WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.240 Hello, I'm James Cridland, the radio futurologist, 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:04.839 and this is Radioland, my radio trends newsletter. 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:09.460 This podcast is sponsored by RSS .com. I've been 00:00:09.460 --> 00:00:12.000 talking about the extra opportunities that new 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.599 radio platforms offer since, well, since a long 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:18.179 time ago. And while the Americans have sadly 00:00:18.179 --> 00:00:20.600 stopped innovating in radio, as far as I can 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:23.579 see, and I have evidence linked in my blog post 00:00:23.579 --> 00:00:27.019 today that they stopped 19 years ago. other parts 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:30.339 of the world are still offering much more interesting 00:00:30.339 --> 00:00:34.579 and exciting output. Additional choice is what's 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:37.799 driven radio's success in much of Europe. Radio's 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:39.960 digital platforms, both the internet but also 00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:44.359 DAB, offer significant extra choice that allows 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.100 broadcasters to grow brands, not just stations, 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:50.500 and sometimes to offer additional choice for 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:55.799 advertisers. So it is with Global's WSQK, a real 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.659 radio station available on real broadcast radio 00:00:58.659 --> 00:01:02.420 in London and online worldwide, offering a choice 00:01:02.420 --> 00:01:06.599 of a radio station from the 1980s in Hawkins, 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:11.439 Indiana. WSQK is, of course, an advertising vehicle 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:14.000 for Stranger Things, the Netflix series that's 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.680 just returned for a new and final season. But 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:20.439 here's the thing, it's done so, so well. and 00:01:20.439 --> 00:01:22.939 it highlights how the creatives who work in good 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:26.200 radio companies can always get closer to fans 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:30.780 in a way that no one else can. Global's WSQK 00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:34.579 is a full, 24 -7, six -week -long radio station 00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:38.060 deep into the Stranger Things universe, and everything 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:42.939 on it is perfect. The station has 1980s -sounding 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:46.450 jingles. It has DJs right through the day. It 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:49.250 has features like the rewind at nine. It has 00:01:49.250 --> 00:01:52.109 news at the top of the hour during the day. And 00:01:52.109 --> 00:01:55.209 of course, it has commercials as well for businesses 00:01:55.209 --> 00:01:58.750 in Hawkins. Everything has been thought of and 00:01:58.750 --> 00:02:02.170 everything has been carefully recreated to keep 00:02:02.170 --> 00:02:04.969 you in the Stranger Things universe. The only 00:02:04.969 --> 00:02:06.950 way you'd know that you're listening to something 00:02:06.950 --> 00:02:10.250 a little different is the jingles which say Global 00:02:10.250 --> 00:02:13.960 and Stranger Things present. And that's it. No 00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:16.599 cheesy voiceover telling you to watch Stranger 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:19.439 Things. Nothing to take you out of the moment. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:22.360 You're being treated as an adult, dear listener. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:31.860 And quite rightly. Here's a little bit. What 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:45.729 a monster! record that was this is wsqk the squawk 00:02:45.729 --> 00:02:51.229 and we are turning this town upside down down 00:02:51.229 --> 00:03:01.090 down what was that we're good right hawkins uh 00:03:01.090 --> 00:03:04.550 can you still hear us yeah right okay yeah so 00:03:04.550 --> 00:03:06.629 advance goodman is the name and i'm keeping you 00:03:06.629 --> 00:03:10.550 company on wsqk the squawk Someone really needs 00:03:10.550 --> 00:03:13.469 to sort the power out of this place, huh? Don't 00:03:13.469 --> 00:03:15.189 touch that dial. Hopefully we'll be back right 00:03:15.189 --> 00:03:18.830 after this. Global and Stranger Things present 00:03:18.830 --> 00:03:25.210 WSQK The Squawk. Think you've got what it takes 00:03:25.210 --> 00:03:27.590 to top the leaderboard? Then get down to the 00:03:27.590 --> 00:03:31.069 Palace Arcade in downtown Hawkins. We've got 00:03:31.069 --> 00:03:34.569 Dig Dug, Galaga, Dragon's Lair, and the all -new 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:37.189 Tempest. Bring your quarters, bring your friends, 00:03:37.370 --> 00:03:40.270 and bring your A -game. This week's top of the 00:03:40.270 --> 00:03:43.550 leaderboard is Mad Max. Can you unseat our champ? 