WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.799 Hello, I'm James Cridland, the radio futurologist, 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:05.540 and this is Radioland, my radio trends newsletter. 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:09.419 And this podcast is sponsored by RSS .com. RSS 00:00:09.419 --> 00:00:13.320 .com now has a fully featured API, so it couldn't 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:15.820 be easier to get your stuff from your playout 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:18.940 system into a podcast system. You can even earn 00:00:18.940 --> 00:00:21.460 money with advertising on it as well. You'll 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:25.250 find more information at RSS .com. Now it was 00:00:25.250 --> 00:00:28.649 excellent to have been on 666 ABC Radio Canberra 00:00:28.649 --> 00:00:31.269 on Monday to talk about ABC Radio Perth's switch 00:00:31.269 --> 00:00:35.390 to FM earlier next year. As you'll recall, I'm 00:00:35.390 --> 00:00:38.270 in favour of all ABC local radio stations in 00:00:38.270 --> 00:00:40.729 capital cities like Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, 00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:45.130 Canberra, all broadcasting on FM. It's always 00:00:45.130 --> 00:00:47.929 a little difficult to talk about the disadvantages 00:00:47.929 --> 00:00:52.320 of AM on an AM station. But I think Alice did 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.520 a good job steering me through and dealing with 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:57.759 a mixed bag of reactions. Of course, AM listeners 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:01.439 love AM after all, especially when you get a 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:03.500 former engineer calling in who uses the word 00:01:03.500 --> 00:01:05.819 propagation in his first sentence. You know it's 00:01:05.819 --> 00:01:08.340 going to be an interesting half hour. Many of 00:01:08.340 --> 00:01:10.719 the callers made the same point that AM reaches 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:14.700 further. It does, of course. It's harder to blanket 00:01:14.700 --> 00:01:17.859 a country like Australia with FM, undoubtedly. 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:22.260 But for capital city radio, range isn't the issue. 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:26.560 To replace 666 kHz in Canberra with an FM signal 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:29.159 would cover the vast majority of the population 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:33.200 on a waveband people actually use. And as I've 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.459 repeated relatively often, radio broadcasts are 00:01:36.459 --> 00:01:39.640 only good if people have the radio to pick them 00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:43.349 up. and that's increasingly where AM radio is 00:01:43.349 --> 00:01:47.189 failing. Tomorrow morning, I'm on ABC Radio Brisbane 00:01:47.189 --> 00:01:50.650 at 7 .40am local time, and then, confusingly, 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:55.909 on ABC Perth and WA at 6 .15am local time. I 00:01:55.909 --> 00:01:59.090 know, time zones. Here's hoping I do okay on 00:01:59.090 --> 00:02:00.909 both. And if you want to go and have a listen 00:02:00.909 --> 00:02:03.609 to the audio from ABC Radio Canberra, be my guest. 00:02:03.750 --> 00:02:07.010 You'll find it on the website version of this 00:02:07.010 --> 00:02:10.479 podcast. which you'll find linked in the show 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:14.719 notes. In the US, the AM for Every Vehicle Act, 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:17.620 which mandates AM radio receivers in cars, has 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:21.080 been watered down to last eight years rather 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:23.919 than 10. It's been waiting since April to be 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:26.379 voted on. I linked to the versions for Congress 00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:28.599 and the versions for Senate. I don't really understand 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:30.939 why they're different. but then I don't really 00:02:30.939 --> 00:02:34.780 understand anything about American law. And clearly 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:37.259 no lawyer, but the requirement is in the law 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:39.979 to receive signals and play content transmitted 00:02:39.979 --> 00:02:46.159 by AM broadcast stations and then gives a definition 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.020 of an AM broadcast station as being something 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:52.120 which has been licensed by the FCC. Now, I don't 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:54.120 see anything in this law actually requiring an 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:57.199 actual AM receiver or anything requiring that 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.229 the AM broadcast band is receivable. in its entirety. 00:03:00.830 --> 00:03:03.129 So I do wonder whether some car manufacturers 00:03:03.129 --> 00:03:05.689 might just gently point out, yeah, you can listen 00:03:05.689 --> 00:03:08.349 to the stations available on FM, you can listen 00:03:08.349 --> 00:03:11.129 to content transmitted by AM broadcast stations 00:03:11.129 --> 00:03:14.129 through this tune -in integration. I mean, that 00:03:14.129 --> 00:03:16.849 would work, wouldn't it? Another thing, and I'd 00:03:16.849 --> 00:03:19.129 not spotted this before, but there's also a requirement 00:03:19.129 --> 00:03:22.469 in the law for a study on how effective AM broadcasting 00:03:22.469 --> 00:03:26.139 actually is for emergencies. and whether some 00:03:26.139 --> 00:03:28.659 other technology is better to reach at least 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:31.060 90 % of Americans in time of crisis, including 00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:35.199 at night. All the big US mobile phone carriers 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:40.039 claim to cover well over 99 % of the US population. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.520 So let's hope that they don't discover mobile 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:47.759 phone alerts. Also in the US, President Donald 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:51.199 Trump. is considering charging broadcasters for 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:54.240 their use of the public spectrum. I link to the 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:57.319 social media post in question. Now, that's the 00:03:57.319 --> 00:03:59.240 case in some parts of the world. In Australia, 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.319 the government abolished broadcasting licence 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.039 fees in 2017. This year, temporarily waived the 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:08.300 chances, the charges for broadcast spectrum. 00:04:08.599 --> 00:04:11.900 My suspicion is they will continue to waive that 00:04:11.900 --> 00:04:15.719 because it's a lot of money to pay and I don't 00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:18.100 think broadcasters can afford it anymore. And 00:04:18.100 --> 00:04:20.740 talking about broadcasters, here's Brisbane Radio 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:24.079 Corner. I know, but it's left to the end, so 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:26.800 you can skip this bit if you want to. A three 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.660 -minute drive from ARN's studios in Brisbane, 00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:32.680 which is the owner, of course, of Kiss 97 .3, 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:35.800 is the 4X Brewery, which makes one of Australia's 00:04:35.800 --> 00:04:38.579 top -selling beers. But if anyone from ARN invites 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:40.600 you to a party there, it's becoming increasingly 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:43.970 clear that they couldn't organise one. Kiss 97 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:46.089 .3, which is Brisbane's number one hit music 00:04:46.089 --> 00:04:47.769 station. And I know what you're thinking. You're 00:04:47.769 --> 00:04:50.110 thinking, but James, B105 is Brisbane's number 00:04:50.110 --> 00:04:51.910 one hit music station. It says so all the time. 00:04:52.009 --> 00:04:55.310 Yes, I know. But Kiss 97 .3 is also Brisbane's 00:04:55.310 --> 00:04:57.129 number one hit music station. They say that all 00:04:57.129 --> 00:04:59.069 the time. How can you have more than one hit 00:04:59.069 --> 00:05:02.110 music station? I don't know. But they've both 00:05:02.110 --> 00:05:06.250 managed it somehow. Anyway, Kiss 97 .3, Brisbane's 00:05:06.250 --> 00:05:08.980 number one hit music station. Said an emotional 00:05:08.980 --> 00:05:11.920 adieu to Robin, Kip and Corrie from their breakfast 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.699 show on November the 28th. I linked to some audio 00:05:14.699 --> 00:05:18.060 from the website. Strange time to leave November 00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:20.500 the 28th, isn't it? I mean, that's mid -survey 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:23.019 eight. There's another two weeks still to run. 00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:28.220 Anyway, Craig Lowy Lowe was limbering up for 00:05:28.220 --> 00:05:30.639 a breakfast show on the station where he'd undoubtedly 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.480 have got Lowy lower audience figures, but would 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:36.100 have come with a Lowy lower talent bill. So that's 00:05:36.100 --> 00:05:39.189 probably OK. Robin, Kip and Corrie's production 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:42.389 team of 10 people have all been looking for new 00:05:42.389 --> 00:05:45.629 jobs since, and most of the production team have 00:05:45.629 --> 00:05:47.990 been snapped up by other radio broadcasters in 00:05:47.990 --> 00:05:50.970 the area, which is great to see. Although a strange 00:05:50.970 --> 00:05:54.089 decision for ARN to only start hiring for Craig 00:05:54.089 --> 00:05:59.569 Lowy Lowe's producer on November 27th, given 00:05:59.569 --> 00:06:02.910 his new show had been announced on October 29th. 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:08.060 And then this week, ARN changed their mind, announcing 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:12.240 Robin, Kip and Corrie are returning in January. 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:15.620 Imagine being the person who had to renegotiate 00:06:15.620 --> 00:06:18.120 that deal. Goodness, what a mess. And what an 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:21.120 awful way to treat your talent. Without many 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:23.120 of their experienced production team, though, 00:06:23.139 --> 00:06:26.579 it'll be hard to get up and running again. Craig 00:06:26.579 --> 00:06:29.459 Lowy Lowe will have a Lowy Lowe profile doing 00:06:29.459 --> 00:06:32.860 a national evening. show on the KISS network. 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:37.199 It'll be, I mean, you know, who knows whether 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:39.720 he'll come from Brisbane or come from Sydney, 00:06:39.779 --> 00:06:42.699 though his brief tenure at SCA saw him in Sydney. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:45.379 So it probably makes sense that he'd move a little 00:06:45.379 --> 00:06:47.439 lower down the country. I'll stop doing this 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.980 joke. Robin Bailey said on a social post, we 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:54.579 will see you from 5 .30am on January the 19th. 00:06:55.209 --> 00:06:57.790 with some more really exciting news about who 00:06:57.790 --> 00:07:01.810 we are and what we're going to do. That's a strange 00:07:01.810 --> 00:07:04.509 thing to say, isn't it? We know who you are. 00:07:04.589 --> 00:07:07.290 We know what you're going to do. That's the very 00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:10.550 reason you've been hired back. So what's really 00:07:10.550 --> 00:07:14.129 going on here? I don't think this story's done. 00:07:15.250 --> 00:07:18.769 Also happening on January 19th, Christian O 'Connell 00:07:18.769 --> 00:07:22.910 starts simulcasting into Sydney on Gold 101 .7. 00:07:23.629 --> 00:07:26.769 and into Brisbane and Adelaide on gold on DAB+. 00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:31.209 Now, where am I speaking next? I am speaking 00:07:31.209 --> 00:07:35.050 next at Podfest in Orlando in Florida, which 00:07:35.050 --> 00:07:39.370 may be why I didn't comment on the conversations 00:07:39.370 --> 00:07:43.709 earlier in the US. Anyway, yes, I'll be talking 00:07:43.709 --> 00:07:45.589 about where we've been, where we're going. I 00:07:45.589 --> 00:07:48.589 will also be on stage doing the new media show, 00:07:48.689 --> 00:07:51.290 which should be fun. So looking forward to doing 00:07:51.290 --> 00:07:53.529 that, which has reminded me that I haven't put 00:07:53.529 --> 00:07:55.569 that into my diary yet, so I should probably 00:07:55.569 --> 00:07:59.649 do that. I've also put myself forward to speak. 00:07:59.730 --> 00:08:04.790 There's an inventors session, which is probably 00:08:04.790 --> 00:08:07.550 run by one of these inventor companies who will 00:08:07.550 --> 00:08:10.389 then buy your idea and sell it for, you know, 00:08:10.410 --> 00:08:13.769 hundreds of things. Anyway, I am going to talk 00:08:13.769 --> 00:08:17.779 about location -based podcasting. um where which 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:20.459 is already an open standard and so therefore 00:08:20.459 --> 00:08:22.439 there's nothing to actually own but i'm going 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.180 to talk about it anyway hopefully if they let 00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:27.680 me so that might be fun um but anyway uh looking 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:31.100 forward to being in orlando he lies and um that 00:08:31.100 --> 00:08:33.799 should be fun uh january the 15th to the 18th 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.820 at podfest and then at radio days europe in riga 00:08:37.820 --> 00:08:42.350 in latvia where I will be. I think I'm getting 00:08:42.350 --> 00:08:46.070 there on March the 20th. But the event is March 00:08:46.070 --> 00:08:50.190 the 22nd to the 24th. And the reason why I know 00:08:50.190 --> 00:08:52.049 when I'm getting there is I've finally booked 00:08:52.049 --> 00:08:55.970 the flights. Finally, after all this time. Anyway, 00:08:56.070 --> 00:08:57.769 I'll be talking about the future of audio being 00:08:57.769 --> 00:09:02.610 people -powered and how we'll listen to radio 00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:04.470 in the future on what devices and how we can 00:09:04.470 --> 00:09:08.230 make our output truly unique. It'll be 40 minutes 00:09:08.230 --> 00:09:13.779 of... me talking. So that'll be fun. I'd go to 00:09:13.779 --> 00:09:18.179 that. And so should you. RadioDays .com is where 00:09:18.179 --> 00:09:21.220 to buy tickets for that. And thank you so much 00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:25.500 to the many supporters of this podcast and of 00:09:25.500 --> 00:09:28.860 the newsletter, including Clyde Broadcast, the 00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:32.200 radio people, Wade Kingsley, the creative coach 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:34.059 who has something to announce and now doesn't. 00:09:34.460 --> 00:09:38.590 So who knows what's going on there. Soma FM and 00:09:38.590 --> 00:09:41.429 Meliora. The excellent Clive Dickens will also 00:09:41.429 --> 00:09:43.889 be at Radio Days Europe, I notice. Thank you 00:09:43.889 --> 00:09:46.230 also to Craig Strassel, Sam Phelps, Richard Hilton, 00:09:46.370 --> 00:09:48.509 Emma Gibbs, Jocelyn Abbey and James Masterton. 00:09:48.549 --> 00:09:51.809 Oh, I should thank Rupert Brunn. Where's Rupert 00:09:51.809 --> 00:09:54.070 Brunn? Oh, there he is. Brunn Audio Consulting 00:09:54.070 --> 00:09:57.070 Limited. Yes, I should thank him too. You're 00:09:57.070 --> 00:09:58.870 all regular supporters. Thank you so much. If 00:09:58.870 --> 00:10:00.750 you would like to support my work in any way, 00:10:00.809 --> 00:10:02.710 dear listener, you can buy me a coffee. Buymeacoffee 00:10:02.710 --> 00:10:06.129 .com slash James Cridland. You can become a member 00:10:06.129 --> 00:10:08.970 to give regularly or just buy a one -off coffee 00:10:08.970 --> 00:10:12.250 or ten. That would be absolutely fine. And if 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:15.509 you want to follow me on the socials, then james 00:10:15.509 --> 00:10:18.629 .bne .social is where to follow me on Mastodon. 00:10:18.710 --> 00:10:21.970 I know, but, you know, I'm on Mastodon. And my 00:10:21.970 --> 00:10:23.970 website has more details about who I am, what 00:10:23.970 --> 00:10:26.750 I do, whether I can help you further. You'll 00:10:26.750 --> 00:10:29.889 find that at james .cred .land. And until next 00:10:29.889 --> 00:10:31.149 time, keep listening.