While many commercial radio operators have been directing online listeners to their own platforms for some time, they are still playable in Radioplayer and other third party aggregators - but the national broadcaster has gone a step further.
If you attempt to listen to a BBC station in the Radioplayer app, a pop-up appears deep linking to Sounds:
This broadcaster has asked us to launch their own app to play this station. This will take you out of Radioplayer.
It's a curious distribution strategy. How are you giving licence fee payers the best value by barricading your services on a single platform?
Global, Bauer and others might not use Radioplayer by default, in favour of their own commercial ventures, but they recognise the importance of going where listeners are and getting heard in as many places as possible.
If it wasn't for the BBC's history of unusual decisions, I would've said it was the last organisation to do this. It's not a private company and there is no excuse for restricting consumers in this way.
Mentally, 2022 has had its major ups and downs - but it's also been one of the busiest and most exciting both for me personally and for our little radio station in its second full year on-air.
As an autistic person who finds comfort in routine and familiarity, equally, embarking on new challenges to do with my focused interests is always exciting.
In June, I produced a 7-hour live outside broadcast from the Platinum Jubilee Fete. We became an all-50s station for the day, which I had been tasked with programming, and celebrated long-established members of the community who’ve contributed so much to the town over the years.
As well as working behind-the-scenes, I love using my voice. Being autistic means face-to-face interactions aren't always the easiest, but give me a mic and a crowd and I'm in my element! Compering onstage at Petersfield Community Fair and in the box at the South Downs Show this summer was a blast!
Our development day in September was an opportunity for volunteers to acquire and/or enhance their skills.
There was Paul Chantler with essential Legal & Compliance training, Steve Martin on interview technique, John Ryan on preparing news bulletins and I was delighted to host a couple of sessions (one on music presentation, another on editing audio).
We also took our championing of local musicians to a new level this winter by running a contest to find young talent from one of the local schools to sing lead vocals on a couple of cuts from our new jingle package.
After the winner, Daisy Browning, had received world-class session singing coaching, Ignite Jingles director Chris Stevens joined us down the line for the recording at Churcher's College music studio. Thanks to all involved for making this possible!
What else happened? Petersfield's Shine Radio was crowned Digital Station of the Year at the Community Radio Awards 2022! I attended the ceremony in Bedford together with three of my presenter colleagues (Blake, Noni and Kate) and had the honour of delivering an acceptance speech on behalf of the whole team.
Not only this but Noni's Shine Radio Recipe scooped up the bronze and Kate's Dogs with Jobs won gold in the Best Podcast category!
As a team of dedicated volunteers, we're extremely proud of what we do but to come out on top despite fierce national competition (and having won the silver prize last year) was beyond our wildest dreams.
The vast majority of volunteers have no prior media experience upon joining - they're just people who love where they live and want to give something back to the community - and the most rewarding thing about my role is helping colleagues develop their technical and presentation skills, allowing them to connect with fellow residents using our powerful, unbeatable, medium.
I can't wait for whatever bigger and better things 2023 has to bring!
After taking a few days to fully digest the news, and recover from our road trip to Bedford, I just wanted to say how grateful we at Shine Radio are to the Community Radio Awards for giving Petersfield the recognition it deserves.
We were honoured to receive the Gold award for Digital or RSL Station of the Year 2022 at the ceremony on Saturday night.
Digital Station of the Year 2022? COMPLETED IT MATE! ✅
What an incredible multi award-winning night for @shineradio at the @CommRadioAwards - never been prouder to be part of such a hardworking team (and second family) utterly dedicated to serving local listeners 💚 pic.twitter.com/EOR8zprDpT
— Community Radio Awards - Sponsored by PlayoutOne (@CommRadioAwards) November 19, 2022
In October 2021, just 14 months after launching our linear service, we were over the moon to win Silver for Digital or RSL Station of the Year - and that was with COVID restrictions meaning the events coverage we pride ourselves in was limited.
In the last year, the team has produced dozens of outside broadcasts as well as continued holding decision makers to account and sharing remarkable human stories from across "the Petersphere".
We enjoyed fierce competition in our category. Congratulations to our fellow nominees who have been incredibly gracious and made it such a challenge for us to come out on top.
The overwhelming majority of my fellow volunteers had no past experience of radio presentation, conducting interviews or editing audio before joining. They're now industry award winners - and I don't think it's quite sunk in yet!
While a linear music station cannot reflect every demographic or taste (our daytime programming is targeted at those aged 35-54), news and other speech content has wider appeal and specialist programming carves out its own niches allowing our multi-platform brand to reach a broad local audience overall.
Ultimately, our success is thanks to the people of Petersfield - and that includes Shine Radio colleagues who live or work locally just as our listeners do.
This is more of a TV post so forgive me (although the two mediums are now arguably closer than ever before thanks to social media and new simulcast operations!)
I've been unable to switch off CNN’s midterm elections coverage. It's always so well executed and engaging - the slickest of the slick.
As a Brit, watching live data and in-depth analysis while polls are still open is unthinkable and fascinating. It’s a totally different ball game. In our elections, a UK broadcaster would be in breach simply for suggesting bad weather might affect turnout.
