LO3 - Treatment - Improved

Section 1

Name/title of audio product:
‘Quizzicle’

The definition of the word quizzical is indicating mild or amused puzzlement, which the show will hopefully create for contestants and listeners through it’s question. The title also works well as it features the word “Quiz”, so newcomers will immediately be able to assume that this audio product is a quiz show.

Purpose:

The purpose of Quizzicle is to entertain its audience as a comedy game/quiz show, with humour observations and reactions from the host and contestants as they take part in interesting quizzes and games created to prompt these comical reactions.

Duration/Time Length of Show (Maximum 60 minutes):
Quizzicle should, hopefully, be best suited to work as a 25 minute broadcast (or 30 if necessary to include extra content).

I believe this to be a suitable length of time to host all quizzes and games needed to create an interesting and fun show, without the show running for too long and risking not creating enough content to feature, leading to dead-air.

Structure:
(Loose)

First 5 minutes – Introduction of the host, show and contestants. First mini-quiz.

Next 15 minutes – The main game of the show and mini games/quizzes.

Last 5 minutes – Final quiz. Announcement of winning team.

Genre/type of Program:
  
Quizzicle is a comedy quiz/game show.

The panels will compete in games and quizzes of a comical nature, which will result in comical responses from contestants and the host, creating a fun and humourous show for those taking part and the listening audience.

Brief description/Synopsis:

Quizzicle is a comedy panel show with games and quizzes played between two teams of contestants.

Production method: 

The production method will be that the show is recorded in advance and edited before it is aired, removing any extra content that causes the show to overrun it planned airing time space.

By not choosing to perform it live also makes it easier for the contestants who won’t be professional podcast performers and might not be aware or radio conventions. It allows for us to avoid dead air, as it can be removed in editing, and avoid any issues with Ofcom by removing any crude content (swearing or slander) that might be said by contestant(s).

Section 2

Time of day:

4:00 pm

I fell this is a suitable time for members or our audience who have finished school/college and want to listen to it. Any possible crude content is removed before being aired so it doesn’t need to be aired after the watershed.

Days of the week:

Thursday

By airing the show on a Thursday it avoids strong competition of other comical podcasts/radio shows, often aired over the weekend. People will want to listen to it after completing a day at school/college so it will be aired on a weekday towards the end of the school week.

Intended age of audience: (Use ABC1 and age demographics)

The target age-range will be 15 -20 year olds.

The contestants (may) be of this age so they will relate to them as associate with their sense of humour.  The show talks about trending subjects that they will be likely to know or will want to know about.

Other target details:

Quizzicle will appeal to those who enjoy knowing about/mocking current trends along with added nostalgic factors. Quizzicle has no targeted gender as the shows is not aimed towards one specific gender, allowing for a larger target audience. Teams will be made up of males and females.

Section 3

Show Presenters/Hosts/Contestants:

Quizzicle has only one, regular host. Host presents in a comical, friendly and informal style. Host must be able to give comical/witty responses to what happens in the show and be able to ask the questions and give game instruction clearly and understandably.

 There will be a total of six contestants – Different contestants each week, though may have some recurring appearances from some. Contestants preferably aged around 15 – 25 years old. Must have a mix of genders, not just an all male/ all female show.

Possible hosts (Under consideration, along with possible contestants:

-       Callam Fellows

-       Matt Poole

-       Oliver Hartley

Resources required:

- *Windows 7 - Dell OptiPlex 760 Desktop Computer

Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5GHz Processor

Wi Fi Enabled

250GB Hard Drive

4GB Memory

DVD RW

= £88 [Amazon] (x1)

The computer will have all software and equipment plugged/installed onto the computer. 

- *BenQ GL2450HM Monitor

LED

24-inch

Widescreen

= £114 [Amazon] (x1)

Monitors will be plugged into the computer so that all presenters can view the recording and operate any needed equipment.

- Adobe Audition = £194 [Royal Technology] (x1)

Audition will be the main editing software for our podcast

- *Miadomodo BDS21 Office Chair Desk Chair (x3) = £18 (per person) [Amazon]

Chairs will be for the presenters (one each) so they can sit down whilst recording

- *Redstone 4ft Folding Trestle Table (x1) = £25 [Amazon] 

 The table will have most equipment placed on it. 

- Presenters x3 = No cost

- *Trust Starzz Microphone (x3) = £9 [Amazon]

The microphones will be placed next to each presenter (if needed) and spares for any guests. 

- *HDMI to HDMI (x3) = £2 [Amazon]

HDMI cables will be needed to plug in most of the equipment that needs visual input. 

- *Sennheiser HD201 Headphones = £18 [Amazon] (x3)

These will be used so that the presenters can hear the show whilst recording.

- *3.5mm Speaker & headphone Splitter = 70p [Amazon] (x1)

Used so that all headphones can be plugged into one machine.

- *Behringer Xenyx 502 mixer = £33 [Amazon] (x1)

Used to mix the recording and any sound.

- *PRS License = £300 (per year) [prsformusic.com] (x1)

Used so that we can legally broadcast music.

Total = £763.70

Advertising = 30 Seconds - per episode approx. = £107 

(2 Weeks = £1500 (Includes making and broadcasting the advert)

Profit/Loss 

= -£656.70 (Episode 1)

= -£548.70 (Episode 2)

*These pieces of equipment, marked via asterisks, have been subsidised.

