Understanding the Types of Radio Broadcasting.
How Station Formatting and Broadcast Technology Affect Output.
May 26, 2009
Of all the media options available to the modern day listener, radio is just one of an ever growing list, competing for their attentions.
Listener, Viewer and Reader Choice.
The choice of mass media options available at present includes:
- Television: satellite, cable and now the ever declining terrestrial form.
- Newspapers: international, national, regional and local.
- Magazines: especially appealing to the many niche markets.
- Direct Mail: postal and electronic.
- Outdoor: posters, signage, mobile and static.
- Cinema: for obvious reasons, the media with the lowest avoidance rating.
- Electronic: both directly on internet sites and through email marketing.
Types of Radio Station Broadcasting.
Marketing a radio station to attract listeners is no different to any other marketing exercise in any other branch of business. Radio stations themselves will, or should have identified the type of listener the particular station is trying to attract and all their efforts will go to achieving as high a listenership in that particular area whatever that may be. This effort to gain listeners is firstly dictated often by the size of their transmission area or the type of technology available for the transmissions.
- National radio serving the whole of the country.
- Regional stations covering multi-county areas or a group of city areas.
- Local radio, smaller local area transmission (similar say to a local newspaper area coverage.)
- Community radio, not for profit radio station broadcasting to particular defined communities.
- RSL, short term time restricted service licences.
- DAB stations transmitting only via a digital network.
- Internet, sattelite and cable stations.
- Hospital, Student or campus radio.
- and Pirate radio, illegal and unlicensed broadcasting.
Radio stations often define their audience by some of the above criteria and the station's chosen format and aside from some Public Service Broadcasting channels (like the BBC in the UK which by the terms of their licence precludes them from taking any advertising), most exist only through advertising, sponsorship or promotional revenue, and a very few through subscription.
Radio Station Formats Attract Listeners
Radio Station World describes a radio format as "programming format or programming genre refers to the overall content broadcasting over a radio station." It's becoming an increasingly sophisticated some would say 'Art' to hit a particular segment of the listening market, based on research and utilising the age, background, ethnicity, interest and musical tastes of potential and existing listeners. Very briefly a small sample of some formats is:
- CHR contemporary hit radio
- AOR adult orientated rock
- News talk and sports
- Country music
- Religious programming
- Music genres such as jazz, classical and folk.
Radio stations want more listeners and they want them to listen for longer periods of time whatever format and type of broadcasting technology they employ. The listener of course has the ultimate choice. To find a radio station that fits their likes and doesn’t hold too many of their dislikes. They can switch on and stay switched on, or they have the final individual seal of disapproval, and switch off.
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