[cma-l] Internet stations

[Trevor Lockwood]

Morning All

I fully support Peter Vautier's comments about online media. We are moving into a new era, MonTV demonstrated that very clearly at the Conference. Our concern should be in producing good quality programmes, and (I believe) sharing that content in many ways. There was also some dismissal of the GetMedia facility - which I found confusing. Maybe we should link all the Loudblog Listen Again, so we can pick and choose, perhaps having a set format: all dry, all 26 minutes... or whatever.

A CMA player is a great idea - we should all use it. There may also be a case to move away from the purely parochial approach: joint programming and presentation; again the MonTV concept points a way forward, that does not detract from present stations.

Our new online station at eastcoastradio.co.uk (when we get it going) is an attempt at specialist programming. It will concentrate upon art, culture and gardening: just because they are of interest to the production team. It will also act as a testbed, adding content serving specialist areas until there's enough interest to hive off to a separate specialist station. (got any culture you don't want?)

None of this conflicts with existing structures - but it does help to build audience - and that's what it is all about. 91% of UK folk listen to the radio at least once a week. We can't create more listeners. Anything we can do to lure them away from pap must be worthwhile.

Another example of the sharing principle is Euranet - we now use some of that content. It adds flavour and variety. 

Whilst the government insist that commercial stations should take precedence over community then we must get better, share best practice, use other systems that are not vigorously controlled. At Felixstowe Radio we've had nearly 200,000 unique online listeners a month: it's unlikely that our FM audience gets anywhere near that.  

It's all good fun. Keep going.

Trevor Lockwood


k
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/attachments/20110615/68c98f53/attachment.html>