Evaluation

Evaluation

As part of my coursework for AS Level Media Studies, I was required to compile and produce an audio project, with an approximate length of 5 minutes, designed to simulate a typical radio news bulletin.  This process involved fabricating and developing the stories that would be covered, recording rellevent audio content and consolodating the individual recordings, after editing,  into a single recording for later broadcast.

As mentioned above, a significant convention of radio news was challenged immediately: the stories detailed in the bulletin were, either in whole or in part, fabricated.  In true radio news, this is an unacceptable practice, as the purpose of such a broadcast is simply to deliver fact to its audience.  As a result of challenging such a fundamental convention, a larger amount of time was required to produce the project: the successful fabrication and development of plausable news stories required listening to several different news bulletins over a long period of time and applying personal experience to the stories heard.  Such personal experience involved relating the stories to current audience concerns such as unemployment.

In order to gain the most from my listening, I frequently listened to bulletins broadcast on different radio stations.  BBC IPlayer became invaluable: I was able to listen to a news bulletin at 2:00 PM on a local commercial radio station in Hereford and then compare it to the bulletins heard at 2:00 PM on the same day on BBC radios 2 and 4, both national services.  My listening to, and analysis of, this wide variety of news programming had an extremely positive influence on my compilation and production style: with the possible exception of the start and end, it is my belief that my project closely resembles a true radio news production with respect to the vocabulary used, the style of reading and the inclusion of additional personell such as reporters and members of the public.

All recordings of additional personell (such as those described above) were made on an Edirol R09 digital audio recorder in WAV format and subsequently imported into Sound Forge, a Windows-based software application, for editing and other post-production work such as normalisation.  Many of these personell improvised their pieces having been given a basic outline of the topic under discussion and their roll within it.  The eventual recording of my news reading, and assembly of the final project, was also undertaken in Sound Forge, with additional editing as necessary.  The latter part of this challenges another key radio news convention: most radio news bulletins, particularly from the BBC, are read live in realtime, making editing impossible.  The ability to edit resulted in my taking less care when reading.

The use of editing also enabled me to mix music after the recording of all of the vocal parts.  As such, I was able to edit the music so that it fit the voice under which it is played exactly.  This, however, is not a great conventional challenge, as when music is used in radio news the newsreader is aware of the amount of time for which it will play so that he/she can accurately coordinate his/her reading.

My media project represents a wide variety of social groups, from young criminals to elderly christians.  It does this by presenting a varied selection of stories:
* The story about the car factory dismissing late workers represents the social group of typical factory workers in and around an industreal town, which is apparent by the regional accents of the workers;
* The story about the church which was attacked by arsonists represents the views of traditionalist Christians and those who have a more modern outlook;
* The story about the wind farm in Hay on Wye represents typical countryside culture, as well as environmental concerns and climate change debates;
* And the story about the stealing of money from a school sale negatively represents youth culture.
My listening and analysis suggests that this is typical of many radio news programs, particularly in the case of the stories about the church and the wind farm as both parties involved are given an opportunity to articulate their perspective.

As stated throughout most of this document, my media project, if used, would be distributed by the radio industry as a news bulletin aired during the early evening.  It was designed for use by a ficticious commercial radio station, Three Counties Radio, which broadcasts throughout the Midlands, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.  However, it does not make reference to any particular radio station so it may be broadcast by any outlet if they wish.

My media project is designed to be heard by a rellatively young, yet mature, audience: it was influenced by a wide selection of news bulletins, as shown above, which enabled me to compile a bulletin which cators to the needs of such an audience, for example, copious detail, tight production and rellatively modern theme music.  Having played my production to a number of people, I believe that it has been successful in this area: one of the sounhd technicians from the music technology department at my college said that, from a technical standpoint, it sounded very proffessional.  Other listeners also said that it was well-produced, though it was pointed out that the reporting was obviously scripted.  It was also said that the ending was a little rushed and that more care and attention could have been paid to it.

