60 Years of DW Radio: From shortwave to audio-on-demand

Three hours in German on shortwave: DW first went on air with this radio format in 1953. Sixty years later DW has become a multimedia organization, providing information in 30 languages to people on all continents.

http://www.dw.de/radio-from-shortwave-to-audio-on-demand/a-16784459

More DW 60 links....

http://www.dw.de/about-dw/60-years-dw/s-100298

http://www.dw.de/top-stories/60-years-dw/s-100254

http://www.dw.de/a-grand-achievement/a-16782016

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Alokesh Gupta

New Delhi Via DX_Asia

FM radio phase III e-auction gets nod

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to policy guidelines for FM radio phase III that will open up 294 cities to private radio services. The government will adopt ascending e-auction for the 839 licences that are up for grabs in cities with one lakh population including those in northeast, border towns and UTs. At present 86 cities are covered by FM radio services. 

The FM radio industry has been dead opposed to ascending e-auctions as they lead to spiraling bidding, often to a point to make the cost of an FM radio station so high as to make them unviable. Industry leaders say this sort of auctioning is as good as killing the radio industry, which has been one of India's success stories. 

Finance minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the cabinet meeting that the additional channels that may become "available due to reduced channels spacing to 400 KHz could be considered subsequently after feasibility studies are completed." 

He said it has been decided to charge migration fee from the existing operators on their migration from phase-ll to phase-Ill and the amount of migration fee would be decided after consultation with Trai. 

Earlier, an Empowered Group of Ministers on spectrum headed by Chidambaram had recommendations on the amendments to the policy guidelines for expansion of FM radio broadcasting services. 

When asked about the concerns raised by radio industry on the high reserve price and ascending e-auction I&B minister Manish Tewari said, "There have been extensive consultations since 2011 with all stakeholders including radio station owners, Trai and others through inter-ministerial consultations and an empowered GoM who have reiterated the Cabinet's decision. We have put a process in place that is non-arbitrary and fair. But if there are concerns, we will see how these can be addressed.''

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com 2/5

Cabinet clears Phase-III FM radio auction

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the empowered group of ministers' (EGoM's) decision to e-auction 839 FM radio channels in 294 cities through private agencies.

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the empowered group of ministers' (EGoM's) decision to e-auction 839 FM radio channels in 294 cities through private agencies.

This ends the over two-year-long wait for the third phase of expansion of the private FM radio network (FM-3) in the country.

The new FM radio frequencies will be opened for cities with a population of above one lakh. Currently, 86 cities are covered by FM radio services.

Wednesday's decision is part of amendments to the policy guidelines for the third phase of FM expansion, said finance minister P Chidambaram.

The migration fee, to be decided after consultations with telecom regulator Trai, will be charged from existing operators upon their migration from Phase-II to Phase-III.

The specific departures from the Request for Proposals (RFP) format followed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for auction of 3G and broadband wireless access spectrum proposed by the EGoM — circulated as annexure to the agenda note — for the FM radio auction were also approved with some amendments.

It has also been decided that the additional channels that may become available due to a reduction in the inter-channel spacing to 400 KHz from 800 KHz earlier could be considered subsequently, after feasibility studies are completed. 

FM radio players hailed the Cabinet decision.

"We are looking forward to a fair and transparent e-auction. Our investment decisions will be driven by payback and IRR (internal rate of return) and the future projected growth of key markets," said Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, whose '92.7 Big FM' radio reaches 45 cities and over 1,200 towns.

Apurva Purohit, CEO, Music Broadcast (RadioCity 91.1), was also gung-ho. "Being a pan-India player, we will certainly be looking to expand our footprint," she said.

Purohit, in fact, said her company has already worked out details like investment during the bidding process and capital expenditure. "We are a debt-free company with strong backing of financial institutions and private equity investors."

Similarly, 94.3 MY FM officials said they are ready for the e-auctions. Their focus will be only on Tier II and Tier III towns where the company already has a presence through its print business. "Being part of D B Corp which has an impressive cash balance, we should be able to meet the capex requirement through internal accruals," said an official.

