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BBC Radio 1’s Brit List in 2018

2018-06-08T08:00:00+00:00

Jorja Smith

Brit List was a radio first when it launched in February 2017, offering unprecedented and sustained playlist support for emerging, home-grown talent. By giving a three-single commitment to new artists, from Stormzy and Anne Marie to The Amazons and J Hus, we’re proud to have played a part breaking exceptional UK artists at home and internationally.

Just before Christmas we announced the first three Brit List artists of 2018 - Mabel, Isaac Gracie and Jorja Smith, whose stunning single Blue Lights is currently on the Radio 1 ‘A’ list ahead of her debut album release today. All three acts are steadily growing their stories, including stellar performances in Swansea last month for BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend.

But artist development takes time and I wanted to highlight the success of an act we added to Radio 1’s Brit List back in July 2017 and that’s Tom Walker, a talented and rising singer-songwriter whose story is really beginning to grow internationally.

Like all Brit List alumni, Tom’s three-single playlist commitment included at least one ‘A’ List. Knowing that you have the long term support of a major national network in your home territory is a powerful calling card to help build your story outside the BBC, which is exactly what Tom has done.

His single Leave A Light On was added to the Radio 1 playlist for a second time last month and is now receiving widespread airplay across Europe. It will break the UK Top 15 this week and worldwide sales are set to break a million.

We’re always really encouraged by stories like Tom’s; of British artists using the springboard that the Brit List offers to open up other media and new territories. That’s exactly the international artist development ambition we had in mind when Brit List was conceived. You can read more about Tom’s story.

So I’m delighted to announce that Radio 1 is opening another Brit List submission window for three more exceptional, emerging UK acts. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday 22 June and you can find the submission guidelines here.

Good luck!

Chris Price, Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra

Weekend starts early on Radio 1

2018-04-10T11:00:00+00:00

'Weekend Breakfast with Dev and Alice' to start on Fridays from June

Today (Tuesday 10 April) BBC Radio 1 announced a new schedule for Fridays, due to start in June 2018. Controller of the station, Ben Cooper, explains how he came to say 'yes' to a four day week:

When Chris Evans presented the Radio 1 Breakfast Show he asked for Fridays off. The conversation didn’t go well. The then Controller Matthew Bannister said ‘No’ and the dramatic consequences were played out on the front pages of the national press.

As today’s Controller of Radio 1 I can now, twenty one years later, say ‘yes’ to the idea. Why? Because I believe by having a four day week and a three day weekend, it will grow weekend audiences, allowing week day listeners the chance to hear our fantastic set of new weekend shows on a Friday and pull them across into Saturday and Sunday.

Plus, who doesn’t like weekends? Fridays are different from the rest of the week. You are in a better mood. You are planning how to have fun, who to meet up with and where to go. And I want us to capture that feeling and excitement on air.

Radio 1’s objective is to attract new, young and diverse audiences into the BBC. And in today’s digitally disrupted market place Radio 1 needs to innovate and reinvent the way it attracts audiences to its programmes and content.

Our strategy of ‘Listen, Watch, Share’ has been working to great effect and has meant that not only have we got over 10 million listeners a week to our radio station, but also we have over 10.7 million views a week on our YouTube channel and 10 million followers on social media. Today though is not about views or likes, it is about looking at our radio schedule and being brave, surprising the industry and most of all trying something new that we believe our listeners will enjoy and love.

Growing new young audiences for the BBC and developing new talent for the industry is what I want Radio 1 to be famous for, alongside its mainstay of breaking new UK artists. The three ambitions though are symbiotic. Radio 1 can keep attracting new audiences if it keeps making noise and trying new things with presenters that reflect youth culture and that are passionate about the new music they play.

Radio 1 is a world famous brand and I want it to stay that way — for the BBC, for the UK Music Industry and most of all for young audiences. By never being boring, always innovating and by celebrating the weekend a day early, I strongly believe we can achieve that. As Chris Evans would say TFI Friday.

Ben Cooper is Controllerof BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network.

A minute of inspiration on International Women’s Day

2018-03-08T12:35:00+00:00

Four inspiring women from across the BBC have taken part in 60-second quickfire video interviews for International Women’s Day - discussing their own inspirations and tips for the next generation wanting to follow in their footsteps.

The videos feature television presenter and journalist, Stacey Dooley, BBC Radio 1 DJ and presenter, Clara Amfo, a producer on Blue Planet II, Orla Doherty, and Newsbeat Editor, Debbie Ramsay.

In each one minute clip, the women also discuss their career highlights to date, their most challenging moments and their most valuable advice on how to succeed in their line of work.

Known for her intrepid and tenacious reporting style, television presenter and journalist, Stacey Dooley, has become a household name with a string of gritty and hard-hitting BBC Three documentaries under her belt. In her interview, Stacey reveals the scariest moment of her career so far, the biggest influence in her life and gives her professional advice to aspiring reporters: “Pick projects that you’re passionate about, and don’t feel like you’ve got to conform or behave a certain way.”

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/bbcthree/status/971672009615831040

BBC Radio 1 DJ and presenter Clara Amfo has had a glittering career in the music industry. With a voice that can be recognised across the nation, Clara has a regular presenting slot on the Radio 1 weekday schedule, she has interviewed the biggest names in the music industry, and presented from some of the most prestigious music festivals and awards ceremonies. Watch the clip to discover Clara’s scariest interview, the DJ who inspires her the most, and, most importantly, her top advice for aspiring music presenters and DJs: “Keep creating your own content, don’t wait for the door to knock.”

