Community Radio

[countryman]

If Apple AM does get the Taunton Community Radio licence are we ready for it? Will we end up with egg on our face? Do we need a more unified corporate format instead of everyone doing their own style? Or is what we do at the moment the way it should be?

[bodwood]

In answer to the first question- No, I don't believe we are ready for it. I think the equipment is more or less ready, but we have nowhere near enough reliable presenters/backroom staff to do all that is necessary, even for the relatively few progs that we schedule at the moment. As I said at the meeting, there are far too many red apple blobs ("Look-out-no show") on the studio wall-chart, for us to be taken seriously in any wider broadcasting context. I'm convinced that "double-heading" shows is the answer, or at the very least, a serious stand-in system to cover those shows. Any new recruits should be drafted into those shows currently without a second presenter, not into new shows of their own (Quality, not quantity, at the moment, I feel. When we have the quality and the reliability, then we can look at new shows).
I do think, however, that the mix of shows we have (when they are all on!) is very good, and should not be altered- added to maybe, but not reduced. It's what makes us different.

Mr. Grumpy has left the building!

[Simon West]

Indeed we do need to hit the red apple blobs - although I will be responsible for two as I am away for two weeks! The ability to voice track should really help there - and I am just sorry that I haven't had enough time to get that working yet.

On the "corporate feel" I agree totally with BodWood - it is our diversity that makes us stand out. All other radio stations available in this area conform to corporate styles and corporate play lists. We, on the other hand, have programmes which even within their own two hour slots play many different styles and genres, have completely free play lists, and allow both the presenters and the listening requesters complete choice over what to play when. This is a wonderfully unique attribute in the available programming for Somerset which we must preserve and celebrate.

As for lack of people to run a community station, I say "If we build it, they will come!" (we could bas a film on that slogan)

[richard.shepherd89]

But a corporate image isn't just about having a dull standardised playlist. You can improve the branding and public, professional, image of our organisation without loosing what makes us unique - our diversity. In fact we can use that unique selling point if you will to build our brand around. In doing so, and in going for a community license, we need a solid contemporary visual identity with the unique, dazzling, local but high quality broadcasting to follow. The Apple AM listeners guide being one example. It's great but it could be so much slicker, enticing and complementary of our varied and daring show schedule... the Christmas lights switch on was a real step in this direction and was a great success (from what I saw and heard) and I hope you would agree all credit to Paul, Steve, Katy, Andy and Jay...

I also feel some consistency must be achieved at Apple AM. Each show is brilliantly unique - as it should be - but sometimes with my own show and listening to others, I fear there is a lack of common purpose. I meet fellow presenters and our committee once a year! People, when listening, need to know they are listening to Apple AM and be able to buy into the brand we offer which is uniquely exciting because of our local music links and vast array of presenting talent.

I firmly believe we need to up a gear professionally to make a community license work in the wider world (Taunton) but I also totally agree that that should not mean we loose what we are - that should be the best thing about us. In terms of filling more show slots I, and I have discussed this with other presenters at previous AGM's, feel that there is huge scope for engaging the wider community more. Of course we have our music based shows which are great but as well as that we could so easily incorporate telephone conversations into those. Even if it is just a competition entry for an existing music quiz or a quick interviewee to talk about the show on at the Brewhouse I feel without even a basic telephone line in on the desk we cannot quickly and easily enough engage the community. On the subject of not being able to trust guests not to swear etc when I was at the BBC in Taunton we did hours of telephone conversations on air every week and there was no time delay device built in at all. How did they get away with it?!!! Tony is quite insistent that we have a telephone time delay device and this was promised at the AGM before last...

Going further I reckon there is also huge potential to bring community events live onto our airwaves. This is so unique it would be a real selling point for us and would add, and fit in with, our incredible diversity at Apple AM already. For example community concerts, the Brass Bands, college orchestras and musical events at Richard Huish College. We should mic them up, record them, do a simple top and tail edit job and play them out under the banner Apple AM's live music community coverage. The BBC would not do this, they don't have time. Heart, well need I say any more...! It would be a bit different for volunteers to get involved with and if the auto show tracking thingy can work in Studio 2 we can start to fill up slots on the Apple AM schedule board without actually having to have presenters there yet we are still providing a really unique and exciting programme.

Then once this is in place we can market ourselves in the wider world as a community fed, led and orientated organisation rather than competition for newspapers and the BBC because we are not. Lets use them to publicise us... generate some PR. I already have the BBC interested in covering our 24 hour broadcast when the helipad opens, if we had a really concise plan for forging ahead with an image, brand and community license we can use publicity such as this to generate listeners through working in our key messages whilst being interviewed by reporters which I guess is the fact we are different, unique, varied, interesting and absolutely true to our locality, made by local people for local people talking about the things that really interest, excite and entertain us.

