Looking to the future: commercial radio

We’ve looked extensively at podcasts and audio slideshows so far on VisVox, but looking back on past posts I realised that we’ve showered less attention on other technological advancements that are revolutionising the way we listen to radio – namely through mobile phones. According to RAJAR figures, the number of people who listen to radio on their phones has increased markedly in the past 5 years. More significantly, however, is that this means attracts significant percentages of young adults to radio: in 2010 just over 30% of 15-24 year olds polled claimed to have, at some point, listened to radio on their mobiles. This compared to less than 10% of over 25s tuning in this way.

With questions arising seemingly constantly as to the durability of  radio, could the proliferation of output through mobile technology answer the prayers of all commercial stations? I spoke to Steve Mowbray, who is a presenter at Radio Jackie in south west London, about how the medium can advance, and where the future of radio lies. This is part one of two interviews with Steve, who has been instrumental at the station in the embracing of new media technologies and their burgeoning multimedia status.

© Radio Jackie

Radio Jackie started broadcasting in 1969, and has had an energetic 40 years since then. The station prides itself on being ‘south west London’s original pirate radio station’, and has successfully managed the transition from pirate radio outlet to independent commercial broadcaster whilst still retaining its founding principle by providing accessible local audio content to its 800,000-strong audience reach.

Considering Jackie’s rich history, it was refreshing to hear from Steve where he sees the station’s future lying. He spoke at length about their latest venture in mobile listening, their future plans and the necessity for radio to adapt to new technologies. Whether these progressions are achieved by building capabilities into their website to enable online radio streaming, or developing mobile phone apps, Steve believes that unless radio stations embrace changing trends in listening habits, ‘radio’ in its purest form will be overtaken by younger upstarts such as the internet and podcasts within a matter of years.

You can listen to the first part of my interview with Steve Mowbray here, in which he discusses the history of Radio Jackie and how they are using mobile technology to reach new, younger audiences: