WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:03.180 Hello, I'm James Cridland, the radio futurologist, 00:00:03.180 --> 00:00:05.820 and every week or so I put out an international 00:00:05.820 --> 00:00:09.480 radio trends newsletter, and this is it. From 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:13.240 October the 12th, 2025, a visualised podcast 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:18.300 in the flesh. One of the smartest podcasts that 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:21.980 the Australian ABC produces is called If You're 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:25.359 Listening by Matt Bevan. I'm Matt Bevan, and 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:30.969 this is If You're Listening. Now, I link to it 00:00:30.969 --> 00:00:34.909 on YouTube and I link to it on ABC Listen because 00:00:34.909 --> 00:00:38.070 originally an audio podcast, the ABC started 00:00:38.070 --> 00:00:41.990 making it into a video podcast in July 2023. 00:00:42.630 --> 00:00:46.030 The show is very heavy in terms of archive footage. 00:00:46.130 --> 00:00:48.869 And as I understand it, Bevan recalls in both 00:00:48.869 --> 00:00:51.890 video and audio in his basement at home, by the 00:00:51.890 --> 00:00:55.329 way. And then two separate teams go and edit 00:00:55.329 --> 00:00:59.560 it, one for video and one for audio. The audio 00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:04.879 version that I link to in the show notes of the 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.739 same episode is 22 minutes, 28 seconds. The video 00:01:07.739 --> 00:01:11.459 version is 21 minutes, 15. And they are wildly 00:01:11.459 --> 00:01:15.040 different in terms of editing. I show an image 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.359 showing exactly how different they are. And the 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:20.040 video trial must have been a success because 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:22.680 the audio version now airs on ABC Radio National. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:25.780 The video version airs on the ABC News Channel. 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:29.379 A lot of the times we hear a visualised podcast 00:01:29.379 --> 00:01:32.920 being touted as something that's just a TV chat 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:35.799 show with a cheaper set. It's easy to film a 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:39.500 chat cast, a simple interview with two people 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:42.719 on video. You just run a few cameras and you 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:45.159 can even mix automatically between them if you 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.359 want. And with an online tool like Riverside, 00:01:47.379 --> 00:01:50.540 you get a mixed video file free as part of the 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:53.340 deal. If you want, you've probably seen something 00:01:53.340 --> 00:01:57.319 like that with Diary of a CEO. But this is a 00:01:57.319 --> 00:01:59.980 piece of content that is deliberately remade 00:01:59.980 --> 00:02:02.680 for both types of output. And there's lots to 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:05.799 learn, I think, from how the ABC do it. The format 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:08.120 seems almost unique. I don't think I've ever 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:11.460 seen or heard this sort of thing before. And 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:14.159 it speaks volumes that the ABC haven't put this 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:17.909 show onto Spotify in video. Spotify, if you didn't 00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:20.490 know, lets you upload video podcasts directly, 00:02:20.669 --> 00:02:23.949 but when you do that, the audio from the video 00:02:23.949 --> 00:02:26.930 file is what everyone hears. So if you're doing 00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:29.729 two separate edits, as the ABC does, then tough. 00:02:30.030 --> 00:02:33.169 A Spotify listener will just get the audio from 00:02:33.169 --> 00:02:35.949 the video file, and that's not always the right 00:02:35.949 --> 00:02:38.889 plan. Anyway, I tell you all of this because 00:02:38.889 --> 00:02:41.210 Matt Bevan was here in Brisbane last Friday, 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:43.370 speaking at the Brisbane Writers' Festival. I 00:02:43.370 --> 00:02:45.810 didn't really know what to expect. But in the 00:02:45.810 --> 00:02:48.449 sold -out event, he did an hour -long version 00:02:48.449 --> 00:02:50.909 of the show, complete with hundreds of clips 00:02:50.909 --> 00:02:53.789 of audio and video, talking about why nobody 00:02:53.789 --> 00:02:55.830 can predict the future and why you're a fool 00:02:55.830 --> 00:02:58.789 if you think you can. And I shuffled in my seat 00:02:58.789 --> 00:03:00.930 a little when he started telling people not to 00:03:00.930 --> 00:03:03.530 believe people who call themselves futurologists. 