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Tag: Radio

The role of radio in the age of Spotify and digital broadcasting

In an era dominated by Spotify, Apple Music, and various podcast platforms, it’s easy to overlook the enduring presence and significance of traditional radio.

Despite the surge of on-demand services, radio continues to play a pivotal role in our daily lives. For the case of Irish readers, you would just have to look to the most recent JNLR reports (how radio stations measure listenership) where you’ll find that on an island that’s not long after passing the five million mark on the population front, we’ve got over three million adults regularly engaged with traditional radio. Not only that, but Irish adults spend significantly more time stuck to the radio than to Spotify or other audio streaming services.

So what can radio offer that Spotify and digital broadcasting or on-demand services can’t?

1. A sense of community

Radio, particularly independent and local radio, fosters a sense of local community that is unparalleled. Stations will highlight news, sport, entertainment, local artists, events, and more, providing a platform for the unique culture and happenings of a specific franchise area.

In the case of Irish radio, you’ll have local stations that operate on a single-county basis like Radio Kerry, Clare FM, Tipp FM, a dual-county basis like KCLR (Kilkenny, Carlow), LMFM (Louth Monaghan), a three-county basis (Midlands 103 covering Laois, Offaly, Westmeath) before moving into regional radio stations like Beat (south east), Spin (south west), iRadio (midlands and surrounds) and onto the nationals.

Localised content helps listeners feel connected to their community, providing a sense of belonging and understanding that global streaming services can’t offer.

2. Accessibility and inclusivity

One of radio’s standout features is its accessibility. Even in the 21st century we’ve got broadband poverty (read lack of internet access) but your trusty FM radio, be it in the corner of your kitchen, your car or – if you’re still rocking an older Nokia handset with an FM receiver in it – your phone, doesn’t require any online connectivity to pick up a signal. This inclusivity ensures that information and entertainment are available to everyone, regardless of their economic status or geographical location.

3. Real-time information

Radio is a reliable source of real-time information, especially during emergencies. Whether it’s severe weather warnings (I’m looking at you, winter of 2010), traffic updates, or breaking news, radio stations provide timely and accurate reports that keep communities informed and safe.

In 2022, the annual Eurobarometer survey from the European Commission singled out radio as the most-trusted medium for information in Europe for the 12th year in a row with radio trusted by 56% of the population on average. In the UK that figure rises to 61%, far surpassing TV and other press. Access those survey details here.

4. Engaging personalities

The charm of radio often lies in the engaging personalities that host shows. Whether it’s current affairs or music, farming or the arts, presenters are more likely to offer a human touch, sharing stories, insights, and humour that build a rapport with listeners.

As a presenter, listeners will want to know you, like you and trust you. It takes work, but this personal connection turns the listening experience into a relationship, with audiences tuning in to hear familiar and beloved voices, something you’re not likely to get too much out of from streaming music services.

5. Diverse content

While streaming services often rely on algorithms to suggest content (you are the product, even though we’re now paying higher subscription rates), radio offers a curated experience that introduces listeners to new music and ideas. The diversity of content, spanning different genres, topics, and discussions, provides a rich listening experience that caters to a wide audience.

Going back to local radio, this becomes even more pertinent with content delivered based on the issues impacting and concerns of those living within the franchise area of the radio station – be it live sport you won’t get anywhere else, political debate, updates on key local developments

6. Supporting local talent

Many artists owe their success to the exposure provided by local radio stations. These platforms play a crucial role in promoting emerging talent, offering a stepping stone for artists to reach wider audiences and establish their careers. Spotify’s also not going to pay the bills unless you’re hitting some serious streaming numbers.

Radio plays, however, continue to garner sizeable payments for smaller artists and the trust placed in radio presenters even to this day can help make or break talent.

7. Educational value

Radio is not just about music; it’s a platform for education and learning. From talk shows discussing current affairs to programs dedicated to science, health, the arts, farming (thinking of our own schedule here), history and technology, radio is a treasure trove of knowledge that educates as it entertains.

8. Nostalgia and tradition

For many, radio is steeped in nostalgia, reminiscent of a time when families would gather around the radio set to listen to shows, news, and music together. Some of that I’ve covered here and reflected on in my own radio upbringing.

This sense of tradition and shared experience continues to resonate with listeners, offering comfort and continuity in a rapidly changing media landscape.

There’s room for everybody

While Spotify and other streaming services offer convenience and a vast library of content, traditional radio continues to hold its ground with a unique blend of community connection, accessibility, engaging personalities, and diverse content.

That said, there’s room for everybody and when I’m not listening to radio, you’ll find me tucked into a podcast likely because I find the content relevant to me and what I’m interested in or the host is good at tying it all together.

But as long as there are listeners and as long as the world keeps turning, we’ll still have radio and it will still be there, in the corner of the room, on the commute or in the background in your local coffee shop, keeping you company, keeping you informed and keeping you entertained, without having to shell out 12.99 a month for it.

