ASIA

In a session hosted by the Pubic Media Alliance, RJ Vijdan Saleem, a Radio Mirchi radio jockey from Kashmir told a story of an entertainment radio presenter who was faced with breaking news of his uncle who was shot dead during his debut radio shift. Then revealed the story was about him.His uncle was a journalist who was the victim of the continuing territorial tensions in Kashmir. Due to radio broadcast regulations in India, presenters on commercial entertainment stations are not allowed to broadcast or discuss news stories.“I could not talk about it because, due to regulations you can’t talk about news directly or indirectly. So how did I talk about it? I talked about my uncle’s death and played music suitable to my emotions, but was limited in how I could talk about the wider issues.”

Vijdan has been disciplined and was taken off air for 4 months at various times due to some of his comments, but hen still feels it is important for him to reflect what the audience is feeling at times when violence breaks out or there are internet bans or other troubles in the region.“There are days when my city goes silent, but I can’t talk about it… At those times I try to reflect the mood of the city. I can’t discuss a murder, but I have to reflect the mood of my people. “This is the biggest challenge I face. I navigate it through music, stories and words that resonate with my audience’s feelings. I can’t be going ‘ha… ha… ha’ when my city of facing something hard, yet I can’t speak about news.”He says India needs to “broaden the canvas” and allow news on radio. “We will still entertain you, but we would have more things to talk about,” he says.PMA’s Kristian Porter says the challenges facing public service media are growing, which is why the conference session is looking at stories from the region that highlight the challenges and solutions media companies are dealing with.“In many places audiences are tuning out from hard news content… the media ecosystem is increasingly cluttered. The fight to cut through is becoming more difficult. Part of the challenge lies in more competitors such as streaming services and even gaming platforms. In this ecosystem radio needs trust to thrive.”The Public Media Alliance is the largest global association of public broadcasters, it’s mandate is to support and advocate for public Service Media. Media freedom, journalist safety and knowledge sharing are some of the key advocacy areas for PMA, which also has a podcast.Yumie Yoshiba (pictured above) from Japan’s NHK talked about strategies to attract young listeners. One of the most effective strategies is streaming and catch-up radio.She showed a graph of live listening (red) and catch up audio (blue). In 2022 the number of people using online audio catch-up overtook the number of people listening to live radio streaming in her company, the Japanese national broadcaster NHK.“There is more potential for radio to reach audiences with catchup audio, especially young people on mobile devices… Radio is not an old medium,” she said.Other examples from NHK are the ‘News Pekopa’ show, hosted by two comedians, and a show by two hosts from a boys music group. “We use influencers and artists to increase our young content.”NHK also visualises radio on tv with a once a month tv show catching up on the music group’s radio shows.“Information is presented in an easy to understand way, to respond to young people’s questions… At first fans of the boys group sent messages to the artists, then we saw an evolution of the fans… now they want to talk about issues as well as to talk about stars and music. Very good questions are coming to the program now, we didn’t expect it.”“When you talk about things that resonate with your audience trust is built. Don’t betray your audience,” said Yoshiba.In Thailand, Thai PBS began as a online station, then expanded to partner with other broadcasters such as community stations to rebroadcast the Thai PBS programs. Twenty years on the broadcast still has not had success to expand to broadcast frequencies, but, due to smartphones and the growth of streaming, “people have now found us on streaming and podcasts,” said Sopit Wangvivatana from Thai PBS podcasts. […]

Commercial Radio Malaysia president Nasrin Nori (pictured) welcomed delegates to Kuala Lumpur for Radiodays Asia 2024, saying: “Radio has always been a big part of my life as it is for many of you here. “Just days after celebrating our national day we welcome you to Malaysia. Radio is woven into the fabric of our lives in this country, but the landscape is evolving faster than ever.”As CEO of Media Prima, Nori says his stations are “not just keeping up, we are innovating.”

