Australian radio is suffering from a lack of diverse ideas: Video
During the following talk from 2018’s Radio Alive Conference, Kate Langbroek discusses the dearth of new ideas on Australian radio.
Hit Network’s drive-time host Kate Langbroek argues Australian radio is failing to provide listeners with a diversity of ideas, and will soon be faced with a demand for more from its audience.
“People seem to be obsessed with diversity, but not of ideas – so diversity of appearance, but not of ideas,” she says in the following session from 2018’s Radio Alive conference. “The tide is coming where people will want to hear something different and fresh and fearless.”
Community radio is also suffering from the “blandification of ideas and voices”, she adds.
Radio has always been the top medium, the best at actually connecting with people. The medium has suffered in recent years from declining stimulus. Radio is the only thing one can enjoy attentively whilst doing something else, driving, working, reading, etc. This makes it a wonderful advertising medium, and a first class learning tool.
Music is just fine, but it is something one can access from a multitude of devices or in a number of different places, celebrity is desirable, but not when it is obnoxious or intellectually challenged by consistently mundane comment or grandstanding. Talk radio must lift its game, get back to being informative, challenging and entertaining. careful production and control of not only content, but commentary. Radio is not only a transmitter and many receivers, it is an art form and a very sensitive and deeply responsible medium.
Or, it should be.
In the context of community radio, is this seen as a breeding ground for new talent? Do the ABC or any commercial radio broadcasters use community radio to discover fresh talent to place behind the mic?
If this is encouraged, it could be a way for community radio to “lift its game” and stop taking the bland approach with presentation. It could also be an approach for the established stations to put some “spice” in to their shows and build up their talent.
This is something to be wished for by some, but it is in itself an unlikely route.
The late great tenor Luciano Pavarotti was the talented son of a talented baker, who was also a talented tenor having won many amateur contests. He could have been a leading tenor in his own right, but according to Luciano, his father never took the step of telling the world “I am a singer and I will sing for you,” instead, he told the world “I am a baker and I will bake your bread.”
I’m definitely biased but, community radio… bland? Where else are stories like these being told on free to air radio? These are 8 radio features created by emerging producers this year for one initiative alone and I can’t imagine where else this opportunity, and this breadth of topics and voices would find a home: https://www.cbaa.org.au/broadcasters/take-part-events-training/national-features-and-documentary-series