ASIA

The Radioinfo Asia Podcast Awards will recognise the most outstanding individuals, teams and organisations working within the medium from across the Asian media and marketing landscape.There are 21 categories, which will be judged by some of the most respected leaders and rising stars in the world of podcasts, alongside radioinfo’s panel of international senior editors who cover the growing medium each day.CategoriesPodcast of the Year (Major).Podcast of the Year (Indipendent)The Podcast of the Year (independent and major) will be the one judged to be the Best of the Best from each of the following 12 Podcast categories – each of which offer winners’ certificates for indie and major producers
Best Comedy Podcast• Best Society & Culture Podcast• Best Health and Wellness Podcast• Best Sport Podcast• Best News Podcast – journalism• Best Factual Audio Documentary (any genre)• Best Crime Podcast (true or not)• Best Children’s Entertainment Podcast• Best Education Podcast• Best Interview Podcast• Best Radio Podcast (can contain content that aired along with new non aired bespoke content)• Best Significant Other Podcast
Individual Categories 
Podcast host or presenter/s of the year• Podcast executive producer of the year• Podcast audio producer of the year
Win one of two  Grand Prizes – Flights, accommodation and conference fees to Radiodays Asia 2023 Organisation Categories:• Podcast publisher of the year (major)• Podcast publisher of the year (indie)• Branded podcast of the yearRegistration is Free. You can browse all the rules and entry details as well as start your entry and come back and update it as often as you like before completion  at the check-out. The ENTRY FEE is USD 25.00.ENTRIES CLOSE 30 July 2023Eligibility Criteria:• All entries must be submitted via theradioinfo.asia awards platform. Entries submitted via any other means or format, including email, post and in-person delivery, will be disqualified.
Individual category awards are only open to Asian citizens or Asia-based residents living and working in Asia – defined as one of the countries listed below.
China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam,Turkey, Iran, Thailand, Myanmar, Sth Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Saudi, Arabia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgzstan, Kuwait, North Korea, Nepal, Lebanon, Israel, Singapore, Palestine, Georgia, Mongolia, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Armenia, Oman, Bahrain, Timor-Leste, Cyprus, Bhutan, Laos, Qatar, Maldives, Brunei.
Each individual category entrant must include a high-resolution headshot with their entry.
Organisation category awards are only open to organisations that are registered as a business entity, including (but not limited to) sole traders, companies (public and private) and not-for-profit organisations, in any one or more of the countries listed above.• The majority of the work for which the individual or organisation has entered must have taken place between June 2022 and May 2023 in order to be eligible for the awards.Entry Criteria:•The deadline for entries is 30 July 2023 (11.59pm GMT+10).• Individuals and organisations can submit entries in multiple categories, provided they meet the requirements and subject to the per-category entry fee of USD 25.00.• radioinfo.asia reserves the right to move an entry from one category to another.• Entries cannot be made without the permission of the nominee(s) and must be submitted by an authorised representative of the copyright owner(s).• Entries may not be obscene or defamatory and may not endorse any activity that is illegal in any of the countries listed above.• All information (except personal contact info) supplied may be published on radioinfo.asia, related sites and/or used for marketing purposes including on social media and through electronic mail.• All sections of the entry must be completed in order to be judged – except for sections marked “optional.”• Entry fees must be paid by credit card and paid prior to submitting completed entries.• All entries, preferably, should be submitted in English. Where there is no English version, an English translation must be submitted with the entry.Judging Process:• The awards have a specially curated judging panel, formed by mixing peers with those elsewhere in the value chain, to make sure that the judgement is informed and considered from all relevant sides of the industry.• radioinfo.asia will publish the full list of judges during the entry period.• Judges will be required to score each submission against specific criteria.• The system is designed to ensure the highest level of integrity and transparency and be fair to all parties. The editorial team has the capability to identify any potential bias or inconsistency. Judges are encouraged to recuse themselves from judging entries in the event of a conflict of interest.Contact UsIf you have any questions or need help, please contact us at the radioinfo awards team. […]

