ASIA

Today, around 4PM KL time, we will reveal the top two People’s Choice winners of The Radioinfo Podcast Asia Awards as they are announced, live on stage, from the Royal Chulan Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during Podcast Day Asia which is part of Radiodays Asia.Will the two People Choice Awards be the same as the Awards chosen by the judges or will they be different? Joining us on on stage, will be representatives of the top two winners of the Radioinfo Asia Podcast Awards  ads chosen by our judging panel: Shoko Plambeck, producer of “The Evaporated”, Campside Media, Japan, and Tan Li Yi, producer of “The Reading Room”, SPH Singapore. […]

Khairy bin Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, often referred to as “KJ“, is a former three-time Malaysian Minister turned radio presenter and podcaster.Together with Johan, Fara Fauzana and AG, he fronts Hot FM’s breakfast show, Bekpes Hot.The offer to Khairy to host the show was made in an open letter on Instagram by Hot FM, according to a statement from Hot FM owner Media Prima Audio.He also hosts Keluar Sekejap with Shahril Hamdan, a podcast in which they discuss Malaysian politics and current affairs with a variety of guests.Khairy is also one of the Members of the Board and Youth Advisor at JDT, as well as a Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to November 2022.He will host a session titled KJ – A Malaysian pod success on Wednesday, September 6, at Radiodays Asia 2023 where he will speak about his unusual journey from politics to radio. […]

One of ABC Australia’s longest running successes is now also one of the most downloaded podcasts in the country.When the host, Richard Fidler, proposed the one hour interview program in 2006 he was told that the audience would never listen for all that time, but he knew audiences craved a deep and immersive experience.Exploring the craft skills that have made the program/podcast successful Fidler answered questions about his most memorable interviews, his preparation and the narrative arc of the program.What’s one of your favourite interviews?Australian Jill Hicks, was travelling to work in the London Underground when a bomb went off just metres away. She described the bomb exploding as being like a short intake of breath and that she had no idea what had just happened. The scarf she’d tied around her neck earlier, became the tourniquet Jill used to stem the bleeding from her torn legs.“Jill told her story so powerfully that I had no idea the ABC news theme kicked in,” said Richard. “Our audience responds to everyday people because listeners can measure their own lives against them.”Do you need to know how to craft a story to tell the story?Richard and his producer prepare long detailed pre-interviews for each guest.He has a narrative arc in mind for each story. In an interview a listener can go where they like, but after his research Richard is confident he can steer the interview.“Don’t talk over your guests and let people talk,” said Richard. He spoke about interviewing Angela Lansberry ,who Richard realised had never been given the opportunity to speak uninterrupted so no interviewer had unlocked the rich detail of her work and her life. His Conversation with her corrected this and found her stories fascinating.“Always prepare carefully and let subjects talk,” advised Richard.Richard can “hear the sound of people listening” when he leaves room for silence in interviews. This allows the guest time to think and the audience to dwell more deeply on what they’ve heard.What is the structure of the program?A dreamy musical beginning leads to a story introduction, which signals the end of the audience’s mind chatter from all that they heard earlier in the day and allows them to escape into someone else’s life. He usually ends with a reflective point about what the guest has learnt. The listener then comes back into their own lives when the program ends.How is making live radio different from making podcasts? The program began in 2005 and has grown to a 70 million audience. “We’ve been making a podcast that is broadcast for years,” he saidMy model is “me, the guest and the listener.” We interview the guest in a nondescript studio so that we do everything we can to help them feel comfortable.“As the interviewer, I believe it’s important to drop the mask of omniscience…You can then open up your interview to surprise and shock… don’t be afraid not to know everything about your subject,” said Richard.Why? and Really? Are two of the best questions to ask. When answering, people often blurt out the truth because don’t have time to make up a prepared answer.“This model of program can be done anywhere in the world, interviewing every day people and telling their powerful story. For it to be successful the interviewer needs to engage their authentic curiosity, this is the motor of your interview. Authentic curiosity is essential for any interview,” ended Richard. […]

