Radio should explore & discover more….

Three decades back:

In the earlier days the role of radio was more like a support medium. But today with more and more radio channels entering the market on an national level radio is no longer seen as a support. Many small clients and retailers have adopted radio as their primary medium to sell their products. In the early 70s many brands used radio to create brand property through intelligent programming. Great programs like Inspector Eagle, Cricket with Vijay Merchant, Sports with AFS Talyar Khan were favorites of the listeners on a Sunday afternoon after a nice lunch. Brands like Eagle Flasks, Thackersey Fabrics and Erasmic blades were the brands that were associated with these programs. Who can forget the great Bournvita Quiz Contest, which took birth through radio, and has today become a very popular program with the kids and the parents on television. The brand connect with quizzing has been so strong that nobody can take that slot for years to come. Even the memorable Binaca geet mala was popular among every household and Ameen Sayani ji with his evergreen voice at 8pm every Wednesday’s made it entertaining and enjoyable. It was a must listen program on radio Ceylon for music followers.
This radio program was as famous like what Saas Bahu of the prime time slot in star plus channel or the popular chiti program on sun TV. Every member of the family was completely glued to Binaca geetmala.

TV makes the viewers passive, radio is interactive

Radio also permits you to enjoy music while you can do your work. A typical housewife can enjoy music while she is busy preparing food for her family. May be we need to try and see how we can target housewives who are more likely to tune in while working at home. Create special programming during her work time, which help her carry the work with some nice entertainment.

We also need to explore and look at innovative ways of tapping the kid audience. While most kids are glued to kid channels one must get interesting radio programming which can encourage the kid and children community to shift to radio. Also from the health point of view the kids may not spoil their vision by constantly watching the idiot box. Here radio can play a key role. We need to understand their needs carefully and look at educational programs to enter the kids mind.

Radio should re-discover Sports:

Some great sports commentator voices will always be remembered through radio. Right from Tony Cozier from the Carribean to Henry Blofield from the BBC and Alan Mcgilvary from ABC. Even our own Jasdev Singh had a very nice and interesting way of giving running hockey commentary. Infact there were times when hockey was relayed on radio and TV but to make it more lively and interesting people use to switch of the TV sound and play the radio voice of Jasdev ji. It is time we look at sports commentary in radio again. If packaged interestingly listeners will switch on to radio especially the motorist .With the ownership of cars growing and people have less time to watch TV good cricket commentary on radio may enthuse listeners. (Yes it’s a tough challenge, it is something like asking people to use fountain inks instead of ballpoint refills and gel pens) People should feel the difference like watching cricket on an ESPN or Star sports. Give the listener the best that is the only way one can win the audience. While Television has bought in new technology such intense action replay in all sports related program radio has a huge handicap as the medium is driven purely on sound bytes. But with good production values and great commentators radio can attract more audience. If people have moved from watching music channels to hearing music on hi-tech gadgets why cannot it happen to sports if the content and quality is excellent.


Educational programming can be a new challenge :

In the earlier paragraph I had touched upon the fact that radio must talk to the kids. Now how this can done is a big challenge for the channels. We all know that radio is nothing but pure sound and here lies a great opportunity for channels to introduce educational program for kids like story telling, the art of public speaking or in the case of music it could be learning the basics in Hindustani and carnatic vocal music or any other form of instrumental music.

One can also help teaching the physically challenged people ( especially the blind ) through radio. A special vocational guidance for the blind could be designed and taught through the power of sound.. Immense opportunity lies for this medium to become more powerful. We should look beyond just songs, music and interviews Let the masses get to learn from this medium. I am sure the channels can come out with more scintillating and new ideas to make this medium powerful.