LNWH exam question

Explain how the radio industry targets audiences. Refer to Late Night Woman’s Hour to support your points. [ 10 marks ] 

Introduction

In this exam question, I will attempt to answer and explain how the radio industry targets audiences and will refer to Late Night Woman’s Hour to support my points.

LNWH

Late Night Woman's Hour was a spin show from the original show back in the 1940’w called Woman’s Hour. LNWH It is a late-night edition and is produced by BBC Radio 4, it can be streamed via BBC iPlayer. It started in 2015 with a one-month pilot run, scheduled twice-weekly on Thursday and Friday at 11pm for one hour. It was hosted by Lauren Laverne (2015-2018) and Emma Barnett (2018-Present).

LNWH is very interesting, so, therefore it aims to attract well-educated, intelligent, and middle-class and middle-aged people as the guests on the show can include authors, artists, celebrities, etc. These people that feature as guests on LNWH are successful in their career and very intelligent and aware of affairs/debates around the world.

BBC Radio 4

BBC 4 has a remit to be a mixed speech service, offering current affairs occurring around the window and must provide a variety of shows e.g. drama, comedy, and factual. Radio 4 programs must be high quality, original and engaging, as it is BBC Radio 4’s purpose.

Radio 4 has a target audience of 51% female and 49% male. The average age of a BBC Radio 4 listener is 56 years old; it is clear to say that Radio 4 attract an older audience due to the interviews and debates whereas, the younger audience is interested in music and not ongoing debates around the world.

The internet has evolved through the years, which allows more and more programs to have a wider audience due to the new people using the internet. This means that LNWH will gain more viewers due to popularity of the internet. It encourages more and more people to use the internet, as LNWH has a range of episodes and podcasts on BBC iPlayer free of charge. However, the older generation may not be used to/ or know how to use technology to a correct standard. This can affect the amount of views LNWH receives due to the older audience not knowing how to use the technology currently.



The current target audience is mostly attracted due to the guests on the show and the theme of the episode e.g. breakups, homelife etc. As some audiences will prefer topics e.g. the older audience may prefer topics such as; career, gender price gap, money etc. Whereas, LNWH might attract a few younger viewers on different topics such as; breakups, losing friends, James Charles and Tati Westbrook feud. Some fans of LNWH will obviously prefer a presenter on LNWH but, LNWH also uses direct mod of address this makes the audience/viewer feel special and as if the presenter and viewer has a relationship because it seems like they are speaking to them directly due to addressing them as “you”.



Conclusion

To conclude, I believe that I have answered and explained how the radio industry targets audiences and have referred to Late Night Woman’s Hour to support my points effectively.

LNWH

Late Night Woman's Hour

Introduction

Late Night Woman's Hour was a spin show from the original show back in the 1940’w called Woman’s Hour. LNWH It is a late-night edition and is produced by BBC Radio 4, it can be streamed via BBC iPlayer. It started in 2015 with a one-month pilot run, scheduled twice-weekly on Thursday and Friday at 11pm for one hour. It was hosted by Lauren Laverne (2015-2018) and Emma Barnett (2018-Present). The target audience for LNWH is middle-aged female, it features several different guest panelists every episode.


BBC Radio 4


BBC 4 has a remit to be a mixed speech service, offering current affairs occurring around the window and must provide a variety of shows e.g. drama, comedy, and factual. Radio 4 programs must be high quality, original and engaging, as it is BBC Radio 4’s purpose.


History and Background of LNWH


Women's hour was first broadcasted on the 7th of October 1946. the show offended some listeners with its makeup tips and male host as it was considered patronizing for some viewers.


Themes and subjects covered in LNWH


LNWH discusses all different topics and subjects e.g. how to handle a breakup & how to make your voice heard, anxiety, etc. This causes LNWH to build viewers, as they discuss a range of different subjects this can easily be spread e.g. through friends and families by social interaction and discussing together.

Structure and content of typical episodes


I have discovered the episode “home”.  It explores home life and careers, discussing whether work-life can connect with home life. The theme will be mentioned, and they will go around the table discussing different aspects of these themes and the different opinions on the subject. The phone-in session is normally towards the end of the show/podcast, as it allows any questions to be answered from viewers wanted to find out more information.



Background of Presenters


Jane Garvey

Jane Garvey is a British radio presenter who featured on LNWH. She was born on the 23rd of June 1964 and is aged 55 years old. Jane became a news editor before leaving in 1988 to join BBC Hereford and Worcester as a reporter. Later in 2007, that Jane was leaving 5 Live after 13 years and that she had joined BBC’s Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.



Lauren Laverne

Lauren Laverne was born on 28th April 1978. She is 41-year olds and was born in Sunderland, England.  Lauren Laverne had loads of presenting in television shows and documentaries through to The Alphabet Show to Tee and Mo on CBeebies. Lauren was a columnist for The Guardian from 2012 – 2014, writing about style and British culture. Lauren launched an online platform aimed at women called “The Pool”. It was co-founded with writer and magazine editor Sam Baker and includes a range of British journalists.



Emma Barnett


Emma is a British broadcaster and journalist who is 35 years old. She is a presenter for BBC Radio’s 4 Woman’s Hour, she was well recognized as she was the youngest presenter in the program’s history.  Before Late night woman’s hour, she was a journalist and joined “The Daily Telegraph” and became a digital media editor. Then, I became a radio presenter for LBC for three years. Emma has had her fair share of broadcasting and presenting history in her years.



Use of spoken language


In the episode of “home”, it introduces the episode as “on this day on woman’s hour…” The use of mode address is used as they ask you and ask rhetorical questions to engage the audience’s attention, therefore this makes the audience feel involved as it gets them thinking. They use formal language, as they address each other politely and formally as the presenters and guests talk with respect and manners.



Target audience of LNWH


In LNWH “home” episode it has an early reference to Game of Thrones as “winter is coming” which aims to target a younger audience than the typically Radio 4 Woman’s Hour listeners. LNWH is very interesting, so, therefore, aims to attract well-educated, intelligent, and middle-class people as the guests on the show can include authors, artists, celebrities, etc.


In “Home” the guests featured are:

o   Trine Hahnemann – Chef and Author

o   Susie Orbach – Psychotherapist and author

o   Dr. Rachel Hurdley – Research fellow

o   Helen Zaltzman – Podcaster and crafter

The typical Radio 4 audience is 49% male and 51% female. The average age of the Radio 4 listener is 56 yea olds and mostly has an older audience compared to the show “LNWH.