Month: November 2023

Jacqueline Bierhorst has been elected as President of WorldDAB, the global industry forum for DAB+ digitalradio. Bierhorst was previously the Vice President, and has represented Digital Radio Netherlands on theorganisation’s Steering Board since 2015.She takes over from Patrick Hannon, who is stepping down after ten years in the role. The handover took place at the annual WorldDAB Summit, held this year in Munich, Germany.Speaking at the Summit, Bierhorst paid tribute to Hannon’s work as President. “His leadership, enthusiasm, and vision helped shape the course of WorldDAB for the past ten years. We have witnessed an exponential growth of DAB+ across the globe and how DAB+ is now included as standard in every new car in Europe and beyond.”

Bierhorst added: “It is a privilege to be part of a mission that not only has the potential to revolutionise the way the world listens to radio but is already making a huge impact helping radio thrive and making sure every person can enjoy free-to-air digital radio on the move, at home or at work, with DAB+ at the heart of this listening experience.”Elsewhere at the conference, the President of Bavarian regulator BLM, Dr Thorsten Schmiege, gave his prognosis for radio’s future. “If DAB+ continues to develop in this way, it seems likely that in two or three years more people will listen to radio in Bavaria via digital delivery methods than via FM,” he said. “Reason enough for us the Bavarian Regulatory Authority, as part of its ‘Audio Strategy 2025,’ to work together with broadcasters on concepts for a migration to DAB+.” Schmiege stressed this cooperation was critical: “The switchover to DAB+ can only be undertaken jointly and with the greatest possible regional coverage – it should involve as little loss of daily reach as possible,” he said.Meanwhile, Hervé Godechot of French regulator Arcom, highlighted the rapid growth of DAB. “In France, a total of 556 stations, from major networks to smaller ones, including the public service Radio France, have been authorised to broadcast on DAB+, and 110 multiplexes are currently on air. Since the summer more than half of French listeners are in areas where they access DAB+.” Godechot added that 300 new transmitters will increase population coverage to 62.2% by next March, while the DAB+ trial in the French overseas territory of Martinique has been extended to next summer. Godechot said the forthcoming “white paper” on radio would review the economics and technologies involved, alongside the evolution of uses and roads to success.Over 400 attendees in Munich and online heard speakers set out the continuing global growth of DAB, with updates on the significant progress being made in Ghana, Indonesia, Bahrain and Australia.DAB’s importance in Android Automotive’s latest release was discussed by Joseph D’Angelo of Xperi and Gregor Pötzsch from CARIAD, Volkswagen Group. The increasing role of DAB+ in providing emergency warnings also featured, with the Chair of WorldDAB’s Technical Committee, Lindsay Cornell, giving an update the work of an Emergency Warnings task force, set up to define requirements and testing methods for receiver features ahead of international implementation. Media DAB presented Italy’s first use of DAB+ in an emergency, in this case displaying an image of a missing girl on receiver screens.Summit sessions also included the red-hot topic of AI with Luigi Troiano of data company Kebula and Yann Legarson from Radioplayer exploring how DAB+ can work with AI, and how it can help personalisation, while BMT’s Mathias Küfner described how it was using AI to generate content cover art for DAB+ displays. Dr Lawrie Hallett of the University of Bedfordshire in the UK previewed his forthcoming report on smallscale DAB+, setting out how it can “grow the digital radio cake” by helping to promote DAB in previously under-served sectors. […]

Content from BPRTalk radio has been a mainstay of both commercial and public broadcasting for a very long time.It could be called “the original social media platform”……..giving listeners the chance to express their views to a wider audience and engage with the hosts.

