Comments on: Radio’s main strength: portability

By: Ralph Brandi

Ralph Brandi — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:43:03 +0000

This is a point that we tried to make quite strenuously to the BBC World Service when they decided to shut down service on shortwave to the Americas and Australia back in 2001. The then-head of the World Service, now Deputy Director General of the BBC, Mark Byford, pooh-poohed our concerns.

By: steve martin

steve martin — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:00:27 +0000

I agree James and if Connor had read the BBC World Service Annual Review (out today) he would know that the focus of the BBC World Service is not on any particular delivery platform but on serving listeners. The number of analogue outlets for BBC World Service programming is increasing, not falling, analogue audiences are sharply up, several 24-hour BBC FM relays have recently been powered-up in the Middle East alone and I predict AM will continue to be a popular delivery channel for years to come in many places too.

By: Martin Stabe » links for 2007-07-05

Martin Stabe » links for 2007-07-05 — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:24:37 +0000

[...] James Cridland: Radio’s main strength: portability “Johnston got very animated as he explained his ‘lucky break’: getting a radio. About twenty days in, he was given a radio to listen to: which he promptly tuned in to the BBC World Service. From there, he heard all those messages of goodwill from his (tags: bbc radio alanjohnston) [...]

By: Connor

Connor — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:56:01 +0000

Good points James. It’s sad that one of the people who needs to be reminded of those points is the director of the BBC World Service.
The focus there is on FM rebroadcasters, who don’t take anything like 18 hours a day, and on the internet. Kidnap victims aren’t going to be given a computer to listen to the radio – because it’s a two way tool of course. And of course, that’s the interactivity we value so much on radio. So for most of us, the newer technology is very important. But for news radio, all you fundamentally need is an AM radio – a crystal set even!

But if you’re jammed or blocked, you best – but small – hopes are for analogue AM or online.

Do keep reminding ‘em for us once you’re in the Beeb ;-)

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:37:14 +0000

Couldn’t agree more - radio can be at it’s most powerful when it’s at it’s simplest. Bells and whistles and images and text and all the rest certainly have their place, but the true power (and joy) of radio is in it’s simplicity and portability.

Plus, you can hear through analogue interference. Not quite so easy when packets go missing on digi.