ASIA

According to a report by Tolo News, Radio Nehad and Paikan TV, both in Balkh province, have stopped broadcasting due to economic challenges and existing restrictions on media in the province.Radio Nehad has operated for 16 years and Paikan TV for around five years.Following their shutdown, at least 25 people have become jobless.

According to some media-supporting organizations, more than 300 media outlets have shut down in Afghanistan in the past two years and over 5,000 journalists have lost their jobs.“Lack of beneficial support by the media-supporting organizations caused 25 (media workers), including 18 men and 7 women, to become jobless, they were working in these two media outlets,” Sayed Mohammad Yazdan, director of Radio Nehad , told Tolo News.The station had also stopped broadcasting for a while last year due to a fire incident.This comes as the Afghanistan’s Journalist Safety Committee for the northern zone said that they were unable to address the economic challenges of these two media outlets.In a statement, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said: “We express great concern over the closure of Nehad Radio station and the continuation of the process of closure of free media and the shrinking of the country’s media community,” “We call on the “Islamic Emirate” to allow free media to work without fear and intimidation and to ensure that media and journalists can freely cover events of public importance.”The head of the department of Information and Culture of Balkh, Ata Mohammad Saho, said that they have not imposed “any restriction on the operation of media.” […]

Content from BPRIn the ever increasingly crowded audio environment, we should never underestimate the power of live reads and how they can achieve much needed cut-through for a client.Live reads are similar to product placement in TV series or films except that in the case of radio, you have the product being spoken about in glowing terms by a well-liked and trusted on-air personality.

Here are a few of the reasons why live reads work:
Live reads involve the personality reading the copy in real-time. This creates an authentic and personal connection with the audience. This one on one approach delivered by a popular on air talent helps to build trust and credibility between the product and the listener.
Attention grabbing. Live reads have the advantage of immediacy. As they are read by a popular personality they are more likely to grab the listener’s attention than pre-recorded commercials. Being live can add an element of unpredictability and makes the ad stand out in a sea of recorded commercials.
Flexibility & Humour. Live commercials allow for greater flexibility and adaptability. The talent can incorporate their own personality and humour. Has the host been to the car dealer……do they know the owner & his/her family? This gives the host the opportunity to weave something very personal into the live read. This customization helps to engage the audience and makes the client feel like they are part of the program. This further helps to integrate the product into the programming content and seem less like a commercial stop down.
Call-to-action. With live reads, hosts can provide an immediate call-to-action, such as exclusive discounts or limited-time offers, encouraging listeners to take immediate action.
By David Kidd, BPR […]

Last week, Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb inaugurated 12 new studios which were set up on modern lines at Radio Pakistan under a reform agenda by the incumbent government.The minister said that the government had rolled out a reform programme to upgrade and digitize Radio Pakistan on war footing. A comprehensive business plan had also been worked out to transform Radio Pakistan into a financially viable organization.The studios she inaugurated were meant for round the clock sports transmission of Radio Pakistan FM at 94 frequency, broadcast of programmes in 11 regional languages, dedicated platform for discussing environmental challenges and highlight the country’s biodiversity, wildlife, water management, forest conservation and management. A world service was also launched to provide all sort of news, culture and heritage related content to the overseas Pakistanis.

Marriyum said the government had approved a digital DRM transmitter project worth Rs 4 billion in the current year’s Public Sector Development Programme.The project would be launched soon in Rawat, she said, adding that Radio Pakistan’s Digital Migration would take the state broadcaster’s transmissions in clear sound not only across the length and breadth of the country but also beyond its borders.This follows the June official announcement that the Federal Ministry for Planning Development and Special Initiatives had approved the upgrade of the HPT Rawat transmitting station with the acquisition of a 1000 KW DRM enabled medium wave transmitter.This is part of phase 1 of a three-phase DRM digitisation plan of the public Pakistani broadcaster; in effect, this signifies that Pakistan has embraced the DRM standard in all bands for the whole country. […]