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/BBC/status/971664316712849408

Fearless, adventurous, and with a lifetime pursuit to unearth and explore the undiscovered secrets of the ocean, Orla Doherty is one of the producers behind the breath-taking Blue Planet II on BBC One. In her interview, Orla shares what inspires her, the best and worst thing about travelling in a submarine, and gives her advice to aspiring film and nature enthusiasts - including why all you need is a smartphone to hone in on your skills.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/BBCEarth/status/971686966726156289

One of the BBC’s most experienced multi-platform editors, Debbie Ramsay is currently the editor of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s Newsbeat. In her one minute clip, Debbie gives an insight into her job, reveals who inspires her, and offers her top three tips to aspiring editors who have a drive to succeed in the media industry.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/BBCNewsbeat/status/971724719782166529

And if you are in search of further inspiration look no further than the BBC:

BBC Somali: For the first time, BBC Somali hosts an all-female discussion and tells the stories of women across the region as part of a week of special content to coincide with International Women’s day. Running from the 3-8 March 2018, special content can be heard and seen on BBC Somali TV, Radio and BBCSomali.com.
BBC Radio 6 Music: On BBC Radio 6 Music, in her show this Friday night (midnight-2am), Nemone interviews with The Black Madonna - DJ Marea Stamper - who picks her five favourite tracks by female artists. Singer-songwriter and composer Mary Epworth will be the guest Resident sound-tracking the show. Plus, all the music played during the whole show will be tracks by female artists including: Sounds of Blackness – the pressure (Frankie Knuckles mix), The Black Madonna – He is the Voice I Hear; Robyn – Indestructable (the Black Madonna remix) and Loleata Holloway – We’re Getting Stronger.
More on BBC Radio 6 Music: From Time’s Up to "Step Up?!” - An International Women’s Day Investigation. In recent months the conversation about inequality in the music business has been louder than ever. To mark International Women’s Day, 6 Music’s Georgie Rogers takes a look at representation of females in music: Shirley Manson, Wolf Alice, Royal Blood, Jessie Ware, music writer Jessica Hopper (Pitchfork, Spin, Guardian) and many more chat about the changes afoot in the music business.
Even more of BBC Radio 6 Music: This weekend, 6 Music is celebrating three of Mary Anne’s favourite new female artists as part of a post-International Women’s Day show. There's profiles of Anna Von Hausswolff, Flohio and Aldous Harding, and also a look at an exhibition in Manchester, ‘Suffragette City’, which champions the continued role of influential females in making Manchester world-renowned for melody.

BBC Radio 5 Live: Three young women with cancer are launching a brand new podcast with BBC Radio 5 live. You, Me and The Big C explores life with cancer through the eyes of three friends who are too busy living to worry about dying. Presenters, Rachael Bland, Deborah James and Lauren Mahon are the powerhouses behind the pod, talking about how they all juggle jobs, parenting, and busy social lives with The Big C. You, Me and The Big C is available to download for free via the BBC Radio 5 live website or your usual podcast store.
Technology and Creativity blog: Meanwhile, over on the Technology and Creativity blog Angela Stevenson, Senior Technologist, BBC Design & Engineering describes some of the inspirations for her career choices to mark International Women's Day in Inspiring the next generation.
BBC Radio 4 Extra: R4 Extra presenters introduce the voices of inspirational women from the BBC archives in International Women's Day: Voices of Inspirational Women.

BBC Radio 1’s Brit List in 2018

2017-11-03T10:00:00+00:00

Since launching Brit List in February, Radio 1 has offered a platform to nine emerging British artists that showed the potential to connect with mainstream audiences in the UK and internationally. Anne-Marie, Declan McKenna, J Hus, JP Cooper, Sampha, Stefflon Don, Stormzy, The Amazons and Tom Walker all received a three-single playlist commitment, accelerating them to the Radio 1 ‘A list’ over the course of their debut campaigns.

On top of this playlist commitment, we have worked closely with each artist to build other editorial opportunities such as Live Lounge performances and iPlayer programmes – watch out for the ‘Home Turf’ series launching in December with Anne-Marie, Declan McKenna and The Amazons. The first six Brit List acts were all invited to perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Hull, and happily five were able to join us, Stormzy on the Main Stage.

We’re delighted to have played a part in all of these artists’ success stories, highlights of which include a number one album for Stormzy and a Mercury Music Prize win for Sampha. In fact, Sampha, The Amazons and JP Cooper’s debut albums all landed in the Top 10, and there have been numerous hit singles for the likes of Stefflon Don, J Hus, Anne-Marie and others. All nine Brit List acts have been able to build their live plot with Radio 1’s help too.

So I’m very pleased to say that Brit List will continue into next year, and I’m thrilled now to open a submission window for our first three artists of 2018 – guidelines below. Note that, as with the second round announced in June, we have dropped the original requirement that applicants must not have an album in the market. All artists – signed or unsigned – are welcome to submit, as long as they are not widely known to mainstream British audiences.