00:03:04.370 --> 00:03:07.599 Yeah. And if I can guess his email address correctly, 00:03:07.819 --> 00:03:09.900 I'm hoping he lets me know what his tech stack 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:12.240 was for doing the show. I think I could cobble 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:14.300 together what he did with Keynote, but there's 00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:16.939 a lot of really clever moving pieces as he does 00:03:16.939 --> 00:03:20.039 it. And I suspect he's running something a little 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:22.319 cleverer. Would love to know. Anyway, the show 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:25.319 is worth a listen or a watch if you haven't seen 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:30.120 it. Now in Germany, Radio Zeit is keen to highlight 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:32.879 a new patent. for producing a cost -effective 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:35.879 real -time transcription and visual display of 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:38.900 live audio. It's a really nice thing. It makes 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:42.680 radio significantly more accessible. Not just 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:45.039 that, but they've also launched a full monitoring 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:47.419 tool for radio stations, so you can search through 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:50.199 shows and be able to categorise elements and 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:52.680 all of that kind of thing. Very impressive set 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:55.699 of tools from a small German company. It's worth 00:03:55.699 --> 00:03:58.960 a look. Now, emergency broadcasting. I might 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.819 be doing a talk in a month or so about radio's 00:04:01.819 --> 00:04:04.219 emergency broadcasting, giving some good examples. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.300 of radio stations producing emergency broadcasting 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:09.560 that connected with audiences who needed it. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:11.819 And one of the benefits of being independent, 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:14.219 as I am, is that I'm able to talk about anybody, 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:17.680 commercial, public, community, and able to talk 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:20.699 about both programming solutions to emergency 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:23.480 situations, but also engineering solutions too. 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:26.120 The famed radio in a suitcase temporary solution, 00:04:26.259 --> 00:04:29.759 or another solution that I'm aware of that broadcasts 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:32.180 radio with nothing more than an internet -enabled 00:04:32.180 --> 00:04:35.709 mobile phone. and a bucket. And if you've got 00:04:35.709 --> 00:04:38.490 any good examples or stories that you would like 00:04:38.490 --> 00:04:41.490 me to share at an international broadcast conference, 00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:44.189 please do let me know. I would like to be able 00:04:44.189 --> 00:04:48.310 to play some video and play some audio and maybe 00:04:48.310 --> 00:04:51.329 even do some magic translating that audio into 00:04:51.329 --> 00:04:54.250 English. Who knows? My email is james at cred 00:04:54.250 --> 00:04:58.560 .land. Interesting to read the howls of protests 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:01.680 from the Australian radio industry after I suggested 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:04.660 last week that the regulator ACMA should suspend 00:05:04.660 --> 00:05:07.720 Kyle and Jackie O from the airwaves and shift 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:11.319 them to an age -protected online live stream. 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.040 Reaction to this was fascinating and really clear. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.620 Anyone not involved with the radio industry wholeheartedly 00:05:19.620 --> 00:05:22.430 agreed with me. And they were astonished that 00:05:22.430 --> 00:05:24.310 Carl and Jackie had been allowed to broadcast 00:05:24.310 --> 00:05:27.290 this obscene content for so long. Meanwhile, 00:05:27.670 --> 00:05:30.509 anyone that was involved in the commercial radio 00:05:30.509 --> 00:05:33.910 industry was totally horrified that I'd suggested 00:05:33.910 --> 00:05:36.790 that media regulator ACMA actually do some media 00:05:36.790 --> 00:05:39.649 regulation. But people can just turn off, can't 00:05:39.649 --> 00:05:42.430 they? Was one response. Another person telling 00:05:42.430 --> 00:05:45.449 me to let the market decide. Another deciding 00:05:45.449 --> 00:05:47.730 that all the show needed was another censor, 00:05:47.730 --> 00:05:50.430 but this time an independent one. Not a single 00:05:50.430 --> 00:05:54.470 person involved in radio suggested that ARN, 00:05:54.470 --> 00:05:57.610 as the licensed broadcaster, deserved any punishment 00:05:57.610 --> 00:06:01.269 or had any responsibility. Yet every single one 00:06:01.269 --> 00:06:03.790 also said that they didn't defend the content. 