Trevor Dann, speaking at the conference yesterday, was discussing how incomplete the archives of many broadcasters are. The BBC has a huge archive – but much is missing. In the past, there hasn’t been so much value placed in maintaining archives.
Archives = space. Space costs money.
When I worked in Leicester Square, what archives there were, were kept in the record library by the very knowledgeable librarian Clive Smith. Once he left, who knows what happened to them?
Luckily, there have always been a band of “enthusiasts” who have taped radio stations off air and filed the results away. This site seems to be a fairly large archive.
So whether you want to hear what Capital FM used to sound like, or how Atlantic 252’s Test transmissions turned out – along with airchecks from across the pond, this site may be worth a listen.
Radio in the past wasn’t necessarily better. But if you haven’t heard much of it, this could give you a snapshot.
Loads of “suits” talking the same old stuff that pours out of “industry” gatherings? Great ideas that are all well and good if you have huge budgets and unending resources? Or something else?
It’s designed for people who like radio, who want to be inspired by new ideas, who recognise that technology will help it to change and adapt and for those who want to meet like minded people.
I’m hugely looking forward to this conference. And I’m really glad that James Cridland and Matt Deegan are putting it on. This promises to be a great place for discussing new ideas, looking at things in a new way, and making new contacts. If I was starting out, this would be the place I’d be heading; loads of people who actually “do” radio thinking about how we can make radio better.
And there is a future for radio.
Sure, there’s lots of doom-laden statistics floating around about how younger listeners are failing to engage with radio. But not all of them. And only if radio refuses to engage with them, interact with them on the platforms that they hang out on, and actually deliver them the content they want to hear.
And radio still is radio. But it can be enhanced in many different ways. And let’s face it, whilst some people may sneer at the many ways that stations like Radio 1 and others have used to “visualise” radio, what they are doing now is really just a natural extension of what has been done in the past. From meeting listeners at the County show or the Radio 1 Roadshow at Great Yarmouth Beach, to the BBC radio Solent magazine that I remember buying as a child – they are all ways of extending the reach of the radio station.
But the biggest positive I have taken from the last few months is that fact that my daughter (8) has now decided that she wants to be on the radio and maybe run her own radio station.
This interest was started when she came to visit me at work way back when I was at Capital FM. She was 3 – and recorded 3 links which we made into a radio show for her to play in the car. She was also fascinated last time that Radio 1 did their Access All Areas week – as can be heard in this recording as she describes watching Newsbeat going out online.
Now, she has taken it one step further. Over the last few weeks, she has been recording her own radio show. She brainstormed what sort of features she wanted to run, what music she wanted to play (mostly the Capital playlist) and even how she wanted to broadcast (she wants to be on Red Button and can’t understand why it’s a bit complicated to make that happen).
She’s now started to learn how to make a radio show – in basic form using Garage Band to drag in songs and record her links. She’s even recorded a report from her day out at Brands Hatch a few weeks ago. Now whilst this isn’t necessarily radio in its truest form, it’s no different from back when I was her age, where I recorded the ads and jingles off Radio Victory, and sat in my bedroom playing tunes off a battery powered record player, talking to no-one except my brother, and playing in ads from an old mono cassette recorder. The difference is, now, that I can record her and share a little of it with you.
So, it’s a bit rough around the edges. But she wrote the jingle, recorded the keyboard part, selected the samples and the instruments and the sound effects. And she loved it.
Maybe Next Radio or an event like it will inspire her in the future to do it for real. But only if we all help make it a reality for Megan and her Generation – and keep making radio a medium that is relevant to them as well as us.
You can follow all things nextrad.io on Twitter @thisisnextradio and the conference hashtag is #nextradio Radio Today are covering it live here. I’ll be there, doubtless tweeting interesting bits. If you’re coming, it’ll be nice to catch up – and if you’re not, hopefully you’ll learn something useful.
Back in 1999, it came to South Wales. It was an unusual championship, since not all of the matches were actually played in South Wales. In fact, some were played in England. One thing that struck me about the Welsh rugby fans, when I moved to Cardiff in 1998, was their passion for the game and their huge sense of National pride.
This event gave Red Dragon FM a huge opportunity. We had NO rights to be associated with the rugby world cup. And we never claimed to have any rights. But it was an event that took over the city, South Wales and was a huge topic of conversation.
At the start of the year, we had a huge brainstorm about what we could and couldn’t do. We had a rolling planner detailing key dates, key events and a countdown to the start of the championship. And of course, it provided a brilliant sales opportunity – both for sponsorship and for the sales team to book rugby related commercials,
We commissioned printed banners – one side saying “TRY” and one side saying “MISS” – both sides heavily branded – which were given out in their thousands during the first few matches. The result was that almost every time there was a goal or a miss, there were shots on TV across Wales, across the UK and around the world of the Red Dragon FM logo. In fact, if imitation is the best form of flattery, we ended up being banned from giving these cards out, and some of the key sponsors introduced them for later matches.
