Radio

Show
Evaluation

An evaluation of our H.O.T News

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The production of our radio news broadcast proved to be an interesting one; whilst developing a series
of new skills, and exploring equipment that we previously had not had the opportunity to use, we
were able to create a final edit that we feel is up to a good standard. By observing it from an
evaluative stance, I will be analysing the content and the technical proficiency demonstrated in order
to provide an unbiased, and accurate discussion of this output.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK:

In order to gauge feedback from a real audience, and that is not influenced by being directly involved,
I created a survey in an attempt to discover the reception to our broadcast, alongside the positives and
negative aspects.
To attain responses specific to the improvement and current opinion people possess in regards to the
piece, I ensured that the questions being asked fell within three categories:

TECHNICALITY
WHETHER IT IS FIT FOR
PURPOSE
INTEREST.

As such, I was able to fully assess how it has been received, and what further alterations can be made
to make it the best that it can be.
TECHNICAL:

Do you feel that the quality of the audio was to a high standard, and appeared professional?
Why?
I included this as it is possible that the broadcast sounded different to me in the editing stages,
than to others when it was exported; I had got used to a certain volume and pair of
headphones, so I feared that what seemed quiet to me, may be incredibly loud to another.
Should this
have been

Georgia Scannell,
cmpgeorgiascannell.weebly.com

inadequate, increasing the levels would have been one of my first changes.
As can be seen from the answers, the audio was clear and they could understand what was
being said. This is positive as it means that the presenters can at least be heard; the listener
can make a judgement so long as the speech is audible. There is a singular anomaly to this
trend, with the recipient stating that it was quite rough. This outlier may be a consequence

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of a variable such as the type of headphones being worn, or volume on the computer. As it is
not consistent throughout every review, I do not feel that this is an issue that we must overly
concern ourselves with.
Whilst listening to the show, would you say that it has been edited in a way which makes it
'flow' and so the transitions between stories are smooth? Why?
I used this question as I thought it to be beneficial to discover whether the edit was as
seamless as I believed it to be. Having listened to it so many times, it may have been possible
for me to
overlook a
section
where this
was not the
case.
By
enquiring
about the
section, it
was
reaffirmed
to me that
there was
no jarring,
blank
pauses or sudden jumps. This told me that our method of leaving several seconds at the end
of each individual recording worked; by shaving the excess time off, it meant that we could
implement the transitions between stories without it seeming false, or causing a jump,
indicative of it being numerous recordings put together.
How could the speakers improve?
Due to us being inexperienced with the equipment, and with none of us particularly enjoying
public
speaking, there
was inevitably
room
for
improvement.
As such, this
was an essential
question-it can
be a challenge
to identify these
areas
in
ourselves, but
easier
(and
more effective)
to
gain
constructive criticism from others.
The graph opposite includes a basic overview of methods of improvement. The two most
significant issues are moving away from the microphone and working on the clarity of our
voices. In preparation for future episodes we could rehearse more and ensure that we were
sure of any pronunciation. Equally, unusual sentence structures could be avoided; this can
confuse matters and make one confused as to what they are saying. Going hand in hand with

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this is the use of the recording equipment; with increased practice, our skills shall improve.
Additional notes mentioned how we were sometimes too fast and that our words merged
into each other. I
do feel that as we
address
the
previous topics
these will cease
to be a problem.
FIT

FOR PURPOSE:
Do you agree that H.O.T News appealed to the Target Audience of College students and
those in the Henley Area?
This helps establish whether our show was fit for purpose as it is asking whether or not we
have succeeded in
creating a script that
conforms
to
conventions
of
a
broadcast
that
is
appealing to those
within our Target
Audience.
Distributing
the
survey to those who
fell within the T.A.
was an effective step
at finding out whether
they felt that the show
was for them; if we were to give it to those outside of the demographic we were aiming it at
they would inevitably say they did not agree with the statement. By having 100% of the
replies state that they felt it was achieving its goal is positive as it means that we do not have
to reassess our approach.
Instead, we shall continue to
provide news that is useful
and important without being
too heavy.

Do you think that the presenters were effective in making the show appropriate for the Target
Audience? i.e. Was the vocabulary suitable, the tone of voice etc.
This was an important question to ask as although the content and general presentation may
appeal to our T.A., we needed to ensure that our reporting style did as well. At the same time,
I wished to investigate one of my concerns that the show was overly formal in places.

