Amazon Music's DJ Mode

Amazon Music has launched DJ Mode (only in the US currently) - adding presenter commentary and insights to a number of playlists. Billie Eilish is the first to be signed for a 'show' of her favourite songs and stories about them.

Why are streaming services so keen to integrate radio-like content? You might think it’s a no brainer considering the medium’s continued popularity globally - but is taking on radio really the primary objective of projects like this?

Apple launched Beats 1 six years ago as part of Apple Music.

It’s struggled to really cut through with little marketing and restricted access; all tucked away in the Apple Music app which even most iOS users never touch.

Radio is a credible offer in doing big-name deals which are good for their image and further clout in the music streaming space, so it’s working for them in that sense.

The opposite of visualisation

GB News has announced it’s in the final stages of completing a long-term deal with Arqiva to secure spectrum on D1 for a full audio simulcast of the forthcoming TV channel.

A TV and radio simulcast isn’t a new concept - in August 2000, ITN launched its short-lived rolling news TV channel along with a radio station (the 10th service to start on D1) but this had some radio-only content.

GB News haven’t announced plans for that as of yet. I’m guessing there’ll be split ads at least as not every TV commercial would work as audio.

Listeners would get 30 seconds of "someone’s knocking at the door" without any context!

From reports, it sounds like the channel will be more like a talk radio station than a rolling news channel, so how hard can it be to avoid saying "as you can see..."?

Fewer "proper DJs", more relevance

As Greatest Hits Radio sign Martin Kemp for a new series exploring the contribution London has made to the greatest hits of all time, the usual suspects were up in arms about the idea of a celebrity presenting a radio show:

Why not an experienced presenter? What happened to proper DJ’s?

By "experienced presenter" they mean experience of radio presentation.

Obviously not all masters of one medium could fully grasp another - no-one can do everything - but surely life experience and relevance is more important than being able to hit a vocal?

A celebrity in a different field may begin their presenting career on TV so why shouldn’t they be able to start on radio? They’d draw an audience to the medium we all adore, so it’s a win-win.

Furthermore, if you’re always demanding “experience”, where's the talent pipeline? Even the legends were new to it once!

Why shouldn't existing telly stars be allowed to host radio shows? We cheer venues and festivals that manage to secure big name acts. We’re enticed by TV shows featuring familiar faces.

Today’s content creators are multi-platform - and radio is just one of those platforms.

Yesterday's Unimaginative Positioner

This is what I picture in my head whenever radio stations say they have “the best mix of 80s, 90s, and today”. It’s been today for 21 years. You can’t keep getting away with this. pic.twitter.com/OxvrMVjobE

— Drew Gooden (@drewisgooden) May 27, 2021

80s, 90s and today - why are radio stations still using this as a positioner? Unless you don’t play anything from the last two decades for some bizarre reason, it sounds weird to classify them as "today".

A reply to Drew’s tweet observes:

Radio stations saying 'The Best of the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s' just doesn’t sound right though.

Quite. It’s the rule of three. If you add more, it’s just clutter.

The simple solution is to be more imaginative.

While we’re on the subject of slogans, you also want to avoid meaningless jargon (e.g. Today’s Best Mix or A Better Music Mix - better than...?)

I’ve always liked simple positioning statements that you could imagine a listener using to describe you (e.g. The Best Songs Ever or Just Great Songs).

With today's level of competition, you need something that really makes the station stand out - an elevator pitch that explains what someone gets out of tuning in.

Be controversial but not bigoted

Matt "Matty in the Morning" Siegel has presented Boston’s Kiss 108 morning show for 4 decades. The show celebrated its 40th birthday in January.

Siegel, 71, caused controversy this week after appearing to quit live on-air because he was told he couldn’t joke about Demi Lovato’s non-binary status.

‘Matty, out’: Audio clip of Matt Siegel (Matty in the Morning) @Kiss108 apparently quitting live on the air this morning (via Kevin Doyle) pic.twitter.com/YToNubWkJr

— Mike Saccone (@mikesacconetv) May 19, 2021

Charming.

If he was a conservative talk show host, unfortunately, you might expect it - along with attacks on what they pathetically call "woke" culture. But it’s a CHR morning show FFS.

The station positions itself as Boston’s No.1 Hit Music Station targeting 18-34 year-olds, the generation most likely to be sensitive around this topic (of course, homophobia and transphobia is wrong wherever it’s found).