During the production of this project I have learned a great deal about, and substantially improved my skill in using, the technology which can be used in the radio news industry, both through trial and error and the application of information presented in an interview with James McDonald of the BBC which I, as well as other members of my class, conducted in November last year.  Specifically, as stated above, I have improved my recording technique using the Edirol R09 portable audio recorder and my editing and production technique using the Sound Forge software.  I have learned that the acoustics of a room are often enhanced by use of post-production tools, particularly Dynamic Range Compression (DRC), making it preferable to edit before such tools are utilised.  Even then, it is adviseable to pay close attention to editing work to ensure that unwanted acoustic glitches do not occur.

I believe that I have improved my media skills significantly since the production of my foundation project in January this year, as described in detail in various places throughout this document.  I have learned the importance of ensuring that voice clips of external personell are brief, but meaningful: my foundation project featured a rather long clip of Brian Hartgen which, though interesting, could have been reduced in length if more careful editing was undertaken.  I have also developed a better realisation of what can feasibly be produced, using the resources available to me to their fullest potential whilst retaining a high technical standard.

I believe that the production of my radio news project has been a worthwhile learning experience and has given me the confidence to attempt more complex productions in the forthcoming years.

News Project Script

3 Counties Radio
NEWS BULLETIN
24/03/09 18:00

[Music Starts.  Newsreader speaks:]

Employees of Birmingham's biggest car components factory claim unfair dismissal due to late arrival.

Rebuilding one of Birmingham's oldest churches is causing significant internal controvercy.

Public protest against the government's plans to build a wind farm in Hay on Wigh.

And corruption ruled supreme at a fundraising event at a comprehensive school in Birmingham.

[Music rises.  Voiceover announces:]

3 Counties Radio News with Matthew Horspool.

]Music ends.  The newsreader continues:]

Employees of Birmingham's biggest car components factory are now being dismissed for arriving late for work, causing legal action to be taken.  Carl Stephens, our business affairs correspondent, has more details:

[Reporter:]

Twenty-seven employees have been dismissed and a further fifty-two are in jeopardy of losing their jobs after Toyota instituted a new policy demanding the sacking of late workers.  The new policy states that those who arrive for work over fifteen minutes late, or those who arrive over five minutes late for three days, should be summarily dismissed.  When asked why, Toyota management said that it was in the company's best interests to only employ people who could arrive in a timely manner, quoting their desire to serve customers quickly and efficiently.  However, many dismissed employees scough at such a statement.

[Common Worker 1:]

It's obviously a ressession thing.  They wanna get rid of as many workers as they can as quickly as possible before they go bankrupt and they'll do anythin' to see that 'appen."

[Common Worker 2:]

In the twelve and an 'alf years I've been workin' for 'em, I've very rarely seen a job go out on time.  Why should they take it out on us when they lose business?  It'd be OK if they meant what they say, but they don't.  And it's obvious to most people."

[Common Worker 3:]

I d'no what they're on about, to be honest.  At the end of the day, we ain't got many customers.  Most of the stuff we make goes out to our show rooms, and they don't need quick stock!  Where'd they put it anyway?"

[Reporter:]

Some discruntled employees are currently in the process of claiming unfair dismissal, but a response has not yet been received.  Carl Stephens, 3 Counties Radio News, Birmingham.

[Newsreader:]

An historic church at the heart of Erdington which was attacked by arsonists in October two years ago has begun to plan its restoration, causing a significant amount of tention throughout its congregation and administration.  Freda Evens, current vickar, wishes to worship in a more modern environment, but Peter Spencer, former vickar, has publically expressed his disapproval of such a transformation.  Here's our religious affairs correspondent, Mark Shepherd.

[Reporter:]

In October 2007, a mere six months before the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its opening, St. Barnabas' Church in Erdington was attacked by arsonists.  The seventy fire fighters who were called to save the Grade II Listed Building were, in fact, only able to save the bell tower and the outer shell; the rest was destroyed.  Now, almost one and a half years on, plans are in place to restore the historic icon of the town to its former glory.

