Industry and Audience Analysis - The Archers

Industry

• the nature of media production, including by large organisations, who own the products they produce, and by individuals and groups

Broadcast by:  BBC Radio 4 

• BBC has a remit to inform, educate and entertain.
• BBC is a public service broadcaster who operates several stations for example [Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 5 live, Radio Merseyside]
• BBC has many not for profit community radio stations which may serve the interest of social groups [funded through grants, advertising, fundraising and sponsorships]

• the impact of production processes, personnel and technologies on the final product, including similarities and differences between media products in terms of when and where they are produced 

Other radios in the UK:

• Classic FM, Greatest hits, Talksport, Heart, Absolute radio 

Production process

 The Archers – Behind the Scenes Pt 1

• the effect of ownership and control of media organisations, including conglomerate ownership, diversification and vertical integration 

BBC radio 4: news, current affairs, factual programmes 

The target audience is 35-54 year olds in the ABC1 demographic

The impact of ownership on radio:

The Archers: soap genre conventions  

• Strong female characters [matriarchs]
• Multi-stranded narratives 
• Storylines that develop in ‘real time’
• Themes of family and relationships
• Settings in places where people gather [pubs, cafes]
• Conflict that emerges from the characters and dialogue rather than action

• the impact of the increasingly convergent nature of media industries across different platforms and different national settings 

• New technology has helped the radio industry evolve and increase in popularity.
• There has been a huge increase in the number of people downloading podcasts and streaming internet radio. 
• Most radio stations archive past broadcasts on their official websites for listeners to access on demand!
• Technology gives the audiences the convenience of listening in different places and at different times rather than having to tune in to a live broadcast.
• Studio webcams and social media have changed the audience relationship with radio by making listeners feel more connected to the presenters.
• This type of media convergence is also achieved through the use of blogs and forums on radio websites.

Radio is available on more platforms:

• DAB [digital audio broadcasting]
• FM radio
• Freeview TV, Sky TV and Virgin TV
• Online [using podcasts]
• Mobile phones via apps

Additional notes:

• The Archers website allows listeners to engage [regular blog, information about characters, links to social media, regular polls where listeners can vote on particular topics]
• Invite to listen to omnibus, join fans around the world on twitter to create an online community.
• Storyline about ‘hit and run’, Matt Crawford nearly died. This led to the creation of a page including listeners posting potential suspects.
• Convergence allows audiences to become active audiences and interact with the programme.

1. People discussed in real life.
2. Radio operating on FM and AM signals. Smaller and portable radio increased radio listening. 
3. Radio in cars, everywhere now, listen wherever ~ figures are hugely up.
4. DAB radios, signal clearer and access to many stations, signals are further.
5. Internet streaming, apps and devices. Podcasts have increased a lot.
6. Cheap and gives them a platform and profile. 

• the importance of different funding models, including government funded, not-for-profit and commercial models

The difference between a public service broadcaster and a commercial broadcaster:

• how the media operate as commercial industries on a global scale and reach both large and specialised audiences • the functions and types of regulation of the media 

• the functions and types of regulation of the media 

Regulated by:  Ofcom

Ofcom role:  to ensure the broadcasting code is being upheld and that listeners are protected from harmful or offensive material, unfair treatment and loss of privacy.

Additional notes:

• The TV watershed occurs at 9pm and unofficially applies to radio too.
• It is designed to protect children from harmful or upsetting material.
• Radio and television programmes broadcast before the watershed must not contain content that is unsuitable for children or vulnerable adults [violence, sexual content or swearing]
• Although audiences can download and consume programmes at any time of the day, the watershed is still in place and provides a guideline to parents and carers about the types of programmes that aren’t suitable for kids.

The Helen stabs Rob episode regulation:

Ofcom received many complaints about how the story was portrayed.

A record number of donations were raised for domestic abuse charities around the world.

