ASIA

Benztown and P1 Media Group will host a free webinar on Thursday, November 3, 2022, for radio professionals around the globe, entitled How to Be Creative, Have Fun & Create Two Massive Brands – What We Can Learn From Radio in Australia. The webinar will be hosted by Andreas Sannemann, CEO, Benztown, and Ken Benson, Partner, P1 Media Group, and features UK and Australia radio programming pro, Paul Jackson of Sydney, Australia’s Paul Jackson Media, architect of Australia mega brands Nova and Smooth.This is the 26th in the webinar series from top radio experts from around the world.

Paul Jackson started his radio journey at a young age in Glasgow, Scotland, where his father worked on Radio Clyde.Following in his footsteps, Jackson quickly moved up the ranks and landed his first PD position in Kent, England, followed by the legendary BRMB in Birmingham.Due to his enormous success, he was elevated to Regional Program Director.He was then off to London and named Chief Exec and Programme Director at Virgin Radio, then moved to Group Programme Director role at the world-famous Capital FM and X-FM.After conquering the UK, Jackson moved to Sydney, Australia, where he spent the last 12 years building the Nova and Smooth Radio brands, growing the total audience from 2.5 million to over 5 million listeners.Recently, he launched Paul Jackson Media, specializing in music and radio consulting, and he continues to work closely with Nova and Smooth.In the 40-minute webinar, Jackson will share his insights and keys to success, including:
What it was like to work for Virgin Radio in the UK, including a look at Richard Branson’s “Challenger Mentality.”
How he took Nova from last place to first place in Sydney.
How he launched the Smooth Network, an AC brand in Sydney and Melbourne – and grew the audience from a two share to over an 11 share, driving the station to #1 in both metros.
How he convinced Michael Bublé and later, Sam Smith, to be the face of Smooth’s marketing, including some great tv ads.
What role imaging has played in building his successful radio brands.
What contemporary music trends he sees in Australia, and how he is optimizing them.
The webinar takes place Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST/6:00pm CET. […]

Content from BPRPodcasts play a large part in the digital audio world. Should your radio station be producing podcasts?The simple answer is that station-generated podcasts are a good idea but only if they can generate revenue. Podcasts that do not generate money are of little benefit to a radio company unless they provide a source of advertising income. In fact, some will argue that podcasts may even take TSL (time spent listening) away from actual radio listening.

Selling advertising for a podcast should not be done in the same way as with broadcast radio. Why? Because podcasts, by definition, are most successful when targeting very specific audiences. Radio stations usually define their target audience by demo and gender such as 25-34 females. On the other hand, podcasts primarily target listeners who are interested in a specific topic of interest. For example, if one produces a podcast about golf, 35-64 men may well make up the preponderance of the audience but more specifically it will reach 35-64 men who like golf.In the digital world, programmatic advertising is becoming the dominant method by which advertisers connect with their specific market group. Programmatic advertising essentially links podcast creators with advertisers who want to reach a specific target market. Traditional radio advertising is based on creating a fairly wide target audience and then selling advertising to merchants interested in reaching that audience. However, programmatic advertising is more efficient because it reaches people who have actively expressed an interest in the advertiser’s product or service.Imagine that your radio station was able to efficiently target specific listener groups in your market. For example, women would hear an ad for women’s apparel while, at the same time, men might hear an ad for sporting equipment. Of course, in traditional radio this is technically impossible. On the other hand, podcasts can target a very specific audience and thereby offer advertisers far greater efficiency for their advertising budget.In short, station-generated podcasts that do not develop income for your station offer little benefit to your brand. However, when your podcast is supported by advertising, it creates a potential income stream for the station and a more efficient advertising buy for the client.By Andy Beaubien, BPR […]

Content from BPRWe all know how valuable it is for a presenter to be a good storyteller. When a presenter gets it right, magic happens but when they get it wrong there is probably no greater thing you can do to blow up your radio station in today’s listening environment.Here are some of the most common traps:LENGTH: Nothing kills a story quicker than taking too long to tell it.  People who over-cook their stories normally do so because of a lack of preparation or an over-inflated ego.OBSCURITY: Telling a story about something that only a small proportion of listeners will associate with or relate to.ELITISCM:  No one likes to hear someone bragging (even if that is not their intention). Beware stories that might be related to the presenter’s wealth, fame or privilege.ANTICIPATION:  A story with an ending the listener can predict is boring.  Stories should be a short journey with at least some uncertainty about what the end of the story is about.TOO COMPLICATED TO REMEMBER: The best stories are those people can remember and re-tell to someone else. If the story is too complicated to remember, then it’s best not to tell it.INTERJECTION:  Within a team of 2 or more presenters, a presenter continually interrupting the presenter telling the story is a killjoy.  If this is a problem with your team then some ground rules need to be discussed.  This is a double whammy problem.  First, it can kill the story being told. Second, people who want to hear the story come to hate the presenter who is interrupting.TICKING BOXES: There are few more evil things designed to destroy a radio station then presenters being obliged to tell a story when there is no great story to tell at that time or they are not a particularly good storyteller.STRETCHING: This is where a presenter feels compelled to turn what might be a good 20 second anecdote into a 3 minute “story”.  I hear a lot “stories” that would have worked much better as a short anecdote.ALWAYS ABOUT THE SAME THING:  A presenter whose stories always revolve around the same subject matter can be a beacon of boredom for the listener. This can be a trap, for example when a presenter continually relies on stories about their family experiences for most of their story content.FAILURE TO ASK WHY:  Is the story to be told honestly more entertaining than playing another record?These are a few of the pitfalls to be mindful of when managing the storytelling content agenda with your team.  One great story in a show is much better than several average stories.By Wayne Clouten, BPR […]

