Historical, social and cultural contexts
1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967?
Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3 were being offered by the BBC before 1967. Radio 1 consisted of only 5 hrs of music. This is because of needletime. "Needletime" restricted the amount of recorded music that could be transmitted by the BBC during any 24-hour period. Radio 2's target audience has always been all audiences aged 35+.The average age of the Radio 4 listener is 56 years old and skews towards an older audience.
2) How was BBC radio reorganised in September 1967? What were the new stations that launched?
The 30 September 1967 saw the launch of the BBC radio networks that are still with us today. Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4 replaced the old Light, Third and Home Service respectively. The simultaneous launch of Radio 1 was an attempt to create a brand new pop music service to replace the outlawed pirate radio stations
3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular?
Pirate radio in the UK first became widespread in the early 1960s when pop music stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from offshore ships or disused sea forts. At the time, these stations were not illegal because they were broadcasting from international waters.
4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?
According to the research both pirate radio listeners and those running pirate radio stations thought that licensed broadcasters failed to cater sufficiently for the needs of the public at large. Pirate radio was regarded as the best place to hear new music and particularly urban music.
5) How did the BBC attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down?
Radio 1 entertained and try to engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds and it should also provide some programming for younger teenagers.
6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio?
The number of hours per week allowed gradually increased over the years from below 30 hours in the 1950s. Until 1967 the BBC was allowed to play only five hours per day of commercial gramophone records on the air. It continued to affect BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and the Independent Local Radio stations until 1988.
7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations?
The stations are completely different and have been growing further apart in recent years. Radio 1 is singularly focussed on its young audience and reaches more than a third of the nation's 15 to 24-year-olds, while the other radio stations average age were above 50.
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?
On 30th Sept 1967, BBC Radio 1 was launched in the UK. Former Radio Caroline DJ Tony Blackburn was the first presenter on air. The Move's “Flowers In The Rain” was the first record played on the show. The reason why the new Radio 1 DJs caused upset initially to the targeted audience was because the BBC took down pirate radio stations.This most probably caused people to boycott the BBC for their actions of stealing away from pirate radio.
9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners?
Energetic, modern. Obviously geared to the younger generation.
10) What conventions did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different to previous BBC radio content?
Style of presenting was more energetic and less uptight. The vibe of the show was mor professional than it was on pirate radio.
Audience and industry
1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967?
The remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds and it should also provide some programming for younger teenagers.
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