Brit List is about supercharging the campaigns of emerging British artists at just the right tipping point in their career - a long-term partnership aimed at accelerating progress from ‘20 to 100’. The next three successful applicants, like the first nine, will have enjoyed some success already. The guidelines here are there to help you decide when to pitch. The submission window for the next three Brit List acts closes at 5pm on Friday 24th November.

Good luck!

Chris Price, Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra

Read also Radio 1’s Brit List – An Update from June 2017

Radio 1’s Brit List – An Update

2017-06-13T12:16:59+00:00

Earlier this year we announced the launch of Brit List, a Radio 1 initiative aimed at giving new, UK artists the best possible chance of long-term success at home and internationally. Our first six Brit List acts, Anne-Marie, Declan McKenna, JP Cooper, Sampha, Stormzy and The Amazons, all received a three-single playlist commitment, developing them to the Radio 1 ‘A list’ over the course of their debut campaigns.

In addition to this long-term playlist commitment, we have worked closely with each artist to craft other opportunities such as Live Lounge performances, an iPlayer documentary series, and – in partnership with BBC Music – three Brit List artists will embark on a short tour of North America later this year. All six artists were invited to perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, and happily five were able to join us, Stormzy on the main stage.

Launching Brit List was not just about committing to the artists themselves, but also about giving confidence to the wider market, in the hope of encouraging other radio, TV, streaming services and retailers to add their support. I’m happy to report that many of the six acts selected have seen just that – commercial radio going bigger and sooner than would otherwise have been the case, as well as TV and streaming editorial following suit. The Amazons have just landed a Top 10 for their eponymous debut album.

As the partnership with our first six artists continues, I’m thrilled now to open a submission window for a further three Brit List acts (with another three to come in the autumn). Read on for the submission guidelines, which are very similar to the first round in February. Note however that we have dropped the requirement that artists must not have an album in the market. All new British artists are now eligible as long as they are not widely known to the UK general public. Note also that the submission email address has changed.

Brit List aims to supercharge the campaigns of emerging British artists at just the right early tipping point in their career. Rather than propelling them from nought to twenty, as BBC Introducing or the Sound Of poll do, Brit List is about accelerating emerging artists from twenty to one hundred. To that end, the next three successful applicants – like the first six – will have enjoyed some success already.

The guidelines here are there to help you decide when to pitch. The submission window for the next three Brit List acts closes at 5pm on Friday 30th June.

Good luck!

Chris Price is Head of Music at BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra.

Radio 1 and 1Xtra inspire young people to pledge #1MillionHours volunteering in 2016

2016-12-22T17:00:00+00:00

Rebecca Frank, Head of Production, Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network, celebrates Radio 1 and 1Xtra's successful #1MillionHours campaign.

It feels like the given script that 2016 has been “quite the year”. Amongst political turmoil, a string of legends passing on, and Leicester winning the Premier League, it’s been no ordinary 12 months.

Alongside that backdrop of high-drama in the media, something else was quietly brewing amongst thousands of Radio 1 and 1Xtra listeners in 2016. We put the ultimate challenge to them last December, when we launched our #1MillionHours campaign. This was our most ambitious social action movement ever, all about motivating our audience to volunteer, giving their time to those in need. For the first time we partnered directly with four national charities (Age UK, Cancer Research UK, Barnardo’s and Oxfam), who have worked with us tirelessly to make this campaign alive and thriving in the real world.

Two marketing campaigns, a cross promotional campaign with ‘Do Something Great’ on BBC TV, three documentaries, six weeks of priority air time and countless visits to organisations by our DJs later, we reached a grand total of 1,122,065 hours pledged to good causes by our listeners. That's over 15,000 8-hour shifts promised to help others. Now comes the real bit, when those organisations have to work with those pledgers to match them to an activity in the real world.

We’re acutely aware of the trust our listeners put in us on a daily basis; from recommending music to being their source of news - and we never take that power for granted. By using our platform for a campaign like this, our intention was to channel that power as a force for good.

Listeners could pledge 8, 16 or 24 hours of time to various volunteering opportunities with our partners, that they can complete over the next year. From working in shops, to helping in children's play centres and daycare centres for older people, cheerleading at fun runs and helping in festivals, the opportunities are as much about young people gaining skills, confidence and material for CVs that benefits them, as they are about helping others. A survey Radio 1 and 1Xtra conducted last year taught us that after the cause itself, personal benefit was the next biggest reason for young people wanting to volunteer. We also encouraged our audience to pledge to any organisation they wanted via social media. The hashtag has become a veritable pin board for smaller organisations up and down the country to recruit people, something we hope continues as a natural legacy.

It's no accident that we didn't use the word ‘volunteering’ within the name of our campaign. Many organisations we worked with told us it could be hard to recruit young people to give their time, largely due to having to somehow cut through the noise on the social media feeds that they’re consuming every day. Committing to volunteer properly is just that - a commitment in the real world, with sometimes very direct consequences. It's a tough ask, and one that needed more than the existing army of superstar volunteers out there. Our campaign was also about motivating people who had never thought of giving their time before. It was about utilising that influence to stimulate the curiosity in the most unlikely of listeners, just because their favourite DJ encouraged them, or they saw a film that made them think.

