ASIA

Comrex is announcing a new cloud service called Gagl, which delivers conferenced audio from multiple contributors to Comrex hardware codecs in high quality. It will be available by the end of 2021.It allows between one and five users to send and receive audio from computers and smartphones.Participants can connect and send audio by simply clicking a link using any common web browser. Their audio is conferenced (if there’s more than one user), and delivered to a Comrex hardware codec such as ACCESS or BRIC-Link II. All participants can hear other participants, and the codec can send audio back to them.The service could be used as the hub for a round-robin reporting program or for a “morning zoo” radio show to support multiple simultaneous connections at once. Because it offers low latency, it’s appropriate for call-in talk radio.Gagl could also be used to allow a single contributor to connect back to the studio from a computer or smartphone.Designed with audio quality in mind, it provides stable connections with limited bandwidth. It uses the Opus audio encoder, with a bit rate that delivers both voice and music in excellent quality. It also delivers audio directly to a Comrex codec with all the stability enhancements, pro-grade audio connections, and features that hardware codecs provide. With a simple user interface, Gagl is easy for users with any level of technical expertise to use. […]

Content from BPRThis article is the fourth in a six-part series.The real value in strategic thinking isn’t just in generating ideas or in making better decisions. It’s about building a framework that future-proofs your radio station and provides you with the best chance of achieving long-term success.Here’s the next tip on how to become a better strategic thinker.Step 4. Discuss Ideas with Different People and Different Thinkers.Discuss your ideas with different people and particularly with people who think differently to you. This gives you the chance to look at problems in a different way.Otherwise, if you tend to seek counsel only from like-minded people at the radio station, you will often fail to get the “black hat” feedback that you may need. Now, you don’t have to agree with them…. their comments might be strategically useless…..however, they may cause you to consider an option that previously hadn’t occurred to you.If you are a detail-oriented person but a colleague is big picture, why not ask them to join you for a brainstorming session?Extraverts (that’s the term psychologists use to refer to what we would call extroverts) and Introverts will approach the same problem differently…. but both may have ideas that will contribute to the best strategic outcome.Bringing together programming and sales people can sometimes be a gold mine for generating ideas.
By David Kidd, BPR […]

Afghan journalist Sayed Marouf (pictured) was killed just over a week ago during the Taliban’s continued crackdown on media workers.Radio stations have been taken over or closed and newsrooms have been visited by Taliban strongmen in attempts to intimidate journalists to leave the profession or report Taliban propaganda.There are reports of journalist arrests in many provinces, including the (intentionally unnamed) journalist pictured.On Facebook journalists have told of being beaten and set alight during the Taliban crackdown.The Salam Watandar radio network was searched in the hunt for radio journalists in the first weeks of the Taliban takeover, as shown in security pictured published on facebook. […]

More than 20 journalists working for the media in Afghanistan’s Ghor province have fled to Iran as the Taliban seeks out radio, tv and newspaper journalists to intimidate, beat or kill them.Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty reports that large numbers of journalists have been smuggled to Iran following the Taliban’s growing threats against media. The fate of many other media workers who have remained in Afghanistan remains unknown.According to a report on Radio Farda with pictorial evidence from AFP, Taqi Daryabi and Nematullah Naqdi, two journalists for the daily Al-Inta’a, were detained and severely beaten while covering a women’s protest against the Taliban in Kabul. After their release, the reporters alleged they had been flogged and displayed their wounds. […]

Content from BPRBPR’s All Audio mapping studies conducted in various markets across the globe in recent months reveal that music plays a significant role in why listeners return to radio from other forms of audio, particularly music streaming services.This may seem extraordinary to some however the reality is that listeners can become just as disenchanted with music streams and their own playlists as they might with music on a radio station.While the principal reasons listeners leave radio for other audio are generally music related, a significant proportion of listeners return to radio for a music related reason.Statistics from seven markets reveal that amongst those radio listeners using other forms of audio, on average; around 40% leave radio for a music related reason.  When returning to radio around 24% report a music related reason behind their motivation.  Figures for individual markets, demographics and format styles can vary quite a lot however the pattern remains the same.Radio is certainly distinguished most relative to other audio by personality, localism and news/information but music still plays a pivotal role on music radio stations.People prefer to be entertained rather than entertaining themselves and in this respect listeners often mention that they prefer the “mix” of music offered by radio.  Managing your own music choices via other music platforms can be fun but after a while it can also be like wrapping your own Christmas presents.As a result of these findings it is clear that music radio stations offering the optimal selection of music (mix) to their target audience has never been more critical. There is great opportunity in getting it right and a world of pain in getting it wrong.  Strategically focused music testing is now likely more important than it ever was in the past!By Wayne Clouten, BPR […]

In an effort to encourage healthy lifestyles and awareness, Astro Radio Malaysia’s Lite FM streamed the Lite Feel Good Festival, the first virtual event to celebrate health and wellness, featuring experienced subject matter expertsIt was held on Saturday, October 16, from 10am – 3pm, via Lite FM Facebook Live.It included activities and insightful sharing sessions from experienced speakers and coaches, touching on topics such as nutrition, work-life balance, healthy aging, personal and family mental wellness, and more. Topics included:
Recharging vs Rejuvenating with John Kam, CEO of D Jungle People
Back Into The Wild with Dr. Joel Low, Clinical Psychologist and Director of The Mind Psychological Services and Training
Overeating: Why We Do It, And How To Change Our Habits with Adele Wong, Nutritionist and Dietitian at Nutrition Track
Mental Health Issue In Children: Knowing The Red Flags with Katyana Azman, Consultant Child Psychologist at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Strengthen Your Immunity with Dr. Rajbans Singh, President of The Malaysian Wellness Society
Fans and listeners also participated in Zumba sessions with The Zumba Twins and a meditation approach to wellness accompanied by music in Dance Flow Yoga with Adelina Mahiyudin and Debbie Ong, from Hot Yo Studio. […]