Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Who’s out there? Radio Report


The following report is a synapses of the radio listening patterns of Loyalist College students and to make recommendations to improve the station. The report includes specific questions on general radio listening habits, lifestyle questions, purchase behaviors and standard questions. The listening trends appear to show a 100% radio involvement amongst Loyalist students while 91X is not one of the more popular stations. The lifestyle trends focused on, were mainly involving transportation and spending habits.

While it was obvious that Loyalist students listen to the radio, not all found 91X to be the most popular, 44 % did not listen to it at all. The most frequent responses in regards to popularity were The Mix and Cool 100, due to the most popular genres being Rock, Hip Hop, Country, and Alternative. The stations most listened to for the news was KRock and CBC radio. Out of the students interviewed 44 % tuned in to the radio in the morning, listening on average up to two hours. As the day progressed fewer students would tune into the radio, with 6 % listening in the evening. Out of the morning audience, 31 % of them tuned in during their commute to school, while 62% of them do not drive to school. After reviewing these statistics we believe it to be pertinant to focus more on advertisments within the school and more frequent and relevant news during the peek hours in morning.

The students were interviewed about their lifestyle habits, with 56% of them playing sports, 62% attended night clubs, 93 % watched TV, and 81% exercised regularly. They were also questioned on their spending habits, 37% admitted to shopping online, 6% from television, and 31% buying from stores. When purchasing, 44% used their debit card, 31% relied on a credit card, and only 18% used cash. Also, they differed in how much they would spend; 31% spent under $25, 25% would spend $25 to $50, and another 25% spending over $50. The students were then asked personal questions, 66% interviewed were female and 31% male. Out of these 68% were between the ages of 18 and 24, and earned an income ranging from $0 to $10,000 dollars. Due to the new trend of online shopping we believe it would be a good idea to do more advertising online and sell their gear.

After analyzing this information, we have determined that there is a serious lack of interest in 91X on the part of Loyalist students. We believe that if there were to be more advertising internally in our college community, as well as external, with more relevant content for students then the percentage of listeners would increase dramaticly. The majority who listened to the radio for news did not do so through 91X, therefore, more international news might bring in a larger listening audience.

Search and Research - Professional use of New Media Part 2




Name of Source: Facebook - Rihanna






Type of Media/Industry (print, radio, television, film): Music



Summary of how this particular source is using New Media:

Singer Rihanna is using Facebook to promote herself. Forms of new media that are being used are photos, audio, and video. There are promotional photos of her albums, downloadable wallpapers, and other photos of her live in concert. Video is also used to play her music videos, promote her new remix album, and her at big events. There are also videos of her singing live in concert that are connected through YouTube. She also had downloadable ringtones and a rotation of pictures promoting people to sign up to her official website.



Name of Source: MySpace – The Black Eyed Peas






Type of Media/Industry (print, radio, television, film): Music



Summary of how this particular source is using New Media:


The Black Eyed Peas use new media through MySpace. They use audio clips so fans can listen to some of their songs. They also have links promoting their official website and links for people who want to buy Black Eyed Peas ringtones. Photos are posted on their profile promoting albums, events, and new singles. There was even a promotional photo of a concert which had “MySpace Presents” on it. Video is used as well promoting their music videos, live events, and even a new Pepsi commercial.


Name of Source: Twitter - Coldplay






Type of Media/Industry (print, radio, television, film): Music



Summary of how this particular source is using New Media:


The band Coldplay is using new media through Twitter. There are plenty of links on the website leading to promoting the band. There is a link to their official website where you can see photos of their albums, get details on their upcoming tour, and videos streamed through YouTube. There are also links promoting them and the Grammys and video of them on 60 Minutes.

Search and Research - Professional use of New Media Part 1











Name of Source: DreamWorks Animation






Type of Media/Industry (print, radio, television, film): Film



Summary of how this particular source is using New Media:






One thing DreamWorks uses is a flash intro to their website. They actually have two websites, DreamWorks Films and DreamWorks Animation. On the home page of the Animation website pop-up pictures appear every time you scroll past the title of one of their movies. They also use Adobe Flash Player 10 to play the trailers of their films. This feature is also used to play videos about the company such as The Technology of Animation, A Day in the Life, and Our People. When clicking on features they use moving animated characters as pop-ups. Another feature used is in their Interactive section. Every time you click on one of these features a ``slot machine`` spins and animated characters faces appear.





Name of Source: Spike

URL: http://www.spike.com/


Type of Media/Industry (print, radio, television, film): Television


Summary of how this particular source is using New Media:



The Spike website use of media mainly consists of three things; videos, articles, and photos. The websites biggest use of new media is its use with video files. They use videos for such things as The Guys Guide: The stuff you have to see right now, Advice from Playmates, and The Food Dude. The website also has several sub-sections that all include photos, video, and music video files. These sub-sections include Games & Gadgets, Girls, Movies & TV, Music, Shows, UFC, Viral, and Wheels. Flash is also used to play commercials relating to these topics and free Flash games are available.



