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Late Night Woman’s Hour - BBC Radio 4 Podcast - Coggle Diagram
Late Night Woman’s Hour - BBC Radio 4 Podcast
Context
Late Night Woman’s Hour is a spin-off from the long-running BBC Radio 4 daily magazine programme, Woman’s Hour
It began broadcasting in 2015 on a limited basis but was so popular that it began a permanent run as a monthly, then in 2018, a weekly podcast
Late Night Woman’s Hour is recorded weekly, hosted by Emma Barnett (occasionally with founder Lauren Laverne) and features female guests from a range of backgrounds including science, health and entertainment
Each episode focuses on a particular theme relevant to its female audience e.g. ‘Lost Friends’ and ‘Extreme Breastfeeding’
The original broadcast was at 11pm on Thursday nights, which meant explicit and honest discussions could be had
Since becoming a podcast, the show has been less controversial
Historical Context
Woman’s Hour was first broadcast in the 1940s, so it’s worth considering the historical and social shifts that have occurred since the show’s inception
The original show reflects possible tokenism (a show set aside for women might imply all other radio content was oriented towards men)
Late Night Woman’s Hour features frank and open discussions and demonstrates societal shifts and increased gender equality although some of the issues raised reflect the fact that society is not yet completely equal
Explore issues relating to public service broadcasting and consider the extent to which Late Night Woman’s Hour meets the BBC remit to inform, educate and entertain
The broadcast has only female contributors, is made up predominantly of unadorned dialogue (without music, sound effects etc.) and the topic is explored using intellectual and specialised vocabulary
The podcast offers a number of ways to explore recent changes to the radio industry in relation to digital technology such as the profound changes that have been brought about by switching from analogue FM radio to digital audio broadcasting (DAB), and the boom in downloading and streaming.
A brief history of radio before the mid1990s should allow learners to appreciate the significance of podcasting and listening to broadcasts on digitally convergent platforms such as computers and smartphones
In November 2018, the BBC launched its BBC Sounds streaming service, featuring live broadcasting, audio-on-demand and podcasts
Late Night Woman’s Hour used to have an 11pm broadcast time that was suitable for the adult discussions taking place. The switch to weekly podcast gives the producers more time to discuss a greater range of issues, but the topics and discussion are less explicit. Episodes can be any length, usually 10-30 minutes
Podcasts have soared in popularity in the past few years, with many - such as Serial - becoming cultural events in their own right
Minority groups who have traditionally been excluded from mainstream radio have used podcasts to find a voice, and producers have utilised the lack of regulation to discuss controversial issues, especially personal or sexual matters
Female-produced podcasts such as The High Low and The Broad Experience not only explore issues affecting women in society, they also attract high profile guests that rival those of traditional radio. Comedy podcast Dope Queens even had Michelle Obama as a guest!
BBC Radio, whilst being a traditional media institution, does not treat these independent podcasts as competition. Rather they build a symbiotic relationship with the presenters, often inviting them to guest on BBC Radio programmes (Radio 1, 4 and 6 particularly do this)
A good example of this is regular LNWH guest Chidera Eggerue, who writes and presents The Slumflower blog and podcast. Controversial comments she made about race and feminism were re-tweeted and shared across social media, creating debate and promoting the ‘edgy and candid’ brand identity of both The Slumflower and LNWH
The current presenter is Emma Barnett, a journalist and broadcaster, who also presents the BBC Radio 5 Live late morning show
She also writes the ‘Tough Love’ ‘agony aunt’ advice column in the Sunday Times Magazine, where she explores extremes of peoples’ personal lives
Her style therefore is lighthearted yet unafraid to explore emotionally sensitive issues. This suits the LNWM format
Barnett took over from founding presenter Lauren Laverne, who was renowned for bringing controversial, adult and explicit content to the Woman’s Hour brand, which previously had a ‘safe’ reputation
The podcast format - available without age restrictions or post-watershed scheduling - may have needed a less controversial host
The topics are not strictly based around female experiences. Though topics like ‘extreme breastfeeding’ are female-centric, other discussions about grief, male/female friendships and modern slavery offer a female perspective on issues that would also interest male listeners
Power and Media Industries - Curran and Seaton
It could be argued that Late Night Woman’s Hour challenges the idea that media is controlled by a small number of companies driven by the logic of profit and power
Whilst the BBC is inarguably a large, significant company, the nature of PSB (discussed above) and the content of the broadcast seem to be at odds with the “logic of profit and power”
Late Night Woman’s Hour podcast format might also be used to support Curran and Seaton’s idea that socially diverse patterns of ownership help create conditions for varied and adventurous productions
Regulation ‐ Livingston and Lunt
As a PSB, the BBC has quite strict guidelines about what content can be broadcast or published. BBC1 for instance rarely features sex, nudity or swearing, and all the broadcast channels (TV and radio) follow the ‘watershed’.
The original LNWH was broadcast at 11pm on Radio 4, where shocking discussions and swearing were acceptable
The podcast version is somewhat ‘safer’ and less controversial, whilst having uncompromising and honest discussion
This seems to challenge Livingston and Lunt’s assumption that ‘new media’ is harder to regulate
The BBC has considered the access of potential audiences and regulated within the institution
The sacking of Radio 2 DJ Danny Baker in May 2019 after an inappropriate tweet shows how strictly the BBC regulates their content
Audience Context
A gendered discussion of the podcast is likely to benefit from some context regarding the changing roles of women in the UK over the past 70 years
Woman’s Hour was originally broadcast in the 1940s and candidates might consider how different life in the UK is for women now (possibly focusing on shifts from the 1950s housewife towards the independence of young women in the 1960s and comparing this with present day)
There has been a raised awareness about inequality between males and females in the media, and the BBC has made efforts to address gender imbalance
With a roster of female presenters across it’s radio channels, some people have questioned the relevance of a show just dedicated to women, and then having a ‘late night’ spin-off
The impact of the #MeToo campaign and other social media campaigns highlighting sexism, and the popularity of women’s podcasts, show there is a diverse and engaged audience for ‘women’s media’
The Spectator described the initial response to the show as a “twitter storm” and candidates might discuss the ways in which the broadcast has been designed to invite audience members to enter the discussion through social media platforms.
The topics in the podcast tend to be more focused on personal experiences, some serious (e.g. ‘taking your child to work’) some more lighthearted (e.g. ‘objects you just can’t throw away’) compared to the broadcast version
In 2014 the BBC famously introduced a ban on all-male TV and radio panels to offset this dominance