Last night on Radio 1, 10 DJs congregated to celebrate the final #1MillionHours total. There was a definite letting-of-hair-down activity hosted by Greg James, with a mulled wine rendition of Innuendo Bingo, and a rap battle between Alice Levine and Matt Edmondson. But in between the jokes the presenters were reflecting on #1MillionHours, reliving heart-stopping conversations between them and people affected by volunteering throughout the year. Perhaps most memorable was Scott Mills encounter with 94-year-old Louise, who spoke about her loneliness and the impact a weekly visit had on her life. The audience was palpably moved, and responded in their droves.

Now the #1MillionHours army is assembled, the real work begins. We'll stay in touch with our partners to track who took the next step, so that we can keep a better understanding of what motivates and excites our listeners. We're proud to have been a part of so many people's first exploration of volunteering.

Rebecca Frank is Head of Production, Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network

Find out more about #1Millionhours

Radio 1 Academy goes to Devon

2016-05-15T07:22:17+00:00

Radio 1’s Big Weekend is the highlight of Radio 1’s calendar. Every year we get to visit a different part of the UK, meet our audience face-to-face, and party with them alongside some of the biggest artists in the world.

But it’s not just about the music and the event itself. In the lead up to Big Weekend we also meet thousands of 16 to 19-year-olds at our Radio 1 Academy events. These are a series of bespoke workshops, sessions, gigs and Q&As specifically designed for young people in the local area. We talk to a range of people months in advance, from focus groups, to community groups and local councils, to find out what they would like, and what we can bring to the table. We then spend weeks with our colleagues in BBC Learning shaping a programme of activities, which will give people

We then spend weeks with our colleagues in BBC Learning shaping a programme of activities, which will give people hands-on experience, as well as behind-the-scenes insights into everything from how presenters run their social media accounts to putting on a radio show. There are also opportunities to meet Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJs, whether it’s in a mixing workshop, a demo listening session, or just to ask those questions you’ve always wanted to ask.

This year in Devon, we’re working with 2 local councils, Exeter City Council and Teignbridge District Council, and we’ve created a month long season of events across both areas, with around 7,000 opportunities for young people to get involved.

We kicked off with Radio 1 DJ Dev hosting 'A Day In The Life Of Radio 1' at Hannah’s at Seale Hayne. He was also joined by his production team and our Head of Programmes, Rhys Hughes, who gave loads of valuable advice on working in the industry.

We also book in some big name guests - we love to surprise people. Friend of Radio 1, Craig David, made an appearance at Coombeshead Academy to talk about his career and perform an acoustic set of some of his most memorable songs. We also had our very own Annie Mac and Charlie Sloth deliver a 10-minute talk on their journey to becoming a successful presenter including personal branding and authenticity - both are up on Radio 1’s YouTube channel.

The month culminates in five days (17-21 May) of activity at Exeter Phoenix, where we’ll be broadcasting live each day, and our Live Lounge artists will be recorded there too including Aluna George, Laura Mvula and Jake Bugg. There’s far too much to mention here, but to give you a taste of the range of sessions, we’ve got Tinie Tempah in conversation with Clara Amfo, a 'How To Get a Job In Music' speed meet (a bit like speed dating, but with professionals in the music industry), a pitching workshop with some of the ‘Dragons’ from Dragons’ Den, and a TV and film Q&A including a Game of Thrones camera operator on the panel. There's also a rare chance to see first-hand how the Radio 1 playlist meeting operates featuring our Head of Music and the entire playlist team.

The theme of the 2016 Radio 1 Academy is 'creativity' – all the sessions and workshops will be about the different ways people can use their creative talents, from song writing to making props for festivals, to thinking up new games for Scott Mills to play on the radio. We are looking forward to inspiring thousands of young people to take the first step towards a creative career.

You can find our jam-packed list of sessions on the Radio 1 Academy website now.

We are really proud of the enthusiasm, passion and determination of the young people in the region to better themselves, help their friends, and their community – I hope you are too.

Louise Kattenhorn is Editor, Radio 1 & Radio 1 Xtra.

Find out more about BBC Radio 1's Academy.
Read the press release unveiling the BBC Introducing stage line up at the Big Weekend on the Media Centre website.

Why Radio 1 and 1Xtra have asked young people to pledge 1 million hours

2016-01-26T10:00:00+00:00

As Star Wars continues to break daily records in the cinemas, it’s hard to move for talk of ‘The Force’. An indefinable and benign power, which when used in the right way can literally rid the world of evil. While not wanting to over-inflate Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s role on the planet - and certainly not to draw any direct parallels between Luke Skywalker and our presenters - we never take for granted the influence we have over our audience, and the trust they have in us to guide them in many areas of life.

That trust has allowed us to bring our precious audience with us on our #1MillionHours year-long volunteering campaign which launched in December. We want to encourage our audience to give 1 million hours of their time to good causes over the next 12 months - and there’s nothing like a big target to motivate: In the first month of the campaign, over 100,000 hours of volunteering were pledged to good causes - an amazing start, and something we hope helps to inspire others.

#1MillionHours is Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s most ambitious social action project to date. Time is a precious thing, but in a world where money rules, it feels right to subvert the usual ask, and motivate real action instead. In an unprecedented move we are side by side with four of the UK’s most experienced charities; Age UK, Barnardo’s, Cancer Research UK and Oxfam. Most people will be affected or moved by the work one of those organisations does at some point in their life, so being able to bring stories and causes to life via those partnerships has felt fresh.

