ASIA

Reporters from Pajhwok Afghan News have won awards from two different media associations in the country.Afghanistan Journalists’ Center (AFJC) awarded four top journalists with Afghanistan Journalist of the Year Awards at a ceremony organized by the Afghan Journalists Association in Kabul on March 16.Farhad Behrooz, deputy head of the association, said that top journalists of the year were Pajhwok Afghan News correspondent Qutbuddin Kouhi, TOLO News correspondent Sedaqat Ghorang, Hasht-i-Subh reporter Hasibaullah and AFP correspondent Aref Karimi.Afghanistan Journalists and Media Organisations Federation (AJMOF) has named Pajhwok Afghan News’ Ahmad Sohaib Hasrat the Best Investigative Reporter and Farog Tarin as the Best News Agency Reporter for 2022.The announcement came on the eve of National Journalist Day celebrated annually on March 18.AJMOF Head Mohammad Gul Geran said that a competition in this regard was launched one month ago in which 400 reporters from all over the country participated. […]

The French audio equipment manufacturer Digigram has announced the signature of a distribution agreement with the Italian broadcasting solutions leader AxelTech.Effective immediately, Singapore-based Digigram Asia Pte Ltd. is appointed distributor for AxelTech’s Falcon audio processors, Macrotel telephone hybrids and Oxygen Digital mixers ranges over the Asia Pacific region. Except for Japan and Vietnam, Digigram becomes the exclusive distributor of the Italian products.Digigram Asia Pte Ltd already covers the APAC region as a distributor of Digigram, Auvitran and Barix audio solutions and equipment.“The addition of AxelTech products to our portfolio is a significant move for Digigram as we are now capable to address our customers with full scale, high-end solutions for their broadcasting and studio needs” states Singapore-based Nancy Diaz Curiel, Digigram’s Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications.Enrico Vaccari, AxelTech’s Director of Sales adds: “We are very excited to partner with Digigram to open new opportunities. AxelTech solutions will benefit from their broad coverage of the Asia Pacific territory, and the Singapore office providing expertise and support is a great asset to assist customers in achieving their broadcast projects”. […]

Radiodays Europe will hold a Podcast Summit in partnership with Acast and supported by their sister organisation PodcastDay 24.This year they have the full Sunday afternoon dedicated to Podcasting along with sessions running in the main programme.The session is moderated by James Cridland, Editor, Podnews.Programme & Speakers
Developing a new show – Podcasts allow you to try something different: but what’s the best way to plan a new show? How do you get the format right, choose the right hosts, and get the most out of it?  Speaking in this session Julie Shapiro (PRX, USA) & Lory Martinez (Studio Ochenta, France)
 Making podcasts pay – What options are there to earn revenue from podcasting? Does all podcast ads need to sound like radio advertising; and how flexible can they be? The two headliners of this mega session are Rob Greenlee (Libsyn’s Advertisecast, USA) & Daniella Murphy (Acast Creative Director, UK)
 Designing your podcast to be a success – What is the best way to make a successful podcast? This session looks at the data of successful shows. What makes them successful and how can you emulate that success? Bringing the research to this session Tom Webster (VP, Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer Survey, USA) & Rasmus Kidde (Audience Researcher, DR, DK)
 What is next in podcasting – What’s next for podcasting? Which content trends will become bigger? Is it still all about true crime? Will catch-up radio decline as more podcasters produce different-sounding content? Audio drama? Mental Health Podcast? Immersive audio? What does the heads of Podcasting plan for the year to come? With more speakers to come but some awesome speakers in there right now Bryan Barletta (Sounds Profitable, Australia), Jessica Radburn (Head of International podcast content,Wondery, Germany) & Craig Strachan (Head of Podcast Europe and ANZ, Amazon Music, UK)
To register for this Summit  register for a full ticket for Radiodays Europe and during registration  add Podcast Summit.The Podcast Summit is part of the wider programme of Radiodays Europe which includes more sessions focused on Podcasters and Podcasting. […]

