WSQK - showing how radio innovates unlike no other
This is Radioland, my radio trends newsletter.
I’ve been talking about the extra opportunities that new radio platforms offer since - well, since a long time ago.
While the Americans have, sadly, stopped innovating in radio as far as I can see - and I’ve evidence that they stopped 19 years ago - other parts of the world are offering much more interesting and exciting output. (I still remember jumping into a car in 2014 in Nevada, and finding literally nothing to listen to).
As I mentioned in a speech in Birmingham ten years ago, additional choice is what has driven radio’s success in much of Europe. Radio’s digital platforms - both the internet, but also DAB - offer significant extra choice that allows broadcasters to grow brands, not just stations. And, sometimes, to offer additional choice for advertisers.
So it is with Global’s WSQK - a real radio station, available on real broadcast radio in London and online worldwide - offering a choice of a, um, radio station from the 1980s in Hawkins IN, USA.
WSQK is, of course, an advertising vehicle for Stranger Things, the Netflix series that has just returned for a new season. But here’s the thing: it’s done so, so well - and highlights how the creatives who work in good radio companies can always get closer to fans in a way that nobody else can.
Global’s WSQK is a full, 24/7, six-week long radio station deep into the Stranger Things universe. And everything is perfect.
The station has 1980s-sounding jingles; it has DJs right through the day; it has features like the Rewind at 9; it has news at the top of the hour during the day; and of course it has commercials for businesses in Hawkins. Everything has been thought of - and everything has been really carefully recreated to keep you in the Stranger Things universe. The only way you’d know you’re listening to something a little different is the jingles, which say “Global and Stranger Things present…” - that’s it. No cheesy voiceover telling you to watch Stranger Things; nothing to take you out of the moment. You’re being treated as an adult, dear listener. Quite rightly.
The station even sweats the little details. As RadioToday says: “To replicate the authentic 80s sound WSQK is being processed using a vintage Inovonics FM250 audio processor. These were released in 1983 and were in use across thousands of stations around the world during the latter part of the 80s.” - and it genuinely sounds like it: a high-energy, slightly smeary compressed sound just like I remember from Hallam, which used them when I was on-air.
I’m not a Stranger Things watcher - but the rest of my family are, and every single element was accompanied, in the car, by “oh, (blah) worked here in season 2”, or “this song was played when (blah)”. They loved it even more than I did.
Listen closely, and you’ll notice a, er, not very big music catalogue (it only plays songs from the show); the voicetracked DJs never name any of the songs they’re playing - or any timechecks; or any frequencies, come to that; and the commercials never mention place-names or prices. The jingles are, the anoraks say, the WCBS mixes of the K-Hits 2016 package from ReelWorld. None of this takes you out of the moment.
The production is excellent - punchy voiceovers, great jingles, segued properly in the playout system to deliver the fast sound that was around in those days. The writing of the commercials, of the news bulletins and the DJ breaks are on-point and very well done. No AI seems to have been abused here, as far as I can hear.
WSQK is on-air until the series finale on 1 January. Do take a listen. And bottle that for your own station.
Global’s competitor Spotify? It’s lazily produced some playlists for the show. Meh.
Here’s a bit for posterity, but go listen live.
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Radio in Australia, which has just gone into its six week audience sabotage mode that confused me back in 2017 and continues to confuse me now, is reeling from the loss of Lauren Joyce as Chief Audience and Content Officer of ARN. She’s been made redundant. ARN’s new CEO, Michael Stephenson, is to bring back a Chief Content Officer role, “allowing us to focus more clearly on creating and delivering great content”. Meanwhile, Kyle & Jackie O’s $20mn-a-year show delivered worse figures in both Sydney and Melbourne this time round.
In Brisbane, ARN announced the virtual unknown Craig “Lowie” Low as KIIS breakfast presenter on October 29. But only on November 27 - this Thursday - did they think about advertising for a producer for the show. (I think there’s some surprises still to come with this one. Not least, Craig “Lowie” Low is not actually mentioned in the job ad - but then perhaps this is why.)
- Meanwhile, the show Craig “Lowie” Low will replace, Robin, Kip and Corey, did its last show on Friday, says Mister Brisbane. He notes that “seven out of the ten-person team involved in the Brisbane KIIS breakfast show had lost their jobs”. Sorry - ten? For a commercial music breakfast show? Ten?
- That said, it’s not going to be easy to replace Robin, who’s been on-air for over 35 years in the city. It’s probably unavoidable that Craig “Lowie” Low is going to post smaller audience figures: but we’ll have to wait until March 19 to discover just how “lowie” lower they are.
Also in Brisbane, 4ZZZ is the subject of three events at SLQ next week. The community station is celebrating its fiftieth birthday.
I’m in Orlando in mid January! Should be fun. I’ll take my silly radio.
Where I am speaking next
Podfest, Orlando FL, USA (Jan 15-18, 2026) Where we’ve been - and where we’re going: A look back at where we’ve come from, including last year’s podcast news and trends, to help us understand how podcasting is changing and how we should be changing with it. Plus, a look forward to what to do in 2026.
Radiodays Europe, Riga, Latvia, (Mar 22-24, 2026) The future of audio is people-powered: The way people consume media is changing. James Cridland, the radio futurologist, takes a look at global trends in radio and on-demand. How will we listen - on which devices? How can we make our output truly unique? How do we do it in a resource-efficient way? And what part does video play in the future of audio? In this wide-ranging session, bringing together data from North America, Asia, Australia and Europe, we’ll learn why the future is bright - as long as we understand why our audience comes to us in the first place.
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