I’m all for being fair and balanced. Nothing I’ve heard tonight has been blatantly partisan; just concise presentation of the facts and number crunching that may encourage more people to cast their ballot - which is something to celebrate, surely?
It could be argued the US approach raises the risk of those who are politically unengaged facing pressure from politically engaged friends and family to further a particular agenda, but that has always happened and will always happen regardless of what the TV or radio is reporting.
Social media is at odds with broadcast media on polling day in that the former is talking about nothing other than politics and the latter isn’t allowed to talk about politics - therefore people are largely getting information (or perhaps misinformation) from unregulated platforms.
As long as broadcasters are impartial and stick to the facts, why couldn’t we take a more relaxed, interactive and modern approach over here too?
(And bring about electoral reform so every vote counts - actually, that’s another post for another time!)
In the biggest shake up of Local BBC Radio to date, more regional and national programme sharing has been announced as part of a plan to redistribute £19m from broadcast to online and digital news production.
Weekdays 6am-2pm: locally-produced output will continue on each of the 39 stations in England
Further details were outlined at a staff meeting on Tuesday including that every Local BBC Radio presenter is at risk of redundancy with a need to reapply for jobs or go through a selection for retention scheme.
My immediate thoughts are with every talented employee or freelancer affected by this brutal plan.
I know it sounds cliché but there have never been more alternative ways to utilise your skills and I’m sure exciting opportunities will arise.
If you're a long-time reader/follower you'll know: I'm a huge supporter of both the BBC and local radio - and when BBC stations do it well, they do it VERY well.
For example, in the event of a major local incident, purveying trusted information is one thing but truly being the hub of your community in that situation is about connection, comfort and reassurance.
In the same way, when times are tough we turn to our neighbours; we venture out to the pub and share experiences with locals.
Local BBC Radio is an astonishingly expensive beast - £117m per annum to be precise - and it's hard to justify when effective commercial services that no longer exist were able to operate on a fraction of the cost.
I wouldn't call for budgets to be slashed to match that, as the BBC should be distinctive and produce content the private sector couldn't afford or lacks the resources to provide, but there's no reason why it couldn't be delivered cheaper and more efficiently - focusing heavily on older audiences in communities the listener and the station would both call home.
Sadly, more networking and further regionalisation was always going to be the first port of call. Why does it always seem to be the programming, and consequently the consumer, that is first to bear the brunt of changes?
Frankly, if a broadcast region is so big and disconnected from real life that it can’t make an impact locally, it might as well be national. Network a big name who appeals to the core demographic and grow audiences that way.
What's so frustrating is the disparity between vast swathes of staff, who get it, and BBC management.
Either continue being authentically local, offer a targeted and polished national product or do both.
As reported by RadioToday, the event was held at Winchester Today HQ in the city centre with representatives from some of the 18 services carried on the local DAB+ platform.
Currently, Ofcom is advertising round four of its SS-DAB rollout with the fifth to come in 2023 (including Alton, Petersfield & Haslemere which, at Shine Radio, we are very excited for).
Unsurprisingly, research shows analogue listening is in decline; but while online has been growing, DAB is far bigger in the UK (as explained here).
While it's true that digital radio has allowed new formats to be viable, building a sustainable traditional radio business always requires great understanding coupled with fresh thinking. WHO is listening? WHAT do they want? HOW can we offer it distinctively?
It's very unlikely that a music station broadcasting on a single SS-DAB mux would be profitable, especially if you employ staff on top of licencing & transmission costs and hope to make a return on investment purely through sponsorship and promotions.
However, these multiplexes are ideal for well-supported not-for-profit organisations and commercial services looking to reach bigger audiences.
After 23 years on BBC Radio 2, and previously (but not immediately before) on Radio 1, Steve Wright in the Afternoon has come to an end... at least for now!
A huge thank you to Steve Wright for his 23 years of Steve Wright In The Afternoon! 🧡
While he says about both continuing with the Sunday Love Songs show and hosting some seasonal specials for Radio 2, as well as Serious Jockin' exclusively on BBC Sounds and another podcast, one would've expected other offers to come rolling in almost immediately after the announcement.
In the avoidance of sounding like Digital Spy, I won't dwell on this too much; but where would Steve's natural commercial home be?
Greatest Hits Radio is the most obvious. The point has been made that SWITA wouldn't be on-brand for Virgin Radio, unless it's taking a "talent first, station second" approach whereby the outlet is merely a platform for big names.
An ode to "the big show"
Some of my earliest, fondest memories of falling in love with radio involve Steve Wright. He is my radio hero - someone who massively influenced me and helped me find my own presentation style.
As one of the most hardworking creatives around, he's been a constant, through the good times and the bad, and always given it his all in every show. Consistency counts for a lot in radio.
Wright gets a lot of stick; from the press - over his salary or, appallingly, appearance - and from those who find his style tedious (each to their own); but none of this has held him back as a legendary familiar voice with jolly jingles that has been a comfort blanket to millions.
His last show was typically humble and unique in its own right but still the same format we've come to know and love each weekday.
When presenters are trusted to say goodbye to their loyal listeners with a spectacular send-off, the result is magical and just epitomises why we love radio.
The outpouring of affection for someone we feel we know personally and the memories they made with us.