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The
responses
were
somewhat diverse. Some
claimed
that
the
language ranged from
informative to friendly whereas others
noted it was too posh
on occasion. This should
be rectified for future
editions as we are running the
risk
of
alienating
listeners
for
making
our
programme adult in
terms of eloquence and
descriptions. Additionally, we should examine the script
to make confirm that we are not being serious when reading
articles that should be lighter hearted.
Do you feel that the show was relaxed, and seemed approachable for those in the Target
Audience?
This is imperative as it will confirm whether the atmosphere and tone is as desired, i.e. calm,
relaxed and easy to listen to. If this is not the case, we will need to adjust our show to ensure
that it meets this criteria.
My concerns in regards to this
aspect proved to be largely
unfounded. The respondents all
felt that the show was
approachable,
and
not
a
frightening concept for the
younger generation.
The comments prove that we
achieved a news show that our
listeners could relate to and was
not taxing or heavy. I will utilise this in future projects by undertaking research on the target
audience, and by looking at current
products that are successful in their
pursuits. By using this technique in this
unit, guesswork and making decisions
based on our individual preferences is
eliminated.

INTEREST:

Did you find the content interesting and

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(Thankfully!)
Every person who
replied found the

content interesting. This means that we know that we are covering the correct topics for
maximum audience numbers/enjoyment; the last thing we would want is a bored, uninterested
group of listeners. Looking at the written replies, we can see that the Regatta segment was
popular as it was fun hearing other peoples opinions whilst the exam stress feature was
considered helpful. In the future, we should work to use these techniques again, i.e.
interviewing the public once a week to find out how they feel in regards to a certain issue.
George Clooney did not have as good feedback; it was claimed that he (took) away from the
local feel. As such, we should have less information on celebrities and more on the average
citizen.
What stories would you like to hear in future episodes?
In order to emphasise that the show is made with the audience in mind, this has been asked as
a

means of reiterating that if they talk, we will listen; our broadcasts ignore consumerism and
copying what our competition is doing, instead, we are forging a program that has been
partially designed to locals so that the final product is the most appealing that it can be.
Somewhat surprisingly, to me, was that the listeners wanted more local news and events to be
discussed. This is positive as it not only demonstrates that the audience cares about where
they live, but helps secure as being a station that is exclusive to Henley-on-Thames. Likewise,
they want traffic updates and weather as that would be useful. As a direct response to this,
all future episodes should include a feature towards the end that addresses this. Similarly, we
could do a small section talking about things to do for students. This would ensure that we
were not only attracting residents, but college pupils as well.

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Do you believe that the show has the characteristics of an established news program?
This question was
written to gauge the
perceived
professionalism of
the show; if it is
presented
in
slapdash
manner,
interest will falter as
the audience grow
tired and believe
that there is nothing
worth tuning in for.
100%
of
respondents felt that
this did possess the characteristics of an established news program. This is undeniably a relief
and a reassurance; we know that we are not putting together a show that is avereage in quality
that does not seem to be sincere. Equally, it implies that we are not putting together mediocre
reports of little importance, but instead stories that are affecting the massses and need to be
heard; here, I feel we have succeded in chanelling a BBC Radio 4 report as there is plenty of
detail and diversity. Comments stated that there were a variety of different topics and that
presenters did not just report what they were interested in. At the same time, our lack of bias
was noted and how a variety of personalities were conveyed. We will continue to do this as
creating an unpredjudiced show with individuality is a good method of engaging listeners and
maintaining their focus.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES:

As can be anticipated, different members of the group were more adept at different elements. By
having a team who specialised in certain topics, we ensured that we were able to compile a show
that was of an overall good quality. For example, Jess wrote the script, before allowing us to input our
own paragraphs. Additionally, I assisted in the use of Audacity, and the exporting of the files. Kelera
proved to be efficient at arranging her interviews, which gave her the opportunity to refine her work,
and help with the development of the show.
Rather apparent for the duration of the show is how there is little use of fillers and stuttering that does
not exceed what can be expected. Likewise, our pronunciation and clarity is of an equally respectable
standard. This is an imperative aspect as should one not be confident in what they are saying, the