In order to prevent monopoly, no group will be allowed to have more than 15% of all the channels, except in the North-East, Jammu and Kashmir and some Union Territories.

Uday Kumar Varma, secretary to the information and broadcasting ministry, had said earlier that the government will earn a revenue of Rs 1,500 crore from the e-auction which is expected to be completed in one year.

A CII-Ernst & Young report said earlier this year that the FM radio segment is expected to grow by Rs 2,300 crore at a compounded annual growth rate of 18% within three years after Phase-III.

Source:http://www.dnaindia.com 2/5

FM stations to give traffic alerts

With the failure of SMS alert system to inform people about traffic
congestion on city roads, the Chandigarh Police will now tie up with All
India Radio (AIR) and other FM stations. The police will send the message through FM stations informing the public about roads having heavy flow of traffic in the city at different intervals.

More at...
http://www.hindustantimes.com

Via DX _India YG

RFA News QSL

Radio Free Asia announces next second QSL in SERIES

IBB SAIPAN qsl card

May 2013

 

Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces the release of the second QSL card in the series highlighting the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) transmitter sites used for RFA programming. RFA programs are broadcasts from the following IBB sites: Biblis, Iranawilla, Kuwait, Lampertheim, Saipan and Tinian. The 7.4 acre Saipan site has three curtain antennas with main beam bore sights of 195,270 and 340 degrees. These antennas can be electronically slewed horizontally. IBB Saipan is equipped with 3 high-power shortwave transmitters that carry RFA's programming to China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Tibet. This is RFA's 50^thQSL overall and will be used to confirm all valid RFA reception reports from May 1-August 31, 2013.

Etón Corporation Announces Availability of ZoneGuard Weather Radio

Weather alert clock radio enables users to be alert, informed and safe during unexpected weather situations Etón Corporation, a leading creator of high-performance, eco-minded consumer products, announces the American Red Cross ZoneGuard weather alert clock radio. Building upon Etón's successful line of preparedness products, the sleek new ZoneGuard features S.A.M.E. technology and an advanced visual and audio alert system to alert you to impending severe weather in your area. The ZoneGuard is now available for purchase at Radio Shack and Amazon.com. Knowing that minutes can make all the difference in emergency situations, Etón combined AM/FM clock radio, NOAA weather alerts, S.A.M.E. technology and - for the first time - visual light alerts to create ZoneGuard. The S.A.M.E. system enables users to enter their county code for local pending weather advisories, watches and warnings. Up to 25 individual locations can be programmed into the ZoneGuard ensuring users are up-to-date about pending danger in their surrounding area. Integrated LED lights flash red for warnings, orange for watches and green for advisories issued in one of the set local zones; in conjunction, a loud audio alert will sound.   "Our goal at Etón is to educate and help the public be as prepared as possible before a disaster hits," said Esmail Hozour, CEO of Etón Corporation. "With top forecasters predicting an above-average 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, the ZoneGuard comes at a crucial time to help consumers be more prepared than ever."   The ZoneGuard features an elegant, compact design with a stand and wall-mount options, making it convenient to incorporate into any room in the house. With the ability to stay powered via both AC adapter and AA batteries, ZoneGuard ensures you always have access to potentially life-saving information.   Continuing Etón's long-standing partnership with the American Red Cross, ZoneGuard helps promote the American Red Cross message of preparedness by giving a portion of each sale to the organization. The Etón and American Red Cross by Etón ZoneGuard is now available at Radio Shack and Amazon.com for MSRP $39.99.   For more information about Etón, The ZoneGuard and the entire product line, visit Etón's website at www.etoncorp.com.   About Etón Corporation For more than 25 years, Etón's vision has been to create consumer products that keep people prepared, informed, entertained, and on-the-go. Our commitment to high design, efficient energy sources and innovative technologies enables us to create award-winning products that empower you, in your world. For more information on Etón Corporation, please visit www.etoncorp.com. SOURCE: Etón Corporation, Copyright Business Wire 2013 +++++++++++++++++ Jaisakthivel, ADXC, Tirunelveli, India

