WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:02.910 Hello, I'm James Cridland, the radio futurologist, 00:00:02.910 --> 00:00:06.250 and this is Radioland, my weekly radio newsletter. 00:00:06.450 --> 00:00:10.789 It's January the 27th, 2026, and this podcast 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:14.769 is sponsored by rss .com. rss .com is a very 00:00:14.769 --> 00:00:17.050 good podcast host, which you should go and have 00:00:17.050 --> 00:00:19.969 a look at. It includes a little program called 00:00:19.969 --> 00:00:23.929 Paid, which helps you get paid for your podcast. 00:00:24.010 --> 00:00:28.500 I know, amazing. Now, in Australia, the ABC is 00:00:28.500 --> 00:00:31.539 coming off the iHeartRadio app. It's operated 00:00:31.539 --> 00:00:35.039 in the country by ARN. Radio Info has covered 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.880 the news with a familiar set of reasons, rights 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:40.979 issues and audience data, both of which are, 00:00:41.179 --> 00:00:44.640 I would suggest, red herrings. The rights issues 00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:47.700 are already covered by the ABC. If you listen 00:00:47.700 --> 00:00:50.740 to ABC Local Radio online during sports coverage, 00:00:50.979 --> 00:00:54.280 you get alternative programming anyway. and the 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:57.539 ABC's streaming servers get full streaming data 00:00:57.539 --> 00:01:01.399 from listeners, however they tune in. For now, 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:04.879 the ABC's radio stations are also available on 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:08.599 Radio App, the CRA's uninspired copy of Radio 00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:11.140 Player. They've never been on Listener, as far 00:01:11.140 --> 00:01:14.180 as I can see. Now, I understand that the ABC 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:17.439 got free carriage on the iHeart app, so this 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.640 isn't a cost -saving exercise. Instead, it's 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:23.439 relatively clear what's up, I think. The ABC 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.560 is planning to restrict access to its radio stations 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.620 online from anything other than its own ABC Listen 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:33.560 app. Now, the ABC Listen app doesn't require 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:36.340 login currently, but it's almost impossible to 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:38.719 get into the app without registering and there 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.200 are plenty of reasons why it's a good idea. That 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:43.719 then gives lots of data about listeners to the 00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:46.450 ABC to help them. But it's a bit disappointing 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:49.569 seeing the ABC, which is currently enjoying among 00:01:49.569 --> 00:01:53.010 its worst ever audience shares, willfully making 00:01:53.010 --> 00:01:56.250 it even harder to tune into its stations. So 00:01:56.250 --> 00:01:58.670 let's hope it's only a temporary change. All 00:01:58.670 --> 00:02:01.590 Australians pay for it, after all. There again, 00:02:01.769 --> 00:02:04.810 nobody ever lost their job by copying the BBC. 00:02:06.390 --> 00:02:08.879 Congratulations to Christian O 'Connell. who 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:11.860 has done over a week now on his new national 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:14.780 breakfast show in Australia. His show on Gold 00:02:14.780 --> 00:02:17.520 Brisbane sounds technically flawless, with the 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:20.099 nicest traffic guy you could ever wish for, by 00:02:20.099 --> 00:02:22.979 the way. The show is time -delayed by an hour, 00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:25.560 which I can only assume means it'll be rare to 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.680 hear anyone call from Brisbane, but he's much 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:32.020 as I remember him, warm, friendly and respectful 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:35.439 of the listeners. However, let's hope nobody's 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:37.900 trying to tune in on the Gold Brisbane website, 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:40.360 which I will read to you because it's brilliant. 