1. Social Media:
What must radio stations do to survive?
Brett Spencer & Claire Wardle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloshbennett/1394564919/

2. The
Tale of
two
Radio
Station
s

4. At this station the controller said: “I’ve got no interest in what the audience have to say

5. But at this station the controller said: “what is the audience
talking about today? Let’s work with them to make better content.

6. At this station staff
spent their days
making programmes
like using
newspapers, books, a
nd their own
contacts……

7. At this station staff
spent their days
interacting and
collaborating with
listeners, making the
strongest and most
relevant content
imaginable

8. At this station the
output was delivered
in a one-way
fashion, with features
and content decided
by staff who believed
they knew best

9. This radio station understands that even though radio is about the
sound, and will mirror TV with great streaming video, extra digital
content, and that niche will be the most important trend.

10. At this station, no-one had invested in technology so the
producers couldn’t do their jobs properly.

11. At this station all staff had the technology to do their work at the
station and out on the road

12. This station didn’t
have a mobile or
digital strategy

13. This station was constantly thinking about how listeners
were accessing their output on different platforms

14. This station thinks about its
schedule purely in terms of
shows and presenters.

15. This station understands that increasing numbers of people want to listen
to audio chunks: personalised playlists, podcasts, pop-up stations

17. This radio station just thinks about its local listeners

18. This radio station understands its
reach is global

20. AM/FM DAB Digital Radio DTV Internet Analogue/Digital unspecified
100 5
7 7 8 3 7
2 3 3 4 14
5 4
90 4 4
6
5
80 12 19 26
14
70 25 29
60 18
50
40
73
69
64
30 59 56
49
20
10
0
Radio 1 Radio 2 Radio 3 Radio 4 5 Live Asian Network
BBC Analogue Stations By Platform
20
Source: IPSOS/RAJAR 15+

21. Percentage of listeners who DO NOT use BBC
Online but do use social media
54%
24%
28%
17%
19%

24. So what do I need to do?

25. Ensure Senior Management are using this technology.
They need to be involved and leading from the front.

26. 1 Do not mix the professional and the personal in ways likely to bring
the ABC into disrepute.
2 Do not undermine your effectiveness at work.
3 Do not imply ABC endorsement of your personal views.
4 Do not disclose confidential information obtained through work.
Can you retweet an offensive job
about the Occupy Protests?
Can you take photos of guests in
the studio on your personal
facebook account?
Can you complain about how much
money is wasted by your station on
sending people to conferences
overseas?
Ensure you have clearly guidelines and all staff
understand how they work in practice

27. Ensure all staff are inspired through the right kind of training

28. core services
programmes:
if big or niche
„talent‟ accounts
personal individual accounts
Start using your accounts strategically

29. Embed digital in everything you‟re doing

30. Fish where the fish are…

31. Where are the opportunities to properly collaborate
with your listeners?

32. Think about providing added value to the audience listening live
as well as those listening again

33. “Radio isn‟t going away, it‟s going everywhere” - Gary Knell, NPR

34. Adopt, adapt, improve

35. 1. Ensure Senior Management are using this technology. They need to be
involved and leading from the front.
2. Ensure you have clearly guidelines and all staff understand how they
work in practice
3. Ensure all staff are inspired through the right kind of training
4. Start using your accounts strategically
5. Embed digital in everything you’re doing
6. Fish where the fish are
7. Identify the opportunities to properly collaborate with your listeners
8. Think about providing added value to the audience listening live as well as
those listening again
9. “Radio isn’t going away, it’s going everywhere” – how can you get
your content out far and wide
10. Adopt, adapt, improve

36. Do radio stations have to use social
media and if so why?

37. Heather Davies, Producer
Trevor Dann Co.
@heatherrhian
“Our relationship with our audience is made
stronger by being up close & personal with them in
their space on their terms”

38. Matt Deegan,
Fun Kids
Folder Media
@matt
“No - not at all. Only use it if it has a purpose. Ideally
a measurable one that delivers for your station”

39. Laura Miller
Producer
BBC London
@producerlaura
“stations that do, engage with a different audience
and promote content to listeners beyond their
geographical boundaries”

40. Ryan Egan, Radio
Australia, Melbourne
@rynobi
Many tools will amplify, assist, streamline and
provoke engagement with your audience. Social
media is a powerful option. It makes it easier for true
fans to love you harder”

41. Charles Ubaghs,
Head of Social Media,
Global Radio.
@cubaghs
“Social offers Radio an opportunity to extend its
reach in ways that were previously impossible”

42. Eric Eberhardt,
You Are Listening To Los Angeles.
@idontlikewords
“they don't *have* to but should, because what is
a radio station if not a community of like-minded
individuals?”

43. Shell Zenner,
Presenter, Bolton FM
@shellzenner
“Social Media works well for me, I can get up to
250 tweets from listeners per show”

44. Gideon Coe, Presenter,
BBC 6 Music
@gidcoe
Not necessarily. Not everyone uses social
media. And its still about communicating via
radio with the listener.

45. Steve Bowbrick,
Head of Interactive,
BBC Radio 3
@bowbrick
“Radio stations don‟t have to use social media.
Just as they didn‟t have to use magnetic
tape, FM, stereo, digital and the web”

46. Michael Hill, MD,
UK Radio Player
@radiomikehill
“Anyone who claims to know the answer is lying
or insane. If it feels right, try it”

48. Brett Spencer
Head of Digital
BBC Radio 2, 6 Music & Asian Network
brett.spencer@bbc.co.uk
@brettsr
Claire Wardle
Director of Development & Integration
Storyful
claire.wardle@storyful.com
@cward1e