BBC Audience Council Wales audience outreach event at Penywaun youth club, September 2014

This was one of a series of audience outreach activities undertaken by the Council to gather the views of audiences regarding the BBC’s Music Radio Services so as to inform BBC Audience Council Wales’ advice to the Trust as it conducts a Service Review of the BBC’s network music radio stations – Radio 1, Radio 1 Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 6Music, and the Asian Network. The young people present were between 11 and 15 years old, and discussions occurred in two groups – one of girls and the other of boys. Around 20 young people were present, and the event was organised in cooperation with the Cynon Valley Communities First team.

BBC Radio 1

Radio 1 was the most popular BBC radio station amongst those present, but most participants listened to commercial radio stations, and in particular the local community radio station, Dapper FM. Participants praised the mix of local news and information and music played by the station.

The main reason given for listening to the station was the mix of music played, and many said that the chatter of the Radio 1 presenters was the main turn-off for them. As one participant put it “there’s too much talking and not enough music!”  Where participants listened to the station, it tended to be as background sound at home or in the car, when they were not necessarily responsible for the listening choices.

A number said that while they had been big Radio 1 fans in the past, the departure of Chris Moyles from the station had also heralded their own departure from amongst the station’s audience. As one participant put it, “When Moyles left Radio 1, I left as well”.

Of those who listened to Radio 1, a high proportion of them accessed the station’s output via mobile internet devices, such as smartphones. One participant said that she would go online to access the station’s playlist and then access the iPlayer via her smartphone, to listen to the content.

BBC Radio 1Xtra

None of the particpants listened to Radio 1 Xtra

BBC Radio 2

There were very few Radio 2 listeners amongst those present, and of those who occasionally heard the station’s output, this was largely as a result of being in a context, such as a car, where they had no say in the listening choice.

BBC Radio 3

None of the participants listened to BBC Radio 3

BBC 6 Music

There were no 6 Music listeners amongst those present nor awareness of the radio station amongst those asked by ACW members.

BBC Asian Network

There were no BBC Asian Network listeners present.

Comments regarding other BBC Radio stations

A small proportion of those present listened occasionally to BBC Radio Wales, and appreciated its news output for Wales. No-one listened to any of the BBC’s other speech radio stations.

Other comments regarding the BBC

Some time was spent discussing the BBC’s TV and on-line output. BBC Three was very clearly the channel of choice, though identified primarily by the programming on it, rather than the channel itself. Favourites for the participants were Family Guy, Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents,American Dad, EastEnders, Top Gear , Some Girls and Russell Howard’s Good news. Comedy was a key factor in the viewing choices of many of the particpants. Other TV output mentioned was S4C’s rugby coverage – which was greatly appreciated – and sports related programmes such as Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2.

There was a consensus that it would greatly disadvantage them as young people if BBC Three were to become an on-line only channel. The point was made that the main way they accessed the web was via their mobile smartphones, and that the band-width available via that route, did not facilitate  a positive viewing experience. It was also the case that they felt that many young people from their socio-economic background did not have broadband for economic reasons; that consequently they did not have easy access to IT equipment in the domestic context and would therefore be marginalised and deprived of most of the BBC content they accessed if BBC Thee became an on-line only channel.

On the whole their experience of the BBC’s on-line services was positive and their use of the iPlayer high where it was available. Praise was heaped upon the BBC’s Bitesize educational provision, with one young man expressing the view of many when he said “Without Bitesize I’d be lost and the games on it make easier to learn and make it more fun.” The BBC News app was also used by some participants but generally the consumption of news was low, with most of those who accessed the BBC’s news provision concentrating on Wales news.

There were mixed views on the most recent series of Doctor Who – as one participants put it “it isnt’ as good since David Tennant left” – though there was a recognition that every new Doctor Who took some time to win fans over.

A memorable quote from one of the youth leaders was “the first thing they say when they get in my car is ‘put something else on’” – making the point that not even Radio 1 was attracting a young audience to radio listening.