Research BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station based in London. The station broadcasts in the UK, the USA and Canada over satellite radio and worldwide through Internet radio, which obviously appeals to a much wider audience than that which we aspire to. Despite having been established more than 43 years ago, Radio 1 concentrates on current popular music and chart hits which directly appeals to its target audience of 15-29 year olds. This is an encouraging factor as we aim to appeal to young people with roughly the same age range. Radio 1 therefore assembles various styles of current music, taking a chatty, witty and comical spin on recent affairs and artists in the same style which we aim to create our radio bulletin. Radio 1 provides alternative genres of music after 7.00pm which includes electronic dance, hip hop, rock and interviews as well as playing the “golden hour” which includes classic sounds and one hit wonders.

Due to restrictions on the amount of commercial music that could be played on radio in the UK until 1988 the station has recorded many live performances and studio sessions, many of which have found their way to commercially-available LPs and CDs. The station also broadcasts documentaries and interviews and includes a “Live Lounge” feature which records artists mainly covering other artists songs (such as this cover of JLS performing Lilly Allen’s “The Fear”). The “BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge” now has many volumes and has regularly featured in the UK Albums chart.



Radio 1 records at Yalding House in London, England. The recording rooms are made up of adjacent continuity suits which were configured to allow DJs to operate the equipment themselves and play their own records and jingle cartridges (called self-op). This changed the usual broadcasting methods where a studio manager would play in discs from the studio control cubicle and so advanced technology of radio recording. We will record our news bulletin in a much smaller room with use of audacity to record, which is obviously on a much smaller scale than that of radio 1's recording devices.

This demonstrates how Radio 1 in particular schedules its broadcasting and fluctuates between its many radio DJ's. This outlines DJ switch overs and events such as the chart show.

Sophie Elliott