September 10, 2023
Radio competitions: On-air promotional ideas for October 2023

While we’re early in September, you’re always a step or two ahead in the world of radio when it comes to planning for competitions, features and activations.

It gives you time to work out mechanics, get sponsors on board, get presenters up to speed, plan social media elements and all the rest. If you’re looking for some suggestions for the month of October, I’ve got you covered with a few ideas.

Sure, you may have to tailor ideas to suit your audience or a particular show, but hopefully they’ll provide a good jumping-off point. Let’s jump in.

Radio competition and activation ideas for October

1. Halloween Costume Contest

Children in Halloween costumes (Spiderman and Captain America). Photo: Steven Libralon/Unsplash

If you’re looking at boosting listener engagement and looking at a way to test out some WhatsApp interaction, why not consider a virtual Halloween costume contest? Keep it straightforward, have listeners submit photos of their costumes, get yourself a shortlist, and then have listeners vote for their favourite costumes either online or via text.

As for prizes, that could be one for your commercial team but consider options on vouchers, Halloween party packs (depending on the target age group for your competition, decorations to snacks), or a cash prize (it’s still king, right?).

2. Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness. Photo: Angiola Harry / Unsplash

October is breast cancer awareness month. You’ll find radio stations around the world adopting pink colour schemes and stylesheets for their websites and apps, adding ribbons to socials and getting busy on air. Survivor stories get shared, there are interviews with experts, prevention tips and advice from all corners.

While it can be a sensitive topic and hard for some people to discuss on air, it may be nice to run a competition encouraging the sharing of stories and first-hand experiences to help raise awareness.

Listeners could share a story or nominate someone who’s been dealing with their own cancer journey and may need a change of scenery, a break away or some pampering. With that in mind, prize ideas could be gift cards, spa vouchers, overnight stays, or a dine-at-home package. Maybe your mechanic is as simple as having someone on air to share their story and by virtue of doing that, they’re getting something nice in return.

You could also encourage listeners to donate to a related charity or participate in awareness events taking place over the course of the month.

3. Autumn/Fall recipe swap & cook-off

Halloween cupcakes. Photo: Monstera Production / Pexels

With the evenings starting to draw in, October is usually a time for cooking a bit more in the kitchen. Meals become heartier, more comfort food (think Shepherds Pie, lasagne, a curry, nut roast).

Invite listeners to your station to submit their favourite recipes for this time of year, then select and share the best ones for air. To close out the competition, turn it into a studio event or outside broadcast by hosting a cook-off or tasting event. Most stations these days with a magazine programme or current affairs programme have a foodie or chef on hand to chip in with expert tips and tricks. Get them involved in the judging process, and make a morning out of it.

For prizes consider shopping or grocery vouchers, restaurant vouchers, cooking courses, a day with a chef etc.

4. Spooky story submission

For grown-ups and children alike, why not have listeners submit a short, spooky story or experience? From a production element, make the decision whether you narrate the best ones for air or accept the entries in an audio medium, like an audio message through your station’s mobile app (thank you, AIIR) or via WhatsApp.

This ties into the Halloween theme of the month – it is October after all – and you could have listeners vote on the spookiest / scariest / strangest story.

5. Sports fan feature

In Ireland, October usually means the end of the GAA club season for most with county championships being played out on the hurling or football front, depending on whether your county board is running a split season between codes. While the Ryder Cup will be out of the way, we’ve still got the Rugby World Cup this year, the Premier League and Champions League are in full swing while in the US, it’s all about football and baseball.

Get your sports show involved with fan predictions, rituals, and favourite sporting memories or if you’re providing live game coverage, the tried and tested Player of the Match competitions tend to drive plenty of listener engagement.

6. Oktoberfest celebration

Oktoberfest beer. Photo: Louis Hansel / Unsplash

If you’re sticking to the German calendar, you’d want to be on this one early enough this month. Typically, Oktoberfest will run mid-September ish through to the first Sunday in October though you’ll find plenty of bars and beer houses that will extend that deadline out to the end of October.

Where you’ve got food features running, look for an Oktoberfest tie-in – share facts, history, music, and open discussions with local breweries for tasting and demos. Have listeners share Oktoberfest experiences or photos, though you’ll need to play within the guidelines when it comes to talking about or promoting alcohol on air.

Why not push the boat out altogether and cap it all off with a prize of a trip for two to Munich or another Bavarian outpost to explore that side of German culture?

7. Financial Planning Month Tips

Financial planning. Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash

October is usually a good month for financial planning. On a personal level, you’re trying to get a handle on where you’re at financially for the end of the year. On the commercial front, your station may already be setting out budgets for next year, along with many of your clients. In Ireland, the biggest tell is the start of annual returns and the Budget announcement.