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audience cannot be; if the reporter mumbles, is not clear, and struggles to say their words, we
automatically begin to doubt the accuracy of their statements. Ultimately, the job of the journalist is to
relay factual information onto the listener, and if this cannot be fully trusted, their custom will be
directed elsewhere. Having chosen and written our own individual sections meant that we not only
had a comprehension of our subjects, but an interest in them. Because of this, we had a familiarity
with the terminology and the finer details of the event, all of which contributed to the execution of our
segments.
When the surveys were returned, however, one reply commented on how the language was too
formal, causing the
show to seem a bit
A response from the survey
posh. This is not how
we wanted to be presented, and is consequently a point for improvement. I believe that this may have
stemmed from gaining inspiration from BBC Radio Four, where the vocabulary and tone is targeted at
a more mature demographic. Within my own speech, I am able to note how I have favoured larger
words, and abandoned more simplistic choices, i.e. reiterate, implemented etc. Additionally, I can see
that I have used topic specific jargon as a means of explaining my point. For example, I automatically
assumed that the listeners would be aware of the definitions of magnitude and Richter Scale, when
this may not be the case. If I was to record this again, I would briefly explain that these are methods
of calculating the size and severity of an Earthquake. I feel that my work would benefit from a slight
simplification in order to make it more appealing to the demographic that we are directing the
broadcast towards.
Despite this, 100% of the respondents to the
questionnaire agreed that it was appealing and
suitable for college students. This is reassuring as
it proves that we were including the correct
content and explaining it in a way that was
understandable, without being patronising.
Likewise, it was not overly complex, providing
unnecessary details just to fill time. This
demonstrates that young people do care about the
issues present in the world and, if in an accessible
and engaging format, will take the time to
discover more about what they can do to help and
A graph showing responses in the survey
make a difference. Expansions on the above
question were also positive,
with many mentioning how
it provided news that
people living in the area
would find useful without
being too heavy. As such,
A collection of responses from the
we
have
succeeded
in
writing
a relatively relaxed yet
survey
informative discussion of current, and relevant, affairs. The
comments made reiterated that we should continue to include stories relating to the College and
events in Henley. We need to remember this in order to cater for our chosen audience, and not deviate
towards other genres.
On the other hand, our lack of experience with the microphone is evident. As noted by one
respondent, there was buzzing and bangs when the speaker got to close to the apparatus. This not
only detracts from the content, but makes it uncomfortable for the audience; the excess noise makes it
irritating and difficult for them to retain their focus. When there is an unpleasant sound, even if it is in

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the background, we are aware of this, hindering our willingness to continue listening. Similarly, it
demonstrates a lack of proficiency, hence making the show appear amateurish; this is the antithesis of
how we wish to convey
ourselves, and H.O.T
A response from the survey.
News. By practicing
with the equipment prior to the final recording, we could have minimised this and helped create an
industry level product. If this is not possible, tutorials can be watched on YouTube, or we can ask for
help from a tutor. This way, there is no excuse for not attaining clean audio.
Within my survey, I asked the respondents to identify what they would consider to be our strengths
and weaknesses. These have been detailed below:
As can be seen,
several
aspects
have already been
discussed.
However,
one
comment I cannot
help but fully
agree with is that
of us being stiff.
I fear that our
nerves got the
better of us in
places and caused
us to be uncertain as to how we should present ourselves, and whether to be conversational or formal.
At points, such as during the George Clooney and fundraising sections, I believe that we were
relatively relaxed, although more energy could have been injected. With increased rehearsal time,
these weaknesses will be targeted and improved upon so that they do not inhibit the effectiveness and
atmosphere of our program.
Throughout our interviews, a variety of question styles were used. This was to eliminate
repetitiveness and attain different answers; we would not want only closed responses, but open replies
as well. Within my own script, I note that I have a rather large quantity of suggestive questions.
Several of these have been discussed below.

22 of the Colleges cleaning staff are from Nepal, and have family and friends who have been
affected. With this level of personal feeling, how long did it take to implement a plan to help
the situation?
This is suggestive as it implies that the staff and students possess a degree of personal
feeling towards the cleaners, when some may be indifferent or even unaware of the
significance of their presence. Additionally, by giving background details, the importance of
their role in maintain the college is reiterated.
I think its important to just reiterate that it really is not a case of having to donate a lot, all
with an expensive price tag, would you agree?
This would conform to the question type as it is implanting the notion that people do not
always like donating money in the mind of the interviewee, before asking whether or not
they agree with it. This is good at establishing the motives and inspiration of the fundraiser,
and whether it was designed out of convenience or care for all involved.

These-alongside several others of this description-were effective as it helped push the interview in the
direction that we wanted. They were unable to go off on a tangent, talking about every aspect of the
situation; instead, they can only discuss the elements that we want them to. In the future, I would

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consider making these slightly shorter, and less long winded. This will make certain that the person I
am interviewing does not get lost or miss the point and respond in a way that does not include the
correct information.
There is a lack of multi-stranded questions throughout my peers and my own interviews, something
which could be improved upon. These would help us attain replies relating to two different aspects,
which are closely linked, in one attempt. One of these has been listed below.