Content from BPRThere are a number of issues which periodically drive a shift in listening preference from new music to older music, but the key reason is when too much current pop sounds the same for too long.  When this occurs, people start to default to oldies because of their boredom with Pop.  Oldies become a safe harbour of variety and passion during these times until a new sound or style emerges that piques their interest and passion. Then the cycle starts all over again.  BPR has seen these phenomena develop a number of times over the years in various markets. This time around however several factors have converged to dig a deep hole for new music. Some of these being:
Massive opportunity for music exposure across multiple platforms which accelerates a song reaching its market saturation point.
A music industry business model which is attracted to solo artists that require a fraction of the production and management overhead compared to the overhead involved with a band comprising several people and multiple egos. This diminishes depth of music supply.
Consolidation of music recording and post-production into a small number of dominate studios which narrows creative perspectives.
The tendency to recycle music elements and production techniques from song to song and artist to artist thus massively reducing costs but creating a “sameness” to songs.
Music labels/publishing companies focussing on milking existing artists rather than trying to develop new talent which can be expensive and risky.
TV’s shows like Got Talent and the Voice have provided excellent platforms for new solo talent however they are not conducive to bands or music which is too complex. As much as these shows have done good, they have also further cemented the solo artist paradigm.
It would be good to think that a new sound or artists will emerge and turn the tide back to current pop however are the music companies necessarily equipped to facilitate this?  At present their business model is honed to the current sound regime and they are driven to a great extent by online metrics. The music industry has never been more commoditised, margins can be slim, the creative environment seems introverted. The main-stream music industry appears to be following its tail and at present it looks like a downward spiral.If we assume optimistically that at some point, we will see the emergence of something new that refreshes the momentum of popular music then the question many are asking is what will it be? Over the last 60 years we have exhausted all combinations of notes and chords.  A scientific study published a while back suggested that around 2010 every combination of music’s 12 notes and finite number of chords had been invented and used.  There are no new melodies or riffs, just different combinations or instrumentations of what has been heard before. In the short to medium term expect to hear more remakes or songs that remind you of something you have heard before.I am hopeful that someone or something will emerge that will alter the trajectory of current pop however whichever way you look at it the creation of something “new” is an increasingly difficult task requiring vision, boldness and talent.  As David Bowie once said “Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming” Bowie could.A perspective from Wayne Clouten, BPR […]

The Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium will have a strong presence at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium, to be held from March 21 to 24.The DRM Consortium Chairman will kick off the first ABU DBS day demonstrating why DRM is “smart radio” that enhances lives in the current challenging context (March 21st, Session 1, 1415-1510 MYT). Simon Keens of Ampegon will immediately follow with a presentation on how DRM is energy efficient in both AM and FM offering broadcasting a clear path for cutting the transmissions costs. By using a simple, original DRM efficiency calculator tool, the theoretical part will be completed by a hands-on, fast-paced demonstration that will address documented and personalised cases. (March 21st, Session 2, 1515-1610 MYT)DRM Consortium will follow the two session presentations and will then give a full workshop on “Innovation and Extension of DRM in FM” (March 21st, 1615-1710 MYT). This will include the new and exciting findings following the comprehensive India trial for FM conducted in 2021. One of them is the successful transmission of up to 18 audio and six data services from a single FM transmitter with 600 kHz bandwidth. Receivers will be also addressed during the 60 minutes DRM workshop with details about the conditions for implementation in the cell phones, all completed with a quick world update. This fact-packed workshop will offer participants technically advanced updates with practical and immediate applications. Top DRM Consortium specialists like Yogendra Pal, Honorary Chairman of Indian DRM Chapter and Alexander Zink, DRM Consortium Vice-chairman and representing Fraunhofer IIS, will take up the subjects and answer your questions.“With our fresh workshop and insightful presentations on new developments and updates,” says Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chair, “we will demonstrate the continued and enhanced relevance of digital radio and DRM in post-pandemic times and the current challenging media landscape. DRM delivers excellent audio, data, relevant content super-efficiently, ensuring complete and robust coverage for all needs, local but also national and international at affordable costs.”Register for the ABU DBS Symposium here. […]

Selling Radio Direct with Pat BrysonEvery day, businesspeople are inundated with salespeople vying for their attention and their dollars. We may be the 10th or 15th person that has walked in their door or called or emailed that day asking for time. The first thing our prospect is thinking is, “Why should I give this person my time, let alone give them my money?” In other words, we have to answer the question, “Why?”A large part of answering the question, “Why?” is developing our personal brand. Just as products must develop a “brand”, so must we. What do we stand for? How do we communicate that we are professional marketers that can help our clients to raise revenue? What makes us different?Which leads me to the picture of this cute little dog. His name is Trip and he is the goodwill ambassador for the Hotel Indigo in Columbus, Indiana.Part of the brand that Hotel Indigos have built revolves around a dog who lives in the hotel, greets guests and provides a touch of home to weary travelers. And, they also provide fish (in fishbowls) should you wish to have one in your room during your stay. These are two ways that Hotel Indigo stands out from other hotels.So, what about us? What do we do to build our personal brands? People don’t buy what we do, they buy WHY we do it. We need a “Why?” script. Do you have one? If not, take some time and create one.Building our personal brand requires continuous exposure. What we tell our clients about building their brands applies to us as well. How are you using social media to expand your brand? Do we communicate the problems we are solving for clients, the successes we have had, on the various platforms?How do you establish value? Do you blog? Do you send newsletters to clients? How do you network? Do you have a personal slogan? Do you coordinate your clients’ advertising across multiple platforms, even if you don’t sell all the platforms? What value do you and your team offer your clients? What one word would people associate with you?Success in today’s crowded environment requires going a step beyond “good service”. It requires exceptional service. It requires being different. No, you don’t have to provide puppies or fish, but you should provide continuous exposure for your brand: for YOU! Higher revenue awaits!

A “Must-Have” For Your Library

What people are saying about this new book:

“In this time of a rapidly expanding media landscape with increasing layers of complexity, Pat Bryson reminds us that sales is still a people to people business built on personal relationships. The best relationships will endure long after disruptions such as COVID-19 have passed.”
Peter Saxon […]