The plans involve building a new entrance, sanding down the outside of the building, constructing a room in the basement which was previously used for storing maintenance supplies and rebuilding the main body of the Church in a more modern way.  Freda Evens, vickar at the Church since May last year, claims that the plans have the support of the congregation and is hopeful that the new design will encourage more people to attend regularly.

[Freda:]

Church is stereotyped as being this safe haven for old, posh, upperclass people.  Common people don't really want to know, and it's that that I really want to change.  By keeping our traditional look, people just won't bother.  We have a small congregation and the only way to make it grow is to introduce new features.  Make it more homely.

[Reporter:]

But though the plans have the support of a large majority of the congregation, they have not been unanimously accepted.  Perhaps the most outspoken opposer is former vickar Peter Spencer, who retired three months before the fire.

[Peter:]

The church was a Grade II Listed Building.  People knew it for what it was - a traditional church.  People liked it for its traditionality, and to take that away will only turn people away.  The current administration has a duty to retain what we had before the fire, and  they're not doing that at present.

[Reporter:]

The plans have now been delivered to Andy Jolly, the Area Dean, and will subsequently be sent to other managers within the diociss including the current bishop.  If approved, the rebuilding effort will cost 8.5 million pounds, half a million of which will need to be raised by the congregation.  Mark Shepherd, 3 Counties Radio News, Erdington.

[Newsreader:]

The government have announced plans to build a wind farm in Hay on Wigh in an attempt to reduce fuel consumption.  It is hoped that the farm, which will aledgedly be complete by the end of 2010, will supply a significant amount of electricity to the surrounding area.  But the opinion of the local population is varied, with some believing that it is a positive development and others believing it will merely be an Isaw with no use.

[Person 1:]

I understand why we need alternative energy sources, but I don't like having a wind farm where I live - they look disgraceful!  It wouldn't be so bad if we had wind, but we very rarely get enough of that to make a wind farm useful anyway.

[Person 2:]

It's a brilliant move; the government should be congratulated for making it.  We're going to run out of petrol eventually and I strongly believe that any move to reduce fuel consumption is a good one.

[Newsreader:]

And finally: pupils at Perry Beeches School in Great Barr, Birmingham recently arranged a fundraising day in aid of Cancer Research UK, but a fellow pupil who was running the music stall stole the money raised at the end of the day; only £5 were left.  Several parents have publically expressed their anger about the occurance, resulting in the thief being suspended from school until the end of the Easter holiday.  The organisers of the event have released an apology which will be published in the next school newsletter.

3 Counties Radio News, it's five past Six, I'm Matthew Horspool.

Initial Project Proposal

I will create an introduction to an episode of a program on Channel Four Radio called "Braille Trail", which will be broadcast every Wednesday evening at 7:30 for thirty minutes.  The program discusses issues of particular interest to blind and partially sighted people, paying particular attention to new products and services and recent and upcoming events.

Channel Four Radio does not broadcast a great deal of music programming.  As such, the station ID should focus on the speech and sound effects rather than music; indeed, it may not be necessary to incorporate music at all, although doing so may add flavour.  The ID should exude an atmosphere of calmness: that is to say, it should be read clearly at a moderate pace.  I propose recording the sound of someone Brailling on a Perkins Brailler and someone walking, then mixing them together, adding any necessary effects, to create the sound of someone literally following the Braille Trail.  This could be accomplished by slowly moving the sound of the Brailler from right to left across the stereo spectrum, then doing the same to the footsteps, then mixing the two together, ensuring that the footsteps begin a few seconds after the Brailler.  The recording of the Brailler should end with the bell signifying that the carriage has reached the end of the line, at which point a voice could announce "The Braille Trail with Matthew Horspool on Channel Four Radio".  A short burst of music could also be mixed in at this point to add flavour.

The programme should use distinct theme music so that it is easily recogniseable by the listeners.  It also gives the programme a definite start and end, making it easier to extract it for archiving.  The music should have a dramatic feel, similar to that used by television news broadcasters.  It could possibly be recorded at a tempo of 100 BPM using a time signature of 2/4, but this is not essential.