“As we move forward it is crucial that we stick to our roots as well. Our strength lies in our diversity, we broadcast in many languages to reach every corner of Malaysia so that they feel heard and included.. Race, religion, royalty are core values in Malaysia, how we handle these sensitive topics is important and we need to project unity as well as diversity… The ongoing crisis in Palestine is a stark reminder of how the world is connected and this touches us here, affecting advertising revenue.”Turning challenges into positives, he explained: “We have one of the best traffic jams in the region, which is good for business because it increases radio time spent listening…  in KL we have also had leadership changes and media has had to adapt to those governmental changes as well.”“Radiodays Asia has become a meeting place to share ideas across the region and beyond,” said Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Bin Md Isa, the Chief Secretary Minister of Communications, opening the conference.“The importance of this event cannot be overstated, as we stand at the cross roads of technological change and shifting consumer habits. In Malaysia, Radio is a trusted companion in our daily lives that connects our diverse community. “As technology shifts we must adapt and evolve while preserving the core values that have made radio an indispensable part of our lives. The coming of AI has made the landscape more competitive than ever before. In Malaysia we understand the need to ensure the talent and connection of radio remain paramount into the future to enrich the tapestry of our nation.”“Radio remains resilient, a reliable source of news and a platform for cultural expression,” he said.Radiodays CEO Peter Niegel told the 300 conference delegates about the energy in the Malaysian economy at the moment.  “Kuala Lumpur is part of one of the fastest growing economies in the world.”“We have one of the oldest and one of the most loved industries in the world. Radio keeps coming with new ways to reach our audiences in this digital age. It is our job to make the most of those opportunities.“Our focus in this year’s conference is identifying new opportunities for audio. While audio still remains strong, there are many new challenges. Radio holds its reach and podcasting is growing, but we need to constantly reinvent ourselves to remain relevant, to do that we will need to work with new technologies such as AI.”Artificial intelligence is one of the topics in this year’s conference.ABU Head of Radio Olya Booyar (pictured) said radio’s challenges are not unique.“Everyone is struggling with change, we are no different from other industries. ABU members rely on technology as much as everyone else. Moving audiences to new platforms and improved production tools such as AI is important. Audiences make ever increasing use of their smartphones. “We need to adapt to all the new tools, but we also need to remember that trust and reputation are some of the most needed characteristics in a crowded and sometimes fake media market…“Radio of my parents generation is well and truly dead, but radio of the next generation on platforms we cannot yet imagine, has a bright future. For instance, podcasting has proven that long form content is still in demand… “Tap into the collective experience of everyone here and learn how to dominate your market before everyone else does,” she urged conference delegates.The conference continues in KL for the next three days. […]

Radiodays Asia, the leading radio and podcasting conference in the Asia-Pacific, has announced more speakers for its 2024 edition.Crispina Robert, Supervising Editor, Mediacorp, SingaporeCrispina oversees the podcasts offered by CNA. These include two news podcasts, a work, money and a climate podcast. An experienced journalist, Crispina was also a former communications educator and magazine editor. She is also co-host of CNA’s top news podcast, Deep Dive.Kelvin Tay, Director / Founder of Renegade Radio, MalaysiaKelvin Tay is founder and the creative force behind Renegade Radio, where he leads the charge in bringing a vibrant collection of Malaysian-made podcasts to listeners everywhere. From Two Book Nerds Talking to Epic Arcade, Kelvin’s love for storytelling shines through in every show. He’s also hands-on at Renegade Plus and RLabs, where he nurtures the next generation of podcasters and keeps the creative juices flowing. With a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and a deep understanding of the podcasting world, Kelvin is all about pushing boundaries and making waves in the industry—all while keeping it fun and relatable.