WorldDAB has announced more speakers for its annual summit. The event will take place on Thursday, November 17 at Kings Place, King’s Cross, London.The WorldDAB Summit brings together experts from across the broadcast radio, automotive and receiver manufacturer industries to discuss developments that have influenced the radio industry. It is open to members and non-members alike.The WorldDAB General Assembly (members-only) meeting will take place on the afternoon of 16 November.Newly announced speakers for the summit include:Julia Schutz Managing Director and Programme Director, Antenne NRWJulia hosted various radio shows successfully for many years, before becoming a media economist. She is now not only a successful manager but also speaker, host and jury member at specialist events, such as media and journalism awards.ANTENNE NRW is a new digital broadcaster building market share and presenting original new content on DAB+.Anne-Marie Couvreur CEO and Founder, AirZen Radio, FranceAn entrepreneur at heart, after 15 years leading communications at several national companies, Anne-Marie’s journey took a different turn in 2004 with the creation of the Mediameeting Group – the first French voice business company, now one of the biggest success stories in the French media industry.Aligning her passion for radio with her personal values, she launched AirZen Radio in October 2021.AirZen Radio is France’s first “100% positive” DAB+ radio station dedicated to wellness – the only new national French radio station licensed by the CSA in 20 years.Register for the event here. […]

Russia’s liberal “Ekho Moskvy” (Echo of Moscow) radio, which was taken off air in March this year, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has found a new home in Berlin.Considered one of the last independent voices in Russia, it was one of the many  media outlets forced to shut down following a clampdown by the Kremlin over coverage of the war.A number of the its employees, including 38 year-old deputy editor-in-chief Maxim Kurnikov, left the county.  While Kurnikov  has made a new life in the German capital along with several former colleagues, others have headed for Latvia, Lithuania and Georgia.Since earlier this month, Kurnikov and his team have restarted their broadcasts on an app simply called “Echo”.“It works just like a radio,” Kurnikov told AFP, claiming that the app was fast becoming one of the top downloads in Russia.The new outlet also brings content being produced on other platforms by former Echo of Moscow journalists under the same roof. “Echo” aims to broadcast live for 10 to 12 hours a day, with replays filling the rest of the time. A website and two Telegram channels are also part of the project.“We have combined all of our team’s YouTube channels. We want to offer our audience a complete picture of what is happening in Russia,” Kurnikov said.Around 20 journalists are currently working with “Echo”, and around 10 more people are expected to join in the near future, he said.The plan is for much of the “Echo” team to eventually work from Berlin, in offices and a studio paid for by donations.Moscow born, Berlin-based German writer Vladimir Kaminer, was one of the driving forces behind the “Echo” comeback. He has worked closely with Kurnikov to bring the project to life.There will also be insight from within Russia. The radio station’s veteran editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov — who has been with Echo of Moscow since its founding in 1990 — has remained in his home country and is part of the new project. […]

Content from BPR sponsored by Newtones BrandingIt struck me recently that I do not hear much about radio’s ability to create theatre of the mind nowadays. When I started in radio “theatre of the mind” (TOTM) was one of the key concepts underpinning radio’s psychological advantage relative to visual mediums like TV and print. I recall lots of people talking about TOTM and it really resonated with me. It was the idea of radio’s ability to conjure vivid, limitless imagery in the mind of the listener through sound alone that really got me excited about working in radio.One of the earliest references to TOTM is contained in the memoir of Joseph Julian, who described radio not as a theatre of the mind but as a theatre in the mind, however my favourite quote is from The late and very great Steve Allen (left) when he said, “Radio is the theatre of the mind: television is the theatre of the mindless”, Which coming from a person who started their career in radio and finished it in television is really saying something.One of the most famous examples of TOTM is War of the Worlds which was narrated and directed by Orson Welles in 1938 as part of “The Mercury Theatre on the Air” on the CBS Radio Network.  As it transpired many people who missed the opening of the show had the impression they were listening to an actual invasion by Martian’s, and it created a certain amount of panic in the community.  The subsequent publicity surrounding the disruption caused by the War of the Worlds Broadcast was the launch pad for Welles’s career at the age of 23.So, what is theatre of the mind on radio?  It’s when you use words, music, sound effects and emotion to create imagery in the mind of the listener which transports the listener to another place or to visualise something you want them to see.  Conjuring TOTM is very much about using a relatable context rather than just facts. For example, 1,149 metres is a measurement most people would have difficulty conceptualising but if you tell them, it is the length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge then they have a pretty good idea of what 1,149 metres looks like…they can see it in their mind.TOTM is primarily about creating an emotional reaction in the mind of the listener.Why is TOTM important? The more you can create an emotional reaction in someone’s mind, the more they remember what you said and who you are.  In effect, you “connect” with them better.So, isn’t TOTM just story-telling?  Not necessarily, TOTM is how you tell it and most importantly, telling a story worthy of being remembered…but that’s another story.By Wayne Clouten, BPRNote:Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an accomplished American radio presenter, television personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian and writer. He first became a presenter on KFAC in Los Angeles in the 1940’s later moving to a nightly comedy show before joining KNX Los Angeles to present a nightly talk show. Steve Allen was the first radio presenter to ever take a microphone into a studio audience live and ad lib. Allen achieved national fame as the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, which was the first late-night television talk show. […]