Radio Format - Research Task

Questions -

1.) What format is the station?
2.) How do you know this - give examples
3.) What area does it broadcast to?

Capital FM

1.) Going by the music and targeted audience of Capital FM, I believe that the format of this radio station is is Contemporary Hit Music (CHR) - playlists include new cutting edge music, current hits and popular hits of the last 6 - 12 months. The target audience is young adults and adults aged 15 - 30 and of which the majority are 57 percent are female.

2.) Looking at the Capital FM website there are a number of things that show us that this radio station is of the CHR format. Firstly the radio stations slogan, 'The UK's No.1 hit music station' tells us that the station is known for playing Top 40 chart music, a genre that is aimed mainly toward young adults and 25  yrs and under.


Similarly, this is shown through the websites playlist, and top 40 chart. Every Sunday, 4-7pm, the radio station will play through the latest top 40. 7.3m people from the ages 15-30 will listen to the charts to get to know the latest new music and be a part of exclusive competitions. All competitions are related to Media and Celebrities in some way.

3.  Coverage, Capital's Network led by London's Capital FM broadcasts from key areas around the UK; 

1 -95.8 Capital FM London

2 -105-106 Capital FM Scotland 

3 -105-106 Capital FM North East

4 -105 Capital FM Yorkshire

5 -102 Capital FM Manchester

6 -96-106 Capital FM East Midlands 

7 -102.2 Capital FM Birmingham 

8 -97.4/103.2 apital FM South Wales

9 -103.2 Capital FM South Coast

10 -95-106 Capital North West and Wales 

Radio 2

1. Much of  Radio 2's daytime playlist follows a format of Adult Contemporary Music, simply referred to as 'AC', although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres. Adult contemporary music stations are aimed at people aged 30 years and older. The stations offer lively contemporary music of the past decade or two without cutting edge music, rock or rap music. The station attracts up to 15.5 million listeners a week.

2. The station's audience is now mainly adults over the age of 35 (82% of listeners) although in recent years it has attracted more younger listeners. Its daytime playlist features music from the 1960s to various current chart hits, album and indie music. The station's appeal is broad and deep, with accessible daytime programmes and specialist programmes of particular types or eras of music. In 2009, Radio 2 again won the Music Week Award for National Radio Station of the Year, an award it has won for several consecutive years. Weekday evenings feature specialist music, including jazz, folk music, blues, country and western, reggae, classic rock, showtunes and biographies and documentaries on musical artists and genres. This specialist programming typically runs from 19:00 to 20:00, and from 22:00 to midnight. Radio 2 hosts both the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Big Band.

3.  Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM between 88.1 and 90.2 MHz from studios inWestern House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London.

Kerrang! 

1. Kerrang! Radio is a specialist rock music radio station. The station's format mixes modern rock, also known as new rock or alternative rock music there is a high concentration on cutting edge and current hits and music on the past 6 to 12 months & classic rock, playlists include popular rock hits of the 70's, 80's, 90's etc. The station also includes speech programmes targeted at young people and an adult rock audience. As a specialist station it caters for people who like that music.

2. The station is connected with the Kerrang! print magazine in name, ownership and style, although the radio station has a more mainstream adult rock output than the magazine, featuring more indie and alternative rock. The night shows are very much fuelled by the traditional Kerrang! Magazine sound, with a wider and less mainstream style, playing a mix of punk and metal bands and forms part of the Bauer Passion Portfolio.

3.  Kerrang! Radio broadcasts across the United Kingdom on DAB and Freeview. Until June 2013 the station was available on FM in the West Midlands, England. On 23 May 2013, Bauer Media announced that the output of DAB station Planet Rock would become available on FM in the West Midlands on the frequency used by Kerrang! Radio in Birmingham from 14 June 2013. All programming will come from London with the Birmingham studios closing and Kerrang! continuing in a different form on digital platforms. Kerrang's DAB output does not cover the Highlands, Northern Ireland or the South West.