What I have learnt so far (week 1)

A major development in my learning during week one was that I discovered that all radio stations  are usually either community or commercial. A commercial radio station is funded by advertisements in between  music and focuses on playing upcoming tracks to encourage the public to regularly listen. Alternatively , a community radio is often a lot smaller in scale and Is only available in a  specific region. Many educational societies include community stations often run by students , such as Sunderland University's Spark FM .These community stations also reimburse interest in radio , as it is more accessible and relatable to all students in the area.

Additionally , I also learnt that their are a variety of methods radio is consumed by. These include listening whilst on public transport , on a musical device or at home. The internet has also proved us with access to most radio stations from all over the globe, meaning that we no longer are restricted to certain nearby channels. This proves that whilst some technology, including the television, has hindered radio to an extent , it has also enriched how accessible it is as a whole. This diversity has also altered how the medium has changed from compulsive listening to a simple background noise. When the radio was created for public use in 1973, it was a family orientated event , but now with visual entertainment forms we witness it becoming less popular in our society.

                                                                 Spark TV video                                             

This video demonstrates how the amount of community radio stations is are growing in numbers due to the popularity of internet sites including YouTube. This proves tat Radio is universal and will continue to thrive against the bigger conglomerates who wish to dominate the industry. Students can get involved in this type of radio , reducing its risk of it becoming exclusive to bigger companies.

 

Capital FM TV Advert

 

 

This commercial indicates Capital FM are very interested in capitalising on the success of famous artists as their unique selling point. Artists with major followings are included ,such as Rita Ora or Example, in order to convey the channel is of a certain quality. This station is purely for those who want to hear non stop music immediately and are not too interested in chat or discussion segments that are regular over the BBC stations.