ASIA

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law overnight on December 3, accusing the opposition of paralysing the government with “anti-state activities“. A few hours later, following a resolution by the parliament to block it, he reversed the order and now faces an impeachment bid by the opposition.During the short-lived emergency, a six-point decree brought all media outlets under the authority of martial law. The commander of the martial law in South Korea, Army General Park An-su, announced the introduction of control over all media, following his declaration of the suspension of the work of the parliament and political parties in the country.The three major broadcasters—MBC, SBS, and KBS – officially halted their year-end award ceremonies, including the 2024 MBC Drama Awards, 2024 SBS Drama Awards, and 2024 KBS Drama Awards. KBS later decided to proceed with its scheduled year-end events following the lifting of martial law.As the country’s major networks continued to cover the latest developments, MBC News showed footage of a military officer covering their live camera while covering the declaration of martial law.According to the Korea Herald, in the tense first hours of martial law in South Korea, social media emerged as a lifeline for defiance, with politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens using it to document and disseminate real-time developments.The New York Times said that instead of silencing South Korea’s media, the martial law declaration empowered them. Journalists criticized the president’s attempt to place the press under military control, hardened by years of challenges to press freedoms by the country’s political leaders.A consortium of unions representing journalists and media industry workers condemned Mr. Yoon in a statement, calling his actions “anti-democratic,” “unconstitutional” and a denial of the “historical achievements of democracy and press freedom that the entire nation has fought for with blood over half a century.”In a LinkedIn post, Chun Young-sun, managing editor of Korea JoongAng Daily, the English-language edition of daily newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, said: “At no point did we consider stopping or limiting coverage. The idea that we would do anything but continue reporting never really crossed our minds.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists told CNN’s @Liam_A_Reilly that “it would have been disastrous for press freedom if martial law had come into effect.” However South Korean journalists and citizens “demonstrated in remarkable fashion how to hold the line against the erosion of democracy. This can be a critical lesson for many societies that are seeing backsliding in democracy and press freedom, including in the West.” […]

Indian network BIG FM is the Official Radio Partner for the 2024-25 Hockey India League (HIL). The partnership aims to expand the reach of hockey and ensure its presence across India, making the sport more accessible to fans nationwide.HIL kicks off on December 28, 2024, featuring a lineup of eight men’s teams and four women’s teams competing in Rourkela and Ranchi. This season also marks the debut of the Women’s Hockey India League.Sunil Kumaran, COO, BIG FM shared: “Hockey holds a special place in the hearts of millions, and this collaboration reflects our commitment to spreading awareness about the sport’s legacy and significance. Together, we aim to shine a spotlight on hockey’s incredible journey and inspire a deeper appreciation for the sport across the country.”Dr. Dilip Tirkey, Chairperson of the Hockey India League (HIL) Governing Committee, said: “Radio has a unique ability to connect with people in the remotest corners of the country, making it the perfect medium to promote hockey. With BIG FM’s engaging content and nationwide reach, we aim to make hockey a household conversation.” […]

The WorldDAB Spectrum and Network Implementation Committee will be presenting a webinar along with experts from the sector on December 10, exploring road tunnel coverage with DAB+.It will cover:
Advantages and trade-offs of different technologies to bring the broadcast signal into the tunnel for continuous reception
Functionalities and capabilities of an emergency break-in system and its deployment
How legal and financial aspects are dealt with in different countries, and the responsibilities of system operation.
The webinar is aimed at broadcasters, network operators, regulators, policymakers and professional equipment manufacturers and is free to attend.It will be moderated by Hanns Wolter Technical Director, DAB Italia and Chair, WorldDAB Spectrum and Network Implementation Committee, Italy.Speakers include Lars-Peder Lundgren, CEO, Paneda, Sweden, Roberto Moro, Strategic Broadcast Services Manager, Business Technology  and Projects, SRG SSR, Switzerland and Georg Plattner, Director, RAS Rundfunkanstalt Südtirol, Italy.Register here. […]

