How can radio reach young audiences in a digital world dominated by a handful of big platforms without becoming dependent on them? That is the question occupying around a hundred media professionals from around the world this week at the media centre of Südwestrundfunk (SWR) in Baden-Baden. They were invited by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world's largest alliance of public service media.
Two back-to-back meetings in Germany
A first exchange, focused in particular on gaming, is followed on 14 and 15 October by a second event: the EBU Audio & Radio Futures Forum, hosted this year by ARD, with SWR as organiser. The forum, formerly known as "New Radio Day", brings together every year the heads of innovation and strategy from the radio and audio divisions of broadcasters in Europe, Canada and Australia. One distinctive feature: the programme is built collectively, with each participant bringing their own questions.
For SWR Director General Kai Gniffke, gaming, artificial intelligence and new audio services bring real added value for audiences, which is why it makes sense to gather experts from across Europe to share experience. Speakers come from Armenia, Australia, France, the UK, Canada, Scandinavia and Ukraine, among others.
Platform dependence at the heart of the debate
Christian Hufnagel, representing SWR as host on behalf of ARD, puts the problem plainly: doing digital journalism today means relying on platforms that set their own rules and help decide how visible content is. That is why, in his view, it matters to learn from one another and build shared answers.
An outside perspective rounds out the discussion. Maxi-Josephine Rauch, who researches digital economies at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, runs a workshop called "Digital Environments". She asks what role public service media can play in a world shaped by disinformation, bias and commercial algorithms, and whether it can become a space for debate that private platforms do not provide.
AI: real progress versus hype
Artificial intelligence is covered by journalist Marie Kilg, who knows both sides: she developed AI-powered audio features at Amazon Alexa and then led Deutsche Welle's AI strategy. She also hosts ARD's AI podcast on ARD Sounds. In Baden-Baden she is set to show where AI is genuinely moving audio products forward and where hype runs ahead of substance, as well as what this means for jobs, roles and structures in public radio.
What it means for web radio stations
These discussions are aimed first at large public broadcasters, but the issues directly affect independent online radio:
- Own your distribution. If the giants of public audio worry about depending on algorithms, a small web radio is even more exposed. Having your own website, your own live stream and a presence in specialised directories remains a safeguard against platforms changing the rules.
- Be selective about AI. The "real progress versus hype" approach applies to everyone: before adopting a tool, it pays to measure what it actually brings to your programming or production.
- Think about younger listeners. The EBU's interest in gaming is a reminder that new generations discover audio away from the radio set. Web radios often have more flexibility to experiment in these spaces.
Both meetings are designed as exchanges between professionals, but highlights will be available as video on demand and on the SWR and EBU social media channels, a good opportunity to follow the trends that will shape tomorrow's audio.
Source : RADIOSZENE