ASIA

Radiodays Asia 2022 has announced more speakers for this year’s conference, to be held in-person and online on September 6 and 7 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.These include:Richard Sutherland is the Head of News for RNZ, New Zealand’s pre-eminent public broadcaster.  In a career spanning more than three decades, he has worked in TV, radio and online.June Peng has been working in the media research industry for 10 years. Since joining GfK in 2018, she was the key person in servicing the media clients in Malaysia. As the head of the Malaysia Media Measurement Division of GfK, June ensures contractual requirements are met, KPIs are delivered and explore new opportunities to continue raise the bar for radio measurement in Malaysia.David Hua has over 20-years’ experience in the media industry. He has held a number of senior executive roles at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and has been responsible for diverse portfolios across content, marketing, commercial, radio, and digital. Prior to coming to SBS, he led the ABC’s international services including Radio Australia, ABC Australia (TV), and digital services that connect audiences around the world with Australian stories.This will be the third edition of the new conference from the team who produces Radiodays Europe, the world’s largest and leading conference for radio and audio development, in collaboration with broadcaster organisations in the Asia-Pacific.Radiodays Asia includes a fantastic line-up of speakers, leading experts and professionals from around Asia, Australia and across the world. Topics ranging from radio and podcast strategy, new digital developments, successful formats and content development, fact checking and investigative journalism, podcast storytelling and business, social media, audio advertising, sales and the latest research about consumer behaviour. The most important trends and new ideas worldwide in one place.The main conference runs over two days with two parallel tracks of sessions. It will have meet-ups and interactive sessions as part of the programme to facilitate networking and sharing of ideas. There will also be an exhibiton area where you can learn the latest about services from our commercial partners. In addition four educational training workshops will be included in the offer, as well as an evening networking event.

The main Radiodays Asia conference will be hybrid – in-person in Kuala Lumpur and online for those who are unable to travel.The first Radiodays Asia was held in Kuala Lumpur in 2019. It got fantastic feedback from participants, coming from 30 countries. Attendees gave the event an astonishing 4.25 rating on a 1-5 scale.  The second, virtual event in March 2021 saw attendees from 40 countries and the same high rating: 4.25.Click here to register with the Early Bird Price before July 15. […]

India’s Big FM network in India and Hungama ArtistAloud, are setting the stage for hardcore English music lovers and independent artists with ‘The Blue Mic- English Edition’.After the roaring success of the first edition called ‘The Blue Mic’ which gives a platform to Hindi artists, the second edition will play a role in giving budding English artists, bands and their fan base a platform to celebrate independent music.Testing versatility and originality, the show will witness the best of diverse singing talents coming together on a common platform to reach out to their ever-growing fan-base.The show will air Monday-Friday from 4 pm to 5 pm in selected markets and feature Easy Wanderlings, Aditi Ramesh, Druv Kent, Takar Nabam and other popular acts. Each week, the complete video episode will be released on Big FM and Hungama Artist Aloud’s YouTube Channels.Each week, as episode will feature an ‘Artist of the Week’ and delve into their journey, music, inspirations, passions, future plans, interactions, on-air jam sessions and requests from listeners.Sunil Kumaran, COO, BIG FM said: “The last couple of years witnessed the inclination of Indian audiences towards powerful music in the indie segment. The youth are turning to such artists and a parallely strong fan base is mushrooming besides mainstream commercial music. BIG FM and Hungama ArtistAloud are united to serve that trend with a platform wherein emerging artists prove their mettle and music lovers get their next sensation. The overwhelming response of the first edition has catapulted into presenting the second edition exclusively for English music and its thriving fandom in India.”  Soumini Sridhara Paul, Senior Vice President, Hungama Artist Aloud, said: “The resounding success of the property’s first edition is a solid affirmation of the popularity of independent music and a clear indication that independent music and artists can thrive as much as commercial music.” […]

