Radio needs a united front

The received wisdom is that the UK follows American trends a few years later. If so, our radio industry should be cheering, as recent US market research concluded that audio is currently “the hottest space in the world of media”.

In the UK, radio listening is already in rude health, with record audiences and outstanding creativity. BBC programmes - whether Radio 3’s Proms coverage, Chris Evans on Radio 2, Radio 4’s Germany season or Radio 1’s Teen Awards – offer something unique, even on a global scale, while commercial radio, where I started my career, and community stations offer a great range of complementary output.

British radio, like our television, is often considered the best in the world. But, like its younger, brasher sibling, it is troubled by unprecedented disruption. And, like television, it must adapt or it will die. Listening habits are changing, particularly amongst the young, as that same American research articulated: “Three of the four horsemen of the Internet - Apple, Amazon and Google - are in the audio space. Who knows if Facebook will follow them?”

These global tech giants have raised the stakes. So what should we do?

For the BBC’s part, we should continue to provide risk-capital for the industry. In radio, our strategy of ‘Listen, Watch, Share’ does just that, without forgetting the importance of ‘traditional’ listening.

That means enhancing radio through developments like HD sound or ‘pop-up’ DAB stations, offering visual content like Zane Lowe’s interview with Kanye West and bite-sized content for time-poor listeners, repackaging content for new audiences (our planned Open Minds concept) and making content easy to share on social media.

It means making bets on technologies like BBC Playlister and on new talent, whether the unsigned BBC Introducing artists on our playlists or young video bloggers guest presenting on Radio 1.

And it means providing distinctive output, whether specialist music, arts and drama, new music, news, documentaries or unique playlist policies, that only the BBC could provide.

To thrive, we need to continue our strong track record in collaboration. We have built out DAB coverage and worked with car manufacturers to ensure more than half of new cars are fitted with DAB. We launched the online Radioplayer for UK stations and we’re using its technology to convert analogue in-car radios to digital. We are working on ‘click to playlist’ technology for radio sets and leading a global coalition of broadcasters to encourage mobile phone makers to build smart ‘hybrid’ radios into their handsets.

The variety of British radio output gives listeners real choice and they’re responding in record numbers. But we should avoid complacency. Traditional media must resist the urge to pull up the drawbridge. Obsessing over protecting old turf is futile when the earth has already shifted under our feet. We should play to our strengths byinvesting in quality content, while embracing change.

We have a unique media ecosystem in the UK. The blend of commercial companies and the BBC - funded by a licence fee based on universality - has forged a special relationship with listeners.

Working together to preserve that bond is essential if UK radio aspires to be not only “hot” right now, but also for years to come.

Helen Boaden is Director of Radio

This post first appeared in Broadcast, Friday 10 October 2014