On air, things started early. We started counting down to the championships every day, early in the year. We already had good relationships with the Welsh Rugby Union, a number of the rugby team had connections with the radio station and the contacts with the local authorities put us in a good position to get relevant permissions to do things.
Each match day, we broadcast live from outside the millennium Stadium. We had teams of promotional crew giving out material. And we recorded hundreds of vox pops with Welsh listeners, which we used in all our imaging and promos. And we updated these daily, if not hourly, particularly after a great win or a heavy defeat. Prior to the World Cup, we recorded interviews with a large number pf the Welsh squad. We used these in news bulletins, within promos and they also guest hosted the “Top 10 at 10” on match days – picking their songs and describing their thoughts as they prepared for the big games.
As the campaign progressed, we even created a long form production piece that played a couple of times a day, featuring vox pops of players and fans. I very much doubt whether it’s the sort of thing that would sit comfortably on air on many stations these days. But there are some elements that would still work…
Never underestimate the power of passionate, vocal listeners. I’d never argue for using them simply to get voices on air, but when there’s a reason, it can be very powerful. I’m looking forward to hearing some great examples from the other side of the world in the weeks to come..
I remember what I was doing on 9/11. I was at work at Red Dragon FM in Cardiff. When the news started breaking we were in a state of disbelief. We broke format and started having regular news updates. We took off all production and changed the playlist to remove inappropriate songs.
Someone recently asked me for examples of any on air production or imaging that we ran during that period, and to be honest, I have no recollection of us doing anything specific. I think we stripped everything back and felt our way through it. In the US, stations ran powerful montages. For us, it was their story – which involved us.
The same thing happened during the London bombings, whilst at Capital FM. We broke format, becoming a rolling news station – along with the other stations coming out of Leicester Square. I can’t recall us running anything in terms of production. Why would we – the emotional shock was so raw.
Today, I came across this very powerful visualisation from the New York Times – combing a large number of recordings from the day – from Flight Controllers, to the military, to someone who was on one of the planes. It plays alongside an animated timeline and transcript of the audio. I think this is a very powerful way of telling the story. No visuals are needed – it’s simply the power of words.
You might also be interested to see this video with Lee Harris of 1010WINS in New York City, who was on air at the time the planes hit the Twin Towers. Skip to 3:51 in to find it..
As the first of 2 mega, “phew whatta scorcher” bank holiday weekends drew to a close, there stretched in front of me a massive drive from the Southwest tip of Cornwall back home to London. To accompany the children’s cries of “are we there yet?”, the entertainment provider: the car radio. But what delights did it provide…?
Porthleven to Bodmin:
First up – Radio 1. They were featuring the 1Xtra takeover – great way of showcasing BBC Radio – but not many singalong songs for the 4 and 7 year old. So on came Pirate FM – seemingly playing a whole day of ” nothing but number ones”. Pirate FM certainly delivered on “more music variety” – this included Bucks Fizz “Makin’ Your Mind Up”, The Jam “A town called Malice” and loads more. And enough singalong songs for the kids.
Bodmin to Exeter:
As we lost Pirate Fm, a request from the back for “Times Table Challenge”. Those of you not to have yet had the pleasure of this or similar offerings from the Early Learning Centre have a treat in store. 30 minutes if repetitive educational “songs”. Note to self: get in car DAB fitted quickly – at least that way I could offer up Fun Kids.
Exeter to Ilminster A303:
It’s 5pm so time for PM on Radio 4. Sadly not Eddie Mair but informative as always.
Tea stop:
Little Chef. Yes really. It’s one of the new ones with a Heston Blumenthal inspired menu. I had fish and chips since you ask – but NO LOLLIPOPS – this is a #FAIL
Ilminster to M3
Back in the car, radio back on and on comes of comedy from BBC Radio 4. Then The Archers. Then a fascinating programme on Andy Wharhol’s week in London from the Front Row team.
Megan (7) now asleep. Daniel (4) is still wide awake. Switch to BBC Radio 2. It’s Jo Whiley tonight. Haven’t heard her since she had the free transfer – and the music was great for an early evening drive. There were a couple if tracks that I’d loved to find out more about – but u was driving. Maybe my car radio needs a button that let’s me bookmark sings for further research or enquiry.
