ASIA

One of ABC Australia’s longest running successes is now also one of the most downloaded podcasts in the country.When the host, Richard Fidler, proposed the one hour interview program in 2006 he was told that the audience would never listen for all that time, but he knew audiences craved a deep and immersive experience.Exploring the craft skills that have made the program/podcast successful Fidler answered questions about his most memorable interviews, his preparation and the narrative arc of the program.What’s one of your favourite interviews?Australian Jill Hicks, was travelling to work in the London Underground when a bomb went off just metres away. She described the bomb exploding as being like a short intake of breath and that she had no idea what had just happened. The scarf she’d tied around her neck earlier, became the tourniquet Jill used to stem the bleeding from her torn legs.“Jill told her story so powerfully that I had no idea the ABC news theme kicked in,” said Richard. “Our audience responds to everyday people because listeners can measure their own lives against them.”Do you need to know how to craft a story to tell the story?Richard and his producer prepare long detailed pre-interviews for each guest.He has a narrative arc in mind for each story. In an interview a listener can go where they like, but after his research Richard is confident he can steer the interview.“Don’t talk over your guests and let people talk,” said Richard. He spoke about interviewing Angela Lansberry ,who Richard realised had never been given the opportunity to speak uninterrupted so no interviewer had unlocked the rich detail of her work and her life. His Conversation with her corrected this and found her stories fascinating.“Always prepare carefully and let subjects talk,” advised Richard.Richard can “hear the sound of people listening” when he leaves room for silence in interviews. This allows the guest time to think and the audience to dwell more deeply on what they’ve heard.What is the structure of the program?A dreamy musical beginning leads to a story introduction, which signals the end of the audience’s mind chatter from all that they heard earlier in the day and allows them to escape into someone else’s life. He usually ends with a reflective point about what the guest has learnt. The listener then comes back into their own lives when the program ends.How is making live radio different from making podcasts? The program began in 2005 and has grown to a 70 million audience. “We’ve been making a podcast that is broadcast for years,” he saidMy model is “me, the guest and the listener.” We interview the guest in a nondescript studio so that we do everything we can to help them feel comfortable.“As the interviewer, I believe it’s important to drop the mask of omniscience…You can then open up your interview to surprise and shock… don’t be afraid not to know everything about your subject,” said Richard.Why? and Really? Are two of the best questions to ask. When answering, people often blurt out the truth because don’t have time to make up a prepared answer.“This model of program can be done anywhere in the world, interviewing every day people and telling their powerful story. For it to be successful the interviewer needs to engage their authentic curiosity, this is the motor of your interview. Authentic curiosity is essential for any interview,” ended Richard. […]

“In times of huge global news, natural disasters, as well as national or local community stories, radio can accurately reflect what is happening. “Just as importantly, audio can celebrate culture, entertainment and music and give the sense of belonging to the listener,” said Malaysia’s Deputy Minister for Communications and Digital, Nie Ching Teo at the official opening of the 2023 Radiodays Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur.“Radio is important… it is considered a trustworthy source to keep audiences informed and to counter mis-information,” she said.After decades of adapting and changing, the minister recognised that “even though radio has been around for years, it is not an old medium, it has stayed current.” It is on all types of digital platforms, is direct, immediate and a forum for music and conversations.“With the rise in podcasting we see a younger audience being attracted to audio with some becoming podcasters themselves.”Minister Teo described radio as “a vibrant media industry, looking ahead to meet audience expectations and develop its future business models.”The opening session was introduced by Steve Ahern, from ABC Australia, and Ryan Matjeraie, presenter at Fly FM Kuala Lumpur.Radiodays founder Anders Held said, “Radio Asia 2023 wants to shape our audio industry to provide a platform to share ideas to help industry to stay relevant and develop… We’re bringing professionals together in this international meeting place in Asia Pacific we hope everyone finds this useful, inspiring and fun.”Olya Booyar, Head of Radio at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union said, “The ABU is proud to be combine our resources with Radiodays. Our special strength is that we are the biggest broadcasting union with huge diversity… we have helped bring people together to face the greatest challenges in the industry… Audio choice is staggering and will continue to grow, generations to come will wonder how we managed content in a changing media climate… we are inventing the future now.”Speaking about the transformation of radio, Astro CEO Kenny Ong gave his perspectives on the importance of radio and its brands and how to grow your audience in a competitive media market, urging radio businesses to think beyond their format to what the audience is really looking for. “People don’t buy things for the most obvious reason, they buy it for other reasons prestige, peer pressure. it has nothing to do with the content and the features of the product.” Astro is one of Malaysia’s media companies working hard to invent the future by trying many things and thinking strategically about the business. “Radio’s survival is reliant on a saviour that may not yet be here, so we need hold the fort as best as we can, until the day comes but this may not be in the form we expect.”