The international service of the Sri Lankan Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) recently doubled its Tamil Service airtime to two hours, on 873 kHz AM (medium wave) from Puttalam transmitter. The new schedule is 0130-0330 UTC (7.00 am to 9.00 am IST).This is partly in response to individual efforts of listeners, many in the southern part of India, in Bengaluru.Introducing this change, Colombo International Radio also announced that shortly they are going to use DRM on 1548 kHz.This will be done by using the old transmitter of Deutsche Welle located in the north of Sri Lanka at Trincomalee. The Sri Lankan public broadcaster has started airing the DRM announcement here.The publicity for the new DRM service is also in full swing. See video: […]

In a speech at the PTS Symposium 2023 held in Taipei, Taiwan, in May, Kristian Porter – the CEO of the Public Media Alliance (PMA) spoke about how public service media (PSM) can and should maintain their values while adapting to the digital era.PMA is the largest global association of public media organisations, of which PTS and Radio Taiwan International are members.He started by noting that public service media, faces its fair share of challenges regarding digital transformation, which include: keeping pace with new technology; audience fragmentation and changing news consumption habits; adapting to ever-evolving and commercially-owned algorithms; a lack of transparency over these algorithms; hate speech and online harassment; AI; data use; mis- and disinformation.He said that public service media now reach most of their audiences through cross-platform services but they must also ensure that they don’t lose sight of their core values.“Accountability, accessibility, impartiality, independence, pluralism, reliability, universalism: these are the values which we at the Public Media Alliance consider to be most important to PSM.”“Together these contribute to the trust the public has in you. But adhering to these values in the digital world means that public media also need to be open to a rapid change of direction if needed… and to accept that things can change very quickly, especially when using third-party platforms to reach audiences,” he said.According to him, the presence of trusted public media on social media platforms, in some form, is a critical tool in countering the mis- and disinformation that can proliferate there. But all third-party platforms, whether it’s Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook are often opaque in their data handling. And public service media is right to question their practices.He gave the example of Twitter’s mislabelling of independent public media as “government-funded”, which lacked accuracy, nuance, and had the potential to sew distrust in some of the world’s most trusted media brands. This further highlights the lack of accountability the platform now has in pointing users to sources of trusted news and information and the need for public media to be vigilant in how and why they use third-party platforms.“These examples demonstrate that public service media have an additional responsibility compared to other outlets. While in a plural, democratic media environment public media have to compete alongside commercial media, they are also beholden to a source of public funding, and a set of specific values – values that promote trust. Meanwhile, the values of third-party platforms can quickly change and go against public media principles.”“The decisions public media make, the reasons why you use a third-party platform and the reasons why you stop using one, and the steps you take in your digital governance and transformation, should ideally be informed by these values.”Porter then spoke about online presence also makes journalists a target. Doxxing, phishing and  hacking and online abuse are also on the rise. Public media must lead the way in ensuring that their staff are aware of the dangers of reporting, and being present online, but they must also offer facilities to assist those facing abuse.“Online safety is also linked to media literacy. More than ever, public media must complement their digital content with media literacy campaigns and explainers, to demonstrate exactly why their information and news offerings are trusted, are accountable, and can be relied upon. Process and transparency is important, and it sets you apart.”Finally, he spoke about the challenges facing public media in this digital era being more shared and more global than ever before. And where there are shared challenges, there are shared solutions.“Public media share a core set of values, we’re a global family. Collaborate to protect them and share best practices.”Read the full speech here. […]