Listeners can pledge 8, 16 or 24 hours for various volunteering opportunities that they can cash in over the next year. From working in shops, to helping in children's play centres and daycare centres for older people, cheerleading at fun runs and helping in festivals, the opportunities are as much about them gaining skills, confidence and material for CVs themselves. A survey Radio 1 and 1Xtra conducted last year taught us that after the cause itself, personal benefit was the next biggest reason for young people wanting to volunteer.

Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac volunteer for #1MillionHours

#1MillionHours is also about wrapping our arms around the thriving volunteering sector as a whole. Aside from our featured charities, there are so many inventive and hard working organisations, both national and local, already relying on the kindness of strangers and motivating young people to take part in something ‘more’. From the familiar Guides and Scouts to newer organisations like IWill.org.uk, we plan to shine a spotlight on good works in progress. What Radio 1 and 1Xtra can bring to their expertise, is scale, and our ability to pull people together. We see ourselves as the link between our loyal army of young listeners and those organisations, so we’re encouraging our audience to pledge time to any cause close to their heart too via social media, using the #1MillionHours hashtag.

The first drive in December was about getting the #1MillionHours message out there, establishing intentions with our audience, and connecting fully with the sector. We’re excited to be gathering many faces from the volunteering world in January to plot the detail of the rest of the challenge ahead. Our use of ‘The Force’ there will be about encouraging collaboration and hopefully matchmaking between likeminded organisations. We're in a unique position to be able to do that, and for that we have endless energy to reach targets like #1MillionHours.

Our audiences trust us to get them the best new music, the most accurate and relevant news, the latest in the world of entertainment, the most up-to-date everything. Having earned the trust of a loyal group of young people, comes the potential to inspire and make waves in their lives beyond pop culture. So Radio 1 and 1Xtra have come to consider ourselves a force for good in the UK for young people - ensuring we curate the best advice for getting ahead in their careers, dealing with the trials and tribulations of first times, and how to stay safe and happy in a complicated world.

But our definition of this ‘Force’ is more than our own weight and influence; we have a strong belief that our young listeners themselves are a positive power, ready and able to change their world for the better. At events we do with and for young people up and down the country, we are always struck (but never surprised) at how motivated and curious our audience is to change things. As grand as this sounds, the swell of good intentions is often flooring.

From Radio 1’s Academy, 1Xtra’s outreach sessions, Internet Safety focuses and our weekly Surgery programme, to the newly launched #1MillionHours campaign, Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s commitment to utilising our platforms, talent and staff for something ‘more’ is second-to-none. Beyond our public service duties, it’s just what we do on the 8th floor of New Broadcasting House and is one of the many reasons that Radio 1 is distinctive.

Rebecca Frank is Editor, Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

Visit the #1MillionHours website for more information and advice on how to pledge.

Experience the full breadth of Newsbeat's content with the Newsbeat app

2015-06-23T08:00:00+00:00

News and current affairs is an important part of BBC Radio 1's Service Licence (issued by the BBC Trust). The latest addition to Radio 1's news output - the new Newsbeat app reflects this. Here, Louisa Compton, Editor of Radio 1's Newsbeat introduces the new app.

This week we launch the new Newsbeat app for android mobiles and iphones. It's a key part of our drive to make Newsbeat more social and mobile focused.

Over half of 16-24 year olds say that smartphone is their preferred device to look at news websites or apps* and over the last year we've made huge strides in improving our digital offering. Around ten million people listen to us each week on Radio 1/1Xtra and we now reach millions of extra people a week online.

So what can you expect from the Newsbeat app?

A truly mobile experience, our app makes it easier to experience the full breadth of Newsbeat's content. Swipe quickly from story to story, navigate by using interactive cards that tilt and wobble under your fingertips. Enjoy slick visual effects on text and images. If you're really interested in one particular topic - anything from Star Wars to gay marriage to One Direction - you can browse all of our coverage by hitting the tags at the bottom of every page.

You can share stories at the touch a button, to any social network you already use on your phone: Whatsapp, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and many more. And when you do press share, you'll automatically get a great picture and a headline that makes sense, within your post.

Newsbeat is aimed at 16-24 year olds and our online offering will focus on these main areas:

deliver the best of our original journalism
entertainment news
social trends and big interviews
stories you really care about

Our relationship with you is key - you tell us what stories you want us to cover, and we listen to you. Stories are arranged in categories including latest, most popular, music, entertainment, tech, sport and - "you what?" - random stories that may take you by surprise.

We won't just be writing text articles. Video is key. We know you are increasingly watching videos on your mobiles and tablets and longer films at home later in the day. We are beginning to make some fantastic films and short-form documentaries and I hope you check them out on our new site as well as our YouTube channel. From our regular "sex or chocolate" feature to short form documentaries on drag kings or Generation Rent. We also do fantastic explainers on subjects like why we cry or how to get the best out of revision.

All the day's stories are automatically stored offline, so you can read them on the tube, or on the move without eating into your mobile data plan.We've also tailored our storytelling for mobile screens. The app takes the trending stories from social media and puts them in front of you directly, in the form of embedded tweets, Instagrams, YouTube videos or Soundcloud clips, contextualised with our commentary. It's a first for BBC News.

Don't worry if your phone doesn't run Android or iOS: our responsive website is designed to work beautifully on any device. I hope you like the app - we'll continue to improve it and listen to your feedback. Do download it for free and tell us what you think.