00:06:04.170 --> 00:06:07.069 The difference here was really stark, really 00:06:07.069 --> 00:06:09.829 obvious. To me, it's really clear that this is 00:06:09.829 --> 00:06:11.930 now a systemic issue in the commercial radio 00:06:11.930 --> 00:06:14.670 industry, not just a one -off. There is a genuine 00:06:14.670 --> 00:06:17.350 belief. that obscene content on the radio is 00:06:17.350 --> 00:06:21.170 just fine, and I'm the whinging pom for objecting 00:06:21.170 --> 00:06:23.930 to it. Meanwhile, of course, no word from ACMA 00:06:23.930 --> 00:06:26.810 on their next move, if indeed there even is one. 00:06:28.250 --> 00:06:30.529 The BBC's radio stations fell off tune in last 00:06:30.529 --> 00:06:33.610 week for 24 hours, but came back after I asked 00:06:33.610 --> 00:06:35.490 a few people at the BBC whether that was a permanent 00:06:35.490 --> 00:06:38.470 change. I also discovered that Apple Music lets 00:06:38.470 --> 00:06:42.789 you listen to radio without a subscription. So 00:06:42.789 --> 00:06:45.269 that's a nice thing. Anyway, I link to how to 00:06:45.269 --> 00:06:48.170 listen to BBC Radio outside the UK from the show 00:06:48.170 --> 00:06:50.149 notes. Still no on -demand radio in the app, 00:06:50.170 --> 00:06:52.430 by the way. It's been on the web for a few months 00:06:52.430 --> 00:06:54.089 now. I'm sure that they know what they're doing. 00:06:54.649 --> 00:06:56.910 Now, I'm in Sydney from Wednesday afternoon until 00:06:56.910 --> 00:06:59.189 mid -Friday. I'll be spending Thursday at South 00:06:59.189 --> 00:07:02.829 by Southwest Sydney. So my contact details are 00:07:02.829 --> 00:07:05.610 linked. In fact, james .cridland .net slash contact 00:07:05.610 --> 00:07:08.350 is how to get in touch with me. I should mention, 00:07:08.410 --> 00:07:09.949 by the way, if you're listening in the US, I've 00:07:09.949 --> 00:07:12.689 got a new US telephone number to go with my UK 00:07:12.689 --> 00:07:15.490 and Australian one. Yes, you can ring it and 00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:18.670 it'll make this phone on my desk actually ring. 00:07:19.529 --> 00:07:21.709 Astonishing. So you can give that a go if you 00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:24.589 like. Also updated on my personal blog, why you 00:07:24.589 --> 00:07:27.750 probably don't need a VPN, why you should cover 00:07:27.750 --> 00:07:30.089 up your barcode on your airline boarding pass. 00:07:30.350 --> 00:07:34.470 No, really. how to avoid showing some short codes 00:07:34.470 --> 00:07:36.970 in Hugo's RSS output, which I'm sure that you'll 00:07:36.970 --> 00:07:39.350 find thrilling. Where am I speaking next? Radio 00:07:39.350 --> 00:07:43.629 Days Europe in Riga, in Latvia, in March 2026, 00:07:43.889 --> 00:07:47.430 radiodayseurope .com for more information on 00:07:47.430 --> 00:07:50.649 that. Very much looking forward to doing that. 00:07:50.750 --> 00:07:53.850 And thank you to my many supporters, including 00:07:53.850 --> 00:07:57.550 Wade Kingsley, creative coach, who I've already 00:07:57.550 --> 00:08:01.800 mentioned in this podcast already. but you can't 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:05.240 guess where. Also, Media Realm, thank you, and 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.680 Media Results as well, as well as Greg Strassel, 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:11.939 Sam Phelps, Richard Hilton, Emma Gibbs, Jocelyn 00:08:11.939 --> 00:08:14.220 Abbey, and James Masterton. Thank you all for 00:08:14.220 --> 00:08:15.980 being regular supporters. If you would like to 00:08:15.980 --> 00:08:18.379 support my work in any way, please do. You can 00:08:18.379 --> 00:08:21.399 buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee .com slash James 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:24.680 Cridland, or there's plenty other ways of doing 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:28.759 that in my show notes. Blue Sky as james .crid 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:32.919 .land, Mastodon, james at bne .social. And I've 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:36.139 got a website as well, hooray, about who I am 00:08:36.139 --> 00:08:37.960 and what I do and whether I can help you further. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.399 You'll find that at james .crid .land. Oh yes, 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.879 that works now. So that's a nice thing. Anyway, 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:45.820 until next time, keep listening.