So far, what has the response been to the campaign? What do the cleaners think of the
efforts?
This is advantageous in discovering how we as a college community are aiding the cause,
and how those benefiting are responding to the efforts. This is not only more efficient as
these will not have to be answered separately, but provides a direct link between us and our
contributions and how those we are helping feel about them.

None of the team used any single-stranded closed questions. Although these can be useful in gaining a
definitive yes or no response, they were not required in the interviews that we were conducting.
Ultimately, we were partaking in investigative studies, designed to uncover the ways of helping etc.
for those in college. As such, a closed response would not contribute to the answers we wanted to
gain; they would require development before they could be of use to the audience/the interview. In
future shows, we could use these as developmental questions to build the topic or as a means of
introducing the issues, for example, Do you feel the campaign has been successful?
From looking through the questions, I observed that I am the only person to use an indirect question. I
feel it could be highly beneficial to utilise these further as they introduce variety and warrant a more
casual response. These are positive when confidence building as they relieve pressure and do not
appear as intimidating.

If someone thinks of something else useful like small toys for the children, or water
purification tablets, they can include those.
The section of the question seen above simply requires the interviewee to agree/disagree with
the statement, with a slight elaboration. Although it does not invite a closed answer, it does
not ask for a long winded one either.

COMPARISONS WITH PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS:

Listening to the broadcast as a whole, I feel that we have achieved our goal of creating a diverse and
detailed exploration of relevant and appropriate topics, like BBC Radio Four 1. What is evident by
merely skimming the running schedule is how they have covered major stories, such as stranded
migrants, alongside those of a more optimistic genre, i.e. a lost section of My Fair Lady being
performed for the first time. This is not an alien format for H.O.T; we discussed the Nepalese
Earthquake before scaling down the seriousness. Equally, a range of interviews are included as a
means of providing an investigative stance; this is a method of attaining previously unreleased
information. As such, it proves engaging and intriguing for the viewers. In terms of Radio Fours
morning news, they speak to individuals ranging from Steve Cook, the Detective and President of the
Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association to a reporter speaking to the next
generation of Doctors.

1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05v7tnb

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As can be heard within the referenced show, the journalists explain-and discuss-their topics in
extensive depth. In our own broadcast, our goal was to provide a good level of depth on a smaller
scale. Unlike Radio Four, we did not wish to provide as much of an analysis; our Target Audience is
youths and residents of Henley. As such, they will not willingly be bombarded with over-complicated
and unnecessary information. To achieve this we did not attempt to include every possible element,
but only those which are imperative to the development of the story.
To counteract this, and to make the content seem more appealing to the younger generation, we used
less eloquent language. Although avoiding colloquialism, we did not speak in a manner reminiscent of
the aforementioned program. Instead, we looked at BBC Radio Ones Newsbeat to gain inspiration
as to how to we should be speaking. By examining a transcript of the show 2, it is possible to see some
resemblance between our product and theirs. For example, the bullying story avoids using extremely
long words, and is formed of short sentences. This is much like our own exam stress feature in how it
is not needlessly over-worded and complex; i.e. in neither introduction/summary is the psychological
aspects of the situation mentioned. Equally, both repeat key words throughout to constantly link every
new point back to the subject matter; in regards to the former, bullying is used often, whereas in the
latter it is exam stress. This ensures that the report does not deviate from the actual story. Additionally,
these are both articles that are only of great relevance to the target audiences, young adults and
college students respectively.
In terms of how the presenters on H.O.T News interact with one another during the George Clooney
and charity features it is possible to draw a comparison to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC
Radio 23. This is as those on the latter often talk amongst themselves and make comments regarding
the stories, in a non-malicious way. For example, Jess (the main news anchor) and myself talk about
how we envy Clooneys home cinema, and would like one for ourselves. From about 22:30 3, we hear
Evans and another presenter discussing a viewers message about walking to school and how long it
will take. Although they make light of the situation, they do not do so in a cruel way-it is intended to
make the scenario somewhat funny, and relatable to the remainder of the audience. By listening to
several more examples like this, and practicing when not recording, we could improve this aspect
further. Similarly, we introduce the show and read the headlines in an engaging manner which causes
the audience to continue listening, much like the Breakfast Show.
An interview with George Clooney on the Howard Stern Show 4 epitomises the style we wish to adopt,
albeit a toned down variation. It is key to note that this would only be applicable for the stories which
do not require such a degree of sincerity. For example, we could hold in-studio interviews with figures
of prominence in a conversational style. To an extent, we have achieved this when reporting the final
two articles; we opened a line of discussion between the presenters and discarded a large amount of
formality. Although Stern does prove to be an effective point of inspiration, he does appear to be
somewhat obnoxious and in-your-face. We do not wish to be portrayed in this way and will instead
maintain a natural, friendly composure.
When discussing the more light-hearted features on H.O.T news, we could direct our attentions
towards The Ricky Gervais Radio Show 5. Alongside Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington, there is a
continual stream of banter. It is not the tongue-in-cheek, and potentially controversial comments that
2 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/school_report/6180944.stm#3
3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vbrsk
4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7BQ8wnuKgw
5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ZFAMxPU7k