– Selling Radio Direct with Pat Bryson.December 2024. It’s nearly 2025 and I can’t believe I’m writing this column. Or more exactly, I can’t believe I’ve been requested to write this column. The subject was requested by a sales manager I know who for reasons that will become obvious, must remain nameless. Ditto the exact location but suffice it to say this occurred outside the USA. That having been said, this same situation could occur anywhere.Scenario: an eager young female salesperson is calling on a male client. She is invited to dinner by the client. At that dinner, she is propositioned. I’ve been asked to give advice on how to handle this situation.Here in the USA, the “Me Too” movement brought this problem to light a few years ago. It gave women the courage to say not just “No” but “Hell No”. Once the light was shined on the perpetrators, it became less common.Unfortunately in some cultures (sometimes even still in the USA) the female is considered as “inviting advances” or “causing” the situation. The suggestions given below will help avoid that issue. I must also say that in all my years in sales, I never experienced this problem. But I do know people who have, and not all of them were female.I am surprised that women the world over haven’t revolted more about this situation than they have. I have worked in some cultures where women are holding important positions in our industry but still face cultural mores that place them in a subordinate position to men. In those cultures, this problem would be ignored because officially it doesn’t exist. The culture of this sales manager is one such place.So, what advice do I have for ladies today?1.      Approach all clients in a business-like manner. This does not mean that you can’t be friendly. It means that you send no signals other than “I’m here to meet your business needs and ONLY your business needs.”

2.     Dress in a business-like manner. Women especially have more trouble finding business clothes that are stylish but not necessarily fashion forward. Much of today’s fashion is not suited for business. We need to look like we are serious businesspeople. A credible image is an important first step.3.     If a client suggests dinner, propose lunch instead. You pay for it. If you must go to dinner, you pick up the check. You pick the place and make it somewhere you are well known. If the waiter appears to know you, the client will be less likely to behave out of line. Arrange to have someone with you. Take a production person, a manager, someone associated with the account so that it’s not obvious that you are bringing company for protection.4.     If you suspect that this client has ulterior motives, decline dinner.5.     Shame is a powerful thing. If you ARE propositioned, act totally shocked. Say that you CANNOT IMAGINE that a person of their standing in the community (might be a religious community) would suggest such a thing. Perhaps you misunderstood? Give them a way to save face and back out.6.     Try this line: “Mr. ____ I’m happy to work with you and your account and take good care of the advertising for your business. If you need anything more, I will be happy to provide you with names and numbers for workers in THAT profession.”7.     If nothing else works, trade the account. NOTHING, NO ACCOUNT is worth sacrificing your integrity. If no one else wants it, fire that account.8.    Just say “No”. Make that “Hell No”.My first boss gave me a piece of advice that I’ve held on to for years. He said, “Pat there are too many nice people out there to call on to deal with those who aren’t.” Amen and Amen! […]

Audio entertainment platform Pocket FM’s global revenue soared 496% to INR 1,051.97 Cr ($123 million) in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) from INR 176.36 Cr ($20 million) in the previous fiscal year.Pocket FM is a company based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, specialising in the media & entertainment sector. The company was established in 2018 by Nishanth S., Prateek Dixit and Rohan Nayak.With a community of 200 million listeners, Pocket FM offers more than 75,000 audio series, powered by a community of over 250,000 writers worldwide. It offers diverse content across multiple languages and genres, including romance, drama, thriller, fantasy, science fiction and action thriller among others.Users spend an average of over 115 minutes of daily listening on the platform.Its current core markets are the US and India, and it has recently forayed into Europe and Latin America. Its content competes with Kuku FM, Spotify and Amazon’s Audible.In a statement, the company also said that it managed to trim its global loss by 21% to INR 165 Cr ($ 19 million) from INR 209 Cr ($ 24.5 million) in FY23.A significant portion of Pocket FM’s revenue comes from its microtransaction-led subscription model, which generated a revenue of INR 934.73 Cr ($110 million), up 484% from INR 160.05 Cr ($ 18.9 million) in FY23, the statement said.Revenue from advertisements surged over 600% to INR 89.34 Cr ($ 10.5 million) from INR 12.5 Cr ($1.47 million) in the previous fiscal year.

