Blog task 29: Radio: Launch of BBC Radio 1 CSP

 Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts

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

BBC radio home, BBC radio light, BBC third

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

Radio, 1, 2, 3, and 4 where launched 

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

pirate radio was a radio station that was broadcasted from the ocean to avoid the laws so they could avoid the needle time and only play music all day, this was popular because it only played music

4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?

Pirate radio stopped broadcasting as a new international law had been put in place called the 1967 marine broadcasting offences act.

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

The needle time had been removed so Radio 1 was now allowed to play music all day

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

needle time was how long a radio can play music which was 5 hours, this caused a problem for the BBC as a lot of young people only wanted to listen to music but they wasn't able to do that due to the needle time

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

Radio 1 played only music and tried to engage the audience whereas the other radio stations was factual, reports, podcasts or e-books.

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?

Radio 1 firsts presenter was Tony Blackburn, this caused upset because the BBC presenters felt as if they were being replaced and wasn't needed anymore

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

The broadcast was very loud and had sound effects which might have appealed to a younger audience

10) How was Tony Blackburn's radio show more like pirate radio rather than traditional BBC radio content?

Tony Blackburns show was like a pirate show as he tried to create a relationship with the audience by engaging with the audience compared to the usual news talk and books read on other BBC radio channels

Audience and Industry

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

The target audience was 15-29 year old's

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

there was still no ban on the pirate radios so the majority of young listeners stayed on those radios until they got banned

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

They offered diversion

4) How is the BBC funded?

The BBC is funded by the public by a TV license 

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 would be that radio 1 is cool and rebellious.

the oppositional reading may be that the BBC has a completely new unwelcoming atmosphere

 

index - music videos

 1.BlackPink and introduction to music videos

2. Artic Monkeys i bet you look good on the dance floor

Index- television and radio

 1. doctor who

2. his dark materials

3. television industries

4. BBC Radio 1

Blog task 28 : BBC industry context

 

1) What is the BBC's mission statement?

It is to inform educate and entertain

2) How is the BBC funded?

The BBC is funded by the government who receives the TV license fee from the public 

3) What must the BBC do to meet its public service broadcasting responsibilities? (Look at the five bullet points in the notes above).

To provide information

To support learning of all ages

To produce creative output

To have diverse content

To reflect the united kingdoms culture and values to the world

4) Who is the regulator for TV and Radio in the UK? You can find details on this in the notes above.

The regulator is Ofcom

5) How is TV and Radio regulated by Ofcom? 

Ofcom looks over all TV and Radio channels to insure they are safe and not offensive to the public, they also use what is called a 9pm watershed, this is when the safety feature is turned off as children often go to bed at 9pm

6) How do Doctor Who and His Dark Materials help the BBC to meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? Answer this question in at least 150 words.

Doctor who and His Dark Materials help the BBC reach the inform educate entertain remit. Doctor who informs the public that things aren't what they seem, They also educate the public that they need to learn to expect the unexpected, finally they provide entertainment  by creating a futuristic style sci-fi (science fiction) while His Dark Materials inform the public that not all young people are the same, while they educate the public that adults can also be rebels while still being seen as mature and informed , finally they provide entertainment by allowing the public to enjoy the fantasy aspect of the show.

Grade 8/9 extension questions

Read this Wired feature on how the BBC is adapting to take on Netflix. What does the article suggest the BBC needs to do to remain relevant in a streaming TV age?

This article suggests that the BBC needs to reinvent if they want to stay relevant in todays TV streaming

How does His Dark Materials help the BBC to take on the big streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon? 

Do you think the TV License is good value for money? Why? 

I believe the TV license is a good value for money this is because they allow the public to stream from multiple different channels and broadcasters on the same contract without having to pay any extra fees, whereas if your paying for sites like Netflix and amazon prime video they are not included in a license and you have to pay separate fees monthly or yearly depending on your contract.

Blog task 27 : His Dark Materials

 Language and close-textual analysis

1) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?

His Dark materials uses things that aren't "normal" for example the daemons.

2) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into? 

• Lyra Belacqua as the hero
• Mrs Coutler as the villain
• Daemon as the helper

3) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

4) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. 

hero vs villain

good vs evil

supernatural vs natural

Representations

1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here.

The gender stereotypes are subverted, as woman are often perceived as fragile and helpless but in his dark materials woman are shown as strong and powerful

2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.

3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults.

4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?

5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.

Audience

1) What audience do you think His Dark Materials is aimed at and why? Think about demographic and psychographic groups. You can revise Pyschographics here.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: 

Personal Relationships: 

Diversion (Escapism): 

3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials? Refer to specific scenes or moments in the episode to explain your answer. 

4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materials and watch the fan reaction video above.

5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it? 

Industries

1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?

HBO and BBC

2) What were the UK viewing figures for A City of Magpies? How did this compare to season 1 of His Dark Materials?

3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important? Look at the notes above for more on this.

4) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show.

5) Who are Bad Wolf and what do they produce?

Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child and His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2020 His Dark Materials (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?

2) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of genre and narrative?

3) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

You can read a detailed episode recap from the website 25 Years Later here which will make you more of an expert on the CSP.

Think about how politicians, religion and people with power are represented in the episode. For example, how are the Magisterium shown in this episode? This is a higher-level reading of His Dark Materials.