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:45.400 The website is brisbane .thegoldwebsite .com 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:51.819 .au. Yes, thegoldwebsite .com .au. Wow. Anyway, 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:54.659 if you try using that, well, it doesn't have 00:02:54.659 --> 00:02:56.860 a working audio player. It's got a listen live 00:02:56.860 --> 00:02:59.219 button, but it doesn't do anything when you touch 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:03.330 it. It's not either got any details of how to 00:03:03.330 --> 00:03:06.909 tune in, which seems... which seems a bit of 00:03:06.909 --> 00:03:09.870 an issue. In case you're wondering, it's on DAB 00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:12.550 +, which a third of Australians use every single 00:03:12.550 --> 00:03:15.189 week, a higher figure than the iHeart app, which 00:03:15.189 --> 00:03:19.330 is also bewilderingly not referenced. Bewilderingly, 00:03:19.330 --> 00:03:22.750 I should say. And by the way, as a fun fact, 00:03:22.770 --> 00:03:25.129 when Christian was on Virgin Radio, which he 00:03:25.129 --> 00:03:28.590 was in the UK, the How to Listen page was the 00:03:28.590 --> 00:03:32.229 number two most trafficked page after the Listen 00:03:32.229 --> 00:03:37.080 Live page, which was number one. Also, the iHeartRadio 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:40.560 page for Gold Brisbane says just great hits, 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.340 but when you listen to the radio station, they 00:03:43.340 --> 00:03:47.139 say just great songs. One of those is not like 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:50.819 the other. Congratulations to Vinnie Lowe for 00:03:50.819 --> 00:03:53.800 the 25th anniversary of the Radio Feeds website 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.400 at radiofeeds .co .uk. Some people might say 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.800 it looks 25 years old as well, but it works and 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.639 it works very well. If you want to listen to 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:06.280 any UK or Irish radio station, I can only guess 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:08.979 at how much work it is to keep it all updated. 00:04:10.060 --> 00:04:13.379 On radio feeds, I noticed that Petersfield's 00:04:13.379 --> 00:04:17.019 Shine Radio has just begun broadcasting on DAB, 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:20.740 on the small -scale East Hampshire DAB Multiplex, 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:23.500 which is now in testing. A proper local radio 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:26.259 station run by volunteers with quite the range 00:04:26.259 --> 00:04:28.240 of programming. It's probably worth a listen. 00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:30.759 When I tuned in just now, one of the local school 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:34.100 kids told me the time, which is a really clever 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:37.139 idea. Just record school kids telling you the 00:04:37.139 --> 00:04:43.370 time. Great plan. AM. It's time for the AM Death 00:04:43.370 --> 00:04:47.350 Watch Corner. And in Japan, NHK Radio 2 is to 00:04:47.350 --> 00:04:51.829 close on March 31st. NHK operates two national 00:04:51.829 --> 00:04:55.170 AM stations. It was decided to close Radio 2 00:04:55.170 --> 00:04:59.689 in 2021. It was specifically funded as an educational 00:04:59.689 --> 00:05:02.649 radio station with language courses and other 00:05:02.649 --> 00:05:05.550 educational programmes like Junior High School 00:05:05.550 --> 00:05:09.839 Basic English Level 1 and 2. and Radio Business 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:14.240 English, Portuguese for Beginners, Time for Religion, 00:05:14.500 --> 00:05:19.740 and Visual Impairment Navi Radio. NHK has been 00:05:19.740 --> 00:05:22.740 slowly moving some of these educational and language 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:26.519 programmes from Radio 2 over to NHK's FM station 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:30.259 and to NHK Radio 1, which will continue on AM, 00:05:30.459 --> 00:05:32.360 although it will get a new name, I understand. 00:05:34.139 --> 00:05:37.100 Europe R, which is a news and talk station, has 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:40.759 launched a television channel last month. Europe 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:45.759 R TV is free to air on Astra 19 .2 East. I can't 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:48.699 find a web stream of it, though, although I do 00:05:48.699 --> 00:05:53.120 link to a clip of Europe R live on Canal Plus's 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:55.959 CNews. I hope I pronounced that right. Anyway, 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.399 it's a right -leaning, rolling news channel in 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:02.160 France. A competitor, BFM, a business news station, 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:05.899 started in 1991 on FM but added a full, rolling 00:06:05.899 --> 00:06:09.680 news channel in 2005. And a business channel... 