*Source: Ofcom Adults' media use and attitudes 2015

Louisa Compton is Editor of Newsbeat

Download the Radio 1 Newsbeat app for free from the Apple and Android app store
Newsbeat is also available online and is broadcast on Radio 1 at 12.45pm and 17.45pm daily.

Radio 1 launches on BBC iPlayer

2014-11-10T07:59:12+00:00

Radio 1 on BBC iPlayer

Last week the BBC Trust approved the BBC's proposal to launch a dedicated channel on BBC iPlayer for Radio 1 listeners. In this post, Controller Ben Cooper introduces the service and explains some of the thinking behind it.

Last month saw yet another report outlining the changing media habits of the UK. And as with most seismic changes, the younger end of the population are leading the charge. The report - Ofcom’s report into children’s media use - found that 1 in 3 children have their own tablet. This compares to 1 in 7 who have a radio in their bedroom.

That’s just 14% of children (down from 43% in 2009) who are able to fulfil the cliché of listening to the radio under the covers. The options for what they do choose to do have never been broader.

For those of us who work in the radio industry, this is further statistical evidence of what we know anecdotally: if we want to remain relevant to young audiences, we need to have a presence on their screens.

Even the most passionate radio advocates know that we need to continue to evolve our offering and ensure we give our young audience a reason to forsake Minecraft and GTA and spend their precious screen time with us instead.

This insight has fuelled Radio 1’s strategy over the last few years, a strategy known at the BBC as: Listen, Watch, Share. Listen is still the most crucial element, with Radio 1 continuing to reach around 40% of all 15 to 24 year olds in the UK every week.

Share informs both our social media activity and also the distinctive content that our production teams produce for our young audience. It has become a regular discipline to ask what element of a programme or event is shareable. Our listeners are an army of potential advocates, all with their own individual audience. So, we need to provide them with the content to spread amongst their networks.

Which leaves Watch. Up to this point we at Radio 1 have focussed our visual efforts on YouTube. Our successes have been well documented in this area, not least being recognised by the Guinness Book of Records when we became the first radio station to hit a million subscribers. We currently sit at somewhere over 1.6 million subscribers, and our videos have a combined watch time of over a billion minutes.

It is brilliant, short form videos – and we will continue to deliver this.

Greg James goes behind the scenes at Radio 1, introducing the station's new presence on iPlayer.

This morning, our place on the tablets (and the phones, the laptops and the TVs) of the nation’s youth becomes even more established, as a Radio 1 channel is launched in BBC iPlayer.

Our launch programmes give a sense of what is to come: Live Lounges with Taylor Swift, Royal Blood and Adele; the very best of Radio 1’s Teen Awards; brand new talent, including Zoella and Thatcher Joe filmed making their Radio debut; and, Jack and Dean hosting a brand new Official Chart Bite. The kind of programmes that you cannot see anywhere else but Radio 1.

What you'll find on iPlayer will focus on Radio 1 live events, our family of brilliant presenters, and, of course, the lives of our young audience. Underpinning much of this is our dedication to discovering and curating the best new music.

It certainly feels exciting to see it come to fruition - having been a year since it was first mentioned (we like to get on with things in the nimble radio industry). Our challenge is to continue to develop a proposition that both brings new young audiences to BBC iPlayer and also acts as another access point for audiences to discover the breadth of incredible content that Radio 1 delivers.

Ben Cooper is Controller, BBC Radio 1

Radio 1 on BBC iPlayer launched on Monday 10 November 2014

Teenagers who change the world

2014-10-16T16:20:10+00:00

There are two clichés of teenagers in mainstream media – that of monosyllabic grunting threatening trouble makers, or the front page photo of two long haired blond girls hugging as they celebrate their exam results.

Sure they exist, but Radio 1 wants to shout proudly about all of the young people living in our society and the fantastically diverse lives being experienced in the UK today. We not only reflect and celebrate youth culture through its music, but also through the stories that we tell in between the records. This Tuesday we tell the stories of ‘10 Teens Who Changed the World’. It will inspire you, and depending on your age, make you wish you’d been able to make your mark on the world before you were twenty.

The first teen we hear from won the Nobel Peace Prize last week – it is the incredible and inspirational story of Malala Yousafrzai. You will know Malala as the teenager who refused to be silenced by the Taliban, but closer to home do you know about Eliza Rebeiro from Croydon? At 14 she found herself excluded from school, and after a friend was killed, set up ‘Lives Not Knives’. She’s gone from printing 100 T-Shirts that she sold to friends, to speaking out against knife crime to over 10,000 school pupils a year. Or do you know about Brittany Wenger, who, when aged 17, developed a software program that is over 99% effective in diagnosing breast cancer – which all sprung from a school project she was working on.

These stories are part of BBC Radio 1’s annual celebration of positive messages about teenagers. To find out who the other seven are you’ll have to listen to the show. Also you should try to listen or watch the Radio 1 Teen Awards this Sunday at Wembley Arena. It’s a huge event in the calendar for our audience, whether they’re with us at Wembley or getting involved from home, and I’m very proud that we can bring British teens together for one big positive moment. Around 9,000 young people will scream as loudly for their music, TV, film, sport and vlogging heroes, as they do for the four Teen Hero Award winners. These are the young people rewarded for their fundraising or caring, for overcoming adversity or for the helping of others. It’s quite an emotional moment when an arena full of teenagers is cheering and clapping total strangers for their selfless efforts.