The Helen stabs Rob episode background:

To begin with, Rob Titchener seemed like the perfect man. A successful dairy farmer working in Canada, he also found favour on this side of the Atlantic when he arrived in Ambridge in early 2013. He soon hit it off with Helen Archer – and with her son Henry. Flash forward 5 years – they’re married and Helen is pregnant, but all is not well. Audiences have witnessed Rob’s controlling nature, his coercive behaviour and insidious ways (e.g. constantly undermining Helen’s looks and clothing), and listened whilst he has progressively isolated her from friends and family. Not one to shy away from controversy, the BBC has opened the gates to less talked about topics and issues in recent years. The domestic abuse storyline of Rob and Helen has been building for some time. The listeners’ privileged position of being able to eavesdrop on characters’ private conversation has added a very real touch to the storyline.

the Archers context:

• Initially created to educate farmers about modern farming methods as a way to increase food production after WW2 [food rationing]
• Archers reflects contemporary issues such as the Helen and Rob episode
• The verdict of Helen’s trial had a significant media reaction. The ‘Helen Titchener’ fund was set up by an Archers fan, the money went towards domestic abuse victims.

More about scheduling: 

• Broadcast in a regular time slot : 7pm, Sunday to Friday [6 episodes, 13 minutes]
• Omnibus on Sunday at 10 am, each episode is repeated at 2pm after the original broadcast.
• Regularly allows audiences to tune in when suits them.
• Available 30 days after broadcast + downloadable from iTunes ~ flexibility. 

Audience

• how and why media products are aimed at a range of audiences, from small, specialised audiences to large, mass audiences

• Historically, radio soap operas have always focused primarily on women’s lives, particularly family relationships, domesticity and marriage. Therefore the target audience was traditionally females who looked after the home. 
• Listeners from different walks of life could engage with the show in different ways due to its multi-stranded narratives. As a listener you might be rooting for one particular character whilst your friend might be interested in another character relationship entirely. 
• The Archers is perceived as a high quality soap opera and distinguishes itself from TV soaps by providing soap for the educated middle-classes. Radio Four has a high cultural status and so the audience for The Archers consists mainly of well-educated middle-class professionals, most of whom are middle aged and above, white women. 

• how media organisations categorise audiences

Different audience types:

• Older demographic/audience 
• Middle class audience 
• Higher socio-economic groups (A, B)  
• Radio 4 audience   
• Fans of radio drama  Fans of soap opera
• Niche / specialised audience

How is the Archers aimed at these audiences?

• the ways in which media organisations target audiences through marketing, including an understanding of the assumptions organisations make about their target audience(s)
• the role of media technologies in reaching and identifying audiences, and in audience consumption and usage

• the ways in which audiences may interpret the same media products very differently and how these differences may reflect both social and individual differences 
• the ways in which people’s media practices are connected to their identity, including their sense of actual and desired self 
• the social, cultural and political significance of media products, including the themes or issues they address, the fulfilment of needs and desires and the functions they serve in everyday life and society 
• how audiences may respond to and interpret media products and why these interpretations may change over time 

• For many of these listeners, The Archers was a familiar friend which provided a comforting background and, until fairly recently, there was an unwritten rule that nothing too terrible would ever happen. 
• However, in recent years some listeners have complained that The Archers is beginning to mimic the excesses of TV soaps such as EastEnders. The most notable example of this is the 2016/17 storyline of Rob’s abusive relationship with his wife. For some listeners, the show they once considered to be light, mellow drama, has now morphed into actual melodrama.
• That being said, such a move has attracted new listeners which are welcomed by the broadcasters, and there is an argument that such shows should reflect the society in which they are aired. This move has also given the BBC the opportunity to open a conversation about topics like domestic violence. 
• Because the BBC can be accessed from around the world, it’s important to understand that some of the online audience is global, including British people living abroad. Listening to The Archers is a crucial way for them to keep in touch with British life. In fact, even within the UK, some listeners from urban areas have stated how they like the sense of rural life that is evident in the show. Perhaps, like many, they dream of getting away from the city and moving to the country and The Archers helps them imagine this for a short time.  

Theoretical perspectives on audiences, including active and passive audiences; audience response and audience interpretation 

Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory