Radio
Dudelfunk is a derogatory term for a certain broadcasting concept of the radio stations , which is specifically aimed at the broadest possible acceptance in the advertising-relevant target group and a close listener loyalty. This is achieved through a strictly target group-oriented selection of music on the one hand and the program design on the other. Such programs are mostly structured as an accompanying program . The audience ratings are used as a benchmark .
Claims
As a rule, the relevant broadcasters advertise their music-heavy program with slogans or claims such as "The best music (of the 80s, 90s ...)", "Most music" (sic), "The greatest hits" / "The mega hits of ( 80s, 90s, ...) “or similar superlatives .
music
The choice of music is specifically geared towards a specific target group (see format radio ), mostly Adult Contemporary . The often external radio consultants plan the playlists according to defined strategic guidelines with the help of computer programs. The so-called rotation is particularly common : a fixed stock of mostly only 120 to 150 music tracks is played over and over again within a certain period of time, so that it can happen that some tracks are repeated every hour. New titles are only put into rotation if they have been subjected to a statistically supported evaluation by listeners. A questionnaire is also used to determine whether a title is played too often. If the majority of respondents answer in the affirmative, the title will be taken out of rotation or played less often. Within the rotation there are again titles that are played frequently or particularly frequently, in the so-called “heavy rotation” (also called “power rotation” or “hot rotation”). In this context, Payola cannot be dismissed out of hand.
In the meantime, software has established itself for music selection, which distributes the song preselection confirmed by listener tests in A (power) , B (normal) or C (casual rotation) tracks in a fixed scheme over the broadcast hour. So it is e.g. For example, it is common to end every long verbal contribution ( news ) with a jingle and then an A title. Individual music editing and channel design is increasingly unnecessary.
Moderation and speaking
In particular, bag radio is characterized by a certain form of moderation. The effort to use language close to the listener, mostly ostentatiously in a good mood, can be seen here. The verbal contributions are primarily aimed at entertaining the listener or providing general service information (weather and traffic conditions). Messages that are occasionally accompanied by background music (" music bed ") are limited to essential events. Occasionally, they are also expanded to include references to events on the broadcaster.
The so-called jingles are a general feature of the radio stations that have now been adopted by almost all entertainment-oriented radio programs . They usually contain the sung station name and a fixed slogan ( claim ) that tries to emphasize a unique selling point . The purpose of the frequent broadcast of the station name is the recognition effect, especially for the naming in the telephone listener surveys in the media analyzes that are important for the respective station . In particular, the so-called morning shows , which bring the highest ratings for the stations, are advertised all day. But there are also broadcasters that do without jingles entirely and instead use so-called drop-ins or sweepers . These elements do not include singing.
Frequently (especially in the survey periods of the market analyzes) there are listener campaigns such as competitions and other campaigns that are also announced by jingles . Short phone calls with listeners, so-called call-ins, are also popular . With their help, a broadcaster can convey regionality or the desired closeness to listeners.
In addition to the manageable and mostly non-controversial information, comedy is an integral part of the verbal contributions. As in the serious part, political statements or topics are often avoided. Trivia from the media boulevard, on the other hand, are often used as the lead for "exciters" .
aims
Bag radio - especially in private radio , but increasingly also with public broadcasters (e.g. on WDR 2 , the pop stations 1LIVE , N-Joy , SWR3 , MDR Jump , hr3 ) - has the function of bringing as many listeners as possible to the station to bind in order to be interesting for the advertising industry. An appropriate selection of music and only very short verbal contributions should prevent the audience from switching off or choosing another station and thus no longer hearing the advertising messages.
Bag radio is mostly popular with listeners who have the radio running "in the background", for example at work, at home or in the car. The aim is not to selectively switch on broadcasts, but rather to ensure continuous “ transparency ”. The simplicity and brevity of the verbal contributions enable the listeners to listen with "half an ear" or only occasionally. In addition, the desire to hear current or well-known hits as often as possible is fulfilled.
Alternatives
Meanwhile, some public broadcasters have radio programs again that offer an alternative for more discerning listeners with a more extensive variety of music and trained journalists as moderators (e.g. WDR 4 or the RBB programs Radio Eins and Radio Fritz , MDR Sputnik , as well as FM4 of the ORF , also the programs of the Germany radio ) In addition, there are now a large number of Internet radio stations that offer a greater variety. There are also various alternative and free radio stations that offer more cultural content in their programs and are often not commercially oriented.
Web links
- Ulrich Stock: Save the radio! . The time . February 24, 2005 .: “The industrial optimization of the ear lining is reminiscent of factory farming. The pigs in the boxes grunt and accept it, and as long as nobody suddenly turns on the light in the barn, nobody will drop dead. "