Jingles

The listening that I have done so far, even though it has been about news, has drawn attention to the different types of jingles that are used on a radio station.

• Station jingle - It contains the stations name, the frequency, a slogan that sums up the radio stations style and aims at the type of target audience. The music here reflects the genre.
• Show jingle - Each show is likely to have a slightly different identity and any slogans or music used will reflect either genre of music played on the show. There is also likely to have a station name and frequency, name of show and name of presenter.

List of jingles:

• News jingle - News jingles usually include the name of the station and the frequency, and will include the word 'news' during the slogan. The music used during a news jingle is likely to be more serious in tone, reflecting the serious nature of the news stories that are presented. Many of the news jingles that I have listened to have used music that is uptempo and fast paced.
• Travel jingle - As with other jingles, there will be reference to the station and the frequency and the jingle is likely to include sound effects of possibly traffic. There may also be a reference to a sponsor that is likely to be related to transport.
• Weather jingle - Similar to the travel jingle, weather jingles are often sponsored by an appropriate company. Any sound effects are usually weather related  and any music is likely to be more calming and peaceful than the music used in a travel jingle. Again, this kind of jingle is likely to include the name of the station and the frequency.

Conventions Found In Radio News Bulletin

After analysing and listening to lots of new bulletins from different kinds of radio stations, I have seen that often stories use a range of reporting, illustrating and elaborating, which helps us understand what is happening in the news story. Therefore, in this post, I will be talking about the conventions I found when listing to the radio news and looking at other news conventions which tends to be on the news.

1) Correspondent:
This is a journalist or commentator being live at the scene of the story. A correspondent places some of their own opinions into the news piece and report as they see things happening. They may provide this information through video, vocal recordings, or written articles.

I found an example of this when listening to the radio station talkSport at 6pm from 27th September. This was where the news presenter is speaking about the talk which the FA is talking about. After this, it cuts to a clip of the correspondent Jim White, where he was talking about his opinion on Sam Allardyce's role for England's football team.

2) Voxpops:

This is where informal comments come from members of the public, who are giving their opinions on what is happening in the story. This gives the news bulletin an alternative viewpoint. 

I found an example of this when listening to the radio station Capital FM at 6pm from 27th September. The news presenter was talking about the rollercoaster crash happening at Alton Towers. Then it cuts to the clip where a member of public who was at the event gives their opinion on the event.

3) Sound bites:

This is a piece of dialogue about a story that captures what the speaker was trying to say. It is used to summarise information and grabs the reader or viewers attention. An example where this is used is at a press conference.

I found an example of a sound bite when listening to the Capital FM radio station on 27th September around 6pm. This was when the chef executer of Merlin Company talks about the incident of the rollercoaster crash.

4) Outside Broadcast:

This is a radio station that is recorded or broadcasted live on location and not in a studio.

I found an example of this on talkSport from 27th September after 6pm, where the news presenter is talking about Sam Allardyce's transfer rules. Then the news reporter says "sports communist Jim White spoke to our sister station Talk". This then cuts to whats sounds like a prerecorded voice of a reporter who is delivering further information about the story.

5) Expert/Guests:

This may be a guest/expert in the studio who is talking about a certain event or being interviewed about a certain issue. This can also be heard on the phone or being at the studio. For example a guest on a music radio station may be interviewed for a recent song which made it to the top 10 music chart.

Overall the radio station news bulletins which I’ve found conventions for such as Capital FM and talkSport had mainly  conventions found in news stories to grab the readers attention, unlike BBC Radio 4, however. When the conventions are included, it allows the listeners to hear different opinions regarding the news stories. From doing this task, I’m going to think carefully about which presentational devices would be most appropriate for which stories.

Comparing Local Radio Station News Bulletins

Both radio stations news bulletins that I chose to listen to, did not contain any of the same stories. I expected this due to the case that the radio stations are being board casted at two different locations.

Although on BBC Radio Gloucester, all the stories related to the local area. However, on Pirate Fm, one out of the four news stories talked about what happened somewhere apart from the UK, such as New York. This national story was chosen because of its amplitude.

To conclude, local radio station news bulletins do sometimes contain national stories, most of the stories will be about what is happening around the certain area. This is something that I will consider when I create my radio station and put in my local news stories.

Analysing Local Radio Station News Bulletin- Pirate FM @12pm

Running order for the news bulletin at 9th October @12pm:

1. Headline: Police Car stolen and saw on the M4 heading East

Facts in the story:

• Police station was burgled on Friday night.
• Keys to a marked police car was stolen.
• Car was spotted on M4 heading East
• A 23 year old man and 31 year old female was arrested.
• The police used a stinger device to stop the stolen police car.

