Getting some air - on-air

Listening to Purani Jeans on Radio Mirchi via gaana.com has been a happy habit I am developing while working. What I do like the most about it is the absence of radio jockeys. There are shows with jocks as well and frankly I switch off when those begin. Nothing wrong with the jocks -but love listening to my songs back to back with no bak-bak. Not to mention - No ADS!

I have been wondering how right or wrong that is though. I have been an advocate of the 'human touch' on-air. It is the main reason why people still tune in regularly and not their ipods / USB drive full of songs. I mean.. among other things:
- Latest songs (which are available on youtube, but then you have to go online, click on it = effort)
- Surprise element - which is such a unique feature. The listener does not know which song will follow which one and when you play song that keeps him / her happy one after another - they stay tuned. These happy surprises are difficult to come by even if you put your device on 'shuffle'.
- Then there is the pre-produced content - which adds humour or information to your day - on the go.

But then I believe that all this is tied together by the radio personality. Dan O Day says that it is the personality's job to keep the listener on the station once they are tuned in. For example, listening to the same song over and over again can get more and more interesting every time - if the RJ has the talent to make it sound so...Also, I strongly believe that an RJ has to ADD VALUE to the listener's life.

However, with our FM stations getting crowded with pre-produced capsules,ads and ineffective jock talk - I am finding it very difficult to back my own argument. Otherwise - we are good. gaana.com is a-okay.

Show me some Love..

So I met a radio station again (in Bangalore) – in the hope to be part of a radio station once more, but it did not work out. Mainly because I can’t devalue myself and they can’t increase their budgets. However, I always look at these meetings as ways of interacting with other radio enthusiasts and share experiences and love for the medium.

A very interesting conversation with a gentleman who has spent many years in the industry, gave me a new perspective of looking at things. We were talking about the mediocrity of the talent and content on-air and how both of us saw a lot of scope for improvement. However, he mentioned that what looks mediocre to us, is actually working. The only thing that sales and marketing work with are RAM numbers and they are looking good. These kids on-air are actually throwing up numbers and that’s all that matters. More so, he questioned our judgement. May be, just maybe, we are not in touch with the listening populace’s tastes. I was speechless. Yes, the RAM cannot be trusted a 100% and all the radio experts have been crying out loud to change the system. However, what if this is what the people like and we are refusing to believe it?

However, I have seen that in more competitive markets like Delhi and Mumbai, the content and talent is better. So I can’t buy into that argument in these cities...not that it’s superlative either.

There are several ways of looking at this then –

•        This is mediocre radio and people have just not tasted better.. so they like what they get.
•        RAM is bullshit
•        Definition of good radio has changed

It could also be the case that good talent is asking for more money and radio stations don’t want to spend in smaller centres. (totally being narcissistic here)  But I was young once and was not paid so much and was trained well enough to be able to put up decent shows. (Thanks Vera) So is it that people are just not trained well enough or not guided with all the attention required?

At one point, we knew radio to be an unforgiving medium. You say one word wrong, one name of street wrong, pronounce a name wrong and get brickbats for it; within team and also from listeners. I have faced it as well. I still cringe when I hear any of these...and they are increasing by the day. So when I was concluding this conversation (with the gentleman I referred to earlier) – I only said one thing... yes, may be its not as bad as I listen it to be.. but basic hygiene cannot be compromised. It’s unfair to the medium. The medium that has its origins in stations like AIR – the only source of information, news, learning, music, entertainment and connectivity for a large population of India. Not a single word uttered on-air could be taken lightly. The people on-air were sources of learning as well. The language used – whether English, Hindi or regional was pure, unadulterated and sacred. You just could not afford to mess up. The spoken word was given a pedestal which was not compromised. Let’s just say if you had an argument over how a particular word is pronounced, you did not have Google to go to – you just trusted the radio presenter.

Yes, times have changed. People’s choice of entertainment fluctuates and radio is definitely not consumed as vociferously as TV and social media. But that does not mean we don’t take ourselves seriously...or let down the medium. It has stood the test of time and I am sure it will in the coming years as well. So why can’t we take it upon ourselves to just aim a little higher than mediocre / acceptable.

To begin charity at home, I have taken it upon myself to train students of media in Radio and share my experience with them. May be if the love and passion is stirred in them, they will be able to bring more to the table in the years to come.Excuse me for over simplifying things, but I feel that is what drives this medium – love, passion, energy.