ASIA

Benztown and P1 Media Group will host a free webinar on Thursday, October 13, 2022, for radio professionals around the globe, entitled Join the Conversation: The Incredible NOW! Radio Success Story – Part II. The webinar will be hosted by Andreas Sannemann, CEO, Benztown, and Ken Benson, Partner, P1 Media Group, and features Mark Hunter, VP of Programming, NOW! Radio, and Ross Winters (pictured), Director of Programming, Pattison Media, Canada’s largest western-based media company. This is the 25th in the webinar series from top radio experts from around the world.Mark Hunter started his radio career in 1985, when he was hired on his 19th birthday to work with Rawlco in Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Regina.He was on-air, producer, creative director, and News/Talk producer before he got his dream job as Program Director in 2000.In 2009, Hunter was named Program Director of a new license in Edmonton, CKNO-FM, and eight months later, NOW! Radio was born. He programmed 102.3 NOW! Radio Edmonton for 10 years, driving huge ratings and billings success which continues today.Hunter is currently a Senior Programmer for Pattison Media, working mostly in Metro markets including Calgary, Winnipeg, and British Columbia.Ross Winters began his radio career as a DJ at a Top 40 radio station in Victoria, British Columbia. He quickly moved into programming and worked as Program Director at legendary Canadian Rock stations in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto.While programming Rock 101 in Vancouver, Winters also served as National PD for Corus Entertainment, one of the largest groups in Canada. He spent time as a researcher and consultant before joining Pattison Media as Director of Programming in 2015.In the 30-minute webinar, Hunter and Winters will continue the conversation with their unique take on programming successful radio stations today, and the power of doing things differently, including:
How a truly different type of radio station became a runaway success and what do they do differently than other radio stations?
NOW! Radio’s slogan is “Join the Conversation.” Are there any topics or conversations that are off-limits?
As a result of NOW! Radio’s long-term success, more Canadian music stations have increased the personality quotient. Is this a good thing for radio and what should Music Radio programmers know before increasing the personality quotient on their stations?
How has creative outdoor advertising worked to drive the success of NOW! Radio and what are some of their most successful campaigns?
Does this format only work in a Hot AC format, or could it be put in a completely different format?
The webinar will take place this Thursday, October 13, 2022, at 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST/7:00pm CET. […]

Content from BPRUS auto makers are ceasing production of car audio systems that include the AM medium-wave band. European car makers have been doing so for years.So why are US auto makers deleting AM medium-wave band from car audio systems? The reason may not be so obvious.In the US, almost all AM stations have reverted to news/talk programs as car listeners have come to realize that the audio quality of AM medium-wave is clearly inferior to that of FM and digital audio. However, an additional reason for the abandonment of AM stems from the fact that electric vehicles (EV’s) produce electromagnetic waves at around the same frequency as AM medium-wave signals. The result is significant interference between the AM receiver and the EV’s engine.It is ironic that the advent of electric vehicles will be the final straw that breaks the back of AM radio listening in the US.Electric vehicles are here to stay. EU member nations have agreed to stop sales of internal combustion autos by 2035. The large US auto makers will probably not be far behind as internal combustion engines go the way of tyrannosaurus rex.The Jacobs Media Tech Survey 2022 that was conducted in the US shows that Bluetooth has now overtaken FM as the preferred audio source in automobiles. The reason is fairly obvious. An increasing number of car listeners use their mobile phones as a primary audio source and Bluetooth is currently one of the most common methods of connecting a smart phone to a car audio system. We can safely conclude that the smart phone is for many users the primary source of audio content in the car.As this trend progresses, radio stations are finding themselves directly competing with virtually every other digital audio source available on a smart phone.Even FM radio has become harder to find in modern car audio systems. FM is just one of a number of listening choices on the car touch screen.Once again, we are reminded that radio companies are essentially audio content providers. Our job is to ensure that our program content is appealing and unique. In the age of digital audio, all players are equal. It is only the content that distinguishes the winners from the losers.By Andy Beaubien, BPR […]

Selling Radio Direct with Pat BrysonThe looming new year sometimes means we have client agreements coming up for renewals. This can be a bit scary as we wonder if they will renew, will they try to cut back expenditures? Will they NOT renew?Renewals often require increasing rates. Most salespeople will not want to rock the boat. Have you ever tried to sneak a new agreement past your manager using last year’s rates?Renewal time should be a time to find ways to better serve our clients. Business is evolving rapidly tossed about by external factors beyond our control. These shifting sands require businesses to constantly change how they do business. The marketing plan they used last year, last quarter or even last week may need to be changed. It’s almost a certainty that their message will need to be changed.Before we ask for a renewal, we need to sit with our clients and do a needs analysis. We need to benchmark the business. We need to know what has changed. We need to know what they anticipate the next year to be like.Here are some questions we need to ask:How has your business changed in 2022? Up, down, flat?What are the major challenges you are facing now?How have these changed this year?What concerns you most about 2023?If it’s supply chain, ask what they can get, what they can’t get. When do they expect it to loosen up?If it’s staff, how has this affected the business specifically? Shorter hours? Days?Is revenue back to 2019 levels? Exceeding 2019 levels?Has your store traffic returned?Any lingering effects of 2020?Where do you want to be by the end of 2023?What needs to happen to get you there?How have your profit centers shifted?What will it be important for your customers to know about you in the next few months and 2023?Are you seeing smaller orders? Less people? A combination of both?How important to you is being involved with community events?You probe for changes in the business. You ascertain goals and objectives for 2023. You understand your client’s perceptions of his world. These new challenges can trigger changes in how they have been advertising. If clients have not been using effective schedules, you may now find ways to introduce them to doing so.If clients believe our campaigns can help them to solve problems, they will give us money. Renewals start with understanding where the client’s business is NOW and where they want to be at the end of 2023.Take the time to understand. It’s not about us: it’s about them. Easier renewals await! […]

