Jingles

The listening that I have done so far, even though it has been about news, has drawn attention to the different types of jingles that are used on a radio station.

List of Jingles:

• Station jingle - Played on every show on the station. It contains the stations name, the frequency, a slogan that sums up the radio stations style and hint at the target audience and possible music that reflects the audience/genre.

• Show jingle - Often a show jingle will also include the name of the station and the frequency, but it will mostly make reference to the presenters of the show, or the show itself. Each show is likely to have a slightly different identity and any slogans or music used will reflect either genre of music played on the show or reflect the personalities of the presenters and the tone of the show.

• News jingle - Again, news jingles usually include the name of the station and the frequency, and will include the word 'news' during the slogan. The music used during a news jingle is likely to be more serious in tone, reflecting the serious nature of the news stories that are presented. Many of the news jingles that I have listened to have used music that is uptempo and fast paced.

• Competition jingle - The structure and sound of a competition jingle will depend upon what the competition is for, but this jingle is likely to also include the name of the station and the frequency or the name of the show. The music and the tone of voice of the presenter will be designed to make the prize sound exciting, to encourage listeners to enter the competition.

• Travel jingle - As with other jingles, there will be reference to the station and the frequency and the jingle is likely to include sound effects of traffic and car horns. Any music used is likely to be busy and discordant. There may also be a reference to a sponsor that is likely to be related to transport.

• Weather jingle - Similar to the travel jingle, weather jingles are often sponsored by an appropriate company. Any sound effects are usually weather related (the sound of rainfall or the sun coming out) and any music is likely to be more calming and peaceful than the music used in a travel jingle. Again, this kind of jingle is likely to include the name of the station and the frequency 

• Sport jingle - Some radio stations have a separate sports bulletin after the news and this often has its own jingle. As with other jingles, there is likely to be reference the the station and/or frequency and phrases such as 'sports updates' will be used. The music accompanying this jingle is usually fast paced and uptemto (typically indie or rock music that isn't as serious in tone as the music used for the news jingle).