Radio Pakistan continues drive into digital age

Radio Pakistan, which has embraced web technology over the past five years, made not one but three new technological leaps on Monday.   Radio Pakistan Director-General Murtaza Solangi inaugurated three projects which would allow the country's national radio service to report better from outdoor locations, broadcast its world services via the web, and interactively update the public on the upcoming elections.   The projects — a satellite communication system, internet streaming of the radio's International Services and a dedicated elections website — were launched at the National Broadcasting House in Islamabad.   The satellite communication system includes an earth station located inside the Radio Pakistan building and a digital satellite news gathering (DSNG) mobile van, capable of bidirectional communication and editing.   Ghulam Mujaddid, technical adviser to the director-general, said the DSNG van will improve Radio Pakistan's reporting from outlying areas. "Before this, we used to use standard telephony for outdoor communications," Mujaddid said. "Satellite communication will improve the quality of signals received from the field."   The DSNG is also capable of sending audio and video feeds from the field directly to a control room in the radio's headquarters, he said. Earlier, the international services, which include broadcasts in 11 world languages and an Urdu World Service, were only available on shortwave radio.   Now, thanks to satellite transmission, people in 38 countries from South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe can use receivers to tune in to these services. The services are also available on the internet, where listeners can stream and listen, just like radio stations in the West.   Solangi said the satellite communication system would help Radio Pakistan save Rs7 million of its costs of running generators for shortwave communications and of leasing broadcast media from the Pakistan Television. Radio Pakistan's dedicated elections website will provide interactive constituency maps, election-related news, code of conducts and elections results among other things, Solangi said.   "The elections web portal will serve as a resource for journalists and researchers reporting on and monitoring the elections," he said. During his address, Solangi also listed the achievements of the radio service. digitised old radio archives and established a web presence through its website.   "Today, we have listeners of Radio Pakistan, readers who visit our website and even viewers who watch our online video content," Solangi said. "We are not traditional radio anymore, now we are emerging as a multimedia company." Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2013.  +++++++++++ Jaisakthivel, ADXC, Tirunelveli, India

Radio Pakistan continues drive into digital age

Radio Pakistan continues drive into digital age

Radio Pakistan, which has embraced web technology over the past five years, made not one but three new technological leaps on Monday.

Radio Pakistan Director-General Murtaza Solangi inaugurated three projects which would allow the country's national radio service to report better from outdoor locations, broadcast its world services via the web, and interactively update the public on the upcoming elections.

The projects — a satellite communication system, internet streaming of the radio's International Services and a dedicated elections website — were launched at the National Broadcasting House in Islamabad.

More at : http://tribune.com.pk/

Via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, DX AsiaYG

__._,_.___

AIR has proposed 132 new FM Radio stations over next two years

A total of 107 proposals/ requests including 18 from different states and union territories have been received for opening of All India Radio FM Radio Stations at 97 places during the last three years.

A total of 32 FM transmitters are being considered under 12th Plan while 37 FM transmitters will be considered in future plans.

Of the 107 proposals received from 2010 to 2013, 38 FM transmitters have already been approved or made functional.

FM Stations of AIR are functional at 323 places in the country, in addition to the 242 private FM radio stations functioning in the country under the Policy for expansion of FM Radio Broadcasting services through private agencies.

AIR FM radio services are likely to be operated from 132 new locations in the country over the next two years. These include 22 in Arunachal Pradesh; 12 in Tripura; nine each in Assam, Sikkim, and West Bengal; eight each in Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, and Uttarakhand; six in Bihar, five each in Chattisgarh and Nagaland; four in Manipur; three each in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh; two each in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab; and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, and Diu.

