The MIDAS touch - RAJAR tells us how people listen to the radio
Above: Fun Kids does something quite clever in an effort to gain reconsent under GDPR rules: making their (normally colourful) email black and white, and asking people to reconfirm their email to “restore the colour to your inbox”.
(As an aside: I shouldn’t need to gain reconsent because my email newsletter list has always just been for that: so breathe a sigh of relief, so you won’t get a GDPR reconsent from me. Here’s my privacy policy if you wanted a peek).
My column
- The MIDAS touch — RAJAR’s behavioural radio research (also here). Vital research from the UK (and I’d love to see this from other countries).
United States
Pirate Radio Stations Explode on YouTube - interesting misuse of the technology that YouTube provides. Odd that their algorithms haven’t stamped this out (but that would assume, of course, that YouTube wants to stamp this out).
Meanwhile, a new bill from the FCC is up in the US legislature tightening the laws against pirate radio
‘Almost 18% of Heavy Radio Listeners do not have a radio receiver in their home’ - goodness, that’s quite a stat (from Edison Research) and highlights the multiplatform nature of radio. As I say in my conference speeches: radio is a thing, not a platform.
Beyoncé, Kanye streaming stats ‘manipulated’ on Tidal (so they get lots more royalties). Because online stats are always correct, so I’m repeatedly told, except when they’re not, of course
New radio station in the US being sold on music obscurity. Arguably, a) people want familiarity; b) those that don’t already have Spotify. Discuss.
United Kingdom
Steal this, other countries - Radio Audio Week - a thing in the UK where all audio and radio people are doing things together to shout about it. Why not elsewhere?
Also streal this: BBC and commercial radio - working together in the UK (for the first time) for mental health. Impressive work.
The Bionic Studio - Cushions and Daylight - this is a great view into radio’s future from Broadcast Bionics.
The MIDAS touch — RAJAR’s behavioural radio research (also here)
Alexa, are you radio’s saviour? - Matt Deegan in an uncharacteristically grumpy blog post has lots of ideas for radio’s future for young audiences. It’s a good, data-driven piece.
Interesting piece in The Spectator about one Radio 4 programme which could be a podcast; while another was a podcast.
Love Sport Radio launches ten fan shows as podcasts on Alexa and Google Assistant - this is a clever and good idea; the station already broadcasts these in London, and getting the station to help promote them further seems to win with everyone.
Australia
Australian Podcast Awards Winners - some good pieces of audio here. I enjoyed judging these.
Email from boss of the (Aus) ABC to colleagues outlining the effects of the budget. The Guardian covers the budget cuts, too.
Can Radio beat Spotify at its own game? (By which this article means targeted advertising, rather than 12-minute-long ad sets and self-indulgent talk breaks)
Good, award-winning, radio commercials? They do exist. Listen here…
Elsewhere
Denmark: Good new speakers for Radiodays Europe’s Podcast Day. If you use the code “PODNEWS” you’ll save money on your tickets too, by the way: until the end of this week. Just saying.
Switzerland: they’re turning FM off in the next few years, and the government is now planning a four year information campaign: Switzerland Plans DAB+ Education Initiative. As an aside, we learn on May 17th whether the UK radio industry has hit the 50% target for digital listening which triggers a decision from the government about FM switchoff.
Africa: In the East African country of Burundi, the BBC and VOA have been banned - from being rebroadcast, at least. There aren’t any restrictions on the internet, though Viber and WhatsApp have been banned before.