James Cridland’s International Radio Trends: Upgrading DAB receivers for DAB+, and a panel from New Zealand

James Cridland, radio futurologist, is a conference speaker, writer and consultant. He runs the media information website media.info and helps organise the yearly Next Radio conference. He also publishes podnews.net, a daily briefing on podcasting and on-demand, and writes a weekly international radio trends newsletter, at james.crid.land.


What does voice technology, smart speakers, 5G and the connected car mean for audio and radio? A piece in a New Zealand website.

Here’s a panel from Power of Audio, a conference run by the TRB in New Zealand, in Auckland last week. I was also speaking and very much enjoyed the experience. Great that they filmed it!

In the DAB world, clever countries like Australia launched with DAB+, most countries switched, but the UK has doggedly held on to the original DAB. Gold, Heart Dance and Heart Extra are now on DAB+ nationally on the more powerful Digital One multiplex. Some older receivers can be updated with a software update – here’s a (quite funny, but also quite horrifying) live-blog from one relatively technical user attempting an upgrade.

Jacobs Media Unveils Broadcasters Meet Podcasters Agenda at Podcast Movement. This is a clever and bright idea, a conference track within the world’s largest podcaster’s conference.

Talk Radio filmed their interview with (head-in-hands) the UK’s probable next prime minister. Here’s a clip. Heavens. Meanwhile, Sky News covered LBC’s Boris interview by simply rebroadcasting it live from their studio.

Meanwhile, in the dying world of newspapers, they’re trying really very hard to kill their own business.

I’m in Kuala Lumpur, working with the planners of Radiodays Asia 2019. Malaysia’s a great place to visit, and this conference – run by the experienced folk who put together Radiodays Europe – is already shaping up to be the best new conference in the area.

James Cridland