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we want to replicate; it is how they are able to converse and have a relationship that transcends the
boundaries of media. On our station, we want to be seen as being good friends, and able to joke with
one another, and the audience. As implied earlier, as hilarious as it is, we do NOT want our content to
be influenced by this; it could be considered crude by some, and consequently cause listeners to be
offended. Additionally, Gervais is heard to get frustrated occasionally-we do not wish to incorporate
this as this could cause an uncomfortable atmosphere, and deviate from the positive tone.

IMPROVEMENTS:

When opening the show, we should introduce ourselves as a means of developing a theoretical bond
with the audience. If they are aware of who we are, there is an instant sense of familiarisation; as time
goes on, they will begin to associate certain topics, styles and personalities with each one of us.
Ultimately, it will cause them to get to know us and our habits, heightening the friendly and relaxed
atmosphere; it will make us real people and not reporters hiding away from the real worldwe want
to be seen as relatable and approachable-it is essential that the listeners feel that they can talk to us
and offer their suggestions, stories and opinions.
At points, the show appears to be rather scripted; we were following exactly what was written. As
such, we should learn to improvise as a means of introducing a relaxed, conversational element. This
is will eliminate the rigidity and generic nature of the show, and contribute to building a relationship
with our audience. This will help demonstrate that we are not limited to presenting ourselves like
those on stations such as LBC6, but can produce a fun and interactive program. By having such a
stiff format, the show risks feeling awkward and overrun with inhibitions.
Fundamentally, we should have included travel and news data to ensure that the audience is aware of
what is occurring where they live. This would be a positive step in securing H.O.T News as being a
local station, catering to the needs of our listeners in Henley. Having looked at the BBC Berkshire
travel website7, we are able to see how they detail issues regarding the commute in a localised
manner; we are only able to see problems relating to the said area. As such, we could look at sites
such as these and reference them when discussing the troubles. This would also prove that not only do
our broadcasts provide entertainment, but information essential to navigation.
One aspect in need of improvement is the transitions between segments. There seems to be little
recognition to the previous story; the anchor moves directly onto the next. I feel these could benefit
from slight acknowledgement as a means of showing that we are definitely moving onto the next
section; it provides a final conclusion to the story as it introduces a new one, i.e. the main presenter
could say Thank you Georgia, for that report on Nepal. We will update you with more details as they
come. Exam Stress This way, we also prove that although the section has finished, it is not
forgotten. Similarly, we re-assure the audience that they will stay informed as they will be provided
with updates as and when they are available.
As a means of appealing to niche groups, we should include a feature dedicated to covering sporting
events, fixtures and scores. This would ensure that we are increasing the diversity in our shows, and
including information that makes the program listenable to a wider range of people. For example, we
could look at Radio Five Live broadcasts 8 as a point of inspiration as to how we could present this
section. We could produce a scaled down version of one of their programs, with less debating and
6 www.lbc.co.uk/
7 http://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/berkshire/incidents/road

P a g e | 12
analytical study on the issues being raised. We would do this as our primary target audience is college
students and local residents, not dedicated sports fans. As such, this will be a brief summary of how
local teams are faring, and their positions in the leader boards etc. It may prove favourable to hire a
fourth team member who is knowledgeable in this field, and will fully comprehend what they are
talking about!

As a whole, I feel that our show went considerably well, especially when we ponder the fact that we
had never undertaken a challenge like this previously. Although our skills with the equipment meant
that some significant editing had to be completed, and at times we appeared nervous and unsure, I
believe that we have created an appealing and engaging program for our target audience. I am
extremely confident that by making the improvements and developing our weaknesses, we will be
able to record a professional standard radio show that possesses the same quality as those we have
drawn influence from.

8 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vdrng