At a Ipsos MORI event, Kim McNally spoke about some of the BBC's research on breakfast radio. Here are some of the notes we took:
What do people want from breakfast radio?
Starting Gun - "to discover what's happened while I slept"
Markers - time checks, familiar moments, which help with regulating and scheduling the morning routine
Rollercoaster - music/speech to match my mood
Human Connections - hearing the first 'real people' of the day
Shared Experience - listening 'together alone'
- Source: BBC Qualitative Research 2011
Breakfast radio is important
The total time spent listening at breakfast time represents a large chunk of the radio station as a whole. For Chris Moyles on BBC Radio 1, his breakfast show started with 21% of the total hours of Radio 1; by the end of his eight years on the station that figure had grown to 29%.
But breakfast radio is not always the peak time
Particularly for radio on new platforms, the peak time can be at other times of the day - representative of peoples' access to these new platforms. BBC Radio 6music's peak is at 12.30pm; BBC Asian Network has a peak at teatime; BBC Radio 1Xtra has its highest figures at 10.00pm, and BBC Radio 4Extra's peak is even later, at 11.00pm. (Source: RAJAR)
What else?
According to the BBC's research, all the 'best' presenters - like Chris Evans, as one example - also appear to be the most polarising. Other people call this "the Marmite effect".
Audiences overwhelmingly are asking for "ease of use" from new technology and new platforms.
Social media does not necessarily bring new listeners. The BBC sees social media use as being a loyalty-builder, rather than a method of gaining new listeners.
What makes great breakfast radio?
