ASIA

In a response to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s request to relook at certain recommendations, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has reiterated its stance on “Reserve Price for Auction of FM Radio Channels” across 283 cities in the country under Phase 3 of FM expansion policy saying that the auction should be done by delinking the channels from technology.With regard to this recommendation, the Ministry had earlier informed TRAI that after conducting field experiments of ITU recommended Digital Radio Standards in VHF band II and III, Prasar Bharati had suggested to conduct a pilot project consisting of both DRM and HD Radio technologies to further evaluate them and also ascertain their acceptance by broadcasters and listeners including availability and speed of development of affordable receivers. In view of more experimental studies to be conducted, the recommendation may not be acceptable at present.Reiterating its position, TRAI said: “As far as the recommendation related auction of remaining channels of Phase-III should be done by delinking them from technology is concerned, for facilitating smooth transition from analog to digital radio broadcasting, radio broadcasters may be permitted to use any technology (analog or digital) for radio broadcasting on the frequency allocated to them through auction in the future, based on their business plan.”

“A service provider has the commercial interest and will be the best judge to decide on the most suitable technology. Any restrictions on the choice of technology will only impair the development. Broadcasters should be permitted to use any technology (analog or digital or both) for radio broadcasting on the frequency allocated to them through auction in future. In case radio broadcasters opt for digital technology, they should be permitted to broadcast more than one channel subject to technical feasibility on a single frequency allocated to them.”The Ministry had also asked how was the impact of Covid19 on radio industry likely to show in the bidding during the ensuing Batch III of FM Phase III auction.TRAI responded that it can only be gauged once the auctions are conducted by the Government.TRAI also observed that the FM Radio sector did see a dip in revenues during the Covid period, but it crossed the pre-pandemic level in December 2021. […]

GatesAir (“GatesAir”), a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, announced that Thomson Broadcast yesterday completed its acquisition of GatesAir from an affiliate of The Gores Group (“Gores”).“The acquisition of GatesAir is an excellent and significant step for Thomson Broadcast to further reinforce its worldwide leadership in the fast-evolving world of broadcast technology,” said Ylias Akbaraly, Chairman of Thomson Broadcast. “Today opens an exciting new era in the rich history of two companies and trusted brands that have each been delighting customers for more than 100 years. Today’s announcement is also exciting for our customers and employees. The combined force of these ideal strategic partners will support each other’s growth and the growth of the industry at large.”“Thanks to its global platform, significant resources, and commercial and innovation expertise, Thomson Broadcast is perfectly positioned to ensure the success of GatesAir’s operations over the long term,” said Akbaraly. “We are convinced that this great combination will create a very strong platform with improved reach and value-added solutions and services delivered to our customers.”

“Yesterday’s milestone marks the completion of a robust process that evaluated strategic options for GatesAir to accelerate our strong growth to date,” said Bruce D. Swail, CEO of GatesAir. “We are delighted with the final outcome of the acquisition process and look forward to working together with our new partners for this next chapter in our eventful story.”“The acquisition of GatesAir strengthens our position to deliver great products and services to our worldwide customers,” said Amine Oubid, CEO Thomson Broadcast, France. “Synergy between both companies will lead us to better customer acquisition and enhanced solutions for building the next broadcast infrastructure.” “GatesAir and Thomson Broadcast combine century-old dedication to the broadcast industry to innovate and bring cutting edge solutions to the market,” said Aby Alexander, President, Thomson Broadcast, US. “This acquisition will strengthen our presence globally to be the leader in the industry.”“We are pleased to have played an important role in GatesAir’s transformational growth, and we believe that Thomson Broadcast is well positioned to strengthen its position as a premier leader in broadcasting,” said Edward Johnson, Senior Managing Director at The Gores Group. “We thank Bruce and the GatesAir team for our successful partnership over the years and believe the company will continue to drive further growth with the support of Thomson Broadcast.” […]

Hurry! In just over one month RadioDays Asia takes place in Kuala Lumpur.Early bird registrations recently closed, but don’t worry, radioinfo is a media partner of Radiodays so readers can still save USD $70 by booking with our special code.The discount code for radioinfo readers is RINFKL 