Obviously they will quickly return to holding their phones back in the air or checking them for status updates, but that’s a cliché I’m happy to use.

Ben Cooper is Contoller, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Radio 1’s Newsbeat rips up the rulebook to lure young listeners

2014-10-12T16:59:33+00:00

In an article published on Media Guardian today:

“We are looking at ideas for the general election that involve telling some of the stories through a series of games, that kind of thing,” says Radio 1 Newsbeat editor Louisa Compton. “Newsbeat really should be pushing at the boundaries in a way that the rest of BBC News can’t necessarily do.”

Compton’s 15-minute lunchtime and teatime bulletins have a combined weekly reach of around 3.3 million listeners (compared to an overall Radio 1 audience of just under 11 million). More 15 to 24-year-olds (34% of them) get their news from Newsbeat than from any other BBC TV or radio outlet. Compton says it’s a myth that young people are not interested in news; the challenge is how to reach them.

Read the rest of the interview on the Guardian website.

Soaking up BBC Radio 1 in Ibiza for the first time

2014-07-31T12:39:18+00:00

Radio 1 heads back to the White Isle for Summer 2014

Next week I'll be heading to Ibiza for my first Radio 1 in Ibiza experience.

As far as Ibiza goes I'm still pretty much a newbie. Last year was my first ever year on the island, the closest I came before that was a badly planned one night trip idea where a friend and I would party through the night and get the plane back in the morning - I was about 18 and my mate’s mum was having none of it.

I was born in the early 90s so Ibiza to me when I was a kid was Kevin & Perry Go Large, Fatboy Slim, You’ve Got the Love, loads of old tanned blokes in white linen, clips of Tiesto giving it Jesus arms to Adagio For Strings and It's All Gone Pete Tong. Those are the images and music videos I saw of Ibiza at the age of 14. There was a lot of Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and 808 State played in my house so from early, to me, Ibiza felt like the holy grail of dance music.

In a few days I'll be joining Grimmy, Annie Mac, Pete Tong and MistaJam on The Radio 1 Breakfast Show to kick off the weekend. Then later that evening we'll head to Ushuaia, a place I have yet to step foot in, for Radio 1's free party. That night I'll step up with fellow Radio 1 DJ, B.Traits for a back to back set alongside a stellar mix of underground and big room DJs. This still seems a bit mental to me, Ibiza is the world’s most iconic dance music location and to be a part of Radio 1’s infamous dance line-up on one of the biggest weekends on the island is crazy. I was still listening to Radio 1 in Ibiza in my bedroom four years ago, so to be playing there for the first time this year is a proper ‘pinch yourself’ moment. In all honesty I'm a bit nervous, but in the BEST way possible.

Although last year was my first time on the island, all of my visits so far have been short lived and passed by rather quickly. I almost feel like this will be my first proper visit to the island and as I'm yet to have that special Ibiza moment, I'm putting my cards on it coming with my first trip there with Radio 1.

I’ll be doing my best to bring all the craziness, atmosphere and music from Ibiza back to everyone in the UK. And maybe there will be a 14 year old watching or listening to me in their bedroom and they are inspired to one day be DJing in Ibiza like I will be!

BBC Radio 1 in Ibiza is taking place 1st - 3rd August.
Listen on Radio 1, online, on mobile and via the BBC iPlayer Radio app. Watch live at 7pm on 1st August at bbc.co.uk/radio1
BBC Playlister have published a Radio 1 in Ibiza playlist for the weekend.
Follow @Radio1Dance on Twitter and on Facebook.

George Ergatoudis on Radio 1’s Playlist

2014-07-29T11:05:53+00:00

In recent weeks there have been a few articles about Radio 1’s playlist selection process - some well-informed and some hopelessly wide of the mark. So I thought it would be useful to tell you how it actually works.

The Radio 1 playlist is one of the most famous and influential radio playlists in the world, respected globally by artists, the music industry and the public. So how are the 45 contemporary songs selected each week?

First, it’s worth clearing one thing up; while Radio 1 concentrates on appealing to a young audience, the age of the artist is not an issue. Whether they are 18 or 80 makes no difference to us, as long as their music is relevant to our listeners. And we certainly don’t ever ban artists.

But obviously in a competitive environment and with a limited number of playlist songs, we have to make tough decisions. This means we can’t avoid upsetting people sometimes. But just because an artist is famous or previously playlisted does not guarantee them a spot on the list; we judge each song on its merits and have an obligation to constantly seek out hot new UK acts too.

At the heart of the decision making process is a team of passionate and knowledgeable Radio 1 staff. As Head Of Music I have picked a group of people with diverse tastes and opinions. This is important, as Radio 1’s playlist must reflect many different genres – we have a broad and distinctive approach to music that makes the station sound unique. Every Wednesday afternoon the group sits down to discuss the playlist and to listen to new music.

The playlist consists of 45 contemporary tracks in any given week: 15 on the A list receiving approximately 25 plays per week; 15 on the B list getting approximately 13 plays; 10 on the C list receiving approximately 8 plays per week and 5 on the ‘In New Music We Trust’ list – supporting acts championed by our evening shows - receiving approximately 5 plays per week. At least 40% of the songs we play are by UK artists and our ambition is to break new music, to help discovery and to make a difference.