Indian government has approved three long pending amendments in the FM Radio Phase-III policy guidelines.These include:
Simplification of financial eligibility norms to allow companies with net worth of Rs 10 million, instead of Rs 15 million earlier, to participate in the bidding process for category ‘C’ and ‘D’ cities.
Removal of the three-year lock-in for restructuring management, during the 15-year license period.
Removal of 15% national cap on channel holding.
The government is of the view that the three amendments together “will help the private FM radio industry to fully leverage the economies of scale and pave the way for further expansion of FM radio and entertainment to Tier-III cities in the country.”“This will not only create new employment opportunities but also ensure that music and entertainment over the FTA (free-to-air) radio media is available to the common man in the remotest corners of the country,” it said in a statement. […]

 New York Festivals® 2023 Radio Awards competition is open for entries.New York Festivals Radio Awards 65-year legacy provides a showcase to celebrate world-class storytellers from around the globe The competition honors creative innovation and excellence in broadcast and audio content across all genres and platforms.“Journalists today are finding new ways to keep viewers informed and engaged in our ever-changing and interconnected world.  Here at New York Festivals, we want to be able to amplify their dedication with categories tailored for those purposes,” said Rose Anderson, VP & Executive Director, New York Festivals Radio Awards, “along with stories that show how individual actions can change the world and the ability of the human spirit to triumph over adversity.”  In keeping pace with global and industry-wide trends, New York Festivals Radio Awards has added two additional categories that reflect the evolving industry.Documentary categories award in-depth storytelling explored through sound with a distinctive point of view. New for 2023: Investigative Journalism and Best Nonfiction Series. View the 2023 NYF Radio Awards extensive category roster: HERE.In the 2022 awards, from Asia, Indian entries led with one bronze and 10 finalist cartificates. Mediacorp Singapore earned two finalist certificates while Radio Taiwan International got one finalist nomination.The Grand Awards for 2022’s Radio Awards competition were “Have You Heard George’s Podcast?” – from BBC Sounds & BBC Radio 5 Live, “U.Me: The Musical” – Magnum Opus Broadcasting, and “The Sounds of America” BMP Audio.New York Festivals Storytellers Gala honored Sean McManus, Chairman of CBS Sports with the twelfth annual New York Festivals® Lifetime Achievement Award.RTÉ Radio Ireland was the 2022 Broadcaster of the Year and HarperCollins Publishers was honored with Radio Production Company of the Year.For 2022 New York Festivals celebrated award-winning entries during the New York Festivals 2022 Storytellers Gala virtual event taking place on April 26th at 6PM EST. View the 2022 Storytellers Gala featuring acceptances and winner’s highlights from content creators and creative media executives from around the globe: HERE.The 2023 Storytellers Gala will take place at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 18, 2023. This is the 13th year of NYF’s and NAB’s strategic partnership.  Radio Award winners will have access to the multi-day event taking place 15 April 2023 to 19 April 2023, which is the world’s largest global gathering for the media and entertainment industry.New York Festivals Radio Awards receives entries from radio stations, networks, and independent producers from over 30 countries around the globe. The mission of the competition is to honor the achievements of the men and women who make up the global audio storytelling community. To view the 2022 winner’s Gallery, visit: HERE.New York Festivals invites award-winning industry leaders from around the world to become members of their world-class Radio Awards Grand Jury. The 2023 Grand jury will be recruited in the coming weeks. Those jurors will include some of the most world’s recognizable voices and captivating content producers in the radio industry. Entries are judged on production values, creativity, content presentation, direction, writing, achievement of purpose, and audience suitability.All Entries in NYF’s 2023 Radio Awards will be judged by the NYF Grand Jury of 200+ producers, directors, writers, and other creative media professionals from around the globe. Award-winning entries will be showcased on the Radio Awards winners gallery. To view the 2022 winner’s gallery, visit HERE.The entry deadline for the 2023 Radio Awards competition is January 21, 2023. To enter please visit: HERE, for additional information visit: Rules and Regulations and 2023 Radio Awards Categories. […]

A household name for those who grew up in Malaysia in the 1970s and 80s, former Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) DJ Constance Haslam passed away in Versailles, France.Heslam, 77, spent 26 years as an announcer on Radio 4, now known as Traxx FM. She was best known for her morning segments on the English language station where she played chart-topping hits on the radio and spoke with listeners.After leaving RTM in 1990, Haslam joined Redifussion Radio for two years and served in its public relations division.The news of her death was announced by her old friend and fellow radio announcer Patrick Teoh on his Facebook page.Teoh said: “Today, I woke up to the sad news that an old friend, colleague and former radio announcer, Connie Haslam, has departed for the big radio station in the sky.“A whole generation of us have listened to her golden voice, reading the news, answering requests and spinning the top hits of the day.” […]