Name of Source: Rock 107

URL: http://www.rock107.ca/

Type of Media/Industry (print, radio, television, film): Radio


Summary of how this particular source is using New Media:




Rock 107 uses a mix of media between pictures, video, and audio. They use Adobe Flash Player 9 to connect you to a live feed making it available to listen to the radio online. They also use photos to promote artists and celebrities. An example of this feature is getting access to The Hottest Women of 2009 or Sports, Illustrated Swimsuit 2009. Another form of new media they use is blogging. Steph Barbosa, Dani Guppy, Rick Kevin, The Morning Show, and Rock 107 Weekend all use blogs that include photo and video. All videos used on the website are connected with YouTube. They also use YouTube videos with features like Rock 107 Videos, and Tommy& Scotty’s Best Vids of ’08.

The Pro's & Con's of Online Journalism: My Podcast Script


Alright so let’s talk about journalism online. When we say journalism we are talking

newspapers and magazines becoming available right at your fingertips through the

internet. Going online has created more opportunities for publications, such as

competing with TV and radio in presenting breaking news in a more timely

manner. The credibility and strong brand recognition of well-known publications, and the

close relationships they have with advertisers, are also seen by many in the publication

industry as strengthening their chances of survival. The movement away from the

printing process can also help decrease costs. Online magazines that don’t charge

subscription fees make their money with online advertising, affiliations to retail web sites,

and classified advertisements. Some publications provide digital editions as well. A

digital edition is an online magazine or newspaper that is delivered in electronic form but

is formatted identically to the print version. Digital editions are beneficial because they

reduce costs for the publisher and reader by avoiding the time and expense to print and

deliver like a paper edition. They are also environmentally friendly due to the reduction

of paper and energy use. These editions are more interactive because they often feature

videos or animation to enhance the articles themselves or for advertisements. Anyone

have any thoughts or comments?

Radio Report: A Discussion with Lorne Brooker


Lorne Brooker, a talk show host at a local radio station CJBQ, came in and discussed radio as part of our media experience. Lorne actually works two jobs at the radio station. He works promotions, and hosts the radio’s talk show, which is the longest running on-air talk show in Canada. His daily discussion topics require a lot of research and are always based on demographics. To keep the show entertaining he has a topic of the day and gets the listeners to call in and get involved. He also gets involved with all local events and contests associated with the station.

Some things I learned about working at the radio station is that everyday is different and it’s a really good way to get any frustrations you have off your chest. You get to voice your opinion and people call in and respond to that. He gets to say what most people are thinking and can’t say themselves.

Lorne made working at the radio station sound like a really fun job and I was interested in what he had to say but I don’t really see myself looking deep into broadcasting in the future. I like that everyday your job would be different I just don’t know if I have that kind of personality to sit and talk topics with callers and still keep viewers listening in.

Print, Photo and e-journalism Report: A Discussion with Luke Hendry


Today, Luke Hendry, a reporter and photographer came to discuss the print and photo portion of our media experience. He had taken broadcast and photojournalism courses at Humberg and Loyalist College. Between 1996 and 2006 Luke has worked for the Toronto Star and the Bancroft Times, has done freelance jobs, and currently works with the Intelligencer and Loyalist’s local paper, the Pioneer.

As a reporter/photographer, you are making the public aware of whats going on whether it be on the other side of town, or the other side of the world. You get to meet new people and learn new things everyday. You get to see the best and worst of society and you’ll never know what kind of pictures you will be taking. The hours are rough, you are driving somewhere all the time and the work can be straining on personal relationships when you are always trying to meet deadlines.

Although being a photographer sounds like a pretty tough job, it sounds like if you really have an interest in it, the experience is worth it. I wouldn’t want to work for a newspaper or be a reporter, but photography does interest me and looking further into the photojournalism program seems like a possibilty.

Portfolio Assignment: What’s out there that interests me and why?

Throughout the week I had four different people visit our class to discuss the different types of media they specialize in. The four media types we heard about were broadcasting, web design, photojournalism, and radio.


As a broadcaster, it’s your job to report the news using video footage and conducting interviews and then playing it on television for viewers to watch. A web designer’s job is to create and run websites for clients and their companies. A photojournalist is almost like a broadcaster in the sense of trying to capture news and report it to viewers. The difference is a photojournalist takes pictures and writes articles and then has them published. In radio, it’s your job to play music, talk and report to all the listeners.


I learned that in this business it’s really important to have contacts and to know the right people. You really need to put yourself out there to do a great job. What I found most in common with all four speakers was that even though the pay isn’t great, they are all having the time of their lives and their job always keeps them busy because they are doing new things and meeting new people everyday.


As a career choice, I see myself most interested in photojournalism. I like photography and enjoy taking pictures. I’m not so interested in working for a newspaper like the Intelligencer. I would be more interested having a job with a large well-known magazine working more with the photos and less with the writing.


Some of my strengths in media would be my creativity and strong focus. If I’m working on a project that I find interesting, I work a lot harder and do anything I can to make it a success. I think my biggest strength is my eye for detail. I can really look at something and tell if is good or not. I can look and tell if a picture is taken well and which would be best suited for whatever reason it’s needed.