Stonehenge:
Daniel needs the toilet. Quick stop, then he requests “Old McDonald” to be sung. For 20 minutes. He ended up with a lion on the farm…
M3
Megan is now awake. She wants some songs she knows and asks for Capital FM. Thank god for disposable pop. If only there was more Capital in the West Country. There’s Heart. But 7 year olds
I’m a bit of a fair-weather listener to Absolute Radio. I listen to Christian O’Connell as the mood takes me but I don’t tune in every day. I tend to listen to the offshoots of AbsoluteRadio90s and Absolute80s more. I also have their OC Alarm Clock app and the Rock and Roll football app on my phone. And it’s the latter that has sparked an idea..
When I installed that app, I was asked to nominate the team I support. I’m not really a footy fan but my father in law is a season ticket holding life long Manchester United fan so I selected them. Then I forgot about it.
Now, every time they play a match and score a goal – whether or not the app is being used – my phone flashes up a goal update. I might be watching Tv. I might be surfing online. It flashes me a message. It interacts with me.
Is this an opportunity for other radio station apps? Could the Capital FM app do this? Could it ask you to input your favourite artists. Or the sort of things you are into. Or your lifestyle interests?
Then, when The Wanted were in for a chat – could it directly notify me? (I’m not a fan but my 8 year old daughter is). Or when tickets for the Summertime Ball went on sale, could they send me (her) a reminder..?
As the technology of mobile listening changes – are you thinking beyond linear listening..?
Having been a Torchwood fan since the series first started (as a spin off from the BBC’s long running Doctor Who), I’m really looking forward to the new series which starts this week.
Before the last series – Children of Earth – BBC Radio 4 commissioned a couple of radio plays to bridge the gap between the series. They have done it again with a 3 story run of Torchwood: The Lost Files. The series is running this week in the Afternoon Play slot in BBC Radio 4. And they’ve handily made all 3 stories available as downloads.
I listened to the first file – “The Devil and Miss Carew” this morning on my commute in to work. It’s all standard Torchwood stuff – though the “alien” seems to be called Fitzroy – and seems to live within the Radio 4 Shipping Forecast (played by Radio 4 drama stalwart Martin Jarvis).
If you’ve never listened to a radio drama, this could be your ideal stepping off point. It’s nicely acted, pretty close to the feel of the Tv series, and has fun performances from the main Torchwood cast.
Deep Fried mars BarsHaving worked as a radio promo producer for many years, it’s not often that I hear a bit of production that really grabs me and makes me sit glued listening to the radio. This morning, I think I heard it.
15 hours of television coverage for BBC Three and BBC One and Two Scotland, featuring on the HD channel, 115 hours streaming on the red button across the three days and almost 90 hours on the catch-up service. All that plus highlights for BBC Two and BBC Scotland plus 12 hours of radio on Radio One and Radio Scotland. Starting on Three at 8pm on Friday 8th July, Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates will be in the tree house studio overlooking a newly designed site, Greg James will be out and about soaking up the atmosphere and local lads Ally McRae from Radio One and Vic Galloway from Radio Scotland will be bringing expert local knowledge
Radio 1 are running standard trails for this – including music from the artists performing and listeners talking about their passion for the event. That works really well .
But then between 2 songs on the Chris Moyles Show this morning, I heard the audio version of this between 2 other songs.
It’s a 3 minute promo. With one simple call to action. But it has created a huge buzz. It’s been produced by Matt Fisher, one of the station sound team at Radio 1 along with his colleague Rob Lewis. Matt told me:
We asked the Scottish listeners via our facebook page what being Scottish meant to them. Their replies inspired and fed into the script. Track is Biffy Clyro – God & Satan, VO is Louis Mellis – Scottish VO and Actor.
It’s a stunningly simple piece of production. It’s under-produced. There hasn’t been a temptation to fill it with unnecessary sound effects. I really hope it wins some awards – it certainly deserves to.
C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). (C) BBC
The new series of Torchwood hits screens in the UK soon July 14th.This time, Captain Jack is out in L.A., and the series has a distinctly US feel – with some Welsh bits too to tie it back to the show’s origins. It’s as if the programme’s origins as a Doctor Who spin off have finally disappeared.
One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep ageing – they get hurt and sick – but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight.
The trailers for the show have just started airing in the UK. Here’s the launch trail from the BBC website:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
And the American versions are online too.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
It’s interesting to see how the US versions go all out for action, whereas the UK version has a nice feeling of suspense, drama and then a huge hit of action too. True, the US version is doing a job to fill in the back story – and it is a web trail rather than a true TV trail. But even so, it’s not necessarily subtle. Then again – it’s not meant to be.
And the US version has a nice hint of sonic branding at the end – with a sting from the original series’ theme tune. The use of audio branding in TV trails can always be powerful, particular when it’s long established. On radio, we know it works too, but builds it’s effectiveness with repetition.
As a Torchwood fan, I’m hugely looking forward to this new series. Camp, yes. But then how could anything with John Barrowman be anything but…?
JAMES STODD 