Radio 1 Launch CSP: blog tasks

Historical, social and cultural contexts

1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967?

BBC Radio, Home BBC Radio Light and BBC Third

2) How was BBC radio reorganized in September 1967? What were the new stations that launched?

The radio provision in the mid-1960s was:

• BBC Radio Home (1939-1967) broadcasting education programmed and news. Mainly speech-based. Replaced by Radio 4.
• BBC Radio Light (1945-1967) broadcasting mainly light entertainment (comedy / drama) and music. Replaced by Radio 2.
• BBC Third (1946-1970) broadcasting intellectual arts-based talk and music. Replaced by Radio 3.

3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular?

‘Pop’ music was becoming more popular and attitudes in young people were becoming more relaxed.  There was clearly a need for a radio outlet for this music with a less formal presentation style; but there was nothing on the BBC. This led to the growth of ‘pirate’ radio stations who could produce these shows for young people, but were beyond the control of regulators.

4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?

The 1967 the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act officially outlawed pirate radio stations. The Government had closed the legal loophole that allowed these stations to broadcast.

5) How did the BBC attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down?

Many of the pirate station DJs were then employed by BBC Radio 1, thus bringing many of the their loyal listeners with them.

6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio?

There were concerns that too much music on the radio would mean that people would no longer buy records, so the  Musicians' Union and Phonographic Performance Limited (a music licensing company) restricted the amount of recorded music that could be transmitted by the BBC during the course of any 24-hour period. This was called ‘Needle Time’ and in 1967 meant they could only play five hours of music per day. Pirate stations did not have these restrictions imposed on them because the law was difficult to apply offshore - and so could play more music. They were, therefore, more popular with young people than the BBC.

7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations?

When BBC Radio reorganized their stations they offered different content which was very different to their previous stations.

8) Who was the first presenter for BBC Radio 1 and why did these new Radio 1 DJs cause upset initially at the traditional BBC?

The first presenter for BBC Radio 1 was Tony Blackburn. The new Radio 1 DJs caused such upset because they came from pirate radio stations and brought they're own style which was cultivated in pirate radio stations  to BBC Radio.

9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners?

Non-stop pop music all day attracted many teenagers.

10) What conventions did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different to previous BBC radio content?

He hired entertaining DJs who had no rules or regulation so they could essentially do as they please to entertain the audience whereas the BBC which stands for traditional and moral value is heavily regulated.

Audience and industry

1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967?

The Radio 1 target audience in 1967 was young people who were listening to pirate radio.

2) Why did Radio 1 initially struggle to attract young listeners?

When first launched in 1967, Radio 1 was not as popular as the BBC had hoped. There were a number of reasons why Radio 1 was not a success initially:

• It was not seen as ‘cool’ by many young people as the BBC stood for traditional, conservative values.

• It struggled financially as there was no increase in the license fee to pay for this extra radio station.

• Whilst Radio 1 tried to copy the pirate radio’s style, it didn’t quite do it effectively initially as it broadcast simultaneously with Radio 2 – so it had to have a more formal style than the pirate broadcasters.  Some young people didn’t respond positively to this.

3) What audience pleasures did Radio 1 offer listeners in 1967? (Use Blumer and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory).

Diversion/Entertainment, Information/Surveillance, Personal relationship and Personal identity 

4) How is the BBC funded?

 the BBC is funded through the compulsory license fee £159 now; it was around £4 a year in the 1960s.

5) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would the preferred and oppositional readings have been for BBC Radio 1 in 1967? 

The preferred reading for BBC Radio 1 in 1967 is "cool" and full of range however it's oppositional reading is "uncool" and too patriotic.