Facts
Based off Woman’s Hour, first broadcast 1946
LNWH first broadcast in 2015
PBS broadcasting - public service broadcasting
BBC radio 4, then podcasted on BBC sounds
BBC is not reliant on advertising but funded through licence fee
Used to air weekly on Thursday and Friday at 11pm
(now its frequency is sporadic)
Used to be hosted by Lauren Lavergne
Now hosted by Emma Barnet
A magazine show that covers many different topics
BBC radio 4 targets a middle aged middle class audience
LNWH target a slightly younger audience and has a more explicit mode of address suitable for a later time slot
Formal mode of address
Underline the key terms
How can audiences interpret Late Night Woman’s Hour in different ways? (8)
Knee jerk reaction
Audiences can interpret LNWH in a variety of different ways, although it targets a niche and straightforward target audience
Plan
Escapism
Reception theory
Preferred, oppositional, negotiated
Van Zoonen - feminism
Mode of address
Henry Jenkins
Small, niche audience
Older audience
Cultivation theory
Stereotypes
Position
Middle class
“A vagina is a self cleaning oven” - potentially objectifying
Pick and mix theory
End of audience
Podcasting
Broadcast
Podcasted on BBC Sounds
Introduction
DAC - definition, argument, context
Audiences can have many different interpretations of the same media product based on their background involving age, social class, gender, etc. I shall argue that audiences can interpret Late Night Woman’s Hour (LNWH) in a variety of different ways, although this programme tends to encourage both overwhelmingly positive and negative responses. LNTH is a spinoff of oman’s Hour and designed to appeal to a slightly younger middle class female demographic.
Paragraphs
PEA - Point, evidence, argument
Some audiences may take an oppositional reading of the show, and may take displeasure at the use of middle class female stereotypes. One of the presenters discusses her mug collection…
Preferred reading = to find the mode of address relatable, and to take pleasure in the discussion of stereotypical middle class topics. Clearly it is middle aged middle class women that this predominantly appeals to
The relatable mode of address also provides audiences with the gratification of escapism. While the content encourages a passive listening experience, it also encourages and cultivates a parasocial relationship that ensures that audiences listen week after week
The vast majority of audience responses are negotiated, where they agree with some ideological aspects, yet reject others. Potentially some audience members may find the discussion of vaginas as being distasteful, yet may take pleasure in the middle of the road discussion of pockets being added to dresses. This approach to media production is pluralistic, as it appeals to many niche audiences rather than a single mass market audience ,which is indicative of the principal ideology of the BBC as a PBS.
A stereotypically constative ,male audience may take abn oppositional response to the discussion of frank sexual matters, as it does not conform to traditional hegemonic gender stereotypes. However the niche nature of the show, combined with it’s late night scheduling and it’s specialist subject matter means that the show is very unlikely to be subject to complaints and criticisms
While the show often has a diverse cast, the content and subject matter still demonstrates an ethnocentric bias that favours a white middle aged middle class stereotypical target audience. Clearly this aspect may alienate a certain audience…
Bonus radio industry question
How have technological changes affected production and distribution in the radio industry? Make reference to LNWH to support your point (8)
Digitally convergent technologies have allowed digital streaming services such as BBC sounds to exist
Streaming podcasted versions of radio has many advantages over live radio broadcasts, as audiences can pause, cue, download and schedule podcasts with ease
The BBC sounds web portal is conveniently and attractively categorised by genre, which allows listeners of LNWH to find this show quickly and easily
Livingstone and Lunt argue that the regulation of media industries has become largely ineffective due to digitally convergent technologies. With less stringent regulation, the BBC are able to distribute their content to a wider audience with no restrictions or little risk of recourse. The BBCs broadly self regulated, and benefits from a lax system of regulation
Curran and Seaton argue that the media industries are dictated by power and profit. BBC sounds allows the BBC to target multiple audiences through its diverse and pluralistic approach to content creation, which ultimately means that more more potential audiences are likely to subscribe to the TV licence
As technology has changed over time, traditional broadcast radio has narrowed in terms of it’s audience and predominantly targets an older audience. However BBC Sounds allows the BBC to target a younger audience through its relatability and accessibility.