Hannah Gelbart, Lead Presenter, BBC News, UKHannah is a BBC News Presenter, Podcast Host, and multi-award-winning Investigative Journalist. She is the Lead Presenter of What in the World, a daily podcast and radio show that covers global news and current affairs for 16-25-year-olds.  With What in the World, Hannah hopes to cut through the noise online and tell stories in a warm, uplifting way that connects with Gen Z listeners worldwide. The programme reaches 320 million listeners each week, and has 145,000 dedicated Instagram followers.William Lee Adams, Senior Producer, BBC, UKA senior producer on the BBC World Service podcast What in the World, William works on all aspects of the production process from idea development to output. Prior to this, he produced and presented BBC Minute, a global news bulletin broadcast on commercial radio stations in dozens of markets, including Manila, Hong Kong and Jakarta. A Vietnamese-American, William’s two-part travelogue through Vietnam will air on The Travel Show on the BBC News Channel from October 4.  Outside of work William runs a popular YouTube channel. He previously won Arts & Culture blogger of the year at the U.K. National Blog Awards and Will Ferrell gave him a cameo in his 2020 Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.Verity Wilde, Assistant Editor, BBC, UKVerity currently leads the team making the BBC World Service’s What in the World podcast, aimed at 16-24 year olds across the globe. Before this she worked on BBC Minute, a one minute news bulletin that published every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. Prior to that she worked on digital video for the BBC News website and social channels. A fan of elections, Veruty has worked on the BBC’s coverage of every UK national election and referendum for more than a decade.  She worked for UEFA at EURO 2012, where she was the first female voiceover on UEFA.com.Radiodays Asia will be held 2-4 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Register for the conference here. […]

Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Bin Md Isa, Chief Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Malaysia, will officially open Radiodays Asia 2024, marking the start of the premier international event for the radio, audio, and podcast industry across the Asia-Pacific, being held at the Royal Chulan Hotel, 2-4 September 2024.Nessa McGann, Programme Manager for Radiodays Asia said: “This conference is an essential gathering for industry professionals to exchange experiences and gain critical insights into global media trends, innovative technology, content evolution, and emerging business opportunities. We are very pleased to have the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Communications opening the event showing the continued support for the radio, audio and podcast industries.”With the media landscape rapidly evolving, driven by shifting consumption habits and swift business transformation, Radiodays Asia provides a unique platform to delve into the expanding audio sector and its prospects on new platforms.

Sessions at this event include:Making Hard Work Look Easy: 10 Secrets for 20 Years of Success
Chris Marsh, Creative Producer of the Hamish and Andy Show, shares insights on motivating talent and achieving sustained success.
Cutting Through: Reaching Audiences with News & Information
Explore how radio can provide clarity in a fragmented news ecosystem and effectively reach audiences amid changing consumption habits.
Regional Radio – 3 Best Cases
Discover successful radio strategies from India, China, and Indonesia, and learn how to implement these innovations at your station
AI – Tools & Innovations
Mike Russell discusses how AI is transforming the audio industry and what stations must do to stay ahead.
RCS: Evolving The World of Audio
Philippe Generali, President & CEO of RCS, on integrating intuitive design and SaaS to stay competitive in a changing media landscape.
Successful Radio Strategies: Spotlight on Asia
Learn from the success stories in India, China, and Indonesia to bring back innovative strategies for your station.
The Automotive Market in Asia: Threats and Opportunities
Examine the impact of new technology on in-car entertainment and how radio can maintain its dominance.
Research Listening Trends: Europe & Asia
A session on the latest insights into listening trends in radio, audio, and podcasts, with data from Asia and Europe.
Future-Proofing Radio, Audio & Podcasting
Learn strategies for adapting to changing technologies and listener preferences to ensure long-term success.
Build a Brand: Strategy and Management
Discuss the importance of linear radio and DAB+ in reenergizing broadcast radio and its revenues.
This event is a gateway to staying connected with the future of radio, audio and podcasting, ensuring that your media and business strategies are aligned with the latest industry developments. Don’t miss this opportunity to future-proof your operations and lead in the dynamic world of audio.Radiodays Asia also includes Podcast Day Asia on Tuesday 3rd September a one day, one track focus on all areas of podcasting. Podcast Day Asia is a not to miss event for any podcasters in the region, speakers include James Cridland, Editor, Podnews, Shuka Muranishi, Podcast Inventory Manager, Otonal Inc., Simon Lee, APAC Audio Marketplace Operations Director, Triton Digital, Guang Jin Yeo, CEO, 1UpMedia, Alan Fontanilla, CEO and Co-founder, The Pod Network Entertainment, Emily Kwong, Host of Short Wave, NPR,  Inheriting, LAist Studios, NPR, Chase Hattie, Chief Revenue Officer, mowPod, Steve Ahern, CEO, RadioInfo.com, Citra Prastuti, Editor-in-chief, KBR, Roshni Baronia, Founder & CEO, Done For You Podcasts, Emma Lawson, Digital Producer, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Timi Siytangco, Key Account Director, Asia, Acast, Neil McPhedran, President Podium Podcasts, K.Oanh Ha, Senior Reporter, Bloomberg, Kym Treasure, CEO and Founder, Audacia Audio, Norman Hella, Podcast Librarian, Podchaser.Join industry leaders and innovators at Radiodays Asia 2024. Register now to secure your spot and be part of the future of radio, audio, and podcasting. Register here for your ticket today: www.radiodaysasia.com […]

