Radio

Article — 20 January 2023 — 1,220 words

The gradual death of AM radio takes with it a curious part of Britain’s psyche

1215 AM. Not quarter past midnight, but a radio frequency familiar to generations (although perhaps not any of the younger ones). Today it has stopped broadcasting. As AM radio slowly disappears, a bit of British folklore goes with it.

Article — 30 August 2019 — 669 words

BBC not so sound

Media — Technology

Radio broadcasters are battling each other to be the Netflix of radio. None of them seem to have asked themselves why any of their listeners would want that.

Linknote — 13 April 2019 — 47 words

Business — Media — Social science

The weird machine that measured radio audiences in the 1930s and 1940s — Matt Novak — Paleofuture

If you think the way they measure radio audiences is primitive now (and, by the way, it is), then wait until you read about the Audimeter. A great look at the history of radio ratings, and the early days of trying to measure the impact of advertising.

Article — 30 October 2018 — 314 words

13 years too late, the BBC’s classical music back catalogue is being made available

Media — Music — Technology

Once in a while, when listening to music on shuffle, a Beethoven symphony plays. The MP3 files came from the BBC. It was an experiment never to be repeated.

Linknote — 22 October 2018 — 91 words

Media — Technology

The Apple Podcasts Chart is screwed. How should we replace it?

This article by James Cridland lays bare just how widespread the gaming of Apple’s podcasts chart is.

I have heard presenters pleading with their listeners to unsubscribe, then resubscribe to help improve their position in the chart. Apparently it works.

What I don’t understand is why Apple let this happen? I’m sure it’s not an easy problem to fix. But it surely can’t be as hard as penalising dodgy SEO tactics or email spam filters. What’s in it for Apple?

Linknote — 16 January 2018 — 73 words

Media — Technology — Web

Legends of the ancient web

Maciej Cegłowski considers the parallels between the early decades of radio, and the web. He notes how radio became a crucial propaganda tool for the fascists of the 1930s.

In less than four decades, radio had completed the journey from fledgeling technology, to nerdy hobby, to big business, to potent political weapon.

It’s a great history lesson. Read on to find the silver lining in his talk.