It’s worth noting that the playlist only runs during our ‘daytime’ programmes: generally from 4am in the morning until 7pm in the evening. After 7pm Radio 1 employs expert presenters like Zane Lowe and Annie Mac who work with their production teams to select the music they play. Our daytime programming also includes new tracks chosen by our presenters, recent hits and Radio 1’s Track Of The Day.

We start each week’s meeting by deciding which tracks to take off and then we listen to a host of potential new additions; on average we add 8 new songs every week. It would be fair to say that competition amongst artists has never been fiercer. Changes in technology and the internet have transformed music production and distribution and the end result is hundreds of potential new songs to assess every week. Of course this also means more artists than ever before don’t make it onto the playlist despite being entirely playable. We use objective information to help inform our decisions but the overwhelming factor is always our subjective passion.

By the end of the meeting, we have decided on a ‘backbone’ of new tracks for the next week. Not everyone agrees on every song, but I like to think we get it right most of the time – something I hope the millions of people who tune into Radio 1 would agree with. And, in doing so, we are regularly breaking new artists that might otherwise go undiscovered and championing great UK music here and internationally.

I hope that gives you a little bit more insight into how Radio 1 chooses the music you hear, and how we are working hard to find the next big thing.

George Ergatoudis, Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra

Radio 1 for the ‘head down’ generation

2014-07-28T10:05:37+00:00

Since Tony Hall’s speech last autumn we’ve been thinking further about what Radio 1 on BBC iPlayer means and we now want to share that with you.

If you are reading this on the bus or the train, look around you and see how many people are staring at a screen. Welcome to the HD generation – that’s the ‘Head Down’ generation.

As the Controller of one of our key ‘youth’ brands, whose job it is to engage the next generation with the BBC, I have to answer a rather important question: what does Radio 1 look like on a phone, tablet or laptop?

Radio is far from dead. Indeed, radio listening remains remarkably healthy - each week for example, over 40% of all 15-24 year olds in the UK tune into Radio 1. But they’re not listening for as long; instead spending a lot of their time on their favourite device with YouTube and social media - a challenge shared across the music and radio industries. So, my challenge is to make sure that they ‘bump’ into Radio 1 in those spaces.

Since I became Controller of Radio 1 and 1Xtra in October 2011, our strategy has been summarised by the line ‘Listen, Watch, Share’. Our core focus will always be about making great radio programmes and discovering new music; but we’re now in a world where almost everyone expects to be able to see key moments - and then share them with friends. We can see this from YouTube, social media, fellow music stations and press, who all have a presence online to reach young audiences.

We were quick to embrace social media to interact with our audience - we have almost 1.8m ‘likes’ on Facebook, just over that many following us on Twitter, and were recognised by Guinness World Records as the first radio station on the planet to have over a million subscribers to our YouTube channel. As well as YouTube, our visual content can be found on the Radio 1 website and on BBC Red Button and, to a lesser extent on BBC iPlayer - with the platform recently hosting Zane Lowe meets Rick Rubin, as well as a 45 minute One Direction programme presented by Scott Mills, combining an interview, backstage footage and their recent performance at Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

These platforms will all continue to be important for as long as they remain relevant to young people. But we also want to ensure there is a dedicated place for our visual highlights within the BBC – and BBC iPlayer is obviously the natural place for this.

Now that we are reaching young audiences in those third party spaces, it is time to offer an onward route from Radio 1’s YouTube channel into the rest of the BBC. Our aim is to reach younger audiences that are not engaged with radio in the same way as previous generations, and to develop their relationships with traditional radio where these already exist.

So, subject to regulatory approval, later this year we are proposing to launch a dedicated space in BBC iPlayer for existing types of Radio 1’s visual content. BBC iPlayer is a natural home for our videos, given that around 25% of 16-24 year olds already use it on average each week.

And how will it look? To start, it may help if I say what it’s not going to be: it won’t be a 24/7 service with a ‘schedule’; it won’t include standalone official music videos; and we have no ambitions to produce traditional TV programmes.

Instead, all of our videos will continue to be related to our broadcast output at Radio 1, with the same distinctive editorial tone and exclusive BBC content.

We will provide a clear place within the BBC where you will be able to see intimate performances from Radio 1’s Live Lounge, key sessions and highlights from live events like Radio 1’s Big Weekend. We’ll continue to film the biggest name guests appearing on our shows, as well as the audience’s favourite features and what are possibly best described as our more random, creative moments - Greg James on a wrecking ball being one memorable example. We expect much of our viewing to come from Radio 1’s YouTube channel, Radio 1 listeners, and browsing on BBC iPlayer.

The videos on BBC iPlayer will be longer than most of the clips on our YouTube channel and will expire after 30 days when the catch-up window is extended from 7 days later this year. We anticipate that one or two new pieces of visual content will be posted per day, with a peak around coverage of live events like Radio 1’s Big Weekend - as already occurs.

In short, our presence on BBC iPlayer will be a natural extension of us reflecting and celebrating youth culture in the UK. I hope to continue to inform audiences of our distinctive mix of new music, educate through social action campaigns and entertain with our diverse family of presenters, in a new home within the BBC for the HD generation.

Ben Cooper is Controller, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra

Read more blogs from Ben on About the BBC