If just being in radio isn’t adventurous enough for you, then you could join other Australians who have gone to work in far flung exotic locations like Southern Sudan, India, Hawaii and war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan.
Steve Smith left these shores five years ago after quitting his job as GM of ARN, Melbourne to join ARN in Dubai as COO. While ARN here stands for Australian Radio Network, ARN over there means Arabian Radio Network. The two have nothing in common.
ARN’s nine commercial stations cover all of the United Arab Emirates and, according to Steve are among the most multi-cultural on earth. “Radio is a global village. Some of us have been in the game a long time and we all know each other. What I find with Australians coming into a market like Dubai and why they do well is that they work in very competitive radio markets, the Kiwis are the same, and I do think we come with a certain work ethic.”
Right now, in fact, Steve is looking for a creative type to head up production for the group. When radioinfo caught up with him during a flying visit to Sydney, he said “We’re always looking for in people who want to come to this market, but don’t come just for the money. You need to have an adventurous spirit because it is that kind of market where you have over 200 nationalities. You need to be comfortable in working in an environment that is really one of the most multicultural radio markets in the world.
“Lets be honest,” says Steve, “Aussies are probably some of the hardest workers I know, especially in media. Whether it’s Aussies in the UK, the US or the Middle East- they seem to do well because there’s that sense of adventure.”
Commercial ‘entertainment’ radio is still new in The Emirates and attracts just 4% of advertising revenue. Steve believes it could rise to 7% or more quite rapidly if the industry sold itself as well as it does in Australia.
“I think your radio association (CRA) and what you do on air in promoting radio as a medium. If I could get us and our opposition to do that we could be a great result. I only noticed that since I stepped out of Australian radio and looked back in.
“I’ve seen Joan Warner (CRA CEO) talk in other countries and people do sit up and listen to what the radio industry in Australia is doing.
“Radio is operating on about a 4% share of advertising revenue at the moment. And that’s nowhere near where it should be. The UAE is a perfect radio market because we drive everywhere there in the UAE. There’s also more potential to grow significantly, which we’re seeing that already, with the amount of listening through apps and smart phones. These things are an obsession here. There are 194 smart phones per 100 people,” says Mr Smith.
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