Source: radioandmusic.com

AIR Chennai DRM 793 kHz

AIR Chennai C has started its DRM test transmission this week on 793 Khz according to Arun Kumar Narasimhan in facebook

Please see:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151601519252392&set=o.108126332541150&type=1&theater
-Jose Jacob

Sirius XM And Satellite Radio 3.0

Sirius XM (SIRI) announces that the company is now offering full integration between Sirius XM Satellite Radio and Sirius XM Internet Radio in 2014 model year cars with Ford (F), GM, Chrysler, Toyota (TM), and Nissan (NSANY.OB). The merging of satellite and Internet delivered content will allow subscribers to experience a more robust service capable of delivering features such as On-Demand, station refinement through My SXM, and the ability to create play-lists of programming for playback at any time.

The satellite radio technology is unique in that it can deliver the best attributes of both satellite and Internet delivered content. From the company's satellite constellation, subscribers will receive unparalleled signal coverage, while the Internet feed will deliver the types of customization that today's consumer demands. The default listening setting with Satellite radio 3.0 is the feed from the company's orbiting satellites. When a user wants customized features, the software will make the switch to an internet feed automatically so that from the consumer point of view the switch is seamless.

Please note. Everything written above is a fabrication. It sounded great though didn't it? That is where, in my opinion, this company needs to get to solidify its place in the world of audio entertainment.

Sirius XM satellite radio has many great attributes. Sirius XM Internet Radio has many great attributes as well. Combine the two into a seamless environment and you have some pretty compelling attributes. The reason we want to see this sooner rather than later is that the dashboard is getting mighty crowded these days. It is no longer AM, FM, and Sirius XM. Pandora (P), Slacker, iHeart, Aha Radio, Spotify, HD radio, and others are vying for their own respective space in this game.

While Pandora has remained pretty much a simple music service, companies like Slacker have stepped up in the content world to offer news, sports, and more. In the case of Aha, a platform has been created for audio entertainment companies making it the home for 30,000 stations, pod-casts, and more. In fact Slacker is available on the Aha platform. The significance in this is that Aha has been busy adding automakers to its line-up. Ford, Chrysler, Honda (HMC), Toyota and six other automakers all boast the Aha platform now. Essentially, while Aha and HD Radio are announcing more deals with new car makers, Sirius XM is announcing a concentration in the used car market.

Source: http://seekingalpha.com

AIR Jeypore SW

AIR Jeypore has changed their SW schedule as follows:

0025-0445    5040
0446-0915    6040
1115-1741 5040

Monitoring observations show no changes yet to AIR External Services for A-13 season. (ie B-12 schedule is still continuing)

[Jose Jacob, VU2JOS Via dx_india YG] 

Recruitment of Programme Executive (PEX) and Transmission Executive (TREX) in AIR

Advertisment for Combined Recruitment Exam-2013 by SSC for the post of Programme Executive (PEX) and Transmission Executive (TREX) {including Production Assistant} in Prasar Bharati.  

        For Full Details please click here 

http://prasarbharati.gov.in/NR/rdonlyres/BD0A40E9-624A-4873-BFDA-4D28E4DD6A60/19537/CombinedRecruitmentofPEXandTREXinPrasarBharatiAdvt.pdf  

         For Online Application Form Format please click here

http://prasarbharati.gov.in/NR/rdonlyres/BD0A40E9-624A-4873-BFDA-4D28E4DD6A60/19538/Application_Form__PREX___TREX_PB.pdf

Should digital radio be a part of your media mix?

Digital radio has been seen coming to the fore for reasons ranging from filling the need gap for niche audiences to creating differentiation which is not possible on terrestrial stations in the absence of Phase III. With increasing number of hours spent on the internet and the arrival of smartphones, Indian audiences are seen warming up to radio's online avatar.

With the success of online streaming portals such as Pandora and Streema, one can rely on the fact that online radio shall be one of 'THE' media tools in the near future. However, there might be a few hurdles that need to be crossed first.

Challenges faced

The major problems faced by broadcasters that need to be addressed are broadband penetration and cost of broadband, music royalty issue, monetisation, increase smartphone penetration and the competition with music-only websites.

 

Internet penetration in India is current estimated at 100 million users and broadband penetration at 15 million users. Also, the cost of broadband connection (which is considerably high) becomes a major issue for broadcasters who bank on them to reach out to their listeners through the online portals.

