How was Radio Reborn in the last year?
Posted on Sunday, March 29th, 2009 at 11:23am. #
It really does seem like a year where radio has been reborn – and this photograph from the Guardian’s Radio Reborn conference last year really shows this.
Was it really only a year ago when Fru Hazlitt (centre) was desperately trying to clarify her statements on DAB Digital Radio? She was CEO of GCap Media, a company which now, of course, no longer exists – being part of Global Radio. Since Radio Reborn 2008, Global have (depending on your point of view) either destroyed heritage local FM stations in an orgy of cost-cutting and missing the point about what local radio’s all about, or have bravely rolled out a national brand, laying the foundation for a new assault on the cosy, highly-funded, self-congratulatory world of the BBC.
And next to Fru, on the right, is Jenny Abramsky, then the BBC’s director of Audio & Music. Her shoes are now filled with Tim Davie, who (depending on your point of view) has presided over Sachsgate and the worst excesses of knee-jerk editorial compliance policies, or begun to lay the foundation for working together as one with the commercial radio industry, and moving much of BBC Radio into the modern world with a strong branding message, quickly shaking off his early bad luck.
And then, of course, there’s been the little thing called the economy, which has ravaged most commercial broadcasters (and had an effect on the BBC as well). Broadcasters have been (depending on your point of view) retreating into the tried/tested/tired world of 1980s radio and removing any experimentation urgently needed to reinvigorate the medium, or cleverly stopping spending money on fripperies and untested new platforms and concentrating on what works.
The Guardian’s Radio Reborn 2009 conference will doubtless be just as headline-grabbing as last year’s. I’ll be there, too – speaking as Chairman of the Radio At The Edge conference, doing a quick roundup of what’s going on across the world in technology. I’m only on for half an hour, so don’t worry.
I’m reliably informed that tickets are still available. And, given that Radio At The Edge isn’t until November 9th, this is the best time to take stock. Because, goodness, don’t we need a day to think about the massive changes to our industry…
Photo courtesy of The Guardian. Disclosure: While I am appearing, I’m not being paid. I have given the Radio Reborn organisers some assistance in publicity and contacts.
Terry Purvis
Looks interesting James – if it’s anything like the radio session at the Guardian Changing Media Summit, should be plenty of lively debate!