Month: November 2024

Content from BPRAdapting to a changing landscape is a core survival skill for any business, including radio. Some businesses successfully manage this as part of their ongoing internal conversations while others seem unable to get out of the starting blocks. The ability to adapt is about future proofing your station. Here are five strategies you need to think about if you want to future proof your business.1:  Cultivate a Culture of CuriosityYou cannot stop change. Head in the sand thinking is the recipe for failure. Head in the sand thinking blinkers you to the possibilities of the future and sets you up to be blind-sided.  It means that you don’t look for alternative solutions for inevitable change, and those changes lead to disruption, declining market share and poor investment decisions.Technology has changed the way we all do business. Look at where AI is in 2024 and imagine just where it could be in five years from now.A culture of curiosity is essential to exploring what the future might look like, and how your business might exist within that future. One you accept that change is inevitable you can prepare for it.  Future proofing cannot succeed where an organization continues to do things because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”.2: Look in the Mirror – Question your AssumptionsKnowing how change will affect your business means being clear about the underlying assumptions that your business is built upon.  You can’t plan for change unless you understand why your category/format exists, what your brand is about and why consumers choose you over your competitors.

Addressing the threats to the very foundation of your business is key to future proofing. Ascertain the long-term threats to your business and scenario plan for them.3: Monitor the HorizonEvery Christmas rolls around with hundreds of “trends” for the upcoming year. It would be impossible to be aware of every single one. However, there are big “mega trends” that bubble under for a long time and are clearly going to shake up our industry and brands if they take hold.  Being aware of them is the first step to doing something about them. Many retail shop fronts failed to plan for the impact of online shopping. The impact of streaming services on Free to Air TV is well documented.4: Know your Brand Purpose  Being able to future proof your station means accepting that it might have to evolve into something completely different. Being willing to cannibalise or let go of parts of your business to take it in a new direction is essential for growth.  The starting point of this is understanding what your station stands for in the minds of the audience.What are the purpose and values of your brand that people engage with (or could engage with!) and where else do those values matter? Being able to expand beyond your category in different ways obviously sets you up better for a future where your product category might not be very appealing to operate in.5: Respect your ListenersListeners have needs and ultimately they are loyal to solutions to their needs, rather than brands. If something better comes along, then their brand loyalty likely counts for very little. So, how focused are you on respecting, understanding and serving your listeners’ changing expectations?  The radio audience won’t adapt to your needs; your format needs to adapt to theirs. Remember Zapoleon’s Music Cycles?Constantly research what listeners want from a radio station and how well you and your competitors are delivering on their needs. Listeners tastes change over time…..make sure you aren’t left behind. Finally……Its not what you think your radio station stands for ….its what the listeners think […]

WorldDAB Summit 2024, held on November 14 in Zagreb, saw public and private broadcasters actively collaborate and engage in dialogue to ensure radio’s digital future.The Summit host was Aradhna Tayal Leach, a strategic consultant and leader in media, events and engagement.WorldDAB President Jacqueline Bierhorst, joined by Edita Kudláčová, the EBU’s Head of Radio, and Luka Đurić, Vice President of the Association of European Radios (AER), celebrated the enduring strengths and benefits of broadcast radio.Bierhorst stated that WorldDAB’s work with global organisations is unifying the broadcast radio ecosystem through initiatives such as its Working Groups and events. She emphasised the importance of maintaining a balanced broadcast sector integrating traditional and digital elements, without relying solely on IP solutions. Complementing this, the EBU’s Connected Car Playbook was highlighted as a key initiative aligning with WorldDAB’s goals, providing critical guidelines for broadcast, apps, and voice in digital environments.The Summit, attended by nearly 200 delegates, marked significant global advancements in digital radio. In her opening address, Bierhorst said, “Securing radio’s digital future is critical and fundamental for listeners, broadcasters, and society.”Jasna Vaniček-Fila from Croatia’s Directorate for Media underscored the Ministry of Culture’s backing for digital radio, citing opportunities for innovation, and environmental benefits such as reduced power consumption. “The Minister of Culture and Media supports the further development of digital radio, and the wide range of opportunities it offers,” she said. Meanwhile, Mate Botica from Croatian network operator OIV announced that nine new DAB+ transmitters had been brought into service since August, bringing coverage to 97%.The event was held just six weeks before Switzerland’s public broadcaster, SRG SSR switches off its FM transmitters. Adriano Pitteri set out the rationale including cost savings, alongside the extensive work being done to publicise the change to listeners. Meanwhile, Dirk Schrödter, Minister of Digitisation of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, shared its plan to make the transition to DAB+ digital radio by 2031. He described radio as “truly a wonderful medium,” but urged that linear radio must be transformed for the digital future. “With DAB+ we are creating more media diversity, which is extremely important in an era where deepfakes and fake news are on the rise.” he added.At a time of flooding across Europe and other disasters around the world, Carsten Zorger from Digitalradio Büro Deutschland highlighted the development of new life-saving Automatic Safety Alerts via DAB+, and the successful “Warntag” [warning day] tests in Germany, which included the system for the first time. The pioneering innovation in DAB+ digital radio technology aims to protect the public during emergencies by delivering reliable safety alerts without requiring an internet connection.

Elsewhere at the event, Javier Sánchez from Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE spoke about this year’s rapid rollout of DAB+. Since its launch in February, DAB+ services from RTVE can now be received in 13 cities across the country. On the 100th anniversary of radio in Spain, Sánchez revealed that Ràdio 4, the Catalonian radio station of RNE, was now broadcasting on DAB+ in Barcelona, becoming the first legal DAB+ station in Catalonia.At the organisation’s General Assembly, held prior to the Summit, the WorldDAB Award for Outstanding Service was presented to Lindsay Cornell of the BBC and Chair of WorldDAB’s Technical Committee, for his work on the development of new ETSI standards for the Automatic Safety Alert system. The award noted that Cornell’s “technical expertise and exceptional project management and people skills have undoubtedly had a huge impact on the industry.”Closing the event, it was announced that the next WorldDAB Automotive event will take place in Madrid, Spain, on 19 June 2025. […]