“In times of huge global news, natural disasters, as well as national or local community stories, radio can accurately reflect what is happening. “Just as importantly, audio can celebrate culture, entertainment and music and give the sense of belonging to the listener,” said Malaysia’s Deputy Minister for Communications and Digital, Nie Ching Teo at the official opening of the 2023 Radiodays Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur.“Radio is important… it is considered a trustworthy source to keep audiences informed and to counter mis-information,” she said.After decades of adapting and changing, the minister recognised that “even though radio has been around for years, it is not an old medium, it has stayed current.” It is on all types of digital platforms, is direct, immediate and a forum for music and conversations.“With the rise in podcasting we see a younger audience being attracted to audio with some becoming podcasters themselves.”Minister Teo described radio as “a vibrant media industry, looking ahead to meet audience expectations and develop its future business models.”The opening session was introduced by Steve Ahern, from ABC Australia, and Ryan Matjeraie, presenter at Fly FM Kuala Lumpur.Radiodays founder Anders Held said, “Radio Asia 2023 wants to shape our audio industry to provide a platform to share ideas to help industry to stay relevant and develop… We’re bringing professionals together in this international meeting place in Asia Pacific we hope everyone finds this useful, inspiring and fun.”Olya Booyar, Head of Radio at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union said, “The ABU is proud to be combine our resources with Radiodays. Our special strength is that we are the biggest broadcasting union with huge diversity… we have helped bring people together to face the greatest challenges in the industry… Audio choice is staggering and will continue to grow, generations to come will wonder how we managed content in a changing media climate… we are inventing the future now.”Speaking about the transformation of radio, Astro CEO Kenny Ong gave his perspectives on the importance of radio and its brands and how to grow your audience in a competitive media market, urging radio businesses to think beyond their format to what the audience is really looking for. “People don’t buy things for the most obvious reason, they buy it for other reasons prestige, peer pressure. it has nothing to do with the content and the features of the product.” Astro is one of Malaysia’s media companies working hard to invent the future by trying many things and thinking strategically about the business. “Radio’s survival is reliant on a saviour that may not yet be here, so we need hold the fort as best as we can, until the day comes but this may not be in the form we expect.”

Pamela Cook, the Head of Planning and Delivery at SBS Australia gave delegates insights into how SBS has had a makeover from radio to audio and how it is finding clever ways to visualize audio and use podcasts. […]

“What I like about this methodology is that it gives more introverted participants an opportunity to share their ideas and have their questions answered, said Barbara Gruber one of the trainers from DK Akademie during the Podcast Design workshop at Radio Days Asia using the MethodKit for Podcasts. The kit encourages podcasters to distill the process down to its components by using a series of cards laid out on a table and helps podcasters streamline their creation process.During the workshop participants worked in one of 3 groups: Design, Produce or Distribute.They used the cards from the kit as stimulus to raise questions about making podcasts and also offer tips and tricks. Each group then chose a speaker to present a 5 minute presentation about their discoveries to the room.

Participants shared the following insights:– Making podcasts has many steps and takes time.– You need to be clear on the purpose– Be wary of the platform you choose to host your podcast and their requirements for control– Consider the impact of the podcast, that mentions are searchable through keywords chosen and that the identity of the producer/ reporter may need to be kept safe.– Consider that more than one voice is needed for for a more balanced report– Are visuals crucial with some subjects?– In Malaysia and Australia for example music may not be allowed in podcasts due to copyright laws.– Consider using AI tools for social media posts.One workshop participant told radioinfo he found the session valuable, particularly the discussion on ethics and copyright. He thinks that podcasters need to show professionalism as their content can influence society. He would like to see the information captured from the session and distributed to participants.“It’s good to have sessions like this at the beginning of the conference because it gives the participants an opportunity to get to know each other and grow their professional networks by the end of the conference,” added Barbara Gruber.DW has developed a detailed kit from the training activity that is available to podcasters. For more information contact DW Akademie.The Method Kit is available for free from DW here. […]

“Make socials your #BreakfastBestie,” said Lauren Saylor, breakfast producer and social media coordinator, from Smooth FM 91.5 in Melbourne, Australia.In a workshop at Radio Days Asia, she showcases how a fine-tuned content strategy allows social media to become a balanced and integral part of a highly rating radio breakfast show.“First know your Brand,” she began. “ At Smooth Radio, consistency is the key. We aim to have our audience feel good by experiencing positive content, in a safe environment, that the audience finds comforting.

Begin by asking, “Who are you?”
What is your show’s personal brand and values?

Then own who you are! Be who you are. “Today, I’m wearing pink, it makes me feel good and powerful! It’s part of my brand.”
Make content that fits your show’s personal brand and station alignment.
At Smooth we strive to make people feel like they’re a part of our family to create a connection with our station and programs.Social media is the way to expand our on air time by giving longer touch points for our listeners. “We want our P1 listeners to get our brand and we want them to be our biggest fans ever by creating a relationship extension and getting our listeners living in our ecosystem.”“Be smart… You don’t need a team for socials because we’re all creatives, no fancy phone is needed either.” For example,put your talent at the forefront of the video, someone the audience trusts and use them for social posts.Pick the social media that is right for you. Know your audience and choose that platform where they are most engaged. Think about the different companies you use, meta brand, diversify in a way that is beneficial for you e.g.. FB but possibly Youtube too.Finally, keep an eye on the analytics, so you know what’s working well for you. […]