Music royalty on streamed music is another major issue that holds back players from investing in this medium. In the absence of a uniform mechanism, music labels and internet radio operators are still at loggerheads for the amount of royalty to be paid. The operators believe that royalty for liner internet radio should be determined on the basis of the regulations for FM radio as both – the terrestrial and internal portals have the same features, only the platform of distribution is different. On the other hand, respondents hold that statutory should be extended to internet radio and that the Copyright Board should decide the royalty fee for internet radio stations.

Promise of growth

In spite of all the problems, investing in digital radio is a good bet, for marketers have the opportunity to grow with the growing medium. According to a research conducted by Radio Advertising Bureau (in international markets), internet radio use increases ad recall and ad response.

While the situation may not be exactly same in the Indian markets, it is surely reaching there with the increasing consumption of internet through smartphones. A research by Google and IPSOS indicates that Indian smartphone users access internet multiple times a day with 40 per cent users surfing the internet at least once a day. Also, while most of the advertisers focus on social media, banners and video content, online radio can prove to be a unique way to reach out to the target audience.

In spite of all the barriers and competition, the surprise element while listening to online streamed music can be witnessed only on digital radio. Thus, investing in online radio can be very beneficial for marketers to reach out segmented listeners with engagement and measurement.

Compiled by Saloni Surti on the basis of CII-E&Y's report on the Indian radio industry named 'Poised for growth: FM radio in India'

Source: http://www.exchange4media.com

Community radio: Riding airwaves for change

In a remote village of Kutch, elderly men listen to the radio with rapt attention as a play stresses horrors of domestic violence whereas in Sanand near Ahmedabad, a group of illiterate women dial a number to consult a doctor on a phone-in programme of a radio for gynaecological problems.

In both the examples, it is not the 'mainstream' radio that is bringing in the silent revolution in the state but the community radio that optimizes the power of airwaves.

Members of more than 20 organizations from Gujarat and neighbouring states attended a regional consultation workshop in the city organized by the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) and OneWorld Foundation India in collaboration with Rudi no Radio by Sewa. The three-day workshop aims at explaining the procedure to the NGOs and organizations interested in setting up the community radio and addressing issues such as fundraising and sustainability.

Talking about the need of such an initiative, Namrata Bali, director, Sewa Academy, told TOI that out of 148 community radio (CR) stations in India, only five are functioning in the state. "We are yet to tap the full potential of the medium where a community can own the station and can disseminate relevant content right from social messages to infotainment among the members.

In Gujarat, we have experienced social transformation in areas such as health, livelihood and gender issues," she said. However it is all not rosy on the CR front. The free airwave advocates have pointed out issues such as tedious and monotonous procedure for setting up a station including permission from four central ministries. , requirements for such a station and the biggest hurdle - applying online. The NGO representatives said that it might be an irony to expect a community in interiors of the country going for CR to have knowledge of internet or English. Another issue faced by most of the organizations is sustainability as without backing of a parent organization, it is difficult for the radio to survive.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Radio communication workshop concludes

Chandigarh: A five-day workshop on Radio Communication, hosted jointly by Centre for Vivekananda Studies and Department of Education, Panjab University,  concluded on Tuesday in the University campus.

The workshop brought together people from All India Radio, USOL, Panjab University, School of Communication Studies and Media luminaries. The participants included 24 research scholars and 10 Post Graduate students. They learnt the techniques of Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production of Radio Programme. Dr Latika Sharma, the organising secretary of these workshops was hopeful that experience gained through these workshops will bring back students to try their hands in production of Radio Programmes.

 Book on Kuka Movement

Chandigarh: A book entitled 'Kuka Movement : Social and Cultural Perspective' edited by Prof Jaspal Kaur Kaang and Dr Sukhdev Singh, both Professors of Punjabi was released by Prof Arun Kumar Grover, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University and Surinder Singh Namdhari, Vice President, Namdhari Darbar and Vice Chairman, Kuka Martyr Trust, on Tuesday in the Vice Chancellor office. The book is dedicated to the 150th historical memory of Kuka's who sacrificed their lives for the freedom struggle of India. The book is printed by Panjab University Press Chandigarh and complied by the Department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies. Grover appreciated the research work complied by the authors. He recalled the significant role made by Kuka movement in India's struggle for freedom and in many other spheres of Nation's development.

