ASIA

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. […]

Radio Pakistan is going to launch a full-fledged sports channel to meet the demand of its listeners.For this purpose, FM-94 Dhanak Channel is being converted into Sports Channel.This decision was taken by Director General  Muhammad Tahir Hassan during a visit to the channel.The Director General was informed that a large number of Radio Pakistan’s listeners have been demanding such a dedicated sports channel to promote variety of sports.As a part of this initiative, FM-94 will start broadcasting special updates on the ongoing men’s T-20 Cricket World Cup from Thursday. […]

DNAV, a full-service systems integrator and manufacturer’s representative specializing in broadcast, audio-visual and public safety systems, has hired a proven sales and business development leader to manage current accounts and drive future business growth. Brian Walker joins the company as National Sales Manager effective immediately, bringing more than 30 years of broadcast and professional audio experience to the growing company. Based near Seattle, Brian will be responsible for all North American business and report to DNAV principal executives Daniel Hyatt and Nick Straka.Daniel and Nick are responsible for a large part of DNAV’s sales initiatives. Brian’s appointment frees them to focus on the company’s expanding schedule of design and integration projects, which include TV and radio facilities, houses of worship and networked AV/IT systems for businesses and event venues. Brian will also work with Daniel and Nick to build the company’s manufacturer’s representative side of the business, which today includes Sierra Automated Systems, a manufacturer of studio consoles, mixers and Audio over IP routing systems for broadcast and AV facilities.“DNAV’s growth trajectory has taken the company into exciting places as a full-service dealer, installer and technical services provider,” said Hyatt. “Brian’s sales experience, customer relationship skills, industry contacts and business leadership qualities will allow us to more effectively coalesce our vision as a company and establish a strong foundation for continued business growth.”Brian joins DNAV from Sennheiser, where he took on roles of increasing responsibility over his eight years with company. With an initial focus on customer satisfaction and quality control, Sennheiser soon leveraged his diverse professional background to identify new business opportunities, generate product demand, drive training initiatives, and manage complex engineering projects. These were all natural roles for Brian, given his previous experience as a TV/radio broadcast engineer and later as a sales manager for Professional Video and Tape. It was here that Brian gained valuable insight into the systems integration process over his 16 years with the company – a vision that positions him for success with DNAV.“To succeed in broadcast and AV sales, it’s necessary to understand the processes and dynamics of the business you represent,” says Walker. “I have worked closely with integration teams to source products for complex installations on short notice, and manage customer relationships to ensure that their needs are addressed with speed and accuracy. These experiences, along with the ability to offer technical support, recognize industry trends and develop strategic initiatives to meet customer requirements, will allow me to effectively service current DNAV accounts and help Daniel and Nick grow the business.”While Brian brings TV and video experience to DNAV, he notes that audio is his first love and looks forward to growing the SAS brand. “Most modern radio broadcast facilities will have between three to eight radio stations in one facility, all controlled out of one technical core,” he said. “SAS allows broadcasters with multiple professional studios to move voice, music, satellite feeds and more over a single category cable, and Daniel and Nick were among the first integrators in North America to bring Dante and other networked audio solutions into broadcast facilities.”Brian notes that DNAV’s networking experience extends into IT infrastructure to support modern broadcast and AV facility needs, as well as long-distance networking applications including STL links between broadcast studios and transmission sites. […]