According to its MCA filing, Pocket FM’s operating revenue from the Indian entity almost doubled to INR 260 Cr ($ 30.5 million) in FY24 from INR 129.7 Cr ($15.2 million) in the previous fiscal year.Its India arm’s net loss dropped 77.1% to INR 15.7 Cr ($ 1.8 million) during the year under review from INR 68.7 Cr in FY23.The company credits its growth to its freemium model, which allows users to access a limited portion of audio content for free while monetising binge-listening behaviour through coin-based microtransactions.The platform allows users to unlock additional episodes by purchasing coin packs starting as low as INR 49.According to Anurag Sharma, Chief Financial Officer, 70% of Pocket FM’s revenue comes from the US, followed by 15% from India, and the remaining from other markets.In March this year, Pocket FM had raised $103 million in series D funding, in a round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Stepstone Group. This nearly doubled the company’s valuation to about $750 million from $390 million when it previously raised $65 million in its Series C round in March 2022. […]

Content from BPRAdapting to a changing landscape is a core survival skill for any business, including radio. Some businesses successfully manage this as part of their ongoing internal conversations while others seem unable to get out of the starting blocks. The ability to adapt is about future proofing your station. Here are five strategies you need to think about if you want to future proof your business.1:  Cultivate a Culture of CuriosityYou cannot stop change. Head in the sand thinking is the recipe for failure. Head in the sand thinking blinkers you to the possibilities of the future and sets you up to be blind-sided.  It means that you don’t look for alternative solutions for inevitable change, and those changes lead to disruption, declining market share and poor investment decisions.Technology has changed the way we all do business. Look at where AI is in 2024 and imagine just where it could be in five years from now.A culture of curiosity is essential to exploring what the future might look like, and how your business might exist within that future. One you accept that change is inevitable you can prepare for it.  Future proofing cannot succeed where an organization continues to do things because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”.2: Look in the Mirror – Question your AssumptionsKnowing how change will affect your business means being clear about the underlying assumptions that your business is built upon.  You can’t plan for change unless you understand why your category/format exists, what your brand is about and why consumers choose you over your competitors.

Addressing the threats to the very foundation of your business is key to future proofing. Ascertain the long-term threats to your business and scenario plan for them.3: Monitor the HorizonEvery Christmas rolls around with hundreds of “trends” for the upcoming year. It would be impossible to be aware of every single one. However, there are big “mega trends” that bubble under for a long time and are clearly going to shake up our industry and brands if they take hold.  Being aware of them is the first step to doing something about them. Many retail shop fronts failed to plan for the impact of online shopping. The impact of streaming services on Free to Air TV is well documented.4: Know your Brand Purpose  Being able to future proof your station means accepting that it might have to evolve into something completely different. Being willing to cannibalise or let go of parts of your business to take it in a new direction is essential for growth.  The starting point of this is understanding what your station stands for in the minds of the audience.What are the purpose and values of your brand that people engage with (or could engage with!) and where else do those values matter? Being able to expand beyond your category in different ways obviously sets you up better for a future where your product category might not be very appealing to operate in.5: Respect your ListenersListeners have needs and ultimately they are loyal to solutions to their needs, rather than brands. If something better comes along, then their brand loyalty likely counts for very little. So, how focused are you on respecting, understanding and serving your listeners’ changing expectations?  The radio audience won’t adapt to your needs; your format needs to adapt to theirs. Remember Zapoleon’s Music Cycles?Constantly research what listeners want from a radio station and how well you and your competitors are delivering on their needs. Listeners tastes change over time…..make sure you aren’t left behind. Finally……Its not what you think your radio station stands for ….its what the listeners think […]