Some interesting comments on this Guardian blog about the networking of programmes on commercial stations.
I was lamenting the demise of radio a few blogs ago – bland, music-by-numbers content with DJs not allowed to say what they want and witless promotions and ads searing themselves into listeners brains at every opportunity.
Then I started to think of a scenario that could happen to get us back to the golden age of radio, when maverick DJs ruled the airwaves on the pirate stations and local stations were independently owned and weren’t governed by clueless executives, but by people with a passion for the medium.
The only scenario I can think of is one created by technology. Podcasting hasn’t come close to overtaking radio listening because it’s simply not convenient (or for many, affordable) to listen to podcasts in a similar way to radio (in the car, on a building site, in a hairdressers etc). As soon as people are able to switch on to a stream of creative content just as easily as flicking on Drivel FM, THAT’s when people will realise what they’ve been missing.
Of course, even the commercial stations are struggling against the dominance of the BBC, but perhaps they should ask themselves why the BBC have become so strong?
Indie podcasters are currently struggling to make themselves heard. Some content is crap and some is outstanding – but let’s hope that in the not-too-distant future, we all get a chance to give those who claim to have ‘a better music mix’ a real kick up the same arse from which much of their content is emanating.
