Radiocentre - The First Big Project

BBC Radio 1 & Radio 2 Audience Research

Client: RadioCentre

This was one of the first projects I worked on where I saw research move beyond the client presentation and have a wider, public impact.

RadioCentre commissioned BDRC Continental to provide audience evidence for the BBC Trust's review of its network music radio services. We surveyed 2,000 weekly Radio 1 and Radio 2 listeners, with the sample structured against RAJAR audience profiles, exploring perceptions of the stations' music and speech output, target audiences, distinctiveness from commercial radio, cross-promotion and delivery of their public-service remits.

The research found a significant gap between what listeners expected from the BBC and what they perceived it to deliver. While 77% believed BBC content should be distinctive from commercial radio, only a third of Radio 1 listeners considered BBC Radio different from commercial services. Awareness of some of the BBC's public-service output was also particularly low.

The study went beyond standard attitudinal questions. Music exercises tested which stations listeners associated with tracks being played by commercial competitors, helping demonstrate the extent to which the boundaries between BBC and commercial radio had become blurred in listeners' minds.

From research project to public evidence

What made the project particularly significant for me was what happened next.

The findings became a central part of RadioCentre's submission to the BBC Trust, with the complete BDRC report published as supporting evidence. The BBC Trust subsequently considered RadioCentre's research alongside its own evidence when assessing the distinctiveness and public-service delivery of BBC music radio.

The review ultimately resulted in recommendations and changes covering areas including distinctiveness, the relationship between peak and off-peak programming, new music and social-action content.

It was my first real experience of seeing research I'd worked on move beyond a client deliverable and become part of a much bigger industry conversation.

I also worked on the analysis and charting of the findings. More than a decade later, those charts remain publicly available within the published evidence submitted to the BBC Trust. For someone relatively early in their research career at the time, seeing my work used publicly and contribute to a debate about the future direction of some of the UK's biggest radio stations was a significant moment.

2,000 listeners. Audience perceptions tested against BBC public-service objectives. Research published as evidence to the BBC Trust. Findings contributing to the wider debate about the future and distinctiveness of BBC music radio.