The broadcast and podcast overlap

David Lloyd wrote last autumn:

Are we suggesting that a quality half-hour of audio material which attracts thousands of attentive downloads can’t be called radio just because it’s not been transmitted? And yet if it’s broadcast in the middle of the night on FM to one man and a dog, it is suddenly radio. And if a human being curates a great - and genuine - online-only radio station, it's not really radio, it's just pretending?

Petersfield Community Radio's daily round-up of essential local information available on demand has been a must-listen for many in the same way as a traditional breakfast show - so why shouldn’t we call it "radio"?

The Oxford and Cambridge dictionary definitions of "radio" are almost identical:

Oxford: The activity or industry of broadcasting sound programmes to the public.

Cambridge: The system or work of broadcasting sound programmes for the public to listen to.

Cambridge seems to have kept up with the times better than Oxford based on the definitions of "broadcast":

Oxford: Transmit (a programme or some information) by radio or television.

Cambridge: To send out a programme on television or radio, or over the internet.

In fact, "send out" could be interpreted as linear or on-demand.

Changing the subject slightly, Mick on Twitter observes that online-only stations are using "FM" in their names which I've never understood. You wouldn't call an email a letter.

I appreciate many listeners crowbar an "FM" onto the end of every station name as if it's just an abbreviation for radio, but it makes no sense to confuse people by having a platform they can't find you on as part of your brand. It's nothing but anorakky.

No one-size-fits-all for ILR

Why is Bauer preserving Pirate FM and Lincs FM as standalone stations - like Wave 105 - when other acquired brands with just as much heritage (e.g. Spire, Eagle, Yorkshire Coast) will disappear?

The company says it will only rebrand stations where it sees an opportunity to increase listeners by doing so and that retaining the likes of Hallam, Metro and Radio City is the best way to maximise their audiences.

For the Hits Radio Network, which produces a mixed bag of figures, it would clearly be risky to radically change key revenue drivers.

No decision will have been taken lightly but clearly cuts are necessary in these times. Bauer says the distinct cultures of Cornwall and Lincolnshire have led to its decision not to rebrand.

Pirate, Lincs and Wave, together with all Hits/GHR stations, are being sold as part of the Hits Radio Brand Network to agencies so they’re meeting increased demand for simplified national ad campaigns.

Initially, I thought Bauer would be more radical and, at least, align Wave 105 with one of the two networks and Nation’s Sam FM South Coast becomes the other brand leaving Fire Radio (and potentially The Breeze South) as KISS.

Again, Wave is a powerhouse regional and, especially considering the industry-wide revenue decline we’re facing, I can see how it’s too much of a gamble right now.

It’s worth noting that while heritage certainly adds value through familiarity, favourability and trust, it can also have negative perceptions such as being deemed uncool or old-fashioned by younger demographics and uninviting to former listeners who’ve gone elsewhere for whatever reason.

It can also maintain undeserving RAJAR reach. If I can’t recall the station I was listening to, I’ll select one that immediately springs to mind and, perhaps, whose brand I have affection for (because I grew up with it etc) - which always begs the question of whether or not a heritage station’s figures are an entirely valid assessment of its output.

People become attached to things that have been a constant during certain periods of their lives. Some rebrands perform better than others. Ultimately, nobody chooses based on a name alone, it’s what is made of it and whether the product delivers for them that matters.

Is there a future for non-newstalk speech radio?

As a loyal listener to Iain Lee and Katherine Boyle’s weird and wonderful night-time antics on talkRADIO, I’m deeply saddened that The Late Night Alternative has come to a sudden end as Iain’s contract hasn’t been renewed.

For the last four years, the multi-ARIA winning phone-in has been a welcome three hours of escapism offering a sanctuary of fun and games together with real human stories and several life-saving calls. It was one of the last remaining "anything goes" phone-in shows on UK radio.

When Global acquired LBC 97.3 from Chrysalis, Nick Ferrari had the breakfast peak and it made sense for them to focus on newstalk ahead of going national.

Consistency is a key element of most successful radio stations in today’s well-targeted media landscape and obviously has a place.

However, I'm a passionate believer in the value of surprise. It doesn't get more exciting than when you literally can’t switch off in fear of missing whatever might happen next.

Speech radio has historically been very expensive and loss-making. Just a few months ago, News UK - part of billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire - argued talkRADIO had "very limited" income and relied on internal sponsorship revenue in a sleazy attempt to dodge a £75k Ofcom penalty.

In late 2007, Channel 4 sold its controlling stake in Oneword Radio back to UBC for £1 with the "commercial alternative to Radio 4" (books, drama, comedy etc) reportedly losing around £1m a year. It closed in January 2008.

News UK has just announced the launch date and schedule for Times Radio, also being touted as a R4 rival. The difference is its owner’s virtually limitless budget (so much so it’ll be ad break-free) and ability to cross-promote in a well-established newspaper.

Although Times Radio is likely to feature more non-newstalk content than any other speech station, given the newspaper's credentials and the business model being based on driving digital subscriptions, it couldn't be further from the likes of Iain Lee, Jon Holmes and Tommy Boyd.

Niche stations serving smaller audiences are now being launched on DAB with minimal running costs - as working from home is showing, it’s possible to make savings by thinking outside the box.

As we explore new models, is there really no gap in the market for speech radio that’s not current affairs or sport? The success and continued growth of podcasts may suggest otherwise.

talkRADIO launched under different ownership (UTV) with barely any marketing. It debuted with a respectable 224k in RAJAR Q2 2016. The shift towards mostly news-driven programming has, inevitably, happened under News UK.

Is there an opportunity to be had?