“Radio has adapted to the new audio landscape and still provides a safer environment for brands than many online digital platforms,” Steve Ahern told BFM’s drive show in Kuala Lumpur.Ahern, one of the organisers of RadioDays Asia, was speaking to Sharaad and Dash on BFM’s Drive show, in the lead up to next week’s conference.Asked whether radio is dead, Ahern replied, “lucky for you the answer is no, otherwise you’d be out of a job!”

Radio has adapted to the new audio environment, as it adapted to previous technological changes. As long as they have ears, people will still want audio content, it is just a matter of how they get it, according to Ahern. The latest adaptations include how radio had widened out its audio offering to develop podcasts and catch-up audio technologies, and how it is integrating AI into its production workflows.“There’s no doubt that digital platforms have widened the offerings for audiences, which is a good thing, and there is no doubt audiences and advertisers have embraced new digital platforms, but the growth of one doesn’t mean the death of the other.“There are 20 million people who listen to the radio in Malaysia according to your latest survey, they listen for 12 hours a week on average and the most popular listening times are breakfast and drivetime. Of course they also use social media, they search for content and they view websites, in fact they often do that at the same time as they’re listening to radio, so radio is not dying. Don’t believe everything you read about that on the internet, often written by the platforms that benefit most from spreading that view.“Media is now a rich and competitive landscape, that’s a good thing.”Asked about music streaming, Ahern pointed out that audiences have always chosen their own music, back to the days of vinyl records there has always been a proportion of audio listening time given to listening to your own music and a proportion listening to radio. “They serve different purposes, live radio keeps you in touch with what”s going on from a trusted real person who you know, music listening is chosen for mood or activity. They’re both important and audiences mix and match them according to what they want.”Dash pointed out that playlisting music is a big drawcard for people to consume the songs they love in the way they want to. Ahern agreed, saying that playlisting is not new, but streaming apps now make it much easier. “I used to do playlisting too, I’d record the songs I liked in order onto a cassette… it’s not a new thing, it’s just that the technology has changed. Audiences have always split their time between different modes of listening to radio, news, talk, music, recordings…”Will AI put radio people out of a job? Ahern says it will certainly change the types of jobs in the behind the scenes part of the radio business, making some of them easier and making some of them obsolete, but he sees it as an exciting evolution of the audio industry.“It can make editing much easier and quicker, you can clean up background noise and tighten answers much faster than manual editing… “For your kind of business news-talk radio format, synthesised AI voices may be able to give you simple reports like reading out the latest stock exchange prices, but the live interviews and talk you do will be difficult for AI to replicate. As for music radio, it will be possible for GenerativeAI tools like ChatGPT to put together simple scripts about a music artist and to use a synthesised voice to say them, but this isn’t new it has been happening in voice tracking systems in one way or other for a while now.”Discussing the advertising downturn, Ahern said declining ad sales is a world wide problem at the moment for established media companies.“A lot of money is going to digital that’s for sure, but are advertisers really aware how that money is being spent? Are their ads appearing in a brand safe environment, or are they appearing next to vile social media troll comments or radical or obscene videos? Established broadcast companies have long ago solved those problems with regulations and codes of practice to make sure the environment for advertisers is safe for their brands, advertisers are beginning to understand that this is certainly not the case with many digital media platforms and they are rethinking their ad spend mix.”The Radiodays Asia conference begins next Monday, last minute registrations are still open.Steve Ahern, an internationally recognised audio industry expert and trainer, will present three sessions at Radiodays Asia, including a half day workshop on Sustainability.Listen to the Bfm interview, from 22 minutes into the 5 o’clock hour. […]

The RadioDays Asia schedule is packed from morning til night for the conference days, but if you fly in early or stay longer here are some suggestions of how to spend an extra day in Kuala Lumpur from a well known radio industry local.Ryan Matjeraie, a Sarawakian Irish entertainer, began his radio and TV career in 2011, rising to become the highest rating English radio night show reaching a million listeners. Online and on TV, he’s garnered a reputation over time of being one of Malaysia’s most accomplished interviewers, creators, producers and writers plus loves great food and dining at all hours.We asked Ryan Matjeraie, radio breakfast host on at Fly FM 95.8 for his suggestions of favourite foods and places to eat plus not to be missed spots to visit.

