One innovative highlight of the first Radio Days Asia conference was the ‘ Topical Meet-ups’.
During the mid-morning coffee and tea break on day one delegates got the hands on opportunity to discuss their favourite aspect of radio with like minded individuals along with an expert moderator.
Meet – ups included the following themes; Technology , Increasing revenue , Women in radio, Radio content innovation , fake news and Podcasters.
They tell us ‘ Content is King’ so I went to the Radio Content Innovation table with moderator Steve Ahern.
Delegates from all across the globe were at the table (Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland, UK, and Thailand)
From the outset it was a lively discussion.
First up; we spoke about the role of the Regulator in the context of content on radio. We heard how Radio should be pushing the boundaries one case in Singapore seen a presenter taken off air because he discussed an artist and the fact that he was gay.
It was noted there is no one size fits all as different regulators in different countries have different rules and standards. A Regulator at the discussion said ‘ We want to expose them (listener) to good values (family, consistency, positivity) that are what the regulator does’ however from the broadcast perspective the census was that relationship between Regulator & Content are not on the same page because culture across the Asia region is complex.
The table focused next on younger audiences. The question was asked; what does a 10yrr old want to hear on radio? One solution was ‘ Another 10yr Old’. A lot of the time kids don’t really like adult music/ conversation / ideas however if they hear the content from another 10yr old this would resonate a little better.
Lastly the subject was back to Regulation: Online v Broadcast. We all agreed it was a creditability point. Radio is trusted but if the issue or content cannot be discussed on air with legitimacy then as a group both the Broadcaster & Regulator are failing the listener.
The listener knows the subject but will seek the information elsewhere. They will find it online so we are perhaps sending them to fake news that has no substance or verification.
As the bell rang on time to end the meet up, the discussion continued with one delegate commenting ‘ Nobody listens to the regulations they are regulating’ and that concluded the debate.
About the Author
Brian Farrell is a Radio Presenter & Producer from Ireland he can be found on
Twitter: @BrianBeag or Instagram: briantfarrell.
