Codes and Conventions

A jingle is fifteen to thirty second promo advertising a radio show. It includes the name of the radio station, name of the presenter, time of radio show, days and optionally the type of music playing.

I researched 2 radio jingles to find out more about the codes and conventions. The first show I researched was BBC Radio 1. This jingle played for just over one minute, which is a little too long for an average jingle. The music playing was current and music that would be played at a club, so the impression I got from this was that the show was played on Friday and Saturday nights. I especially thought this as not much was said in the jingle. It’s as if the presenter let the music speak for itself. It also happens that in a nightclub the DJ’s let the music play so that others can dance and enjoy the music, so there’s that connection.

The audience I believe was targeted is teenagers and young adults as it is this audience that both like and listen to this type of music the most.

The jingle started off with a sound effect like a scratched disk and a female voiceover naming the channel. I think this is important so listeners know what station they are listening to. However, the jingle didn’t include the time or day the music is played so I had to speculate. I think because this information wasn’t included, listeners wouldn’t know when to turn in.

I also researched a jingle by Chris Moyle’s, played in the mornings, which I could tell because he sung about it in his jingle. His tone of voice is enthusiastic and lively as if he’s encouraging listeners to wake up with a fresh and positive attitude.

I think this jingle was targeted to a wide range of people who wake up in the mornings because his voice is so warm and welcoming.