Isentia, the leading provider of media intelligence and insights, announces the appointment of Raushida Vasaiwala as Sales Vice President for the APAC region. Leveraging her exceptional expertise in martech and background in media and business management, Raushida brings a unique blend of strategic sales acumen and creative prowess to the role. Her appointment strengthens the Isentia leadership team, as the organisation brings new insights to clients, revolutionising the accessibility of audience intelligence for organisations of all sizes.“We are thrilled to welcome Raushida as Sales VP for APAC. Her deep understanding of martech and her passion for blending creativity with technology will play an invaluable role in delivering our audience-led strategy, and her track record of building strong client relationships and delivering growth will accelerate the expansion of our APAC client base. With Raushida’s expertise, we are poised to empower organisations to unlock the full potential of audience intelligence,” said Joanna Arnold, CEO of Access Intelligence.Vasaiwala also expressed her enthusiasm about joining Isentia: “I am honoured to join Isentia as the Sales VP for APAC. The opportunity to shape the future of audience intelligence and its impact on business is truly exhilarating. Isentia’s dedication to innovation and vision of democratising access to audience intelligence perfectly align with my values and aspirations. I am eager to collaborate with the talented team at Isentia to deliver exceptional value to our clients and drive growth in the APAC market.”Isentia is undergoing a transformative journey to champion an audience-first approach for marketing and communications professionals. Isentia’s expansion of its product offering includes the integration of media intelligence into the Pulsar platform, a robust social listening platform. This integration aims to democratise audience intelligence, enabling organisations of all sizes to access and leverage data-driven insights for informed decision-making and achieving their goals.Audience intelligence plays a crucial role in the realm of PR and communications. It enables a deep understanding of audience behaviours, preferences, desires, and sentiments across various digital channels. These professionals can craft effective strategies, tailor messages, and measure real-time impact by leveraging this insight.Raushida’s appointment aligns with Isentia’s vision to redefine audience intelligence and its accessibility in the APAC market. By leveraging martech expertise and digital audience insights, Isentia aims to empower organisations to make data-driven decisions and gain a competitive edge in their respective industries.In addition to leading this transformation, Raushida will drive sales initiatives, forge strategic partnerships, and foster growth in the APAC region. Her unique perspective and expertise in martech will be instrumental in positioning Isentia as the go-to platform for organisations seeking comprehensive audience intelligence. […]

RØDE has released the RØDECaster Duo, a compact version of the RØDECaster Pro II, condensing an entire broadcasting studio into a power and easy to use console. It allows anyone to record a professional production, a step forward in the democratisation of creator technology with a small desktop footprint.[embedded content]Key features of the RØDECaster Duo:
Compact integrated audio production studio for podcasters and content creators
Ultra-low-noise, high-gain Revolution Preamps™ (-131.5dBV EIN, 76dB gain) for world-class audio quality with stunning clarity and transparency
Two high-quality Neutrik® combo inputs for connecting microphones, instruments or line-level devices
Integrated wireless receiver for connecting RØDE Series IV wireless devices (including the Wireless GO II and Wireless ME)
3.5mm TRRS input for connecting headphones and headsets
Seven individually assignable channels with four broadcast-quality physical faders and three virtual faders
Studio-quality APHEX® audio processing for superior sound quality and unmatched flexibility in any recording application
Six programmable SMART pads for triggering sounds, voice effects, MIDI commands and mixer actions – with eight banks for 48 unique actions
Dual USB-C interfaces for connecting two computers or mobile devices
Advanced Bluetooth® connectivity with wide-band speech for ultra-high-quality phone call integration and audio streaming, wireless monitoring, and more
5.5-inch high-definition touchscreen and rotary encoder for easy navigation and control
Designed and made in RØDE’s precision facilities in Sydney, Australia
“We created the all-in-one podcasting console category with the original RØDECaster Pro in 2018,” says RØDE CEO Damien Wilson. “And in 2022, we changed the game again with the RØDECaster Pro II, the most powerful audio console of its kind. We are thrilled to now offer the same features and processing power in a more compact form factor for creators who need fewer audio inputs but don’t want to compromise on audio quality.” […]

Suria FM’s announcer DJ Lin has won the Most Trusted Radio Presenter in Malaysia award presented by Readers’ Digest as part of its Trusted Brands 2023 campaign.She has won for the third consecutive year.The winners were chosen after independently surveying a representative sample of consumers across Asia to discover their views on products and services in over 50 categories across a broad range of industries.The opinions of around 8000 individuals were collected, representing five of the region’s key markets: the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.Each of these 8000 participants completed an online questionnaire that required them to name the brands that they trust above all others and rate them based on six key attributes.DJ Lin said she is grateful for the award as it is proof that she is still relevant even with many emerging talents in the radio industry.” I am honoured as well as surprised to receive this prestigious award for the third time. It is hard to describe (my feeling) because I have been in this industry for 24 years, yet Malaysian listeners continue to vote for and support me as Most Trusted Radio Announcer,” she said in a statement. […]