News Values

Familiarity: This has happened on the M4 and therefore this is geographically close to us.

Predictability: We did not expect this to happen because police stations have cameras everywhere and is strictly guarded and somehow these to people managed to take a police vehicle.

Balanced: This news is not a negative story due to no-one were injured or hurt.

       2. Headline: No more gluten free prescriptions

Facts in the story:

• Fears cut to gluten free prescriptions in Cornwall.
• Have long term health risks.
• NHS are stopping food for people, who are diagnose with celiac disease.

News Values

Familiarity: In this story, the location of where this event is happening is in Cornwall. Therefore, this is culturally close to us.

Amplitude: This is a big event which will change many peoples health who are already suffering from this.

Balance: This is a good news because, there will be more lives saved by cutting down gluten free prescriptions. 

Personalisation: This is a human interest story because the NHS are helping people who have the celiac disease.

         3. Headline: Man saved from burning flat

Facts in the story:

• A man was pulled from his burning flat in early hours this morning.
• Fire Fighters were called by a worried neighbour.
• Smoke alarm going off.
• The man was rescued from the lounge of the ground floor flat.
• He was given first aid.

News Values

Immediacy: This has happened recently, and therefore was heard/told on the radio news.

Personalisation: This story is a human interest story because it a heroic one due to fire fighters managing to save the life of the man.

Balance: This could be a negative and positive news. This is because the negative side of this, is the flat he was staying in, he has no longer. The good side of this news is that he was alive and given first aid. Therefore, this balances other news story.

Predictability: We expected this to happen because this normally happens.

         4. Headline: Disaster when train de-railed in New York

Facts in the story:

• Around 100 ppl have been hurt.
• 11 people have been taken to hospital after it happening on Long Islands.
• None of the injuries tend to be life threatening. 

News Values:

Familiarity: This event happened in New York, and therefore is geographically close to us.

Amplitude: This was a big event which affected many people on the train when it de-railed.

Surprised: This was an unexpected event because this does not tend to happen with many people injured.

Negativity: This is bad news because people were hurt and taken to hospital

Impact: This may affect people because they could be scared going on a train and for it to de-rail. They do not want to get injured.

Analysing Local Radio Station News Bulletin- BBC Radio Gloucestershire @12pm

Running order for the news bulletin at 9th October @12pm:

1. Headline: 2 men has been released of murder

Facts in the story: 

• The 2 men has been released on Friday.
• They both murdered a man.
• The 2 men were not charge.

News Values:

Familiarity: This news story has happened in Gloucestershire and therefore is geographically close to us.

Impact: This story has a profound effect on our own lives because people may not know if these two men will strike again and therefore will make us feel threatened because they could be anywhere. 

Conflict: It may contain arguments because these two men were not charged for what they did, and the family who it would effect would want them to be charged for committing a crime.

Negativity: This is a bad news story because they murdered someone.

       2. Headline: Man died after being stabbed

Facts in the story:

• The man was stabbed around 5pm on Friday afternoon
• Paramedics and police went to the location where this occurred.
• The man who was stabbed was only 49 years old.
• He died an hour later after being stabbed.

News Values:

Immediacy: This story has happened recently

Familiarity: This is a local radio and therefore this story is occurring in the local area.

Frequency: This event does happen often because it is a knife crime and this generally happens.

Impact: This story has an effect on our lives because it is a knife crime story and it can happen to anyone.

Negativity: This is bad news because somebody got stabbed and then died after one hour.

         3. Headline: Cheltenham High Street closed

Facts in the story:

• Police close Cheltenham high Street.
• Officers investigated a double assault.

News Values:

Familiarity: This news story is happening locally and therefore is on the local radio station.

Surprised: This is an unexpected and unusual event because this doesn't happen especially on a high street with lots of people.

Conflict: This is because people are getting hurt and will create fighting between the people.

Negativity: This is a bad news story.

         4. Headline: plan to force firms to reveal foreign workers numbers abandoned

Facts in the story:

• Government ministers have abandoned proposers. 
• Firms with low numbers of British born employers maybe named and shamed.
• The defence secretary is disagreeing with this.

News Values:

Amplitude: This news story involves a large number of people in the government and the British employers.

Immediacy: This has happened recently and it is a breaking news. Therefore, it was heard on the local radio station. 

Conflict: There will be arguments between the Defence Secretary and the Government Ministers.

Comparing News Bulletins On Local Radio

I am now going to compare and contrast two local radio news bulletins, aired at the same time, to see if the stations present similar news stories. However, I think that the stories will be completely different, due to the local areas the radio is in.