focus on media industries and audience

war of the worlds

• Written by H G Wells
• Published in 1898
• Radio broadcasted in 1938
• Broadcasted in the United States on October 30th
• Adapted as a film in 2005
• Science-fiction genre
• the novel influenced the work of scientists such as Robert H Goddard who invented the liquid fuelled rocket and multistage rocket which were inspired by the novel.
• Was broadcasted by CBS radio (Columbia broadcasting company), this company still exists today

historical, political and cultural context

• Broadcasted the year before world war 2
• One of the earliest novels about a conflict between humankind and an extraterrestrial race
• Radio was one of the largest forms of media used at the time
• Nazi Germany escalated and began its persecution of the jews
• Almost 80% of American households owned a radio
• the Great Depression and the Wall Street crash both happened in the 1930’s
• Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini were all in power in the 1930’s
• The 1930’s to the 1940’s was known as the ‘golden age’ of radio

industry

CBS Radio – founded by  Michael A. Wiener in 1928, CBS radio is owned by the CBS corporation

CBS – founded September 18, 1927 in Chicago, founder is William s Paley

life hacks

Media Industries

• Life Hacks is a Radio 1 product and therefore has a public service status as part of the BBC.
• Identification of funding for Radio 1 through the license fee, concept of a hypothecated tax.
• Issues around the role of a public service broadcaster – how does Life Hacks reflect the need to represent the nation. Arguments over the need for addressing a youth audience
already catered for commercially.
• Consider the programme as distinctive in its public service remit.
• The influence of new technology on media industries – Life Hacks as multi – platform media product.

Media Audiences

Life Hacks is reflective of the way the industry targets niche audiences and provides an opportunity to consider industry regulation and the availability of new technology shapes audience targeting and response.
• What techniques does the broadcast use to target a youth audience?
• Consider the way that external factors – such as demographics and psychographics – are likely to also affect audience response and produce differing interpretations
• Consider the opportunities for audience interaction and self-representation
• cultivation theory including Gerbner
• reception theory including Hall

• listed on the bbc radio website under the genre of facts and health & wellbeing

essay planning

argument – media is becoming more participatory, argue whether its good or bad, compare difference from program in 1938 compared to program in 2021, different way they target audience, bring in audience theories, participatory media – Gauntlett/Jenkins/Shirky, different ways the industries that own the radio are controlled/how they do things – talk about curran and seaton & hesmondhalgh and the idea of media being a risky business. Clay Shirky -End of Audience – Radio as a declining medium in the age of active audience communication and interaction. Stuart hall – reception theory – war of the worlds – people thinking aliens are coming.