Immediately after the ID, over the top of the theme music, the host could say: "Hello and welcome to The Braille Trail, 30 minutes of news and comment of rellevence to people with sight loss.  I'm Matthew Horspool.  This week:"

At this point, the archive clip could be introduced.  I propose a clip from one of Brian Hartgen's software reviews, perhaps of a new version of J-Say.

After this, the host could continue: "We hear an extensive interview with Brian Hartgen about significant developments to the J-Say software which enables Blind and Partially Sighted people to effectively control and dictate text to a computer via voice."

The Introduction Ends.

Introductory Questions about BBC Hereford and Worcester

"Summarise  the weekly programme schedule - who are the main presenters?   - what are the dominant genres of programming? Give examples."

In general, the station broadcasts live programming originating from its own studios.  However, there is a block of approximately five hours in the early morning, generally between midnight and 5:00 AM, where broadcasts are taken from BBC Radio Five Live, a national station which generally broadcasts news and sport programming.  The main presenters during the week are Mike Wyer, Howard Bentham, Tony Fisher, Andrew Easton, Keith Goodon, Mike George and Rob Underwood.  At weekends, Jason Harold, Reg Moule, Ellie Targett, Mary Fox, John Hellings, Keith Middleton, Malcolm Boyden, Toni McDonald, Jim Hawkins and Genevieve Tudor are also heard.  The dominent programme genres seem to be music and talk: the station broadcasts a great deal of local news, sport, weather and travel information, as well as national and international news and sport bulletins.  Live broadcasts from local sporting events, particularly football, are also heard.

"Summarise music policy - what are the dominant genres of music? Give examples."

The station seems to play a mixture of music genres from the sixties to the present day.  However, all of the music seems to have a clear melody and use an established popular music structure, which eliminates genres such as Hip Hop and Rap.  In addition, it is very mild, I.E. genres such as Hard Rok and Dance are generally avoided.

"What is the balance of speech to music?"

The balance of speech to music across a typical day of broadcasting seems to be fairly even, although certain shows may deviate from this.  For example, very little music is played whilst a football commentry is being broadcast.

"What is the balance of live to pre-recorded material?"

Most of the material on the station is live: the majority of the pre-recorded material that is broadcast takes the form of news reports and other similar items.

"How does the station promote itself?"

The station has a website, which includes information about past, current and future programs.  In addition, schedule information can be found in such magazines as the Radio Times.  Furthermore, presenters consistently promote shows by their colleagues.

"On the basis of what you’ve heard, what sort of audience is listening?"

I would predict that the station cators for local people aged twenty-five and over who either have an interest in local affairs or who like the relaxed atmosphere that the station promotes.

"How does the station serve the BBC’s "Public Service" mission - refer to website as well as programmes."

The station regularly broadcasts news, sport, weather and travel information: a detailed news broadcast can be heard at the top of each hour and travel information is broadcast every twenty minutes.  Generally, the topics for discussion during programmes are somewhat related to the news.  In adition, the station is often used to communicate urgent, important information such as the closure of a school due to bad weather conditions.  All of this information is also shown on the website, sometimes in more detail due to airtime constraints.

"Analyse balance and  coverage of news via listening & website - what is the ratio of local to national news?"

In general, the balance of local to national news is quite even, although there is some bias towards local.  For example, when talking about the US presidential election, the station placed specific focus upon how it would affect Hereford.

"Compare with local commercial radio  (Wyvern)"

The station is very similar to its comercial competitors.  However, unlike commercial stations, it does not air advertisements for external organisations and services as capital is obtained via the television licence fee.

"Compare with national public service  (BBC R 2 & 4)"

The station is somewhat similar to BBC Radio 2, although there is more emphasis placed on local affairs on Hereford and Worcester.  However, it bares no resemblance whatsoever to BBC Radio 4: Radio 4 is primarily a talk radio station, broadcasting such things as news analysis, drama and comedy; the program has a very formal, proffessional feel.  It is also used to broadcast the Shipping Forecast.  On the other hand, Hereford and Worcester generally broadcasts in a more informal, relaxed style and most programming includes some music.