Month: February 2024

Podcasting February 15, 2024

Fan favourites from The Block – Eliza and Liberty – had never been on a building site before becoming contestants and, most surprisingly, runners up on the show.With a new outlook on life, the sisters are ready to give more weird, wacky and wonderful experiences a crack. This is how their new podcast Try Before You Die was born.In every episode the girls challenge themselves and each other to push beyond their boundaries.Whether it’s attempting speed dating, life drawing, larping, veganism, stand-up comedy, or any other trend capturing the zeitgeist – Eliza and Liberty want to Try Before You Die.Liberty says “I want to continue doing things that scare me and challenge me, as this is where the magic happens. I hope this resonates with our listeners, and they too can join us outside of their comfort zones.”Eliza feels differently, saying: “To be honest, I’m not that excited about feeling uncomfortable and inevitably making a fool of myself, but doing this stuff is teaching us a lot about ourselves and making us feel alive!”Try Before You Die launches today with new episodes dropping weekly everywhere you get your podcasts. Listen here. […]

“Audio audiences are continuing to grow because there are now more listening occasions.”One of the most important learnings for media buyers and advertising creatives at today’s HEARD conference was that advertisers can now reach both mass and niche audiences far more effectively in audio than ever before.In a panel discussion featuring ARN’s Venessa Hunt, SCA’s Olly Newton, NINE’s Ash Earnshaw, and Nova’s Nicole Bence, the audience was reminded that audio audiences are still increasing.Despite people thinking that audiences are migrating to other digital media, radio’s mass broadcast reach actually is still continuing to grow.“There is no digital migration, we are increasing audiences…  “We don’t have a decreasing audience problem in audio like some other media, we are having incremental growth of audiences as more audio platforms are increasing their  listening.”In addition to the mass reach of live broadcast and streaming live radio, the audio industry has now developed highly targeted content through podcasts. Audio can now speak both one to one and one to many.Media buyers should be thinking, “my $10 stays where it is because the audience is still there and I will find some more dollars to catch the new audio audience on the digital platforms.”In another session, Nine’s Matthew Thompson described the listeners to his podcast as niche and highly targeted. “When people open a podcast they are asking to be engaged. They are wanting compelling long form emotive content.”It’s now easier to buy audio programmatically across podcasting and streaming.“Radio360 has been an absolute game changer for us all to understand how people are consuming live radio and digital. We have more capability now… unlocking the full value of total audio can help the advertising businesses in this room.” […]

What has happened to news?Social media has muddied the journalistic waters in the most worrying of ways.Never have we had so much information at our fingertips. But we’re being bombarded from a motherlode of sources: some credible, many questionable.Compounding the problem is the presentation: Clickbait headlines, opinion disguised as news, loaded language and personal agendas are leaving us in a perpetual state of doubt.Is it factual? Is it fake? Or is it take? Yes, take: Not fake, but someone’s own take on the facts.One thing it definitely is, is relentless. And to be honest, it’s kind of exhausting.Respected radio and TV broadcaster Tim Webster is one of many who feel the frustration.Webster tells Radio Today “I think the most troubling thing about social media, other than the fast-tracking of AI, is the mis and disinformation.”“Either posting something that’s demonstrably wrong or deliberately posting something the troll knows is wrong.”“It seems anything is OK to advance an agenda.”But if we’re really going to address the elephant in the room, it must be asked: Is bias seeping into radio news?Fuelled by the platform social media has afforded anyone to voice their opinion, when does one stop being a journalist and start being a commentator?Is it ever OK for a radio newsreader to express their personal opinion? Push an agenda? Pick a side?There’s been widespread debate over news coverage of the situation in Gaza.Shouldn’t similar discussions take place in all newsrooms on this story and others, where personal bias can be almost impossible to ignore?A seasoned journo and online blogger by the name of Bob believes the genie is already out of the bottle. Bob nails it when he says “You know the really sad thing about this? It means we’re missing out on learning about actual news and world events.” The story – the real story – is getting lost in the crossfire.Our job as journalists is to report the news, not to become part of it, interpret it, spin it or use it as a means of conveying our own personal beliefs or values.Let’s all stay in our lane.*Sarah Patterson is a radio journalist of more than 30 years’ experience, a former Air News Director and WIN Television Bureau Chief. She has a BA in Media Studies. […]

What’s New February 15, 2024

New podcast The Antoinettes brings together two people who share a name but different lives. Antoinette Lattouf is an Australian broadcaster and journalist. Azzure Antoinette an American speaker and poet. Together the pair tackle the world’s biggest, and smallest, problems.Launched by DM Podcasts, the company behind The Betoota Advocate Podcast and Chat10Looks3, The Antoinettes will provide debate, perspective, new ideas and a few digs too.Antoinette Lattouf said:“At first I was just thrilled to meet someone who shared the same 10 letter name as me because our name hasn’t been popular since 1880. But then I quickly learnt that Azure Antoinette also manages to find ways to laugh while discussing some of the most harrowing issues of our time. And crucially, she can seamlessly pivot from serious talking points to discussing Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop.”“We want to show people how to disagree. I mean we do it so well, you should read our text message trails. They’re wild, hilarious and sometimes heated but always in good faith. Antoinette and I learn a lot from each other and we can’t wait for audiences to follow suit,” added Azure Antoinette.“Sadly we will never run out of content, of issues big and small to cover. It really is a shit show out there, and we are totally here for it. Here to unpack it.”Each week the Antoinettes choose a topical issue and unpack it through the old fashioned art of conversation. No issue is off the table and they promise they “won’t always break bread“.The first episode is out today, with new episodes every Thursday and available wherever you get your podcasts. […]

Podcasting February 15, 2024

The BBC World Service and BBC Sounds have announced two podcast series launching in March, to coincide with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.Where to Be A Woman is an ambitious new title which will explore what it really means for women to live their best lives around the world.While Dear Daughter, which won Podcast of the Year at the British Podcast Awards in 2022, will return for a third series and will feature celebrity chef Nadiya Hussain, amongst others.Where To Be A Woman co-host Scaachi Koul says “If we want to build a world in which women really thrive, we first have to be able to imagine it. Where To Be A Woman will investigate how we might be able to find solutions to our endless gender quandaries.”Co-host Sophia Smith Galer says: “Stories focusing on women’s wellbeing like this often get siloed by news media, but in this podcast we will be shining a spotlight on these stories and putting them centre stage.” […]