The start up costs would be expensive due to the amount of equipment required and how expensive the individual items cost also since it's new. This will come into effect after the 7th episode.

 

Though once the episodes air and an income from advert broadcasting comes in the profit will increase and will become cheaper due to advertising.

Content of the show:

Quizzicle will contain the following assets:

-introductions

-quizzes

-mini-quizzes

-the main game

-mini-games

-score announcements

-chat

-humour

Quizzicle is a radio quiz/game panel show. It will start with an introduction to the show and the contestants. There will be two teams with three members on each team. Throughout the show the teams will compete to win fun quizzes and games (which can connect to each other segments e.g. a game is the basis for a series of mini-quizzes or vise-versa) suited for radio. These quizzes and games are for the purpose of entertainment and hopefully the contestants and host’s reactions should make the experience more entertaining. The scores will be announced frequently.

The types of questions featured on the show:
The quiz questions will relate to random pieces of obscure trivia and common knowledge. As well as these there shall also be questions relating to current events, both global news and local news, and what is currently popular/trending.

Below are examples of theses types of quiz questions which may feature in the show.

*Trivia

- What is the collective noun for a group of rhinos?

*Common Knowledge

- What is the capital of Russia?

*Current affairs (Global News)

- Which famous film actor turns 40 years old this month?

* Current affairs (Local News)

- What date does the Tour De Sheffield start?

Music used:

All songs and music used will be well-recognised/popular for the purpose of quiz questions. No obscure pieces will be played or involved as it makes quizzes and games too challenging. Trending music may be used for news question, along with nostalgic pieces that should also relate to games and questions.

A PRS is required for Quizzicle to air snippets of these pieces of music to supply as answers; if Quizzicle cannot get copyright permission to air certain songs/pieces of music, then a suitable alternative song/pieces of music will be used instead or, failing that, the question relating to it will be cut from the script.

Reoccurring pieces of music – Such as the ident, jingle and sound effects – are free to avoid paying royalties each time it is used.

Advertising:
When looking for possible advertisements that could be included with the show I put my focus into small businesses within the area – These work well as a local radio station will be interested in advertising local companies as their listeners will be within the same community.

Whilst looking for businesses I came across Barnsley College. Barnsley College might serve well as a suitable advertisement feature as it is based within the Yorkshire Community, plus since the show centres around quizzes, both of them relate to an idea of education and learning.

Will this program use advertising to make a profit: 

As a community radio station, Sheffield Live! is limited to a 50% profit from the use of advertising; due to this I concluded that our program would not make a profit from including advertisements.

How is this product different to what is out there? Why should it be made?
Comedy panel quizzes are a common and conventional chosen style for television but it is a rare chosen format for radio today; whilst televised comedy panel shows have a variety of popular names, there seem to be no trendy, popular radio quiz show, especially not for the teenage demographic. Due this observation, I came up with a show that would fill this gap in the market.

Quizzicle relies on jokes and funny statements instead of visual humour, and due to this chosen media form it might have to be altered to convert it from a standard T.V. structure to suit it for radio .

Age and Gender:

The target age-range will be 15 -20 year olds.

The contestants (may) be of this age so they will relate to them as associate with their sense of humour.  The show talks about trending subjects that they will be likely to know or will want to know about.

Quizzicle will appeal to those who enjoy knowing about/mocking current trends along with added nostalgic factors. Quizzicle has no targeted gender as the shows is not aimed towards one specific gender, allowing for a larger target audience. Teams will be made up of males and females.

I considered an all boys special, an all girls special, and a boy vs. girls special of the show. I then became reluctant with these ideas because I worried that they might sexism and/or gender stereotypes and didn’t wish to create any issues that may break any Ofcom guidelines about the representation of gender.

Hammocked: 

Aired at 4:00pm on a Thursday, Quizzicle will be hammocked between Sheffield Live! Jukebox and Sounzaboutright. Sheffield Live! Jukebox is a show that focuses on playing music, making it easy listening before the quiz show, which doesn't play as much music but still plays snippets of popular songs.  Sounzaboutright shares a similar style to Quizzicle as it plays music and has conversations in between on different subjects, usually relating to what's in the news.

Competition:
I predict that Quizzicle’s biggest competitor would be Gemma Cairney's radio show on BBC Radio 1, as they air at the same time and they both feature chat and music. Plus, there is the difficulty of competing it with this show as it is broadcast via a better established radio station.

Future Developments:
When considering future developments and what I would want from this show I suddenly had lots of new ideas of what I wanted/needed to keep the show interesting at all times and bring in more listeners. The ideas included: -

• Celebrity guest appearances. Whilst it is clear that we would not be able to contact nor afford any A-list celebrities, I still like this idea because we could bring in some still well known people or some local celebrities.
• Specials/Special episodes. By specials, I mean episodes aired with a specific theme for just that one episode e.g. a Christmas special, a sports day special, etc. I considered an all boys special, an all girls special, and a boy vs. girls special, but I then became reluctant with these ideas because I worried that they might sexism and/or gender stereotypes. However, my peers and others who have analysed this product have encouraged these, assuring me that they sound like enjoyable episodes.
• New game concepts/ideas. To keep the show interesting to listeners each week will involve bringing more new content per episode. A quiz layout can often remain the same as the questions will always change to keep interest, but a repeated game can start to become boring, so new and exciting games are a necessity to keep the show going.