Yes, Talk radio is expensive to run compared with music formats, but unlike other formats the content is difficult to replicate.That’s a USP!There are many reasons why Talk radio will survive and remain relevant in the future.Here are just a few:Audience Engagement. Talk radio offers a unique form of engagement, allowing listeners to speak with their favourite Talk personalities through talk back, social media or online chat. This interaction creates a sense of community among the audience, which is not found in other media formats.Local Relevance. Talk radio stations focus on issues and topics that matter to their listeners, again, providing a sense of community. Local news, weather, traffic, politics and discussions about concerns that are close to the listener equate to building a strong bond with the audience.Diverse Content. Talk radio covers a wide range of topics, from politics and current events to entertainment, health, lifestyle, sport etc.Accessibility and Convenience. Radio in all formats, talk or music, has always been easily accessible through traditional radio receivers, but it has also adapted to the digital age, with online streaming, podcasts and mobile apps. This adaptability ensures that listeners can tune in anywhere and at any time.Companionship. Great Talk radio hosts develop a personal connection with their audience, creating a sense of companionship. Listeners often turn to their favourite hosts for comfort, advice and entertainment, especially during long commutes or solitary moments. The personalities make the “complicated sound simple”……they explain the issues impacting their listeners’ lives in clear and concise terms.Zero Screen Dependency. Now we programmers already know this but it’s worth mentioning again. Unlike television, Netflix (etc) or YouTube, talk radio doesn’t require constant visual attention. People can listen while driving, working, exercising, or doing things around the house, making it a flexible choice for multi-tasking.Entertainment. Great Talk radio is highly entertaining (to fans of the format) not just informative. Regurgitating information without presenting it in an entertaining manner is a recipe for disaster in the digital age. This entertainment factor, driven by high profile personalities who understand the issues that matter to their listeners, is a powerful point of difference that provides longevity to the format.Challenges to Newer Mediums. Let’s face it…..many people like it when someone else does the work for them! While streaming services and on-demand content have gained in popularity, they also have some downsides. Subscription costs, choice overload and the need to actively select content can lead to decision fatigue. There are many podcasts available that attempt to compete with Talk radio BUT the advantage Talk stations offer is a CURATED experience….it takes taking the decision making burden off the listener. Oh….and you can’t interact with a podcast!Loyal Listeners. Many talk radio shows have established a loyal fan base over the years. These devoted listeners often identify strongly with specific hosts or stations, making it less likely for them to abandon the medium in favour of newer alternatives.Aging population. Talk radio’s strength lies with the 50+ demographic, listeners who when they were teenagers never thought that one day they’d be listening to a Talk station. It’s just part of the lifecycle of radio listening. Now, the good thing for Talk radio is that, as we all know, the population is aging. In 1993, the 50+ demographic made up 25% of Australia’s population; in 2023, that figure is now 35% and will continue to grow.Opinion based Talk Radio. Opinion based (especially political) talk radio has a dedicated following due to its focus on specific beliefs and perspectives. Usually this defers to the conservative wing of politics. Listeners seeking a platform that aligns with their views can find solace and validation in talk radio shows that echo their beliefs.The late Rush Limbaugh is an excellent example of how to create great Opinion based Talk radio.And please remember, Rush started his career in radio as an announcer on CHR stations.His initial success as a Talk host in the US spawned a nation of imitators. Throughout the country hosts and executives heard Rush and concluded that the key to success was bashing the “liberal left” for three hours – or all day!Oddly that wasn’t Rush’s original mission. When Ed McLaughlin, the boss of ABC Radio Networks, launched Rush’s show an article appeared quoting Rush and his role.Rush said, “I’m here to inform, inform, inform.”Walter Sabo, the respected Talk programmer, was with Ed McLaughlin the day the article quoting Rush appeared.Walter Sabo: “Ed said to me, “I will have to talk to Rush about that. His most important job is to entertain.Following Ed’s conversation with him, Rush carried out his mission, he entertained while also informing.Rush did not get ratings and cash for espousing conservative views. There were other spokespeople who did that very well such as William F Buckley – an erudite conservative who never got ratings.Listening hard to Rush airchecks, he was mostly entertaining.How did he do that? First, he never offered duplicate arguments for his opinions. Every single day he presented brand new evidence and facts and stories to support his point of view. Secondly, he riffed.There were long periods featuring funny, human stories. Cat stories! Third, Rush understood radio to a pristine point of science. When he had nothing to say, he used the medium’s most powerful tool… silence!He understood the essential bond with the listener and therefore we never heard his producer on talkback, rarely, rarely, rarely a guest interview. Phone calls were extremely well screened, coached and ready for air. Sharp produced bits were designed to drive the conversation. The show was a show not a lecture.Today’s winning hosts don’t waste time forming political opinions, they invest their time in building an entertaining show.”As long as Talk radio continues to be in touch with the values and lifestyles of the audience and simultaneously entertains & informs i.e. inform entertainingly and entertain informingly, the future of the format looks great!!By David Kidd, BPRMain Pic: Shutterstock […]