In December we might look at financial options for January but for the planning end of things in October, think about featuring financial experts providing tips and answering listener questions on anything from savings and investments, college funding, handling credit cards, dealing with banks, applying for loans or mortgages and getting yourself on a solid financial footing.

From a competition point of view, consider running a competition where show listeners could win a free consultation with a financial advisor, and maybe some cash to see them over the line and help make the end of the year’s expenditure a bit easier.

Got anything to add?

This list isn’t exhaustive by any means and may not fit your demographic, so if you’ve got suggestions of your own and you fancy sharing them with the rest of the class, leave them in the comments below and I’ll expand the list.

September 7, 2023
Tuned in: The slow but steady evolution of radio broadcasting in 6 minutes-ish

The medium of radio has helped to capture and captivate audiences around the world for over a century.

Radio wasn’t always ten hits in a row and wasn’t always commercial or regulated either. By way of a presentation that had to be given at one time to a group of radio-curious students, here’s a slow but steady outline of the evolution of radio broadcasting in just around six minutes-ish.

If it’s not behind a paywall, you can also get a good feel for Irish radio history from this piece in 2018.

The evolution of radio

From its initial sparks to today’s digital innovations, radio has continually evolved, bridging distances and bringing communities together. Some corners will tell you it’s a dying medium, but of everything that’s come and gone, radio is still here and in some corners stronger than ever. So how did it start, and where is it off to?

The Early Days: Wireless Telegraphy

The story of radio broadcasting starts not with voices but with dots and dashes. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi made groundbreaking advances in wireless telegraphy—transmitting Morse code signals without the need for wires. This invention signalled the possibilities of a new form of communication, and the world began to take notice. Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his radio work in 1909. If you’ve ever wondered where Marconi House, home to Newstalk and TodayFM in Ireland got its name, that would be a solid guess.

A voice across the Atlantic: Ireland’s role in early radio development

One of the most pivotal moments in the history of radio took place in the serene surroundings of Ireland. Going back to that date in 1901, Marconi sent the first-ever transatlantic wireless signal from Cornwall in the UK to Newfoundland in Canada. The buildup to that event had started in Ireland with the earliest-known radio broadcast in the country said to have happened as far back as 1898, with Marconi establishing a wireless telegraphy link between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle. Marconi established a base in Clifden, Galway, in 1907 that operated until the 1920s, a station responsible for the first commercial wireless messages across the Atlantic.

The first broadcast in Ireland is considered to be a Morse code transmission, sent from the GPO in Dublin by the rebels during the Easter Rising.

However, the echo of Ireland’s contributions reverberated again in 1926 when the first official radio broadcast in the Emerald Isle graced the airwaves, courtesy of 2RN, which would later evolve into Radio Éireann and subsequently RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster.

The ‘Roaring Twenties’ and the radio boom

The 1920s heralded the golden age of radio, in particular in America. Stations mushroomed across the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world. Long before Netflix and Prime, long before TV sets were a staple of households, families gathered around their radio sets, drawn in by the music, news, dramas, and adventures that flowed from the speakers.

No longer limited to Morse code, the world could now hear voices, transcending boundaries and oceans.

World War & radio: Broadcasting on the frontlines

On the European front, the power of radio became evident during World War II (1939-1945).

It was a critical tool for propaganda, information dissemination, and boosting morale. Governments realised the medium’s potential for reaching the masses, and the radio played a crucial role on both the home front and the battlefront.

From AM to FM and beyond

Technological advancements over the years brought clearer sound quality and broader reach. In the mid-20th century, FM (it stands for ‘frequency modulation’, by the way) was introduced, offering a static-free listening experience compared to AM (which stands for ‘amplitude modulation’). By the 1970s, FM became the preferred choice for music broadcasts. In Ireland you’ll see FM adopted as part of a lot of commercial radio stations’ branding – Clare FM, Tipp FM, 96FM, Today FM, Red FM, LMFM etc.

Community radio in Ireland

In Ireland, community radio has been alive and well since the 1970s and while 2RN (later becoming RTÉ Radio 1) has been around since the 1920s, followed by Raidió na Gaeltachta and 2FM, commercial radio in Irelan was outlawed until 1989 meaning pirate radio thrived.

Once legislation and licensing were introduced in 1989, a shape began to fall on the Irish radio landscape which today sees over thirty commercial radio stations operating, backed by a growing network of community broadcasters serving needs not often met by commercial license holders.

Community license and commercial license holders typically operate within different parameters, with community broadcasting typically more focused on the immediate surroundings of the community (or up to a certain radius). At the time of writing, Craol, the body that oversees community radio in Ireland, lists 21 active community stations with a further 13 in development, all operating on FM.