Read the critical Daily Bruin summary of the episode. Do you agree with the criticism? Why?

Read this Guardian review of His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies and also read some of the comments 'below the line' (BTL). Do you agree with the review? What about the comments? 

Try this critical Irish Times review of His Dark Materials. Why does it think the show is disappointing?

Here's another review of our CSP episode of His Dark Materials. What does it say about the difference for fans of the book versus fans of the TV show?

This Slate feature on the cultural significance of American network HBO is a long read but gives you a brilliant history of the channel. It also shows how HBO has turned TV into possibly the most respected and culturally significant media entertainment form.

blog task 26: doctor who CSP

 Language and Contexts

   

1) How can we apply narrative theories to this episode of  Doctor Who? 

Todorov's Equilibrium

Equilibrium - Starts of in a school, and everything is normal

Disequilibrium - when chaos insures in the TARDIS when the doctor starts time travelling 

New Equilibrium - when the chaos ends and everybody is asleep

Propp's character theory

Barthes's enigma and action codes

Action codes - when the TARDIS begins to power and travel

Enigma codes - The shadow figure at the end of the episode. what is it?

Levi Strauss's binary opposition

human vs inhuman

young vs old 

supernatural vs natural

2) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?

The most important scene in my opinion is the scene where they first see the TARDIS as it looks normal but it actually isn't.  

3) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.

An Unearthly Child is a Science fiction, this is because it uses high tech scientific mechanics as the main transport and the concept of the supernatural and time traveling is fiction.

4) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s?

Representations

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

stereotypes of woman are subverted as woman are in a workplace instead of performing domestic roles. However it is also reinforced as they are presented as vulnerable and weak

3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 

Older people are represented as firm, strict and unentertaining 

Younger people are represented as free, open, and wild  

4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Do you think it has changed since 1963?

The target audience is people who enjoy science or enjoy action series.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: They may relate with Susan 

Diversion (Escapism): They may watch the show to get away from reality and have a sense of entertainment

3) What additional Uses and Gratifications would this episode provide to a modern 2020s audience?

4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to An Unearthly Child?

5) What kind of online fan culture does Doctor Who have? Give examples.

Doctor who fans are called 'Whovians', and they have a community called 'Whoniverse', they have fanfics, fan made trailers podcasts.

Industries

1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there?

There was two Tv channels and they were BBC and ITV

2) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the level of technology in the TV industry in 1963?

The level of technology wasn't very advanced because of the lack of color

3) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC? 

It generates huge income and is shown internationality through BBC worldwide

4) What other programmes/spin-offs are part of the wider Doctor Who franchise?

k-9, a kid show based on a doctor who robot dog, and other shows including Sarah Jane adventures, Torchwood , class, documentaries, behind the scenes and sneak peaks 

5) Why does the Doctor Who franchise have so much merchandise available? Give examples. 

The BBC creates merchandise for fans to purchase.

Blog Task 25: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

 Audience

1) What do we know about the Arctic Monkeys audience? Think demographics, psychographics and how they got into the band.

The audience is predominantly white, middle class and young  some psychographics may include reformers and explorers 

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor?

Diversion the song is fast and upbeat

personal relationships, this is because the members are in casual attire and you can see the lighting, cameras and wires that you may not see in a popular artists video.

personal identity, going out to the club and drinking for younger audiences and the sense of nostalgia for older audiences due to the 1980s style of the video

3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to Arctic Monkeys fans. Why did you choose those moments?

4) How did fans take a leading role in making Arctic Monkeys famous back in 2005?

Fans used social media mainly MySpace to share and spread the bands music to a wider audience 

5) How are fans positioned to respond to the band? What does Arctic Monkeys want fans to think about their video?

Arctic Monkeys video is authentic and 100% performance, this could allow the fans to respond in a way to believe they are talented

Industries

1) How did the Arctic Monkeys first achieve success and build up their fanbase?

Their debut album 'Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not' hit number one, the use to social media also helped boost up their fanbase due to fans spreading their music and albums on chatrooms

2) Why was P2P file sharing and MySpace an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success?

P2P file sharing and MySpace were the first ever communication platforms and because of this people who enjoyed Arctic Monkeys music shared the music to people across the world, influencing them to listen to it.

3) How does the rise of Arctic Monkeys differ from how BLACKPINK were formed and became famous?

Arctic Monkeys were formed from a group of high school friends, they shared their music by performing at gigs and in clubs, all their music was created and wrote by the group, whereas BLACKPINK was created by a well known music manufacture and trained to become a band, their music is wrote and composed by people inside or outside the company, they perform at music shows and events such as well known festivals like Coachella.    

4) Who is Arctic Monkeys record label and how many copies did they sell of their debut album? Why did they choose an independent record label?

Arctic Monkeys label is Domino records, and they sold around 350,000 copies in the first week, they chose this independent label because they wanted musical and creative freedom and not be controlled like if they joined a major company.

5) Looking at the wider music industry, has the internet been a positive or negative development for record companies and artists? Why?

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this excellent Guardian feature on the Arctic Monkeys on the 10th anniversary of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. What key statistics can you take from the article concerning developments in the industry and the Arctic Monkeys' role in these changes?

Read this BBC News report from the time - documenting the records Arctic Monkeys broke.

Finally, read this short Guardian feature asking if Arctic Monkeys changed the music industry. What does the article suggest?