1, Media Products, Industries and Audiences. It covers radio as a form: its history, formats and the listening experience, public service broadcasting and the BBC's mission, funding radio: the licence fee, advertising and sponsorship, regulating radio: Ofcom, the BBC Charter and impartiality, ownership and concentration in the commercial radio industry, podcasting and the on-demand audio economy, digital technology, convergence and BBC Sounds, radio audiences: reach, targeting and measurement, audience theory applied to radio, woman's Hour and have You Heard George's Podcast (BBC Sounds).

The 11 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Radio as a form: its history, formats and the listening experienceDefining characteristic of radio as a medium, four elements of radio's media language and radio's intimacy.Open →
• Public service broadcasting and the BBC's missionThree public purposes the BBC is required to serve, merit good and BBC's principal national radio networks.Open →
• Funding radio: the licence fee, advertising and sponsorshipApproximate annual cost of a television licence in recent years, spot advertising in radio and sponsorship as a radio revenue stream.Open →
• Regulating radio: Ofcom, the BBC Charter and impartialityThree areas the Broadcasting Code covers, BBC's Royal Charter and BBC Agreement.Open →
• Ownership and concentration in the commercial radio industryTwo companies that dominate United Kingdom commercial radio, three station brands owned by Global and three station brands owned by Bauer Media.Open →
• Podcasting and the on-demand audio economyLimited series podcast, podcast exclusive and podcast network.Open →
• Digital technology, convergence and BBC SoundsSmart speaker's significance for radio, BBC Sounds and catch-up listening.Open →
• Radio audiences: reach, targeting and measurementReach in audience measurement, demographic profile and concept of a target listener.Open →
• Audience theory applied to radioFour gratifications Blumler and Katz identified, one criticism of uses and gratifications and negotiated reading position.Open →
• Woman's HourNotable about the presenter of the first edition, woman's Hour Power List and audience profile of Woman's Hour.Open →
• Have You Heard George's Podcast (BBC Sounds)George the Poet's background and three subjects the podcast addresses.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Radio further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Ofcom vs The BBC Trust

  Ofcom: the statutory regulator that has overseen the corporation since 2017. The BBC Trust: The internal body that oversaw the corporation until 2017.

• Public service broadcasting vs State broadcasting

  Public service broadcasting: broadcasting funded publicly but editorially independent of government. State broadcasting: Broadcasting that answers directly to the government of the day.

• Spot advertising vs Sponsorship

  Spot advertising: a discrete advertisement placed in a commercial break. Sponsorship: A brand attached to a programme itself rather than to a commercial break.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is the defining characteristic of radio as a medium?

   Model answer

   Radio communicates entirely through sound, with no visual channel at all. Meaning must be carried by speech, music, effects and silence.

2. 2

   Name the four elements of radio's media language.

   Model answer

   The four elements are speech, music, sound effects and silence. Producers combine them to build atmosphere and direct attention.

3. 3

   Why is radio often called a secondary medium?

   Model answer

   Radio is usually consumed while the listener does something else, such as driving or cooking. Attention is divided in a way that television rarely permits.

4. 4

   What is meant by radio's intimacy?

   Model answer

   Intimacy describes the sense that a presenter is speaking to one listener alone. Close microphone technique and conversational address create the effect.

5. 5

   Explain the term dayparting.

   Model answer

   Dayparting is the practice of scheduling different content for different times of day. Breakfast, drivetime and late night each attract a distinct audience.

6. 6

   Why is the breakfast show the most valuable slot in radio scheduling?

   Model answer

   The breakfast show reaches the largest audience of the day. Airtime rates and presenter salaries both reflect that reach.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Radio revision questions

What does Radio cover in Eduqas A-Level Media Studies?

11 subtopics: radio as a form: its history, formats and the listening experience, public service broadcasting and the bbc's mission, funding radio: the licence fee, advertising and sponsorship, regulating radio: ofcom, the bbc charter and impartiality, ownership and concentration in the commercial radio industry, podcasting and the on-demand audio economy, digital technology, convergence and bbc sounds, radio audiences: reach, targeting and measurement, audience theory applied to radio, woman's hour and have you heard george's podcast (bbc sounds). Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Radio organised?

By the Eduqas A680QS specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.