Radio Station Website - BBC7 Cbeebies

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio/

Cbeebies radio is on BBC7 between 2pm and 5pm.

Technology
The technologies involved on this website are; the internet, mp3 and digital video.
The internet obviously to support and access the website, stories can be listened to via mp3 from the homepage and digital video is used to explain everything (as opposed to text).

It is replacing past times for children such as books and just TV programmes, it allows them to get involved and is exposing new media technologies to children – widening the market.

Media Content
The specific media texts involved in this website are; the website, video clips, games and podcasts

The website http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio/
The website is very colourful, the background is a mutual yellow and then all the boxes and columns are pink or blue. The website is very centred around consuming the media visually and audibly and most of the text tells you to watch or listen to something. For example, there are number raps and songs to sing-along to. Every competition – for example, the food paper plate competition – has its own video clip to accompany it telling you how to get involved and what to do (then underneath it explains it in words for parents). This is a really good way to keep children interested as I’m sure many of the viewers/listeners can’t read yet. There are 7 radio presenters and each one has a page with a little quiz of them on – e.g. what’s their favourite character. You can also listen to Cbeebies radio from the homepage and it tells you the exact breakdown of the shown between 2pm and 5pm. The Cbeebies radio homepage is very much interlinked with the whole of Cbeebies, as Cbeebies radio is merely a link from the Cbeebies homepage. You can also access all of the Cbeebies features straight from the radio page – for example, all the games and colouring activities. This is great for the BBC, as it is great synergy, but it is also great for the children as it is so easy and simple to navigate through.

Video Clips
Video clips are used by the website to deliver information instead of large amount of text as it is much more suitable for children – especially those you can’t read confidently or at all. All of the video clips are very visual and the back drops are almost cartoon like in their simplicity and bright colours. Underneath the video players in all of the pages it explains all the details of, for example, the competitions in very formal English obviously intended for adults. As well as clips about competitions there is also a section called boogie beebies which is more interactive and fun because it teaches children dances, from all over the world (china, bollywood, ballroom etc).

Games http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/fun/
The games are all very simple and the instructions are very clearly spoken and then repeated underneath the game window (just like the video clips). There are also lots of opportunities to print out the tasks you have completed, which is really great for children, particularly as they probably just enjoy the experience of being able to use the computer. There is a section called MyCbeebies and this is particularly interactive and allows you to personalise games, you have to make an account (with adult supervision) and then create a character which looks like you. Then, in some of the games you have the option to ‘MyCbeebies’ and then play as your character. This is, again, a great way of targeting children as it provides a lot of entertainment because they get really get involved.

Podcasts
The website provides the opportunity to subscribe to ‘the best bits’ of the radio show, or to just download them when you want to. You can subscribe to them via an RSS feed and therefore receive new casts as soon as they are available. Alternatively, you can download them whenever you notice they are available. Although the majority of under 6 year olds (target audience) don’t own an iPod it is probably quite useful for parents – maybe at bed time to play them or on the tube or a bus when they need them to settle down. It also allows the BBC to introduce podcasts at a very young age so that they grow up using them, and hopefully staying loyal to the BBC.

Audiences
The website states that Cbeebies is ‘fun, songs and stories for those under 6’ – therefore children under 6 of both genders are the primary audience. This is clear from the fact that there is little text on the website and all the information is given through video clips. I think that for the majority of the content the website and the radio show aren’t targeted at a particular class/social group because nowadays most people have access to the internet and the radio. However, features such as the podcasts are much more targeted at middle class families who have the expensive technology to support them. Young children are using it for entertainment and they are benefiting from it because it provides entertainment – in an innovative way. Most children find computers really exciting and the high levels of interactivity on the website make it really successful.

The secondary audience is parents because the majority of under 6s wouldn’t be able/allowed to use the computer alone. The website clearly recognises this and for each competition clip and game there are clear instructions in very formal language clearly targeted at the parents. There is also an entire section entitled ‘information for grown ups’ which helps adults use the website and download the podcasts for their children. Adults are basically using it to occupy their children with something new as books and TV are quite linear and don’t really allow any chances to get creative – where as something new is always exciting, especially for children. The benefits from it are that it allows adults to give their children new activities and something more exciting to occupy them with.


Institutions

The only institution involved is the BBC, which is using the website to market, distribute and exhibit the radio show.

On the website’s homepage it describes all the fun and stories etc on the show and therefore markets it through this, also via the radio presenters. The website helps to distribute and exhibit the media because it provides a platform to listen to it from. The website has allowed them to target their audience even more because it has helped them to get more interactive. Features like podcasts have also allowed them to introduce new technologies to their viewers at a young age and therefore encourage loyalty to them.

Key Concepts
The Cbeebies radio show demonstrates interactivity, personalisation, narrowcasting/fragmentation, portability and immediacy

Interactivity
The website is has the majority of the same material (shows, stories etc) as the radio show does except that it is just much more interactive. Lots of the video clips describe competitions which encourage viewers to get involved and send in entries, for example the paper plates which you draw your favourite food on, or Sportacus’ Star – where you send a photo of you being sporty. The ‘Fun and Games’ an ‘Print and Colour’ features also encourage getting involved in the fun.

Personalisation
The MyCBeebies section allows you to create an account an entirely personalise your experience on the website. You create a character of yourself which you can then use it many of the games – for example, ‘My Video’ where you create a music vide (choose costumes, music, location and dance moves). You can also create and customise a pet which you then play with in its own world.

Narrowcasting/Fragmentation
This website narrowcasts and therefore fragments the child audience of roughly under 12s. It provides an entire website for under 6s and therefore breaks them away from the rest of the child audience – where as mediums such as TV just had after school shows for all ages.

Portability
Portability is created by the podcasts because it means that the parents can download the radio show and then allow their children to listen to it where ever they want. This will increase loyalty to the show, and ratings, because the majority of children’s radio shows (of which there are not many) don’t use podcasting.

Immediacy
As a website it is already a form of immediacy as the content be accessed anywhere at anytime, this is particularly appealing for parents as it can occupy their children whenever it needs to - where as television is normally limited to a few hours after school.