00:03:43.710 --> 00:03:47.210 The Palace Arcade, where Hawkins plays to win. 00:03:53.349 --> 00:04:00.810 Oh, wipe out. Yes, the station even sweats the 00:04:00.810 --> 00:04:05.189 little details, as Radio Today says. To replicate 00:04:05.189 --> 00:04:09.830 the authentic 80s sound, WSQK is being processed 00:04:09.830 --> 00:04:14.250 using a vintage Innovonix FM250 audio processor. 00:04:15.030 --> 00:04:18.610 These were released in 1983, it says, and were 00:04:18.610 --> 00:04:20.709 in use across thousands of stations across the 00:04:20.709 --> 00:04:22.910 world during the latter part of the 80s. It genuinely 00:04:22.910 --> 00:04:25.529 sounds like it. It's a high -energy, slightly 00:04:25.529 --> 00:04:28.329 smeary compressed sound, just like I remember 00:04:28.329 --> 00:04:30.810 from Hallam when I used them when I was on the 00:04:30.810 --> 00:04:33.199 air. Now, I'm not a Stranger Things watcher, 00:04:33.220 --> 00:04:35.259 but the rest of my family are, and every single 00:04:35.259 --> 00:04:38.000 element was accompanied in the car by, oh, so 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.519 -and -so worked here in season two, or, oh, this 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:42.819 song was played when, bloody blah. They loved 00:04:42.819 --> 00:04:45.240 it even more than I did. And if you listen closely, 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.920 you'll notice a not very big music catalogue. 00:04:48.939 --> 00:04:50.980 It only plays songs from the show, and there 00:04:50.980 --> 00:04:53.060 haven't been too many of those. The voice track 00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:55.079 DJs never name any of the songs that they're 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:58.379 playing, or give any time checks, or any frequencies 00:04:58.379 --> 00:05:00.720 come to that. And the commercials never mention 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.120 place names or prices. The jingles are, the Anoraks 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:07.839 say, the WCBS mixes of the K -Hits 2016 package 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.199 from Real World. But none of that takes you out 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:14.160 of the moment. The production is excellent. Punchy 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.920 voiceovers, great jingles, segued properly in 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:19.019 the play -out system to deliver the fast sound 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:21.220 that was around in those days. The writing of 00:05:21.220 --> 00:05:23.220 the commercials, of the news bulletins, of the 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:26.420 DJ breaks are on point and very well done. No 00:05:26.420 --> 00:05:29.180 AI seems to have been abused here as far as I 00:05:29.180 --> 00:05:33.629 can hear. WSQK is on air until the series finale 00:05:33.629 --> 00:05:37.189 on the 1st of January. Do take a listen and bottle 00:05:37.189 --> 00:05:40.170 that for your own radio station. And just to 00:05:40.170 --> 00:05:44.529 compare, Global's competitor Spotify has produced 00:05:44.529 --> 00:05:49.709 some playlists. Now, radio in Australia, which 00:05:49.709 --> 00:05:52.910 has just gone into its six -week audience sabotage 00:05:52.910 --> 00:05:55.569 mode that confused me back in 2017 and continues 00:05:55.569 --> 00:05:58.600 to confuse me now. is reeling from the loss of 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:01.800 Lauren Joyce as Chief Audience and Content Officer 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:06.220 of ARN. She's been made redundant. ARN's new 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:09.680 CEO, Michael Stevenson, is to bring back a Chief 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:12.759 Content Officer role, quotes, allowing us to 00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:15.360 focus more clearly on creating and delivering 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:18.720 great content. Meanwhile, Kyle and Jackie O's 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:22.259 $20 million a year show delivered worse figures 00:06:22.259 --> 00:06:25.040 in both Sydney and Melbourne this time around. 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:29.000 In Brisbane, ARN announced the virtual unknown 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:33.040 Craig Lowy Lowe as Kiss breakfast presenter on 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:37.459 October 29th. But only on November 27th, this 00:06:37.459 --> 00:06:40.339 Thursday, did they think about advertising for 00:06:40.339 --> 00:06:43.620 a producer for the show. I still think there's 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:46.540 some surprises to come with this one. Not least, 00:06:46.699 --> 00:06:50.019 Craig Lowy Lowe is not actually mentioned in 00:06:50.019 --> 00:06:52.800 the job ad, but then perhaps there are plenty 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.339 of good reasons why, and I link to one of those 00:06:55.339 --> 00:06:59.120 today from the blog version of this. Meanwhile, 00:06:59.459 --> 00:07:03.459 the show Craig Lowy Lowe will replace, Robin 00:07:03.459 --> 00:07:06.660 Kipp and Corrie, did its last show on Friday. 