The New Zealand government has committed to spend NZ$4.4 million (US$2.8 million) for a new transmitter for Radio New Zealand Pacific.RNZ Pacific broadcasts into the wider Pacific on shortwave 24 hours a day, collaborating with 22 broadcasting partners across the region.Its current primary transmitter is nearing end of life, and its other transmitter has in effect already been retired.The announcement was made as part of Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi’s plans for the new public media entity which is set to operate next year, following the merger of RNZ and TVNZ.Faafoi said RNZ Pacific’s shortwave transmitter was critical for providing the most trusted and comprehensive news service for Pacific peoples in New Zealand and across the Pacific region.RNZ Pacific Manager Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor said the investment showed the government recognised the significance of RNZ Pacific in the region.The commitment to spend on a new transmitter is in addition to the NZ$327 million (US$209 million) in public funding pledged for the new public media entity during its first three years of operation. […]

All Malaysian talents aspiring to make waves on the radio can participate in the Hitz Announcer Search 2022 contest.The contest, which runs till July 3 offers the winner a chance to take home a RM10,000 cash prize and a contract as a radio announcer on the English language radio station.To participate, listeners need to follow Hitz FM on TikTok (@hitzdotmy) or Instagram (@hitz). Using their own style and creativity, participants need to record a video of themselves doing a duet with the prompter script given.Participants must post their recorded video on their own TikTok or Instagram accounts which must be set to ‘Public’, and also use the hashtags: #HITZAnnouncerSearch and #GoBeyond in the caption. They should then submit the video link and their details on the contest form via www.hitz.com.my. OShortlisted candidates will be contacted by the Hitz FM team via social media platforms. Ten shortlisted contestants will undergo challenges and preparation to be next Hitz FM announcer.As part of the elimination process, there will also be daily eliminations determined by votes from listeners and the Hitz FM team.The final round of the Hitz Announcer Search 2022 featuring the top 5 contestants will be in mid-July. […]

India’s 93.5 Red FM network has launched Red Indies Radio Festival, which began on June 20 and will continue till June 24.The on-air festival will showcase Indie artists from across the country and give their music a national platform throughout the week.From conversations to sharing their musical journeys, the festival will also have renowned names from the music industry joining the celebration.Early morning classical shows will feature stalwarts from the classical world like Satish Vyas, Abhijeet Pohankar and the morning show will be taken over by leading indie artists such as Armaan Malik, Raftaar and Papon.Another segment ‘Late Night with Legends’ will feature Amit Trivedi, Palash Sen, Neeraj Sridhar and many more sharing their musical stories.Nisha Narayanan, Director & COO, RED FM, and Magic FM, said: “The entire festival is all about celebration of music and independent artists across a wide spectrum of music genres. The idea behind the project is to celebrate independent artists who follow their passion to create something extraordinary and connects them to a world of new audiences and opportunities.” […]

Benztown and P1 Media Group will host a free webinar for radio professionals around the globe, entitled “How to Create a Winning Playlist in a Streaming & Social World, Part Two” on Thursday, June 23.Benztown is a global leader in radio imaging, voiceover, programming and jingles; and P1 Media Group, provides research, strategies and consulting to radio stations worldwide.The webinar will be hosted by Andreas Sannemann, CEO, Benztown, and Ken Benson, Partner, P1 Media Group.Returning for Part Two of this popular webinar is special guest Guy Zapoleon, radio programming legend, music historian and Owner/President, Zapoleon Consulting. This is the 22nd in the webinar series from top radio experts from around the world.The 30-minute webinar will cover topics including:With stations having more data than ever to analyze including Streaming info, Shazam figures, Tik Tok breakouts and tools like Zapoleon’s Hit Predictor, how do programmers prioritize all this data and use it to build their weekly playlist?Is Music Call-Out still important?How radio, particularly Top 40 radio, should deal with old songs that have become vogue again and are new to many listeners, such as Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”.

Is a human-curated playlist a competitive advantage for radio versus the Streamers’ algorithms?Why listening to new music and “using your ears” to pick hits is more important now than ever.Register at https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/GuyZapoleon. […]