Register at radiodaysasia.com/register, then go through the credit card payment process and apply the code just before payment for your discount.You will pay only USD $375 before 25 August, not the current fee of $445.Speakers include leading radio and audio industry leaders from Europe, Asia and Australia.This year Radiodays Asia has teamed with the ABU’s Radio Asia Conference to form a super radio event across 4 days in KL.RadioAsia takes place on 4 & 5 September, immediately followed by RadioDays on 6 & 7 September at the same venue, the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.ABU’s RadioAsia Conference, 4 & 5 SeptemberThe ABU’s long-running RadioAsia get-together will kick off the Super Conference on 4 September under the theme of: Smart, Social and EverywhereThe Radio Asia conference is free for ABU Members and non-members can attend for a small fee of USD $100.As with previous RadioAsia gatherings, the event will include masterclasses, workshops and networking opportunities, and Radiodays Asia will continue on 6 September for two days of discussions, presentations and exhibitions. The program begins with an afternoon of Masterclasses on Sunday, followed by a full day packed full of content for radio and audio practitioners. See the full program here.RadioDays Conference, 6 & 7 SeptemberAt Radiodays Asia 2022 you will hear  international speakers from around the world talking about the latest trends and the sharing their knowledge. The program is full of interesting topics on how to make successful shows, content development, AI and new technology, new business opportunities, the latest trends and all about how to succeed in podcasting.You will get 2 days with 2 parallel tracks of sessions. 60 speakers, 30 sessions plus educational sessions of your choice on the second day. You can stroll around the exhibition area and interact with top of the line service providers show casing the latest in tech and trends. Add to that the networking and interaction opportunities in the scheduled MEET-Ups, where you might learn just as much by meeting a colleague from another country as you do from the experts on stage. There is also evening networking drinks and a cultural event. View the program here. Register here.If you are unable to travel, there is also the option of following the conferences online a digital platform. Register for this option at radiodaysasia.com/register and go to the online only option. The same partner code will give you a discount also on this option (USD $300).The discount code for radioinfo is RINFKL Major sponsors and exhibitors are:RCS, Acast and Triton Digital […]

Content from BPRI’m writing this article from Sherman Oaks, LA. A great part of a great city.I’m listening to K-Earth 101, the legendary Classic Hits station and probably the blueprint for Classic Hits stations around the world. Or at least it should be.

K-Earth has a compelling Morning Show…The Gary Bryan Morning Show. The station also has very connected talent throughout the day.It has the #1 cume in LA over 2.3 million!But what impresses me most about K-Earth is the music policy. Let’s face it ….” The Greatest Hits on Earth” is a nice twist on the station brand but also bold. You must live up to the brand promiseWhen was the last time you listened to a Classic Hits station and thought…” mmmm… that doesn’t sound like a classic hit to me?”Too many stations in the Classic Hits arena dilute their brand and therefore their ratings performance with a universe pumped full of weak testing songs and poor music scheduling.K-Earth has a playlist tighter than many Hot AC stations. K-Earth is laser focussed and the ratings don’t lie. Remember, #1 cume in the #2 market in the US.Rotations. Now this is impressive.Years ago, with Classic Hits formats we were to taught to rotate categories like 70s, 80s and 90s based on their decade of release. Right? The older they are SLOW DOWN the rotation.But hey this is 2022!And guess what…. successful Classic Hits stations have evolved by analysing not just the songs the audience LOVES but also how and when listeners actually LISTEN.K-EARTH embodies this strategy which has paid dividends in the station’s market share and cume (need I remind you… #1 in LA).You can hear Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”….three times between 6am and 6pm  on K-EARTH. Police “Every Breath You Take” two or three times. The chances of the same listener hearing either song on K-Earth more than once in the same day is minimal. Every song the station plays defines the brand promise of “Greatest Hits”.Chris Ebbott, VP Programming for the five Audacy stations in LA, understands what the K-Earth audience loves and their listening patterns.Chris Ebbott: “A few years ago I was listening to The Steve Dangle podcast — it’s a Toronto Maple Leafs show that a friend of mine Adam Wylde co-hosts. He said something that has resonated with me ever since — “A brand is a promise kept”. That’s what we always strive to do with K-EARTH — deliver those great musical moments and positive station vibes immediately upon tune in.” Every SUCCESSFUL programmer needs to understand the listening patterns and music preferences of their audience…. WHEN they listen and WHAT they really want to listen to.In a competitive environment, a Classic Hits format is all about songs the audience LOVES…. not just the ones they like.By David Kidd, BPR […]

‘Derek Kong, Private Detective’ is Malaysia’s first online radio drama, presented by Theatre of the Mind (TOTM) ), supported by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana), MyCreative Ventures and the Malaysian Creative Industry Stimulus Package (Prisma).Featuring a star-studded cast headlined by actor-director Gavin Yap, the show which is produced by Anita Woo is set to premiere on July 31 on Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.Yap and Woo are part of the voiceover cast, together with Sharifah Amani, Douglas Lim, Radhi Khalid, Natasha Mohdali and Caleb Ng Kah Lok.

Derek Kong is written and created by Amina Jindani, with audio design by Tribe Audio, foley sounds by Muhammad Yunus and Yeop Mahidin, music courtesy of PremiumBeat.com and Envato Music, and jingles courtesy of 101 Studios.Amina said she created the radio play to “avoid becoming bored” during the two-year Movement Control Order (MCO) during Covid-19.Derek Kong tells the story of a detective based in TTDI who works alone and solves cases by fantasising that he is a character in a 1950s noir drama.In the pilot episode – ‘The Zucchini Bicycle Case’, a waitress presents Derek Kong with a case of a missing cyclist who has mysteriously disappeared from social media without a trace. When the clues lead to a known dangerous gang, Kong has to give chase and find him.Derek Kong can be assessed at YouTube TOTM Malaysia , Soundcloud Theatre Of The Mind – MY and Facebook Theatre Of The Mind TOTM . […]

This story first appeared on RadioInfo.asia