 Golden Jubilee of NIT, Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra: NIT Kurukshetra is celebrating its Golden Jubilee Year celebrations  in which a two-day National Conference on Recent Trends in Energy, Systems and Control (RTESC-2013) was organized by the Department of Electrical Engineering. The national level conference was inaugurated by  R.N Lal, Electrical Adviser, Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) and the former member of Railway Board. Lal emphasised that in order to have a sustained growth, energy supply should be increased by 3-4 times, and electricity generation capacity by at least 5-6 times till 2031-32. Prof Anand Mohan, Director, NIT Kurukshetra applauded the Electrical Engineering Department for their initiative in promoting research in the field of energy, systems and control engineering. He also emphasised dealing with long-term and short-term energy requirements of India. Three plenary sessions and five paper presentation sessions were scheduled in the conference.

Training of Trainers at KUrukshetra

Kurukshetra: A six-day UGC sponsored Training of Trainers Workshop by Women's Studies Research Centre, Kurukshetra University organised on capacity building of women managers in higher education began on Tuesday. Around 40 participants from states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra attended the Workshop. Prof Reicha Tanwar, Director, Women's Studies Research Centre  said that this was one of the most prestigious Workshops and after attending it, the participants would become the master trainers and impart similar training in their respective regions. Susheela Kaushik, Co-chair, National Consultative Committee said that it is a common knowledge that there are not as many women as men at decision making levels in any field. Vice Chancellor, KU, Lt Gen. D.D.S. Sandhu said that women can develop skills, enhance their capacities in higher education and this programme will enable them to perform better in their respective fields.

Source: dailypioneer.com

All India Radio launches Android app, YouTube channels

To carve a niche for itself on the social media, the All India Radio (AIR) has launched live streaming of its Urdu service, FM Gold on YouTube and an Android based mobile phone application of for its news service.

The services were launched by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari.

Speaking on the occasion, Tewari said the advent of AIR on social media platforms was an important step in enhancing its outreach across the country.

With the use of social media, people could now access the content of AIR in any part of the globe, he said.

A statement released by the ministry here said that this initiative would also enable the listeners of AIR to access the archives at one click of a button. The statement added that the Android based mobile application has been developed for accessing News stories from the AIR News Network.

Tewari said that apart from catering to news and information needs of audiences both domestic and external, this innovative technology would enhance the profile, content and reach of its National and Regional bulletins in Regional Languages in the audio form. The integration with mobile applications would address the communication needs of the youth and the audience that followed new technologies, the statement said.

Source:http://gadgets.ndtv.com

The first wave

By PRINCE FREDERICK on the city's first radio broadcasting transmitter

The Government Museum on Pantheon's Road, Egmore, provides evidence to the
contrary: a huge radio broadcasting transmitter (visit
chennaimuseum.orgfor details) bearing the trademark of Walter Rogers &
Company, on display
at the museum, is the surviving symbol of an effort, largely orchestrated
by amateur radio operators, to keep 'experimental radio broadcast' going in
Madras. As part of this exercise, the very first transmission in Madras
went out from this instrument through the call sign 2GR, on July 31, 1924.

http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-first-wave/article4407448.ece

[Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, Via dx_india YG] 

Will AM And FM Radio Really Be Eliminated On New Cars?

The conventional wisdom is that kids these days don't dig the AM and FM radio as much as their parents and grandparents did. They're too busy listening to tunes on their smartphones or even on satellite radio. But does that mean that we could see an end to FM and AM radio being offered on new cars in the next five years?

