James Cridland is Managing Director of media.info, and an Australia-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.nets
There’s a bunch of things to say this week about Google adding podcasting into its service; the UK RAJAR figures showing growth for new platforms (but not quite in the way you expect; and a new skippable radio service from Capital Xtra. But they’ll all make better articles than hurriedly-written scribbles on the top of this email. And that’s what I’ll do.
My articles
- #RAJAR – As I discover, BBC Radio 1’s much-trumpeted iPlayer channel only accounts for 1% of all iPlayer tv requests.
- #RAJAR – fancy infographic for UK radio listening figures
- #RAJAR – Global celebrates best-ever figures; the just-closed 104.9 Xfm hit a 7 year high with 1049k listeners.
- #JNLR – fancy infographic for Irish radio listening figures
- Why talk live when you can podcast? – my article discussing the primacy of live (though I wasn’t, quite, saying that all radio should turn into podcasts)
- Talent swaps between radio and podcasts – is radio losing to podcasting? Or podcasting losing to radio?
USA
- A great video from the UK’s Next Radio – Never be boring, be a more powerful communicator – Valerie Geller. Worth 18 minutes of your time; this is a great and compelling watch. People like me who use video, audio and jokey slides to keep the audiences’ attention can learn a lot from US consultant Valerie’s style – you couldn’t hear a pin drop in the auditorium when she spoke.
- Google Play Music to add podcasts. I’m writing a longer article about this, since I started just now, and discovered I’ve plenty to say.
- For first time, “podcasts beat traditional radio” at Third Coast awards, as the press says. I say “hurray for radio on all its platforms”, because that’s what a podcast is.
- Simsbury Firefighters Play DJ On Their Own Radio Station – The new ‘low power FMs’ in the US (aka ‘quite high power UK FMs’) are doing great things for opening up new voices and stories on-air
- Radio visualisation from Leo Laporte – impressive. Use a mobile and move it around for full 360° experience.
- Facebook is killing books, says this story which starts with a bonus lazy Buggles reference
- The New Yorker magazine is making the transition to radio
- Coke Creates Podcast With iHeartMedia to Target Teens
- ‘NPR Voice’ Has Taken Over the Airwaves – oh, yes, yes, and again, yes.
- In the US, much of the apparently real radio you hear is… fake. What does this do to listener trust? Bizarre. And this story –Behind Renel’s departure from ‘Kiss’ morning show – says that this breakfast co-presenter, towards the end of her run, started pre-recording her interactions with the rest of the team. I think this is treating listeners with contempt.
- World Series Goes Dark on Fox [tv], Fans Turn to Radio
- BBC America tv appears to be showing, um, US television shows. Strange branding decision.
United Kingdom
- #RAJAR Wave 105 listening figures – my favourite graph from media.info. The website has all the RAJARs in proper graphical format
- #RAJAR The most popular radio stations in Scotland: surprising popularity of Clyde 2, an AMer. I plan to add “most popular” pages for most countries (or cities) in the world. Help with data gratefully accepted.
- #RAJAR The most popular radio stations in London I’m always amazed at how BBC Radio 4 (talk) and BBC Radio 2 (AC music) do, and how far ahead they are of anyone else.
- #RAJAR DAB increases; analogue listening declines to 50% of total – and internet radio still slow to increase
- #RAJAR Smooth North East hits new high – congratulations to Steve Colman and Clive Warren
- #RAJAR JACK Oxfordshire gains against rivals; pledges number one by Christmas (and even sends me a GRAPH)
- #RAJAR Matt Deegan has some good thoughts on RAJAR – digital and Radio 1 especially
- #RAJAR Adam Bowie has a typically detailed blog post with graphs and even some pie charts. Mmm.
- Wonder how #RAJAR actually works? Here’s how UK radio listening figures are worked out – 100,000 people every year!
- Knowledge, networking, and music at RAIN Summit Europe – they’ve got a band! Use ‘mediainfo’ for a discount
- The great Sean Ross listens to some cheese. Which is nice. I think he liked it.
- Matt Wade spotted this great work experience opportunity at the BBC
- I really enjoyed watching this in full again: Tim Cocker presenting about viral video for radio at the recent Next Radio conference. – great presenter, and a great piece. It’s only 18 minutes long.
- Bob Dinan questions whether music-intensive, ten-in-a-row stations are really ‘radio’. I agree with the questioning. My definition of proper radio – “a shared experience, a human connection” – doesn’t really fit with a jukebox.
- The Belfast Media Festival has a good looking session on radio this year. (And a lazy Buggles headline, and a rickroll!)
- UK radio adspend growth signals strong year ahead
- Capital XTRA: Global launch their first personalised ‘radio’ station. Of what I now understand about this thing, this is damn impressive. An article to come, no doubt.
- Tabloid newspaper The Sun scraps internet paywall – unsurprising news. But in the face of ad-blockers I wonder what their long-term strategy is
Australia
- Two worlds collide: I have managed to get BBC Three Counties Radio’s Iain Lee onto Spencer Howson’s 612 ABC Brisbane breakfast show. About 44 minutes in.
- Hit ABC Australia podcast snapped up by US podcast network. The shape of things to come?
Rest of the world
- Audials Pro: “free and legal digital radio ripping” – crikey. This’ll please precisely nobody in the record business
- Spotify, of course, isn’t radio. Except this stuff on Spotify, which is closer. Chris Price has taken a listen