Vlog Script Task 2

Task 2

This will be an in depth examination of a broadcast of Big john at breakfast show on Hallam FM. Reviewed 10/6/14

Big john is a breakfast show designed primarily to entertain and inform the general public of Sheffield. Being an early morning show, it is designed to be listened to before school, on the way to work or as it says, at breakfast. The show has a news section, plays music and hosts many audience competitions. It is entertaining and informative suitable for all ages.

It takes the form of an AM/FM radio broadcast that is now available for podcast download. I will be analyzing a broadcast from December 2013

Show analysis

The show opens with a series of advertisements. The first of which is a Subway advert. This is relatable to areas of Big John’s broadcast, as many people will likely eat out at places like that. This is followed by a drink awareness advert from the south Yorkshire police. It was an advert that advised drink awareness, a problem around Christmas. Many people experience violence or abuse due to alcohol in some regions of Sheffield, making the advert far more relatable.

This is followed by a trailer for a film, more of a global advertisement rather than region specific.

There are a few more advertisements for local restaurants and law firms, similar subjects related to Sheffield, including an advertisement for Hallam itself.

The show is introduced with a music track and an introduction from the host, John Harrison. He proceeds with a poll about what most men in south Yorkshire lie to their partners about, discussing the subject with the other presenters. This is part of the entertainment aspect of the show as well as involving the audience in the show and helping relate back to them. 

The show is periodically broken up by music, as shown here. This helps segment the broadcast and signify the change in topic.

It picks up again with the presenters calling the winner of the poll they were discussing previously and asking him the question again. As stated earlier this kind of interaction helps to relate the presenters to their target audience. By involving the general audience it makes them feel less alienated. It involves and engages the public with phone ins and prizes for public competitions. While it is subjective, this could also been seen as entertainment for some viewers. The show cuts away with another music track. Most tracks played are licensed and well known tracks, acting as cultural entertainment rather than promoting the track, with famous bands such as The Killers and Little Mix.

A brief section informing listeners of the local weather follows, helping keep viewers informed. There is brief chat amongst the hosts, discussing their personal lives and the following content of the show.

The following segment is a news extract that covers all kinds of local and global news. This is a very important section of the show as it is the key segment in the show as it informs its viewers on important events and information related to the south Yorkshire region. The show is supposedly a locally relevant show and this section is incredibly important.  This splits the show away from standard talk shows.

Again, advertisements punctuate the broadcast. This is not only a key source of funding for the show, but also helps publicize local businesses or inform listeners of global products. Many of the advertisements are for British companies, some of which are international or local. These include several money and business advice services. Car MOTs, local supermarkets and similar services.

The hosts continue to discuss topical news, which again helps inform the viewers. At the time of the broadcast it was centered mainly on the reassignment of the Sheffield Wednesday manager and the helicopter crash involving a Glasgow pub and many related deaths. This was highly important at the time and was highly discussed.

This then moves on to more media and culturally related news. This is a lot lighter in terms of tone and is more for entertainment purposes. These include interviews and extracts from celebrities.

These stories include a public apology from an X factor star, a talk about a celebrity diving show and other chat amongst the presenters. The dynamic between the presenters helps to make it feel more approachable to the audience, making the presenters seem more human and ordinary, helping to make them more relatable. They discuss simple things like their parties and celebrity gossip, which is normal considering the show is primarily a chat show. This is, as expected, broken up by a music track. They continue with their interactions with band members, talking about the crowd reactions and use audio extracts to help convey their point.

More advertisements break up the show again, advertising blockbuster films and local shops alike. Halifax, the ‘Home front’ film and present ideas, considering the broadcast aired around the Christmas period. There is another short music track before the extract comes to a close. The show itself lasts several hours and follows a similar structure as seen in the extract.