A new millennium: digital broadcasting & streaming

The onset of the 21st century saw another evolution: digital radio broadcasting. DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) offers listeners more channels, even clearer sound, and additional information about the song or program being broadcasted. DAB trials ran for years in Ireland but while wider European markets, the UK, Australia and Canada have made great inroads with DAB, the technology was effectively given a bullet in Ireland in 2021.

Concurrently, the rise of internet availability, smartphone enhancements and smart speakers introduced more online streaming, meaning suddenly, radio stations from around the globe were accessible from desktops and smartphones.

Online advancements coupled with smarter scheduling software and increased quality in audio feeds have also seen traditional FM radio stations make the jump to additional online-only offerings of dedicated 80s and 90s channels, sports channels, documentary channels and more.

The Future of Radio: What Lies Ahead?

As we stand on the cusp of a new era, one might wonder: where is radio headed next?

With the rise of smart speakers and AI assistants, radio is becoming more interactive. Podcasts, a modern derivative of radio, have surged in popularity, indicating listeners’ appetite for on-demand, niche content. Regardless of how many podcasts there are, there never seems to be enough.

Innovations in technology may also pave the way for immersive radio experiences. Picture 3D sound environments, where it feels like you’re right in the midst of a radio drama or at a live concert broadcast. Moreover, as the world grapples with issues like climate change and socio-political divides, radio, with its vast reach, can play a pivotal role in awareness and education.

So while the methods of broadcasting and the devices we use have evolved greatly, the essence of radio remains unchanged.

It’s a medium that tells stories, connects people, and reflects the zeitgeist of every era.

Here’s to the next chapter of radio, as it continues to adapt, innovate, and captivate.

September 4, 2023
Let’s talk about radio, podcasting and all the rest

Well hello there, September, and while I’m at it, farewell to the old archive of musings available here at kenmcguire.ie.

By way of an introduction, my name is Ken McGuire and I’ve been producing content for podcasts and radio for the best part of 20 years. It’s taken me almost as long to start writing about it.

As a product of 80s and 90s Ireland, radio has always been there for me. You woke up to a radio, had it in the car, brought it in your pocket, fell asleep to it and did it all over again. From request shows to concerts, eagerly waiting to find out what was going to be top of the Irish music charts, to hoping the presenter would stop yapping so you could hit record at *just* the right moment for a mixtape, radio holds a lot of fond memories of a youth well spent. Even through my college years, the radio was still there as a daily interaction, before jumping into podcast production in 2006. Ask most people in 2006 what I podcast was and they’d be throwing funny looks at you. Apple Podcasts wasn’t there. Spotify wasn’t there. But we still did it.

In the years since, I’ve presented and produced hundreds of episodes of varying podcast series on music, food, technology, sport and gaming. I’ve been an arts presenter and reporter, night-time radio presenter, and drive-time radio presenter (a fine 4+ years presenting KCLR Drive) and as I write this gentle introduction, you’ll find me as a broadcast engineer for KCLR where all those learnings come into play. Sure, you’ll still hear me on air, and you’ll find me on radio ads around the country, but a lot more of the work these days happens behind the scenes in helping develop and shape the technical runnings of a radio station and all the add-ons that come with it on the digital front.

From radio aficionado to content creator in the audio sense, it’s been a fun and rewarding journey to date and this blog is a culmination of those experiences.

So let’s talk about radio and podcasting

Seen as I spend my days either creating content for people’s ears or working on content and technical solutions for the FM and digital worlds, I may as well write about it too.

For the radio buffs, I’ll be sharing insights into the world of radio technology, shining a light on some of the magic behind the airwaves, and discussing the technicalities, innovations and evolution of radio as I see it. Sure, there are plenty of people out there far more qualified than I in different aspects of the industry so I’m sharing my thoughts, learnings and observations while signposting some of the great reads and research I find along the way.

On the podcasting side, for both budding and seasoned podcasters, in due time you’ll find a treasure trove of tips and tricks. Whether you’re looking to start your own podcast or fine-tune existing content, I’ll have you covered. In the middle, I’ll look at where radio meets podcasting, opening the door on the future of audio content and the exciting possibilities that it holds.

Add to that a sprinkle of industry news, trends and insights, you’ll find plenty to chew on with updates coming 2-3 times a week.

What to expect and how to connect

Over the coming months (it’s been well planned out at this stage), you can expect a mix of deep dives, tutorials, thoughts and suggestions that will help with podcast production and radio programming. I’m aiming this content at both industry professionals and aspiring radio and podcast creators. The comments are always open, so feel free to jump in and have your say on any of the articles you’ll find here and let’s start a conversation.

If you prefer to have content like this delivered to your inbox, you can join my free newsletter here.

For a more personal connection or if you’d like to shoot me a quick question, share your own story, or point me in the direction of content worth sharing, you can find me on LinkedIn here, Twitter / X here, or I’ll be posting updates on my business Facebook page here.

Looking forward to the chats!

September 1, 2023