The nominations are in for the Media Awards 2023! We now have a date for the ceremony: Tuesday 19 September 2023. We've had an incredibly difficult job finalising the nominations - the quality level at both GCSE and A Level is excellent and there has been a lot of good work that hasn't made the cut.
If you haven't been before, the Media Awards is our Oscars-style ceremony where we award trophies for the best Media coursework at GCSE and A Level. It's a major event in the Greenford calendar and tickets have completely sold out whenever we have run the event in the past. The details for this year's awards: Date: Tuesday 19 September Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm Tickets: £5 Tickets will go on sale when we're back at school after the summer break - keep an eye for on-sale dates then. There will be an exclusive pre-sale window for Media students before general sale to any Greenford student in Year 10 or above. Remember - you need to be quick. The event has sold out in just four days in previous years!
A Level nominations
BEST A LEVEL SOUND DESIGN
Wasif – Throne
Scarlett – Pink Music
Thomas – TRB
BEST A LEVEL CINEMATOGRAPHY
Rish – Sharu
Krissie – Chimes
Saad – Young Abz
BEST A LEVEL PRODUCTION DESIGN
Kanye – Ambiguous
Nikhil – Witold
Ashleen – Beelzebub
BEST A LEVEL EDITING
Tarliyah – Ciel
Lemmy – Poki
Sade – Mars
BEST A LEVEL MUSIC PROMO CONCEPT
Zayna – Reign
Haaris - Brain
Jadesola – Yomi
BEST A LEVEL POST-PRODUCTION
Isra – NVU
Sade – Mars
Ismail – Rocky
GCSE nominations
BEST GCSE MUSIC VIDEO CINEMATOGRAPHY
Krrish – Something In The Way
Kriti – Youth
Mohammed – Stand By Me
Sally – Ghosting
BEST GCSE MUSIC VIDEO CONCEPT
Malak – Happier Than Ever
Waleed – Eye Of The Tiger
Amariah – She’s All I Wanna Be
Mamdouh – Till I Collapse
BEST GCSE MUSIC VIDEO EDITING
Sally – Ghosting
Diako – Sticky Situations
Rishi – It Was A Good Day
Greta – Hide ‘n’ Seek
Best Actress and Actor
BEST ACTOR 2023
Khalid
Abayomi
Thomas
Haaris
BEST ACTRESS 2023
Amariah
Scarlett
Zayna
Ashleen
Congratulations to all our nominees and we look forward to seeing you at the Media Awards on Tuesday 19 September!
The summer project is a fantastic opportunity to start planning your TV drama coursework. Your summer project contains compulsory and optional elements; everybody will be researching TV drama extracts, coming up with a new fantasy TV drama concept and then writing a Statement of Intent first draft. However, if you wish to plan and film your production over the summer while you have time available we would fully support you in this approach.
Summer project tasks Complete the following tasks on a blogpost on your Media blog called 'Summer Project: coursework planning': 1) Research: Fantasy TV drama extracts Watch the following fantasy TV drama clips and write an NCIS analysis of each one.
Clip 1: His Dark Materials
Narrative and genre:What is the story here? How is the narrative communicated to the audience? How does this fit the fantasy genre?
Technical codes:What camera shots do you notice and what do they communicate to the audience? How is sound used to create atmosphere? What aspects of mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) help to communicate meaning to the audience?
Representations: What representations can you find in this clip - does it reinforce or subvert stereotypes? How?
Clip 2: Charmed
Narrative and genre:What is the story here? How is the narrative communicated to the audience? How does this fit the fantasy genre?
Technical codes: What camera shots do you notice and what do they communicate to the audience? How is sound used to create atmosphere? What aspects of mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) help to communicate meaning to the audience?
Representations: What representations can you find in this clip - does it reinforce or subvert stereotypes? How?
Clip 3: Shadow and Bone
Narrative and genre:What is the story here? How is the narrative communicated to the audience? How does this fit the fantasy genre?
Technical codes: What camera shots do you notice and what do they communicate to the audience? How is sound used to create atmosphere? What aspects of mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) help to communicate meaning to the audience?
Representations: What representations can you find in this clip - does it reinforce or subvert stereotypes? How?
Additional research: optional extension Depending on your coursework plan and the type of TV drama sequence you wish to create, you may want to research additional TV drama extracts. Focus on the fantasy genre of TV drama - this article on the best 10 fantasy TV shows may be useful.
Whatever you watch, make sure you write some additional notes or bullet points about these fantasy TV dramas on your blog so you are documenting your research. 2) TV drama planning
Plan out the title and narrative for your new, original fantasy TV drama so you know how your extract will fit into the overall series.
Complete this TV drama pitch document with your NEW original idea for a fantasy TV drama aimed at a family audience. Copy and paste the questions from the Google doc into your blog.