I’m glad management recognised this. Know your audience and understand their lives. And it’s nothing to do with age - just look at the ever brilliant Elvis Duran based in neighbouring New York state.

Anyway, the next morning, he was back. His co-host, Bex, was told by bosses not to upload the Matty in the Morning podcast the day before. How did he respond? Well… like this:

#redflag at work: when your boss says “you work for me” to manipulate you. This was preceded by lots of patronizing from Matty to Bex. It ends when he was caught in a lie (“you didn’t call me”) and demands she turn her mic off #mattyinthemorning #lethimquit pic.twitter.com/7HMBD6Ts3g

— Becca Canavan (@B_Canavan) May 20, 2021

Not only is it unprofessional, it’s a prime example of how not to treat your team or your listeners. It shouldn’t have happened at all, let alone on-air.

It’s why I get frustrated by the "not all men" brigade who line up to defend themselves against male treatment of women. Unless we take responsibility, call it out and educate one another, the problem persists.

I’d never suggest presenters should avoid (legal/compliant) topics their audience is discussing. Relevance is essential for success.

Radio is an incredibly intimate and powerful medium - you can build a deep and special connection with listeners and to do so is a privilege.

It might be more acceptable to be controversial (within reason) if you’re established, but you always need to be aware of who you’re talking to because it's their show as much as it's yours.

There's more to the BBC than one programme 25 years ago

Are the BBC ever not under attack from someone? More often than not, it’s because they’ve reported facts that don’t suit one’s agenda.

I may criticise the governance of and management within the corporation at times, but I believe it’s one of our proudest institutions as a nation.

It is highly respected around the world and its teams excel in educating, entertaining and informing.

This time, it’s under fire for "falling short of high standards of integrity and transparency" over Martin Bashir’s 1995 Panorama interview with Princess Diana. The BBC’s Amol Rajan summed up what this means for the BBC well on BBC News:

My bit for #BBCNewsTen on the where the Dyson Report leaves the @bbc: pic.twitter.com/Qd3rQcSTqk

— Amol Rajan (@amolrajan) May 21, 2021

I’ve always found it frustrating when critics of an individual or team within the BBC default to saying "the BBC". Martin Bashir’s actions were found to have breached the corporation’s own rules and others covered it up at the time - appalling, especially for a public body.

No large organisation gets everything right but how can you suggest such an event represents its entire workforce? And this all happened 25 years ago!

Be specific in your criticism.

Mind the Gap

Throughout my childhood, I had two primary interests: radio and trains.

I needn’t comment on the former, as you know where I am with that (it’s probably why you’re here after all!)

My once immense interest in the latter has since dwindled, but I still remember a lot and still find them impressive. I mean - who doesn’t love a train?!

The most obvious links between the two are tech and announcements.

To many, Phil Sayer and Celia Drummond were the voices of the railways.

Sadly both no longer with us, their automated platform announcements were first rolled out in the mid 90s and used at many stations around the country before being gradually replaced by new systems.

Unfortunately, most South Western Railway operated stations phased Phil & Celia’s voices out during 2019.

Phil started his career as a newsreader on BBC North West Tonight before presenting shows at Piccadilly Radio, Red Rose Radio, BBC GMR, Radio City, Jazz FM and Smooth FM.

Together with his wife, Elinor Hamilton, they founded Sayer Hamilton voiceovers in 2002 and both became familiar voices on the London Underground. They both featured in a Manchester Evening News report in 2010.

Celia, a professional voice actor, also voiced adverts, radio drama and cartoon characters. In the early 70s, she was the lead vocalist in Trees, a British folk rock band, and owned a wedding business. She was interviewed on Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 drivetime show four years ago.

Many years ago, when I was massively into trains as a child, the utterly sublime Phil Sayer recorded me a surprise message:

Many years ago I was massively into trains and the sublime Phil Sayer recorded me a surprise message. A familiar voice at stations around the country for over 20 years. Very sadly, both he and his co-announcer Celia Drummond are no longer with us and deeply missed. @sayerhamilton pic.twitter.com/Keh1pjfSGN

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) May 20, 2021

Two stations I regularly visited were Micheldever and Newbury hence them being picked as calling points! No question, his impeccable delivery was always a huge inspiration.