New radio, new talent, and AM

https://james.cridland.net/blog/2024/radio-1-new-talent/

I have a new radio, and things.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello, I'm James Cridland, the radio futurologist, and well, I am writing a

(00:06):
newsletter all about the future of radio and international radio trends and all
of that and I'm supposed to do a podcast version as well but clearly I've
forgotten for a while so apologies for that but this is September 22nd, new
radio, new talent and AM it's called. As I'm doing a bit of travel over the next

(00:26):
month I've bought myself a fancy travel radio it's the XH data D808 yes that one
however it won't be very useful in Oslo because it doesn't have DAB on it but
looking at the LCD display I can see that there is DAB there so I wonder
whether there's a new version of this radio coming out with DAB inside because

(00:48):
that would be an excellent and much better travel radio to be carrying with
me. Anyway the question I'm asking today is where do we get new talent? I enjoyed
a discussion on social media recently about how people got their first radio
show on a big station. For people my age it was normally an overnight shift and
it's hard these days to find new talent. Overnight shifts, well they don't exist

(01:12):
they're networked in or they're run by a computer and there seems to be very few
ways to get on air via a quiet shift that very few people will hear. However
BBC Radio 1 has a much better plan to use the period between Christmas and New
Year to put new talent on the air. If you're quick you can get your application
in. Radio 1 wants to hear from DJs and presenters it says with previous radio

(01:37):
experience be it in community, hospital, student or local radio and that is a
great idea and exactly the type of thing that the BBC ought to be doing in my
humble opinion. A great way to find new talent and also coincidentally a way to
fill your schedules during a holiday period. Such a great plan and in its
first four years it's already seen 13 participants doing additional shows on

(02:00):
the station. One for youth, public radio stations everywhere perhaps. In the US
the House of Representatives is reviewing the AM radio for every
vehicle act. It's a piece of legislation aimed at ensuring that AM radio is not
removed from car radio receivers because emergencies. Well John Katz

(02:22):
Katzematidis who is a true self-made billionaire philanthropist and former
NYC mayoral candidate. He describes himself on his own radio stations
program schedule where he's on six days a week. Anyway he's been buying full-page
ads in the New York Post raising awareness of the issue. He's the owner

(02:42):
of 77 WABC which is an AM radio station in New York so he's got considerable
skin in the game. Now I've written much about AM's decline but it should be
noted that in Europe a piece of legislation aimed at ensuring that DAB
was put into all cars because emergencies was passed and that's a

(03:03):
good reason for the success of DAB on the continent. Also going on this week
the internet can offer really tightly targeted content so step forward
Caravan Radio, the UK's first radio station dedicated to the caravan and
motorhome community. And Global Radio which has offices overlooking London's

(03:24):
Leicester Square is prosecuting Westminster Council for how noisy Leicester
Square is. I can't imagine what an awful place it is to work, Leicester Square to
be clear, especially for those working on breakfast radio. I mean what fun it must
be getting into that building at 4 a.m. in the morning stepping over who knows
what. Anyway speaking next, where am I speaking next? I am speaking this week in

(03:50):
a Pacific Island called Neway. It's the 7th Pacific Media Summit. I've done my
packing so that's all fun. Followed by the Dubai Podfest on September the 30th
looking forward to that and then I'm in Ottawa in Canada. Thank you to the main
supporters that you see on the site if you follow that plus Richard Hilton, Emma

(04:13):
Gibbs, Jocelyn Abbey and James Masterton for being regular personal supporters. If
you'd like to support my work in any way you can buy me a coffee, become a member
to give regularly or just give a one-off coffee or five. Buymeacoffee.com
James Cridland is where to go for that and do follow me on Mastodon as well.
I'm James at BNE.social there and much more active there than anywhere else.

(04:34):
I've got a website too about who I am or what I do and whether I can help you
further. It's james.cridland.net and if you've missed these
podcasts over the last couple of months because I've forgotten to do them
then please do let me know. Look me up on social media or send me a message or

(04:57):
something but I would very much like to know whether or not these podcasts are
actually reaching people who really want to have a listen to them or whether this
is a you know a bit of a waste of time. Anyway thank you for listening and maybe
I will go back and do some more of these but until next time keep listening.