“Malaysian Breakfast as you YEAST expect it!“The Malaysian staple breakfast is a good Roti Canai and Teh Tarik! And the best part of indulging in it is that it’s readily waiting for you at any Mamak Stall that’s strategically and quite literally located at every corner of KL – just ask any Malaysian where the nearest ‘Mamak’ and you’ll be on your way.“That aside, we have to give a massive shoutout to our Malaysian national dish – ‘Nasi Lemak’ – which literally translates as ‘Fat Rice’. It’s a tasty rice combo with sambal sauce, nuts and chicken (for you protein lovers) that go hand in hand with each other so well that Malaysians can’t help but enjoy it at all times of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Here are a couple of venues to find the best.”VILLAGE PARK RESTAURANT (In Petaling Jaya – 30 mins from KL)Monday – Sunday 6:30 AM to 5:30 PMNASI LEMAK WANJO (In Kampung Baru – In KL itself) Monday – Sunday 6 AM to 10 PMNASI LEMAK TANGLIN (In Bukit Damansara – 30 mins from KL)Monday – Sunday 7 AM to 5:30 PM“Afternoon Delight…“Away from food, the city of KL offers a pretty vast stretch of activities and must see places for first time visitors! Everything from an Elephant Sanctuary to a 272 step staircase into a cave to an Observation Sky Deck of the KL Tower and even a range of Pickleball and Paddle clubs if you’re into socially sweating it out more than you’re already going to be.”PICKLE SOCIAL CLUB (In Bukit Kiara – 30 mins from KL)www.instagram.com/picklesocialclub NATIONAL ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CENTRE (In Kuala Gandah – 1hr 30 mins from KL)https://www.wildlife.gov.my/index.php/en/public/2016-05-10-02-34-43/2016-05-10-02-42-10BATU CAVES (In Gombak – 45 mins from KL)https://www.malaysia.travel/explore/batu-cavesKL TOWER OBSERVATION SKY DECK (In KL itself)https://kltower.com.my“Stay Up All Night till it Dawns On You…“KL NEVER sleeps! And I say that confidently as someone who used to live in Australia for 8 years and hated the fact that the only thing open after 9pm was Hungry Jacks a lot of the time! We have an abundance of nightlife, markets and street hawker stalls that are open till late. Here’s a few recommendations that’ll hopefully tickle your fancy.”CHINA TOWN (A street of bars, street art and restaurants In KL itself) Monday – Sunday 5pm to 2amJALAN ALOR (A Street of Night Hawker Stalls In KL itself)Daily 5PM till Midnight (tho a lot  of stalls stay open 24 hours)PETALING STREET (A street of vendors selling ‘imitation goods’ In KL itself) Monday – Sunday 12pm to 12am“Honourable Mentions and MY personal favourites…“That aside, I HAVE to give my personal picks of places DEFINITELY worth visiting if time is on your side. From white water rafting to abseiling off a waterfall, to indulging in AMAZING Banana Leaf Indian Cuisine, these are some of the MUST DO’s in my eyes when you’re in town.”WHITE WATER RAFTING & ABSEILING OFF A WATERFALL (In Gopeng – 2hrs from KL)https://www.startravel.com.my/tours/waterfall-abseiling-gopeng-perak-half-day-tour/SRI NIRWANA MAJU (Banana Leaf Indian Food in Bangsar – 20 mins from KL)43, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar – Every day 11AM to 11PMIG: @ryanmatjeraieTikTok: @ryanmatjeraieTwitter: @RyanMatjeraieYouTube: RyanMatjeraie […]