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:13.480 shoot in 2010. And whenever I've seen BFM, I've 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:15.860 been struck by the way it sounds like a radio 00:06:15.860 --> 00:06:19.019 station but looks like a TV channel. It's a nice 00:06:19.019 --> 00:06:22.500 trick if you can. Perhaps some podcasters might 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:26.439 find that useful too, just saying. And last week 00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:29.180 I suggested that US broadcasters were asking 00:06:29.180 --> 00:06:32.240 the FCC to make it easier to switch their AM 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:35.800 stations to FM. That wasn't entirely correct. 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.459 They're asking for it to be easier to simulcast 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:41.720 their AM service to FM as well, which is known 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:45.040 in US speak as a translator. Now, while the vast 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:47.720 majority of listeners will indeed switch to FM, 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:51.060 I oversimplified, so apologies for that. But 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:55.920 if you do remember the WJLX stolen AM mast, there 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:59.139 are at least some radio stations in the US quietly 00:06:59.139 --> 00:07:02.300 turning their AM transmitter off in favour of 00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:04.860 the FM translator doing all the work, which, 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:07.560 by the way, is illegal. Now, where am I speaking 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:10.319 next? I am speaking at Radio Days Europe in Riga 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:13.000 in Latvia in March. I'm talking about the future 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:15.959 of audio being people powered. I'm not panicking 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:17.939 at all because I haven't written it yet. No, 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:21.339 there's no panic going on there. But it will 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:24.779 be a great thing. I'm at the end of the first 00:07:24.779 --> 00:07:29.420 day. So no excuse for not coming. I think I'm 00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:33.269 in the third stream and you can come. and see 00:07:33.269 --> 00:07:36.790 me there. The podcast show also, I am speaking, 00:07:36.949 --> 00:07:40.970 I am opening up the event and also recording 00:07:40.970 --> 00:07:46.009 a Pod News weekly review live on stage at the 00:07:46.009 --> 00:07:52.220 end of the event as well. And that will be not 00:07:52.220 --> 00:07:54.819 hidden away in a tiny little room, by the way. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:57.660 I think there's something exciting going on there. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.500 So I'm looking forward to that. Thank you to 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:03.019 Greg Strassel and Sam Phelps and Richard Hilton 00:08:03.019 --> 00:08:05.779 and Emma Gibbs and Jocelyn Abbey and James Masterton 00:08:05.779 --> 00:08:07.959 for being regular supporters. Thank you also 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:10.899 to the good folks at Play It Software, at Media 00:08:10.899 --> 00:08:14.319 Realm and at Brunn Audio Consulting for your 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.420 kind support as well. I should also thank RCS 00:08:17.420 --> 00:08:20.839 who... have a little banner in the newsletter 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:25.800 version of this. So thank you, RCS, for signing 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:29.399 again for another year. That's very good of you. 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.200 So thank you so much. If you would like to support 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.279 my work in any way, you can buy me a coffee. 00:08:35.580 --> 00:08:37.759 You can become a member to give regularly or 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:39.759 just give a one -off coffee or five. You can 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:42.539 do that at buymeacoffee .com slash James Cridland. 00:08:43.149 --> 00:08:46.610 I'm on, I said blue sky here at james .crid .land. 00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:49.070 I'm really not on blue sky. I tell you what, 00:08:49.129 --> 00:08:51.129 let's go in and edit that right now while we 00:08:51.129 --> 00:08:54.129 talk so that I don't end up saying it again. 00:08:54.370 --> 00:09:00.549 I'm on, edit, I'm on Mastodon as james .bne .social. 00:09:01.190 --> 00:09:03.990 You should come and follow me there. That would 00:09:03.990 --> 00:09:06.850 be a lovely thing. And my website has more details 00:09:06.850 --> 00:09:08.789 about who I am, what I do, and whether I can 00:09:08.789 --> 00:09:10.850 help you further. You will find that at james 00:09:10.850 --> 00:09:14.309 .cridland .net. And until next time, keep listening.