News from the RAB

Apparently, the commercial UK radio industry looks in good health. At least that is what the RAB suggests in its latest mailout.

Try telling that to advertisers, agencies and production houses then, because it certainly doesn’t look healthy from where we’re sitting.

1. Television is cool. Radio isn't (apparently). And in the meantime digital seems to be the new thing to spend money on, thus taking it away from the radio industry. Of course, digital can incorporate audio, but this increasingly seems like a missed trick.
However, the case remains that radio should be cool - but commercial radio has created lost any element of edginess and verstility in searching for the advertising spend, thus not getting the advertisers they want. It's a vicious circle.


2. Agencies are only interested in radio when it seems they are in with a chance of winning an award (which judging by the rubbish on display at the Aerials this year, shouldn’t be too difficult). By all means, put a junior creative (afterall, they need to learn) on the case, but don’t let your standards drop (even further) and do it for the right reasons.

3. Production houses are stifled by the combination of the two, in addition to the lack of imagination and insight across the board. Take a risk for once, push those research figures to one side and just go with your gut. Things are researched to death nowadays – to such an extent that almost all ads aimed at each particular group end up as an homogenised, indistinctive, bland and useless pieces of advertising. GET SOME BALLS.

The bottom line – no one cares about radio at the moment, and that needs to change. From the stations to the agencies to the advertisers, everyone has a part to play. The RAB needs to step up to the challenge (and that doesn’t mean just sticking a 3.0 in the hope of jumping on the new digital bandwagon). Digital is taking money away from radio - and it needs to be brought back.

Roll on the new 4Radio Digital multiplex.