One other idea before I forget, could we erect a temporary studio in Taunton town centre and let passers by have a go at speaking on mics, playing music etc then get them to give us their contact details so we can invite them in for a go in the real studio and then recruit them as volunteers??? A volunteer recruitment day!

Anyway listen to me go on! I really do love Apple AM - it is the part of the week I most look forward to and I would love to see it flourish even more than it is with a happy bunch of people behind it creating something incredibly good for the community.

[Simon West]

A simple answer to almost all of your points - YES. all of these ideas are worth exploring and almost all should / will be implemented. I think our most major concerns should be addressed first, and the biggest by far is the number of people we have who can really do things. Most of us have full time jobs, and many have families with all the time they require (I am not complaining, but simply noting that) Apple AM at best comes third, so where we lose out on length of time available each week, we have to make up with numbers.

Many of the things you suggest we already do to a small degree - our OBs and coverage of town events, poor as it is, is way better than any other radio station here in Taunton. Tracey is collecting articles right now for the new magazine. If you have ideas for that, send them on to her!

As far as show identity goes, we are in the process of getting new jingles done - more on that in a later post (possibly later today), and the intention is to give all shows presenters their own set of jingles in a single, new style. Maybe presenters don't use enough because they don't "own" them - if they have personalised ones I am sure they will!

I am running out of time now (work starts early for me) but my main answer to your post is "keep it up", enthusiasm like this is great and will help us get the massive amount of work done to launch a Community Radio Station!

Best regards

[Jason Hayes]

Jingles: I agree it would be nice it have a station image when it comes to jingles, however everyone should be able to have what they want. We should have the same voice man, but not all use the same stock of jingles. We have been going to http://www.bluewaveimaging.co.uk he gives 50% off for non-profit stations. Think Ross now users him. We normally email him a script for lots and lots of dry jingles (him reading our script) then he gives us a cost. The best thing about him, he will supply dry so you can mix them to your own music. I know sung jingles are the latest things (AGAIN, they come back after a few years, then go, then come back), Hart has gone back to them, but it means you can not mix them with the music you are playing, for example a 15 second intro, to a song, why not play a jingle to start of the song? A sung jingle sounds rubbish, being play before a start of a song. We have a contact jingle, other people have started using it (PAUL SANDS!!), we don't mind. Please can we (Presenters) be considered and asked for ideas? And what we would like (guessing Presenters would pay for their own). An example of some thought going into Jingles is the Apple AM News Jingle, why no background tack, why does it just END! The one we have done as a background tack, so if the news is late, or more to the point you are a few seconds early (because you have run out of things to say or gone by the PC clock rather than the wall lock), you don't have dead air!!

[freewyke]

That is a very good point with the news jingle Jason. i found sky news to be 2 seconds out last night both times we went to the news a jingle with low background news music would be a good idea.

[Simon West]

-snip- Please can we (Presenters) be considered and asked for ideas?

Well that's what this forum is for! Now there is a place for discussion about these things. The samples of the new jingles are here viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16

An example of some thought going into Jingles is the Apple AM News Jingle, why no background tack, why does it just END! The one we have done as a background tack, so if the news is late, or more to the point you are a few seconds early (because you have run out of things to say or gone by the PC clock rather than the wall lock), you don't have dead air!!

A new jingle for the news is part of the hopes of many of us, and believe me a lot of thought goes into all of this. I would argue against backing music for the whole news bulletin as it makes clear hearing of the spoken news much more difficult those of us with hearing problems. One which fades gracefully over the first 2-3 seconds of the news is best IMHO. The other thing that may help is to have a jingle which we all know can be started up to 30 seconds or more before the news, and has the background music until the last 6 or 7 seconds when the news is announced (Radio 2, Steve Wright just before 17:00 is a good example of this)

Further thoughts and ideas most welcome on this topic!

[keefers]

If you train yourself to backtime to the news you'll hit the news jingle ending and the news presenter starting... simples!!!

[Simon West]

:D If you train yourself to backtime to the news you'll hit the news jingle ending and the news presenter starting... simples!!!

Whilst I agree that we should all do backtiming, if you note when the news actually starts according to the wall clock it varies by 2-3 seconds, and no amount of preparation can solve that. A jingle that fades is a must (and I find that our current one, if started at t-7 or t-8 seconds does exactly that.