Pamela Cook, the Head of Planning and Delivery at SBS Australia gave delegates insights into how SBS has had a makeover from radio to audio and how it is finding clever ways to visualize audio and use podcasts. […]

“What I like about this methodology is that it gives more introverted participants an opportunity to share their ideas and have their questions answered, said Barbara Gruber one of the trainers from DK Akademie during the Podcast Design workshop at Radio Days Asia using the MethodKit for Podcasts. The kit encourages podcasters to distill the process down to its components by using a series of cards laid out on a table and helps podcasters streamline their creation process.During the workshop participants worked in one of 3 groups: Design, Produce or Distribute.They used the cards from the kit as stimulus to raise questions about making podcasts and also offer tips and tricks. Each group then chose a speaker to present a 5 minute presentation about their discoveries to the room.

Participants shared the following insights:– Making podcasts has many steps and takes time.– You need to be clear on the purpose– Be wary of the platform you choose to host your podcast and their requirements for control– Consider the impact of the podcast, that mentions are searchable through keywords chosen and that the identity of the producer/ reporter may need to be kept safe.– Consider that more than one voice is needed for for a more balanced report– Are visuals crucial with some subjects?– In Malaysia and Australia for example music may not be allowed in podcasts due to copyright laws.– Consider using AI tools for social media posts.One workshop participant told radioinfo he found the session valuable, particularly the discussion on ethics and copyright. He thinks that podcasters need to show professionalism as their content can influence society. He would like to see the information captured from the session and distributed to participants.“It’s good to have sessions like this at the beginning of the conference because it gives the participants an opportunity to get to know each other and grow their professional networks by the end of the conference,” added Barbara Gruber.DW has developed a detailed kit from the training activity that is available to podcasters. For more information contact DW Akademie.The Method Kit is available for free from DW here. […]

“Make socials your #BreakfastBestie,” said Lauren Saylor, breakfast producer and social media coordinator, from Smooth FM 91.5 in Melbourne, Australia.In a workshop at Radio Days Asia, she showcases how a fine-tuned content strategy allows social media to become a balanced and integral part of a highly rating radio breakfast show.“First know your Brand,” she began. “ At Smooth Radio, consistency is the key. We aim to have our audience feel good by experiencing positive content, in a safe environment, that the audience finds comforting.

Begin by asking, “Who are you?”
What is your show’s personal brand and values?

Then own who you are! Be who you are. “Today, I’m wearing pink, it makes me feel good and powerful! It’s part of my brand.”
Make content that fits your show’s personal brand and station alignment.
At Smooth we strive to make people feel like they’re a part of our family to create a connection with our station and programs.Social media is the way to expand our on air time by giving longer touch points for our listeners. “We want our P1 listeners to get our brand and we want them to be our biggest fans ever by creating a relationship extension and getting our listeners living in our ecosystem.”“Be smart… You don’t need a team for socials because we’re all creatives, no fancy phone is needed either.” For example,put your talent at the forefront of the video, someone the audience trusts and use them for social posts.Pick the social media that is right for you. Know your audience and choose that platform where they are most engaged. Think about the different companies you use, meta brand, diversify in a way that is beneficial for you e.g.. FB but possibly Youtube too.Finally, keep an eye on the analytics, so you know what’s working well for you. […]

Content from BPRPanel providers are responsible for recruiting and managing panels of survey respondents. Whether in the North America, the UK, Australasia, Europe, or the Middle East, one thing is for certain…. they are not all equal in the quality of data they obtain.Here are some reasons why panel providers are not all equal:

Panel Quality. Panel providers vary in terms of the quality of the panels they maintain. Some providers may have stringent recruitment processes and continuously validate their panellists to ensure they meet specific demographic criteria and are engaged in providing accurate responses. On the other hand, some providers may have looser recruitment methods, leading to lower-quality panellists who may not be representative of the target population.
Panel Size and Diversity. The size and diversity of a panel can significantly impact the reliability and representativeness of the data collected. A panel provider with a larger panel size and diverse pool of respondents can offer more robust insights across various demographic segments. Providers with smaller panels or limited diversity may result in limited sample sizes or biases in the data collected.
Target Audience Coverage. Different panel providers specialize in different target audiences or industries. Some may focus on specific demographics or geographic regions, while others may have expertise in particular sectors like healthcare, technology, or consumer goods. Depending on the research objectives, certain panel providers may be better suited for specific target audiences or industries.
Panellist Engagement and Response Rates. The level of engagement and response rates of panellists can vary between providers. Higher engagement and response rates indicate that panellists are more active, attentive, and willing to participate in surveys. Providers that invest in maintaining an engaged panel and have strategies to incentivise and retain panellists tend to yield better response rates and data quality.
Survey Quality Control. Panel providers employ various measures to ensure survey quality control. This includes monitoring for “speeders” (respondents who complete surveys too quickly), “straight-liners” (respondents who provide consistent but possibly inaccurate responses), the use of “bots” to complete surveys and other fraudulent or low-quality behaviour. Providers with robust quality control mechanisms can offer more reliable and trustworthy data.
Data Validation and Accuracy. Panel providers may differ in their data validation practices. Some providers validate responses through methods such as duplicate response checks, consistency checks and data verification, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the data. Providers that prioritize data validation and implement rigorous checks can deliver more accurate insights.
At BPR, we not only continually stress test our panel providers to ensure the veracity of our clients’ data but we take the process one step further. We apply our own internal diagnostic procedures to further validate the data to guarantee the quality of the insights we present to our clients.By David Kidd, BPR […]

More speakers have been added to this year’s Radiodays Asia, the leading radio and podcasting conference in the Asia-Pacific, to be held 5-6 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Niswani Binti Ahwang, Assistant Manager, TRAXXFM, MalaysiaNiswani Ahwang has been the Assistant Manager at TRAXXFM for over 3 years but has been working in the industry since she graduated in Media and Journalism, holding jobs in areas such as marketing and PR and has also been a presenter, producer and a journalist.Timothy Berge, General Manager, ICRT FM100, TaiwanTim is overall responsible for the smooth operations of ICRT FM100, including administrative, financial, programming and content. ICRT is Taiwan’s only English language FM broadcaster and is devoted to serving the international community in Taiwan, while acting as a bridge to the local community. Tim works closely with presentation, production and advertising teams at the station, and externally with   government, diplomatic and business organisations across Taiwan, including the European Chamber of Commerce.

Shah Hayatudin, Deputy Group Network Director, Media Prima Audio, MalaysiaShah Hayatudin is a seasoned radio industry professional with an impressive 20-year track record spanning both Malaysia and Australia. His career has been defined by his exceptional contributions to a diverse range of breakfast shows in the two countries. Currently serving as the Deputy Group Network Director at Media Prima Audio, Shah’s strategic vision and leadership play a pivotal role in shaping the future of radio content.Sreeraman Thiagarajan, CEO of aawaz.com, IndiaSreeraman Thiagarajan (Sree) is co-founder and CEO of aawaz.com & Agrahyah Technologies. aawaz is the largest podcast network in Indian languages. Sreeraman was formerly VP of Digital at Publicis India, he’s an active mentor at Google for Startups for Growth & Marketing & adjunct faculty at IIM Trichy.Ami Hasebe, Global Head and Supply Side Account Manager, Otonal, JapanAmi Hasebe is the Global Head and Supply Side Account Manager at Otonal, a leader in the Japanese voice advertising market with a dual focus on demand and supply.  She is currently focusing on media empowerment in the uniquely evolving Japanese market, leveraging her diverse experience in communicating with brands and partners.Anders Held, Founder and Project Director, Radiodays Asia, SwedenAs well as Radiodays Asia Founder and Project Director, Anders is also Co-Founder of Radiodays Europe and was its General Manager for 10 years since its start in 2010.  Anders is currently focusing on establishing Radiodays Asia as a meeting point for radio and podcasting in Asia-Pacific, since its start in 2019.  He has been in radio for over 30 years at Swedish Radio, as Head of Communication and Audience Research as well as Head of International Relations, after starting as a news journalist. He has worked in news, local radio and in current affairs. Anders has a long track record of working internationally within the radio industry.   In 2019 he was awarded the Swedish “Golden Ear Award” by the country’s radio industry for his accomplishments. He is also a member of the Swedish Radio Academy.Radiodays Asia is a collaboration between Radiodays Europe, the world´s largest and leading conference for radio, audio and podcast, and broadcasting and podcast partners in Asia and Australia. The 2023 edition will run over two days in two tracks with 50 sessions. Top international speakers and industry leaders as well as successful producers and market experts will share their insights.Register for Radiodays Asia 2023 here. […]