3) Statement of Intent
On the same Summer Project blogpost, write the rough first draft of your genuine 300-word Statement of Intent for the two-minute sequence you plan to create. The final draft of this document will be submitted to the exam board alongside your fantasy TV drama extract and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available. Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent suggested content document too.
Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in the second lesson back in September.
Summer project: optional extensions Pre-production tasks Some students have already expressed an interest in filming their TV drama over the summer break. This makes a huge amount of sense - far more availability of actors, much more time to schedule filming etc. However, if you want to do this, you need to complete the following aspects of pre-production and make sure you have parental permission to do this: Script Write a script for your TV drama extract. You'll find guidance and professional examples of TV drama scripts on the BBC Writers' Room website. Shot list Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for your drama scene AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here for a student film shot list. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the extract in chronological order. Mise-en-scene What iconography or mise-en-scene are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre and narrative of your TV drama? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details. Shooting schedule Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the summer. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Google Docs / Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it! Non-assessed participants You will need to provide a written record of all non-assessed participants in your production work. Keep a record of everyone involved - actors, camerawork, sound etc. You will also need a keep a record of any non-original sound you used and note it on the Candidate Record Form. Keep these on your blog for easy reference when submitting your work later this year. Production: Filming Once you have completed your pre-production tasks, you can film as planned. If you are unable to film over the summer, we will have time to film this production in September. Good luck!
Our second Radio CSP is the KISS FM Breakfast show. Remember, our Radio products are targeted CSPs and need to be studied with reference to two elements of the theoretical framework - Audiences and Industries as well as Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts. This means we need to study the way radio audiences and industries have changed over time and what impact this may have on society.
Notes from the lesson: KISS FM Breakfast show You'll find the notes from our lessons on KISS FM below.
Background and history
Kiss FM first broadcast on 7 October 1985 as a pirate radio station, initially to South London then across the whole city. Transmitting seven-days from the start, it would be regularly taken off-air by the authorities and so became a weekend operation shortly afterwards. This means that it has its origins in common with radio in the 1960s (such as Tony Blackburn’s Radio Caroline show) as KISS was originally an illegal station that became legitimate as it grew in popularity. KISS FM is now seen as more mainstream and less controversial and has been operating legally since 1990. In 2007, it was bought by international conglomerate Bauer Media.
The station developed a committed following across London of mostly young people with figures in the press at the time stating that the station attracted some 500,000 listeners while operating as an unlicensed pirate station.
Gordon Mac approached a successful London club promoter, Guy Wingate, to discuss ways of improving the KISS FM profile. As a result, Wingate launched the very successful Kiss nights at the Wag Club where DJs from the station would DJ night club nights. These nights increased the station's reputation as a young person’s music radio station.
KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri
KISS has tried to move with the times by engaging on social media with its listeners and by bringing in DJs who they think will appeal to a younger target audience. Jordan and Perri took over the KISS FM Breakfast show in summer 2020 after previous hosts Rickie, Melvin and Charlie left for BBC Radio 1.
KISS FM deliberately chose younger replacements who have a big social media following (Perri has over one million followers on TikTok).
Personal relationships: important for breakfast radio
Applying Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, a key aspect of the KISS FM Breakfast show is the personal relationship the audience feel they have with the presenters Jordan and Perri. They took over the KISS FM Breakfast show in July 2020 after finding fame as part of the dance group Diversity and also presenting a weekend show on the station. The two are good friends who have worked together for over 10 years and KISS hope that natural chemistry will appeal to their listeners.
Here's just one of the ways KISS FM first introduced their Breakfast show team:
KISS FM deliberately chose breakfast show hosts who are:
Members of a dance troupe called Diversity who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent (watch their first performance below)
Friends in real life and have a natural 'chemistry' which is so important for breakfast radio and connecting with audiences. They are known for their 'banter' and personality.
Connected to political movements such as Black Lives Matter (see clip below)
Diversity - Britain's Got Talent audition:
Diversity - Black Lives Matter:
Active v passive audience
What opportunities are there on KISS FM for audiences to actively engage?
Listeners can send in requests or shout outs to friends via social media platforms (KISS FM are particularly active across Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok).
Audience interaction and involvement is a key aspect to the Breakfast show and Perri has over a million followers on TikTok.
Audiences can download the KISS Kube app to stream shows at a time convenient to them.
KISS runs over 100 events every summer that helps them connect with 300,000+ listeners. They also host an annual Halloween event at Wembley Arena for 11,000 fans.
Industry contexts
KISS is part of Bauer Radio, a subsidiary of the Bauer Media Group (BMG). This multinational cross-media group owns numerous magazine and radio brands but also has interests in digital media, TV streaming and event organisation, mostly linked to its radio and magazine properties. This makes Kiss FM commercial radio - the opposite to the BBC and public service radio.
The KISS Network is made up of KISS, KISSTORY and KISS Fresh alongside recently launched online stations KISS Bliss (chilled out music), KISS Dance and KISS Garage. Each of these targets its own audience within the 15–34 age group with different styles and types of content. All are available on a number of different platforms, but the range is not the same for each of the brands.
