Reasons to be cheerful. Number 6.

So, this is a continuing series of short reasons to be cheerful about radio. Huge thanks to Jem Stone for promoting it on his Twitter stream.

Now, Mark Ramsey is a lovely man who let me play with his Amazon book reading gadget ages before they were widely available in the UK. Kindle kindness indeed. Mark also writes a thought-provoking blog in which recently he said he has little time for “feel-good nonsense meant to soothe the consciences of radio broadcasters and make us feel better about what we do”.

Oh dear.

I’d argue that right now we need to foster creativity in radio and, from my experience of leading creative teams over the last ten years, most of us need a degree of confidence and optimism to be creative.

Falling revenue and fast digital evolution scares people. For many, the ground is burning away under their feet. This series of posts is here to remind us that the underlying qualities of audio entertainment are strong. So let’s plough on. Sorry Mark.

Radio is simple.

Radio is simple to understand, simple to use and simple to make. It’s egalitarian and democratic. The receiving technology is often so low in cost it can be embedded in other things you buy. Like mobile phones, cars, computers or er, floaty ducks.

People all over the world just get it. Can’t read and write? Radio works for you too.

It’s easy to forget the simple model at the heart of radio:

1. Make things people want to listen to.
2. Put them somewhere they can get them.

Simple.

Next time: how radio extends beautifully onto any platform… and why it has to.

Photo: “Duck Radio” of uncertain provenance. Sorry if it’s your copyright.