What the audience wants

Helen Shaw

Athena Media

EBU Digital Radio June 14 2007

My perspective

Print Journalist – Radio Producer -RTERadio NCA Editor – BBC Northern IrelandDirector of Radio – RTE 1997-02Weatherhead FellowHarvard – 02-03Athena Media – Sept 03Drace – www.drace.org/researchCreator of online ‘radio’ channels www.podcastingireland.ie

Brecht: radio and communications

Radio is one sided when it should be two sided

A means of distribution rather than communications

‘turning the audience not only into pupils but into teachers’

1932 –The Radio as a Tool of Communication.

European Trends

Europeans spend 24 hrs a month online -ComScore

2.5 million download podcasts in UK -Rajar

One third of European listen to radio online –Mediascope

A third of under 24s visit network sites -Mediascope

Broadband hits TV/papers but 43% of UK listen to radio online - Ofcom

What does the audience ‘want’?

Audience wants to use and createWhat they want, when they want it, where

they want it - MyMediaTo shape and share the content The digital divide is a generational oneNot technology but mind-frameNot audiences but users/creatorsNot broadcasters but content generators

Digital Generation

Mediascope 2006 -38% of 16-24s use mobile devices to access net

13 hours a week online – cross media40% online with a radio onBut quarter of 15-26 year olds listen to

radio on mobiles (UK – Rajar)Think audio not radio

Social networking and radio

Myspace.com – 185 million Radio is a natural base for social media

networkingLast fm model – 1.5 million usersEuropean public radio - reinvention as

multimedia portalMulti-platform and multi-positionedDarwin: Flexibility/mobility/adaptability

Where is it all going?

‘Online and offline will be redundant terms in two to three years time because all communications will be digital and the most important thing in your home will be your boardband connection’ Chris Dobson – MSN sales and marketing general manager.

But – ‘audience’ don’t have the answers – you do!

The more things change…..

Its still about quality - contentIdeas, creativity and added valueletting go of preconceptionsIts still about communicationsA space rather than a channelValue is in connecting –being usefulAnd creating relationships

Radio’s digital future – user-led

Being ubiquitous – being where ears areBeing on demand - accessBeing ‘visual’ – adding valueBeing a shape shifter Being reborn – not being afraid of

reinventionBeing useful to users – social mediaRemaining mobile + predominately audio

The Challenge…

‘media fragmentation could dominate the future and see investment in quality content collapse’ Jenny Abramsky – BBC (April 2007)

‘public broadcasters can capitalise on public trust and become portals of choice…in the digital commons’ – Graham Murdock - (Nov 2004)