All are available on the KISS website and the KISS Kube app, but only KISS is available on FM radio. In contrast, only KISS and KISSTORY can be received on DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).
KISS listening figures
Like most traditional media brands, KISS FM is struggling to maintain its audience in the digital age. The previous breakfast show hosted by Rickie, Melvin and Charlie had over 2 million listeners but by the time Jordan and Perri took over it was already down to 1.4m. The most recent figures have Jordan and Perri at 980,000 listeners so less than half the 2m figure the KISS FM Breakfast show used to enjoy.
How does KISS FM make money?
Bauer Media Group revenue was 2.2 BILLION euros (see Bauer website here for more details) which demonstrates how much money is made across their many media brands.
KISS FM makes money through advertising, sponsorship and events (such as summer festivals and the Wembley Arena Halloween party). The KISS FM Breakfast show is one of the most popular slots for the radio station so losing around one million listeners over the last few years means Bauer Media cannot make as much money from the KISS brand as it used to. Indeed, Bauer Media Group's revenue is down from 2.3bn euros - in part due to the increasing pressure on traditional media such as magazines and radio.
The changing nature of radio
Young people tend to listen to radio much less as the media landscape is saturated with other products for them to consume (games, apps, numerous TV channels, streaming services, etc). Also, people now expect to consume media products not in a linear fashion (you turn on the radio and hear what’s currently broadcast) but on-demand (streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer). This means Kiss FM is attempting to target an audience of 15-34 year olds who are consuming media in a totally different way compared to radio in the 1960s.
Radio in the 1960s v radio today
There are many differences in the radio industry between the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 and the global online marketplace we see today:
More radio stations broadcasting (There are around 600 licensed radio stations in the country) and thousands of online broadcasters.
Improved quality as radio moved from AM to FM and now to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).
Radio stations have become increasingly specialised (look at KISS, KISSTORY and KISS FRESH or rivals Absolute Radio, Absolute 60s, 70s, 80s, etc.)
Many shows are downloadable on-demand (e.g. as podcasts), on a range of devices (e.g. using iPlayer on TV) and streaming-only ‘stations’ (e.g. Spotify ‘stations with no DJs')
Regulation: how is KISS FM regulated?
KISS FM is regulated by Ofcom. This means the KISS FM Breakfast show must follow the Ofcom broadcasting code and not include anything inappropriate for children or younger listeners.
In 2006, KISS was fined a record fee for any UK commercial radio station of £175,000 by media regulator Ofcom. Ofcom punished KISS for "numerous and serious breaches" of broadcasting codes after receiving 10 complaints from April to November 2005. They involved prank calls on the Bam Bam breakfast show where consent was not sought from the "victims" and controversial material aired when children were likely to be listening. KISS said it accepted the findings and apologised for any offence. You can read more on that case here.
KISS FM Breakfast show CSP: blog tasks
Work through the following questions to complete your final Radio case study on the KISS FM Breakfast show CSP:
Audience
Look at the KISS media pack carefully. This will give you a brilliant background to the brand and how they target their audience (important note: it features the old Breakfast presenting team).
Answer the following questions:
1) Read page 2. What is KISS FM's mission?
2) Look at page 3. What is the target audience for KISS FM? As well as writing the key statistics from the media pack, try and suggest what psychographic groups would fit the KISS audience too. 3) Now look at page 5 - The KISS network. How does KISS use digital media and technology to reach its audience? 4) Now look at the other side of page 5. What content do KISS Fresh and KISSTORY offer and how can audiences access those stations? 5) Read page 6. What are the different ways audiences can actively engage with the KISS radio brand?
6) Are listeners to the KISS Breakfast show active or passive? You can argue this point either way - explain your opinion in your answer. 7) Now think about the clips you've watched or listened to of the KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri. What audience pleasures are offered by the KISS FM Breakfast show? Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory here.
8) How have audiences changed in terms of how they listen to music and radio since the 1960s?
9) How does the KISS FM Breakfast show contrast with Tony Blackburn's 1967 Radio 1 Breakfast show and the launch of BBC Radio 1?
10) Use Stuart Hall's Reception theory to offer a preferred and oppositional reading of the KISS FM Breakfast show. For the preferred reading, why do fans love the show? On the oppositional side, why might someone criticise the show or not want to listen?
Industry 1) When did KISS FM first launch and what type of station was it then? 2) Look at the Bauer Media Group's list of brands. How many different types of media can you find on there? What brands do you recognise?
3) How does KISS FM make money?
4) How many listeners does the KISS Breakfast show have and how has this changed in recent years?
5) How is KISS FM regulated and what can happen if they break the rules?
Finally, try this exam question on Radio: How successful have radio stations like KISS FM been in attracting a young audience to traditional radio? Due date on Google Classroom
