James Cridland’s Weekly Links: Radiodays and radio personalities

James Cridland is Managing Director of media.info, and a U.K.-based radio futurologist. He is a consultant, writer and public speaker who concentrates on the effect that new platforms and technology are having on the radio business. Find out more or subscribe at http://james.cridland.net

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A fun few days at Radiodays Europe last week in Milan – 1,300 delegates make it the world’s biggest radio conference. I think what sticks with me is two things I heard, repeatedly, from fellow delegates: “wow, it’s really positive here” and “I love that ‘the future’ is weaved into every session, and not just the subject of one talk.” I think there’s a lot to be said about positivity about the radio industry: For all its faults, it’s still amazingly popular and successful, and we shouldn’t forget that. You’ll find a few pieces on it below, but I’ve deliberately chosen non-European coverage just for kicks.

Bits of Radiodays Europe

• Right now is a fantastic time for personalities: Dennis Clark – indeed. Music services don’t have them.
• Be afraid. Be very afraid. Radio for the next generation, according to BBC Radio 1’s Ben Cooper.
• Is Europe ten years behind US radio? Larry Gifford ought to know – here’s his view
• Interesting to see this device on the HD Radio stand. FM, plus HD, plus… DAB+. Well, now – is this the first universal radio? I gather adding DAB+ adds about a dollar to the retail price. The user experience was dreadful, though – but it’s a work in progress, I believe
• Radiodays Europe’s own website has blogs from many of the sessions, and is selling video catchup.

The UK

• Shelagh Fogarty: I wasn’t sacked, and the BBC must tell the truth (to be honest, I didn’t think she was)
• The Perils of Outside Broadcasts – Iain Dale broadcasts from a tent near Westminster, and gets a religious protester with a microphone chanting behind him. “You’ll never believe what happened next” (you will)
• Blogger NewsMutt rightly calls out the tedious BBC-bashing by the printed media
• Community radio pleads poverty, in this briefing to House of Lords ahead of this debate on Community Radio in a “Lords Grand Committee” (from 16:09)

USA

• The excellent Molly Wood is doing tech radio, finally – good news. I listen to Marketplace Tech most mornings, so it’ll be nice to hear her voice as a host.
• Apple Opens Up iTunes Radio to Automated Buying (in US only, as far as I can tell – is it actually available anywhere else yet?)
• The Riviera hotel in Las Vegas is to be demolished. I almost feel sadness about that: a cheap room, within walking distance of the convention centre, and an almost-acceptable English pub on the gaming floor. Mind, it did have an air of the “to be knocked down” about it – particularly if you got the room facing the old roof-top swimming pool…
• The Future of Ad Supported Media – fascinating and well researched piece from Dick Taylor

Australia

• Paul Jackson (once my boss) doing amazing things with his stations at Nova Entertainment
• Meanwhile, Radio Advertising Up More Than 5% in Oz – is that the rest of the world I can hear making jealous noises?

The rest of the world

• Ireland: this RTÉ interview redefines what we mean by a car crash broadcast. Ouch; though neither interviewer or interviewee comes out of this with much credit, to my ears
• New Zealand: iHeartRadio launch In-Store Radio: personalised streams for businesses. Nice new revenue generator.