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:09.519 According to Mr Brisbane, he notes that seven 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:13.310 out of the ten -person team involved in the Brisbane 00:07:13.310 --> 00:07:16.490 Kiss breakfast show has lost their jobs. I'm 00:07:16.490 --> 00:07:20.629 sorry, what? Ten? Ten people for a commercial 00:07:20.629 --> 00:07:23.370 music breakfast show? Ten people working on that? 00:07:23.889 --> 00:07:25.750 I mean, that said, it's not going to be easy 00:07:25.750 --> 00:07:28.050 to replace Robin, who's been on the air for over 00:07:28.050 --> 00:07:31.930 35 years in the city. It's probably unavoidable 00:07:31.930 --> 00:07:35.290 that Craig Lowy Lowe is going to post smaller 00:07:35.290 --> 00:07:37.639 audience figures. but we'll have to wait until 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:40.860 March 19th to discover quite how lowy -lower 00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:46.480 they are. Also in Brisbane, 4ZZZ is the subject 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:49.000 of three events at SLQ next week. If you want 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:51.259 to go, the community station is celebrating its 00:07:51.259 --> 00:07:55.480 50th birthday. And I'm in Orlando in mid -January. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.060 It should be fun. I'll be taking my silly radio 00:07:58.060 --> 00:08:00.279 along with me. If there's stuff that I should 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:02.220 be listening to, I would really appreciate knowing. 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:04.800 James at grid .land is my email address. That 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:08.639 would be lovely. Places where I am speaking next 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.180 include Podfest in Orlando, in Florida. Oh, yes, 00:08:12.180 --> 00:08:16.040 that's why. Where I will be talking about where 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:18.319 we've been and where we're going. A look back 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.360 at where we've come from, including last year's 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:22.600 podcast news and trends to help us understand 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:24.519 how podcasting is changing and how we should 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:27.180 be changing with it. Plus, a look forward to 00:08:27.180 --> 00:08:31.579 what to do in 2026. I look forward to writing 00:08:31.579 --> 00:08:35.019 that, as I do my Radio Days Europe talk, which 00:08:35.019 --> 00:08:37.600 is in Riga in Latvia in mid -March. The future 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:41.179 of audio is people -powered. You should be getting 00:08:41.179 --> 00:08:43.980 your tickets for both of those. Money off, by 00:08:43.980 --> 00:08:47.120 the way, Podfest, if you go to podnews .net slash 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:50.240 extras. And if your email address won't let you 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:53.059 in, that's because you don't subscribe. And thank 00:08:53.059 --> 00:08:57.320 you to the many supporters of the podcast and 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:01.480 of the newsletters, including, who shall I mention? 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:03.379 Well, I mean, it would help if I had it on the 00:09:03.379 --> 00:09:06.279 screen at this present moment, which I don't. 00:09:06.519 --> 00:09:09.200 So let's press some buttons and now I will be 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:15.859 able to actually see. Oh, yes, of course. Media 00:09:15.859 --> 00:09:18.220 Realm. Media Realm. Yes, Media Realm. They're 00:09:18.220 --> 00:09:22.080 very good. Also, Admaster .info and Broadcast 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:25.299 Radio and all of those excellent people. Also, 00:09:25.419 --> 00:09:27.519 Greg Strassel, Sam Phelps, Richard Hilton, Emma 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:30.620 Gibbs, Jocelyn Abbey and James Masterton, who 00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:32.639 are all regular supporters as well. If you would 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:35.659 like to support my work in any way, please buy 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:38.139 me a coffee. become a member to give regularly, 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:40.080 or, you know, just give a one -off coffee or 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:43.299 five, you can do that at buymeacoffee .com slash 00:09:43.299 --> 00:09:45.379 James Cridland. You can follow me on Mastodon 00:09:45.379 --> 00:09:47.960 and stuff, and you'll find all of that on my 00:09:47.960 --> 00:09:51.480 website, james .crid .land. We'll find it, as 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:53.440 indeed will james .cridland .net, which is the 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:55.620 one I'm supposed to read out, and you can learn 00:09:55.620 --> 00:09:57.700 what I can do and whether I can help you further. 00:09:57.779 --> 00:10:00.399 And until next time, keep listening.