The trend towards audience participation is increasing rapidly in all sections of the broadcast media. Whether by pressing the red button to vote out a housemate in Big Brother, by emailing a comment to a radio DJ or by sending in mobile phone pictures to a newsroom, many young people have experience of interacting with and contributing to their chosen media. They now expect to be able to do so as a matter of course.

They are also becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities for taking part in front of the camera or microphone, for example as a contestant, and even behind the scenes in the production process, for example producing video or audio diaries which are then broadcast.

Below are examples of how children and young people are participating on the licensed stations:

BBC

• Big Toe - BBC 7 (national, digital only)
  - children participate live in the studio every weekday afternoon (4-6pm) - three children at a time - informal studio style
  - participants are from schools, Brownies, theatre groups, reading groups etc
  - age 9-11 is the most successful/enthusiastic age group
  - more than 1200 children from over 200 schools have visited since December 2002
  - teachers very positive - useful experience for Listening and for PHSE
  - Reporters' Club - members write a report/record it by phone - monthly prize
  - special Reporters' Club Day held at BBC White City
• Go 4 It - BBC Radio 4 (national, analogue/digital)
  - weekly half hour, Sundays, 7.15-7.45pm
  - go to a school to record once a month - also use Go 4 It reporters

The two programmes above have an element of crossover in their output. For both, the programme website is very important, with opportunities for interaction in the form of emails, questions, competitions, sending jokes etc.

• Making Tracks - BBC Radio 3 (national, analogue/digital)
  - again, the programme website plays an important role in encouraging interaction
  - children are invited to compose and send in tunes via the website - with the possibility of having their composition played on the programme
  - there are also opportunities for participation as part of the audience in a live concert performance

• BBC Stoke - items created as part of the Making Waves project with local schools (also, click here for more details on the background to this project)
   
• BBC Solent (as part of the Media on the Park project)

Commercial local radio stations

• Capital Disney (London, digital) offers a wide range of interaction through the website, including song requests, messageboards and, at certain times, talent competitions (eg. search for a superstar DJ in 2004).

Licensed community stations

• Takeover Radio 
  This licensed community station is run by the Takeover Radio Children's Media Trust, broadcasting on FM in Leicester and online.  As a station specifically for children and young people, most of the programming involves participation in some form, eg. reports from schools. 
   
• Radio Regen
  This community radio organisation in the Manchester area runs two licensed community stations: ALL FM 96.9 and WFM 97.2. Radio Regen has links with around six schools in the area: children from each school have regular 10-minute weekly slots on the airwaves during the day, either delivering their programme live or playing out pre-recorded programmes which they have produced in the classroom. Radio Regen runs workshops to introduce the schools to community radio and to help prepare the children for their broadcasts.

If you know of other licensed radio broadcasters which encourage on air participation from children and young people, please contact us with full details.

[Home] [On air] [Making radio] [RSLs] [Resources] [Research] [About us] [Links] [Contact us]
Children and Radio is a company limited by guarantee, No. 05034208