I ask because of this article in Radio Ink Magazine written by its publisher, Eric Rhoads, in which he attends a panel at their own Radio Ink Conference last week. On said panel were three unnamed reps who work in the auto industry, including a research firm, an official from the Silicon Valley offices of General Motors, and someone from an industry association of some sort. From the story:

They were on a panel moderated by Buzz Knight of Greater Media, and they talked about the direction of in-car experiences, the digital dashboard, and what will be coming next to the dash of the car -- apps, Internet radio and audio in the car, and other things we knew were on the way. Then, suddenly, this statement was heard:

"AM and FM are being eliminated from the dash of two car companies within two years and will be eliminated from the dash of all cars within five years."

Gulp. Really? Did someone really just say that?

Emphasis mine up there. Count me surprised as well. Like I said, conventional wisdom says that the increased variety of sources for music and news in cars (many of which are superior to traditional radio) can totally be recognized as a threat to AM and FM. But within five years? That sounds awfully fast.

Probing further, Rhoads finds that GM doesn't believe young people listen to traditional radio, but he wasn't able to determine which two car companies won't have in-dash radio anymore. He wonders what kind of research the car companies are going on to come up with this philosophy. I'd love to know who the panelists were that made these claims, and who these car companies are that will supposedly be dropping radio.

Source: http://jalopnik.com

No radio measurement? No worries, here's what to do... By Saloni Surti

While measurement on radio continues to remain an unsolved riddle, broadcasters work hard around it to give advertisers some clarity that definite numbers would offer. Absence of measurement creates problems not only for advertisers – who find it very difficult to measure a radio campaign's RoI – but also broadcasters who might have to face blind spots in determining effectiveness of a campaign or the weightage of a spot.

The magic of numbers can't be replaced by anything else; however, exchange4media takes a look at how advertisers and broadcasters can make the best of radio in the absence of measurement.

"While we have limitations in measuring the output of the communication due to limited markets, nothing stops us from measuring the outcome of the communication. Let's go back to basics," said Vidyadhar Kale, GM, Maxus Mumbai.

The absence of numbers does not stop advertisers and broadcasters from getting feedback from listeners in the form of calls, SMS, Facebook likes, Tweets and redemption visits. Advertisers can also resort to primary research.

Broadcasters can look at case studies wherein a particular brand or a brand of the same category connected to its TG through radio and develop benchmark or guidelines for the response. "It will also be handy in deciding the weight for the radio campaign such as # spots, day parts, etc. as well as form of the communication such as commercial spot, RJ mention and other creative elements," added Kale.

Play off the strengths
No matter how glossy and glamorous services print, television, outdoor and digital can offer, there are a few element available only on radio. Banking on the strength of the medium will help advertisers play safe.

Radio not only enables advertisers to target narrowly but also complements other media such as television, thus creating immense recall value for the TG. Also, radio is the only talking interactive medium, which gives it a very strong identity of people's voice.

Commenting on the strength of radio, Bino Isaac, Vice President, Lintas Media said, "If any advertiser has to create a local connect or any promotional campaign in specific market, then radio is used. Radio is still a localised medium that can give you immediate results, if used properly."

Thus, use the medium for what it is known for and assign it a role with a focussed objective.

Strong content and smart packaging
Every campaign and every property created for radio might not be measureable. Strong and smartly packaged content can function as the safe card for advertisers and broadcasters for it might be able to communicate with the listeners from various points.

"Looking at the nature of the medium, channels must focus on how well they can connect with the audience and amplify its effect by integrating the advertising message with the content. It's the creativity of the message that will differentiate radio from rest of the media," added Isaac.

Radio has grown way beyond the traditional terrestrial station. Broadcasters now have digital and mobile presence, enabling them to offer 360-degree campaigns to advertisers. Radio players also have the option of creating activations and other BTL activities to offer a complete package. Thus, integrated content that conveys the brand's message effectively and relevantly through every touch-point will help advertisers create efficient communication that will click with the listeners.

Absence of measurement should not be a reason to hold advertisers back from investing in radio. Smart use of resources and an inbuilt metrics (by broadcasters and advertisers) can help marketers utilise radio to its best.

Source: exchange4media.com