32 RADIOINK•COM AUGUST 12, 2019
sional. Even though there are services
out there that provide the ability to
record podcasts via smartphone, radio is
using the equipment they already have
sitting in their stations. It’s a no-brainer.
2) Leveraging connections.
Programming and promotions directors
have a direct line to music manage-
ment, labels, and PR companies. This
gives radio the advantage when looking
to invite guests who can provide value
to a podcast. Where traditional radio
is only giving 10-15 minutes (at most)to a guest, an elaborate interview on a
podcast can leverage interest on and off
the radio. I’m sure some radio stations
already do this.
3) Ability to conduct interviews. One
thing radio does really well is harvest
talent who can steer the wheel and drive
a conversation in the direction it needs
to be taken. On-air talent have a natural
inclination to ask questions on the fly,
based on answers that are given to themin real time. On-air talents are a curious
breed, so they dig deep. Amateur pod-
casters struggle with this ability, and it’s
something that has to be learned over
many years in order to be great at it.
Radio will never have this problem.Mark Asquith: Being UK-based, I’ve seen
the development of BBC Sounds and,
before that, BBC iPlayer. I remember
the very first time I heard that I could
“listen again” to a radio show that I had
missed many, many years ago. This radiodoes very well by allowing us to still
enjoy our content even if our routine
changes.
I also feel that local radio, in particu-
lar, has a real grasp of the potential in
podcasting, and that certain stations
allowing their hosts to create mini-com-
munities around their own passion proj-
ect is a huge win for radio in this space.
A great example is The Naked Podcast,
right here in Sheffield, UK.Lastly, radio’s continuing and growing
involvement in the podcast community
at industry events is a great move that
helps to bridge the gap. Sadly, there’s
still a feeling of podcasting being the
“little brother” of radio at these events,
so while attendance and commingling
is a welcome pleasure, it would be nice
to see events being approached with
a little more humility from the radio
industry at times.Tom Webster: Well, the first is that
they are providing a valuable service
for at least some part of their audience
— “catch-up radio,” as our friends in
the UK would say. Providing the ability
for superfans of a given show to catch
shows they missed might only provide
incremental TSL, but with the steady
decline of TSL for commercial radio, I
should think that’s a welcome result.
I also think commercial broadcasters
have done a good job at least making
their audience aware that podcasts are
a thing, and that they might be worth a
listen. We know that radio is an incred-
ibly efficient way to provide the reach
and frequency necessary to promote a
new product, and radio has certainly
played a role in the increase in familiar-
ity with the term “podcasting” over the
last five years.
Of course, that is a bit of a double-
edged sword, in that a lot of that promo-
tion has been to the effect of reinforcing
the first thing I mentioned, above — that
podcasts are “catch-up radio.” They are
of course so much more, but people who
aren’t looking to listen to a morning
show after it’s aired might not see the
upside to discovering podcasts.
Finally, I am not a huge fan of repur-
posing broadcast content for podcasts
— it often just doesn’t sound right. But
I’ll mention a client here: I think ESPN
Radio, for example, has done a wonder-
ful job with things like The Dan Le Batard
Show. It’s not just “catch-up” radio
— ESPN has provided multiple ways to
engage with Dan and his cast of charac-
ters. If you want to listen to the whole
show, or just one segment, or a “best
of,” or even a show with only one or
more of Dan’s cast without Dan, you can.
It’s more than just turning the show into
a podcast — it’s an audience-focusedMatt Cundill, Owner, The Sound Off Media Company