1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,960 Hello, I'm James Cridlin, the radio futurologist, and every week or so I write a newsletter 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:12,180 all about the future of radio and all of that. And this is it for March 12th 2023 AM radio 3 00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:19,280 to disappear from more cars. Because it turns out that the 2024 Ford Mustang won't have 4 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:27,800 AM radio in it. The company says it will remove amplitude modulation from most new and updated 5 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:33,200 models we bring to market. And it's notable that this isn't an electric vehicle, which 6 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:40,280 is new, I think so far AM has only been removed from electric vehicles with some kind of spurious 7 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:45,240 excuse that electric vehicles and AM don't work very well together, which I'm not entirely 8 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:52,000 convinced is true. But anyway, the US Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey is batting for 9 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:58,440 AM radio and writing lots of excited letters to everybody. But the auto manufacturers are 10 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,680 all just pointing out that they all have internet radio and HD radio in them. And so what's 11 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:08,440 the point? There's also been a fascinating discussion, or a fascinating decision, I should 12 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:15,840 say from Bauer to remove Lynx FM's three FM frequencies in the UK. They're putting Greatest 13 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:21,240 Hits Radio on there instead. Now, the curious thing is that Lynx, not on FM, what are they 14 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:27,040 going to call it? Lynx FM, but not on FM. Anyway, it will continue on DAB. And their 15 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:32,080 DAB coverage appears considerably larger than their FM coverage because they've got an additional 16 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:37,360 transmitter in East Yorkshire. Hi, Hunsley from memory. Anyway, it'll mean that rather 17 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,080 more will be able to hear their station. But of course, fuel will listen because just on 18 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:46,920 DAB. So fascinating to see how all of that pans out and how long we give Lynx FM. In 19 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,560 case you're wondering how big Lynx FM is, it's a pretty big station. It's the 14th most 20 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:59,600 popular radio station in the UK. It has a 14.8% share. However, the 13th most popular 21 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:06,080 radio station in the UK is Greatest Hits Radio, Barnsley, which has 15.5% share. And that's 22 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:11,480 essentially what Lynx FM on FM is going to become. So maybe Bauer's doing the right thing, 23 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,600 who knows? For regulatory reasons, sandwiched between Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo on Greatest 24 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,600 Hits Radio in Lincolnshire will be John Marshall. Now, John is also the mid-morning presenter 25 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:27,200 on the Lynx FM itself and has been at the radio station for 26 years. So which will 26 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:33,560 he do live? Is he going to do both shows live? Could Bauer not afford another presenter? 27 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:40,720 Who knows how that all works? In other news, Sean Ross has listened to the Spotify AI DJ, 28 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,260 which was announced a few years ago and a few weeks ago, I should say. It sounds a little 29 00:02:44,260 --> 00:02:49,520 bit better than at first thought. The ABC in Australia is to join the Australian podcast 30 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:55,800 Ranker. Now, they did say that they were joining at launch in October 2019, but apparently 31 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,440 this time they mean it. So that's nice. The NAB show in Las Vegas will have more than 32 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:05,520 a thousand exhibitors, they say, and that number is up 20% year on year. Although the 33 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:12,320 show did have 1600 in 2019 when I was there last, so there is some way to go. I will be 34 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,800 there again this year. And I've also been talked into running two events in the UK, 35 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:26,900 Pod News Live in June in Salford and Pod News Live in London on September the 27th. They 36 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:31,800 are already available for tickets at a very low early bird price. And the idea there is 37 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:37,040 an event built for networking and for sharing knowledge in the business of podcasting. It's 38 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,880 still a difficult time for events, but I hope that we can make for a good event. You can 39 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:46,600 grab your tickets for that at podnews.net slash live. Later this month, I'm at Radio 40 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:51,280 Days Europe in Prague, where I'm speaking at both the podcast summit and the audio data 41 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,800 summit on the Sunday. This recording is me basically putting off writing all of those 42 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:02,760 keynotes. And then I'm speaking also in the event on Tuesday as well. And thank you to 43 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,480 Richard Hilton, to James Masterton and to Brun Audio Consulting for your ongoing support 44 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,520 of this newsletter. I'm very grateful to you. You can buy me a coffee too. Buy me a coffee 45 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,760 dot com slash James Credland. You can become a member to give regularly if you like, or 46 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:23,200 just give a one off coffee. That's also absolutely fine. So apart from Radio Days Europe in Prague 47 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,920 and the NAB show in mid April, I'm also off to Berlin for Spotify's event as well, which 48 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,820 I still can't remember his name. So looking forward to that. The New Zealand podcast summit 49 00:04:32,820 --> 00:04:38,080 in mid May, the podcast show in London at the end of May and Radio Days in North America 50 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:44,240 in early June. Gosh, I've got a lot of time on planes. My contact details, james.credland.net 51 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,940 slash contact if you're there in any one of those. I'm also on Masterton. Just search 52 00:04:48,940 --> 00:04:55,480 for James at cred.land and you'll find me there. And my professional website has more 53 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:01,080 details about who I am and what I do and whether I can help you further. That is at james.credland.net. 54 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:02,800 Until next time, keep listening.