Riedel Communications today announced that Peter Shen has been appointed to the position of China general manager. Reporting to Guillaume Mauffrey, sales director, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Shen will oversee the sales and profitability of the China sales unit, executing specific and detailed measures to achieve sub-goals derived from corporate planning. Additionally, he will assist in key accounts, lead contract negotiations, and expand business opportunities by managing and developing existing channels, as well as acquiring new clients in various market segments.“We eagerly welcome Peter to the Riedel team and look forward to his help in expanding our market presence in China,” said Mauffrey. “Not only has Peter kept close connections with end users and resellers in the country, but he also has demonstrated tremendous strength in marketing, sales, team building, and channel management. His knowledge of our client’s needs for video processing, transmission communication, and network security will be crucial in securing the Riedel brand as the top player.”Before joining Riedel, Shen served as VP of business development at TVU Networks for over five years, leading the global product, R&D, marketing and sales efforts of TVU’s router product family and establishing five hardware, software and cloud SaaS platform product lines. In this role, he was also responsible for forging strategic partnerships and initiating cooperations with some of China’s main tech players.

Prior to that, Shen served as general manager of LiveU’s China division, where he expanded the company’s business from the traditional broadcast industry to the online video, public security, and consumer markets. His earlier career roles include technical and managerial positions at Harmonic, Radyne, Pinnacle Systems and Beijing Founder Electronics.“I’ve always welcomed the challenge of exploring new technologies and markets, so I’m thrilled to join Riedel and help expand our channel sales network throughout China,” said Shen. “I look forward to enhancing our company’s visibility and reputation throughout the region by helping show how much our solutions can accomplish.” […]

SPH Media’s AWEDIO app, powered by Triton Digital, was awarded the Excellence Award for Radio Podcast – Singapore at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2023 last month.The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognizes excellence in broadcasting and media in the Asia-Pacific region. The awards are organised by the Asian Business Review.The award recognizes the company’s outstanding achievement in the field of radio podcasting in Singapore. SPH Media received the award for its quick and creative adoption of audio streaming and podcasting technology from Triton Digital into its workflow. This allowed SPH Media to repurpose daily broadcast radio content from its 5 radio stations into podcasts with minimal intervention. It also used the technology to dynamically insert ads and cross-promote podcasts from across its wider network of news titles, including podcasts from The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian and The Business Times. This helped SPH Media to triple podcast downloads in 3 years. SPH Media has been a pioneer in the radio podcasting industry in Singapore. The company launched its first radio podcast in 2016, and has since produced a wide range of popular radio podcasts, including The Land Before Bedtime, Ready Set Go!, True Crimes of Asia And Book Monsters.

“We are honored to receive this award from the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards,” said Ignatius Low, Editor-In-Chief, Lifestyle and Entertainment Media Group at SPH Media. “The popularity of podcasts and other on-demand digital audio content is a trend that can benefit traditional broadcast radio stations as well. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our radio team, who have laid the necessary foundations needed for SPH Media to be home to an always engaging range of high-quality podcast content that is drawn from its network of radio titles and news titles.”“We are thrilled by the growth SPH Media has experienced upon integrating Triton’s technology to expand its podcast creation, distribution, promotion and monetisation efforts in Singapore. Our focus is always on helping our partners deliver the best audio experience possible,” said Richard Palmer, VP of Market Development and Strategy in APAC for Triton Digital. […]

Megan Lazovick, the Vice President of Edison Research, has presented the key findings of a new research study “Dashboard Dialogue” at the WorldDAB Automotive conference with drivers saying radio is an integral part of the in vehicle experience.You can watch Lazovick’s presentation below.

[embedded content]The study was conducted through in-car interviews with radio listeners and over 2,400 online interviews particularly exploring the usability and consumer preferences of digital radio.Findings include:
Radio is the top choice for audio in cars. 91% of recent and prospective car buyers see the importance of having DAB/DAB+ or FM radio in their vehicles
82% of prospective car buyers and 79% of recent car buyers say they would be less likely to purchase a vehicle without a radio
Drivers value radio for its ability to provide necessary news updates, traffic alerts, and weather forecasts
75% believe radio provides a better listening experience than other audio sources in cars.
One person surveyed would give up their air conditioning over their radio!With car manufacturers investigating innovative technologies for drivers, and Tesla and BMW omitting AM from electric vehicles, WorldDAB commissioned Edison Research to conduct this major study to understand the listener’s experience of using radio in the car. […]