James Cridland, radio futurologist, is a conference speaker, writer and consultant. The original pos is HERE. James also publishes Podnews, a daily briefing on podcasting. Buy James a coffee HERE.
I’ve been talking about the extra opportunities that new radio platforms offer since – well, since a long time ago.
While the Americans have, sadly, stopped innovating in radio as far as I can see – and I’ve evidence that they stopped 19 years ago – other parts of the world are offering much more interesting and exciting output. (I still remember jumping into a car in 2014 in Nevada, and finding literally nothing to listen to).
As I mentioned in a speech in Birmingham ten years ago, additional choice is what has driven radio’s success in much of Europe. Radio’s digital platforms – both the internet, but also DAB – offer significant extra choice that allows broadcasters to grow brands, not just stations. And, sometimes, to offer additional choice for advertisers.
So it is with Global’s WSQK – a real radio station, available on real broadcast radio in London and online worldwide – offering a choice of a, um, radio station from the 1980s in Hawkins IN, USA.
WSQK is, of course, an advertising vehicle for Stranger Things, the Netflix series that has just returned for a new season. But here’s the thing: it’s done so, so well – and highlights how the creatives who work in good radio companies can always get closer to fans in a way that nobody else can.
Global’s WSQK is a full, 24/7, six-week long radio station deep into the Stranger Things universe. And everything is perfect.
The station has 1980s-sounding jingles; it has DJs right through the day; it has features like the Rewind at 9; it has news at the top of the hour during the day; and of course it has commercials for businesses in Hawkins. Everything has been thought of – and everything has been really carefully recreated to keep you in the Stranger Things universe. The only way you’d know you’re listening to something a little different is the jingles, which say “Global and Stranger Things present…” – that’s it. No cheesy voiceover telling you to watch Stranger Things; nothing to take you out of the moment. You’re being treated as an adult, dear listener. Quite rightly.
The station even sweats the little details. As RadioToday says: “To replicate the authentic 80s sound WSQK is being processed using a vintage Inovonics FM250 audio processor. These were released in 1983 and were in use across thousands of stations around the world during the latter part of the 80s.” – and it genuinely sounds like it: a high-energy, slightly smeary compressed sound just like I remember from Hallam, which used them when I was on-air.
I’m not a Stranger Things watcher – but the rest of my family are, and every single element was accompanied, in the car, by “oh, (blah) worked here in season 2”, or “this song was played when (blah)”. They loved it even more than I did.
Listen closely, and you’ll notice a, er, not very big music catalogue (it only plays songs from the show); the voicetracked DJs never name any of the songs they’re playing – or any timechecks; or any frequencies, come to that; and the commercials never mention place-names or prices. The jingles are, the anoraks say, the WCBS mixes of the K-Hits 2016 package from ReelWorld. None of this takes you out of the moment.
The production is excellent – punchy voiceovers, great jingles, segued properly in the playout system to deliver the fast sound that was around in those days. The writing of the commercials, of the news bulletins and the DJ breaks are on-point and very well done. No AI seems to have been abused here, as far as I can hear.
WSQK is on-air until the series finale on 1 January. Do take a listen. And bottle that for your own station.
Global’s competitor Spotify? It’s lazily produced some playlists for the show. Meh.
Here’s a bit for posterity, but go listen live.
