It's the User Experience Stupid! Why is Radio Sleeping?

Bumped into this excellent explanation by James Cridland of what's wrong with radio's digital interface. It was actually given in September last year, and posted in July 2012. It is rather buried on YouTube but it has no right to be. Been thinking the same thing - radio interfaces have fallen well behind the times.

In fact I think there's a connection between radio's hybrid future and the new magazine that Al Jazeera has just launched in the Apple App Store. For Free.

Al Jazeera English is still very much a satellite TV network which has an on-line department. They make some great documentaries, but the context in which you find them on-line is often confusing.
Enter the magazine.

It's actually an app which puts some of Al Jazeera's documentary content into a new thematic context. Well worth playing with. It isn't perfect - the integration with YouTube pages is rather clumsy (you jump from one design into another), but it works. It's certainly well ahead of some of the apps and digital publications the BBC has put out for its global audience.

It's what Focus on Africa magazine should have done two years ago. . In fact, I just cancelled my subscription - Some great articles but I just don't need any more paper.

The website snapshot was taken a few minutes ago. Looks like the BBC in early 1999, except for the reference to Twitter. I'm afraid the Digital Edition of Focus on Africa Magazine is not a patch on what Al Jazeera is giving away for free. Apart from a profile in each recent issue of a BBC African partner station, the BBC magazine seems to be totally divorced from the content of either BBC World Service and BBC World News. Now suppose World Service made a hybrid app like Al Jazeera's so we could access some of the brilliant archive of radio and TV documentaries. They spend a lot of money making great investigative journalism, which then become buried in a page that reminds me of a shortwave broadcast schedule. I love the button to download the documentary to my Zune. Zune is finished...watch it disappear with the launch of Windows 8. Oh dear.

These Radio Guys Get It

The radio conferences I've been to recently haven't really worked. Many of the stations are just building shops on the wireless - there is none of the discussion about creative production that there used to be at the Radio Academy's Radio at the Edge. The suits just don't understand sound design - they want to show us charts rather than listen to great productions.

But all is not lost. Apparently I missed a treat in London in the middle of last month. I think the team behind Nextradio in London have found the tipping point for radio meetings. Charge a maximum of 99 pounds, and most people think it's worthwhile to fork that fee out themselves. Impressive line-up and a logicial briefing. I think it turned out to be better than a "TED for radio practitioners". Seems the Magic Circle is a great location for about 120 people if you're looking for a venue.