The Media Club · 4 November 2022 · 48 min
'Cold fury' at BBC local radio cuts, Amazon Music expands & Channel 4 turns 40. Plus behind the scenes at Radio TechCon!
- BBC Local Radio Cuts
- Amazon Music Expansion
- Channel 4 Rebrand
- Twitter Verification Fee
- Radio TechCon
- Netflix Ad Tier
- BBC Licence Fee Freeze
- Media Quiz
In this episode of The Media Club, host Jake Kanter is joined by radio industry figures Trevor Dann, Ann Charles, and Adam Bowie to discuss the BBC's proposed cuts to local radio, which have sparked 'cold fury' among listeners. The panel debates whether the cuts are a genuine response to the licence fee freeze or a political move, and considers the future of local radio. In part two, Dan Taylor-Watt joins to analyse Amazon Music's expansion to 100 million songs for Prime members, Channel 4's rebranding of All4 to Channel 4 on its 40th birthday, and Elon Musk's plans to charge for Twitter verification. The episode also features a deep dive into Radio TechCon with Aradhna Tayal, and a media quiz.
Key takeaways
- BBC announced cuts to local radio, with all presenters at risk of redundancy and only two local programmes per weekday planned.
- Amazon Music expanded its catalogue for Prime members from 2 million to 100 million songs, but with limitations on on-demand playback.
- Channel 4 rebranded All4 to Channel 4 on its 40th birthday, sparking debate over potential confusion.
- Elon Musk announced a £8 per month fee for Twitter blue tick verification, with critics questioning its impact on trust.
- Radio TechCon 2022 will feature sessions on Ukraine, BBC centenary, and neurodivergence, with bursaries available.
In this episode
- Intro and News Round-up
- BBC Local Radio Cuts Discussion
- Radio TechCon Deep Dive
- Part Two: Amazon Music, Channel 4, Twitter
- Media Quiz
- Outro
Notable quotes
“Cold fury”
“I'd almost rather they closed them down or merged them with Five Live or sent them online or found something to. Just a bit better than this kind of death by a thousand cuts.”
“I think it's a very sad thing that although the BBC claims to be for everybody, here is another example of them saying, if you're over 55 or 65, frankly, we don't want you anymore.”
“I think it's a bad idea.”
“I always think they missed a trick in not calling it foreplay, which I think would have been on brand.”
“I think it's going to create more confusion than anything else.”
Discussed
BBC · Amazon Music · Channel 4 · Twitter · Netflix · Radio TechCon
Mentioned or recommended
- Radio TechCon 2022
- I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
- Bridgerton
- Heartstopper
- The Dig
- All4
- TweetDeck
