Whizzy
| 11:25 UK time, Wednesday, 24 May 2006
These days after the World Update programme, I'm taking part in a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ familiarisation exercise called Here + Now.
The idea is to let ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ colleagues get their hands on all the new toys - sorry, technology - that is changing the way we deliver our programming and material.
Because I'm a gadget freak and I used to be an engineer, I get to help them press the right buttons.
it also gives me the chance to talk to them about their reaction to the digital future.
Most are excited - not only by the shiny boxes but by the diversity it adds to our production opportunities.
For example, I was talking yesterday to a colleague from the Asia-Pacific region about the way Indian audiences might be won over using cross-platform programming.
There was a time when almost everyone in India listened to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service Radio to get their news.
It was more trusted than national broadcasts. And a whole village could contribute to buy a shortwave radio so they could gather round and listen.
These days the spread of television, the rapid increase in the number of local broadcasters, their independence and the growing affluence of Indian people means that shortwave radio is no longer fashionable, and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ radio audience has fallen. Better quality ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ signals are not widespread.
The new digital platforms will present the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ with new opportunities in that kind of market.
DRM, the acronym for , is a kind of digital shortwave. It will use the same transmitter sites but give a clear sound similar to FM.
It's already working, but only with a limited number of transmitters at the moment - the one for the UK is in Norway - and only 2000 radios have been sold to receive it so far.
When shortwave goes digital it can do some clever things.
For example, while you're listening to the main programme a feed of the news bulletin can be sent 'behind the scenes'. Then you could press a button and hear the latest news headlines when you want to, not just at the top of the hour.
You can imagine that other elements could be sent 'on demand' in the same way - background reports, longer versions of interviews etc. Like all digital radios, DRM has a screen which could display the choices.
Even before DRM becomes better known, of course, radio can link to webpages to add content.
My colleague from India got very enthused by the idea that he could build on the trust people still feel for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ by adding extra resources to his radio output to compete once again with TV news.
Comments
I am happy about the new technologies which I am using to apply. Of course, I use shortwave radio when there is a natural disaster such as Hurricanes. During Hurricane Wilma, and Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, I turned to Shortwave Radio since most computers were not functioning. The only computer functioning was at work and at a petrol station.
Give us a word about 'Podcasts' in the here and now as it can relate to WNU and Religion.