London N16: a blog about N16 by Chris Kimber

Clissold House re-opens

2012-01-03T20:51:00.000+00:00

So after about two years Clissold House in Clissold Park is now open again. The new cafe ("The House") is run by Company of Cooks (who also run Kenwood House cafe amongst others), and the house is run by GLL. First impressions are good: the new sloping grass at the front looks great, the cafe seems excellent, and the interior of the house is fairly amazing if you remember what it was like before. The spiral staircase in particular is spectacular. The cafe is open in line with park opening times, and the upstairs rooms and reception area can be booked (evenings too) for events. Overall this seems like an excellent start to 2012 for Clissold Park.

I've taken a few photos today which you can see in the slideshow below, or see the collection on Flickr here.

Skate video, mainly Clissold Park

2011-12-30T14:38:00.001+00:00

This video was shot mainly in Clissold Park, but also Victoria Park, Bay 66 and Chichester.

Clissold Wheels skatepark now open

2011-04-22T14:38:00.000+01:00

After what seems like ages, but in reality is about two years, the new skatepark in Clissold Park is now open. It officially opened on Thursday 21st April at 2pm, although local skaters had been unofficially slipping through the fencing for the previous week or so to try it out.

Initial feedback from experienced skaters is that it's good. There are two bowls, one shallow and one deep, with plenty of interesting features to keep it challenging. There's some water seeping into the deep bowl from the surrounding grass mounds which have just been turfed and are being heavily watered to keep the turf alive.

Inevitably it's been rammed as word spreads, and people are travelling from all over London to try it out. There's a nice grass bank next to the bowls which make for a great viewing area and little shade from the sun.

I've been taking photos of the site for the past 9 months or so, which can you see in the slideshow below.

Good things in N16 during 2010

2010-12-12T22:50:00.001+00:00

Here's ten good things that happened in Stoke Newington during 2010. What did I miss?

Work on Clissold Park not only started, but really got going in a major way. Looks like the nearly £9m it'll cost might actually be worth it. Photos here
The old Town Hall on Church Street finally re-opened. Not that I've been in much, but I will. And it looks great
Betty Layward primary school got a good new (acting) head teacher who both teachers and parents like. Phew
Homa. Classy eatery that could compete with many better known places
Mouse and De Lotz opened on Shacklewell Lane. Probably the best coffee around Stokey
Stoke Newington school refurb finished. Really quite impressive now
The Lion on Church Street eventually reopened. With bright lights. This time last year i was beginning to think it would never reopen
North East London Gymnastics Club took over the old Zoomaround building on Milton Grove and did a fantastic refurb to make it a superb gym and dance venue for children
Butterfield Osteopathy opened on Allen Road. Lovely space I hear
Albion Road, previously a cyclist death trap due to pot holes, finally got re-surfaced

My next blog post will be ten less than good things about N16. Your suggestions welcome.

Clissold Park update

2010-10-28T16:42:00.003+01:00

Quick update on the Clissold Park project. Work is cracking on at a high speed, with workers on site 6 days a week and often until gone 7pm. This is the last week of the old playground, before it closes on November 1st, presumably to be demolished so the space can be incorporated into what looks like being the largest children's playground in N. London. It's pretty much the size of a football pitch. Rumours are flying about how far parents will come to visit. Some are even saying it will increase the demand for flats and houses nearby from parents of young children.

In the last week or so the beginnings of the new "Wheels" skatepark can be seen. The full map of the play area can be found here, but the section below is the detail of the skatepark.

And here's what it actually looks like today, Oct 28th:

Speaking to the construction crew I was told that it was due to be finished by Christmas, although the whole space won't be open to the public until March at least. For Hackney, this appears to be an exceptionally well run project. What could go wrong?

Homa

2010-07-25T12:53:00.003+01:00

I used to like the pizza place on the raised ground floor of what was called "Booths" on Church Street. But since the food inspectors found unsavoury things in the kitchen I've been banned from going. So it's a relief that something new, and hopefully good, has now opened up in it's place. Homa, just opened, is a cafe and deli, with a restuarant downstairs. Will report back once I've tried it out.

Clissold Park skatepark

2010-07-24T12:29:00.005+01:00

With the restoration of Clissold Park we are promised a new skatepark, due in 2011. Having a son who is skateboard mad, and being an ex-skater myself many years ago, this is a subject of great interest in our house. The new park is going to be built on the eastern end of the grounds of the old redgra all-weather pitch, which as far as I can see was mainly used by dog owners as a dog toilet. Nice.

In recent weeks two interesting things have come to light. Firstly, Hackney Council have published an artist illustration of the new playground area. You can see it here.

Secondly, it seems that a company has been chosen to build it - Freestyle - according to an interview on the newly launched Clissold Skatepark site

I have started taking weekly photos of the space where the park will be built to track development and provide an archive of how it will be transformed. You can see the photos on Flickr, here.

iPlayer v3 radio console

2010-05-26T23:14:00.005+01:00

So after a fairly long wait, iPlayer v3 beta is now public. There's been lots written on it, but mainly from a TV point of view, so here's a brief run down of what's new for radio fans who use the iPlayer console to listen live or on-demand.

Firstly, the pop-out console is a new size and shape. It now most resembles a smartphone... which is clearly not a coincidence!

The main new features are:

1. Favourites: ability to add programme brands as "favourites", which then are available under the Favourites tab. It'll remember them with a cookie, but if you register and log in you it'll work across different machines. This is a major step forward and will make using the console a whole lot better for regular users who know what they like.

2. Recommend: ability to recommend programmes, and for those recommendations to be seen by your friends on Facebook and Twitter, if you've linked your accounts, and in the main iPlayer site. Great if you like telling your friends what you like listening to. Don't we all?

3. Station presets. You can now edit which radio stations you want under the Stations tab, including adding local stations. A pretty basic but essential addition.

The other really significant change is that there are no longer full "item" or "episode" pages for each radio programme in the iPlayer site. From now on, to get more programme information, there's one definitive place to go to get it - the radio station site, which should have all the basic programme information and any other rich content produced. This means there is no longer duplication between iPlayer and station site, which is a good thing for users (less confusion about where to go) and for SEO (no more splitting incoming links).

The other features are based in the main iPlayer site, so I won't go into detail about those, but read what Anthony Rose has to say for more.

Overall, this represents a fairly big move forward for BBC radio in iPlayer, mainly because the previous console was feature-lite, to say the least. There are lots more exciting develpments coming later this year with the next major iteration of the console, known as "Radioplayer". I'll blog about that nearer the time.

Check the beta iPlayer here

Music listening, April 2010

2010-05-26T22:41:00.010+01:00

2010 is turning out to be a good musical year already, in my book. Still can't get the Laura Veirs "July Flame" album out of my head - this will be one of the albums of the year for sure. Jonsi - Sigur Ros frontman - makes what sounds like, well, a Sigur Ros album, which is not to be sniffed at. Laura Marling comes back with her second album. We loved her first one to bits - really - and whilst the second is taking longer to really get under my skin it's getting there. She's still only 20, which when you listen to the album is slightly scary.

New for me in April were the very acoustic Belgian band Isbells, and I came late to two bands that have been around for a while: The Decemberists (lots of folk think their "Hazards of Love" album was one of the best of 2009) and Danish band Efterklang, whose name had always put me off before.

From the US came Beach House with their album "Teen Dream", and Local Natives' "Gorilla Manor". Both excellent.

Tracklist:

1. Go Do - Jonsi
2. Norway - Beach House
3. As long as it takes - Isbells
4. Goodbye England - Laura Marling
5. Wide Eyes - Local Natives
6. The Hazards of Love - The Decemberists
7. Alike - Efterklang
8. Where are you driving? - Laura Veirs

Is Steve Lamacq the UK Bob Boilen?

2010-05-16T09:27:00.006+01:00

Been thinking about why we don't have an equivalent to National Public Radio's wonderful "All Songs Considered", which is a weekly radio programme, podcast and blog that has been made for NPR since 2000. The show aims to introduce the listener to new music from a wide variety of genres that is generally not heard on other radio stations. It works for me principally because of its presenter, Bob Boilen, who manages to be informative, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and opinionated all at the same time - quite a feat. It's a very personal listen, which plays to radio's strength.

Now of course we have plenty of radio shows in the UK aimed at playing new music, such as Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens, John Kennedy (XFM) and many others (please suggest your recommendation below). But somehow they are not the same as All Songs Considered: perhaps because they focus mainly on up and coming artists who you pretty much won't have heard of, but also because of their pace. What I like about All Songs is the relaxed tone which means that rather than simply fitting in as many songs as possible, Bob Boilen gives time to give some context, some history, some musical comparisons and some opinion beyond "this is great". So, rather than a playlist of songs you haven't heard, it becomes a journey you are willing to go on because you value what is being said. I often find myself listening to music I wouldn't normally give ear-time to simply because of Bob's introduction.

Then last night it occurred to me - maybe we do have an equivalent: Steve Lamacq's Radio 2 show, not his 6Music daily outing, is perhaps the nearest we come to All Songs Considered. It's recently moved from late Wednesday night to late Saturday night (clearly aimed at the on-demand listener!). Lamacq sounds relaxed and happy, he takes the time to introduce new music with context, and doesn't only play brand new bands but also introduces you to music from established but generally under the radar artists who are probably never going to be top ten. Sure, it's not cutting edge like Huw or Zane can be, but it's a good listen, and at just one hour in total, is an easily digestible slice of on-demand audio.

Now if only we could make that available in full as a podcast...

If I've missed other programmes which could be described as the UK's All Songs Considered, let me know here.

What I'll miss if BBC 6 Music disappears

2010-03-20T10:53:00.010+00:00

NB these are my own personal views, nothing to do with my employer.

I'm not going to go through the arguments for keeping BBC 6 Music, they have been covered in much detail in many other places, and it probably wouldn't be a good career move to do so here... But I have been thinking about content, and specifically what I'll most miss if 6Music were to disappear completely. My start point is that I see 6Music as an alternative to what's currently of offer - BBC or commercial - so it follows that the programmes that hit home most for me are those that are in very short supply elsewhere.

Firstly, Lauren Laverne. I was one of probably many people who tried to get Lauren onto 6Music for many years through conversations with senior people at the BBC, so was overjoyed when she arrived in late 2009. It's not easy to create a five-day-a-week 3-hours-a-day radio show which still manages to sound genuinely passionate about the music at every turn, and balances the needs of a mid-morning slot with the audience demand for something that doesn't sound too mainstream. But somehow Lauren's show does it. There aren't many daytime shows - in my view - which are of a quality that justify listening to on-demand, but this show is so full of great features, interviews, sessions and Lauren herself that it does. Now that the programme often has chapter points in, you can quickly get to the bits you're most interested in which makes it a whole lot more web-appropriate.

Secondly, Gideon Coe. Gideon has been on 6Music since the start back in 2002. His late night mon-thurs show is terrific. I've often said that Gideon is one of the UK's most skilled interactive presenters; not in a in-your-face "text now" manner, but in a subtle, genuine ability to use audience contributions intelligently. His message board topic - on which he regularly posts - is still one of the best we have. His approach to engaging with the audience is so natural to him that he doesn't need to make a big song and dance about it, which means the show is more two-way than just about any other. But you wouldn't know if you tuned in for 10 minutes - it's too subtle for that. The only downside, imho, is the extended live concert section which is too long for me and should be broken up.

Talking about 6Music programmes you cannot of course not mention Adam and Joe. Saturday morning is a great slot because you have a large potential audience who are not as rushed and busy as they are during the week, but at the same time many stations put on high profile shows at this time so the competition is fierce. But the sheer originality, humour and distinctiveness of Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, combined with a very personal approach to introducing new and interesting music, means that the show cut through the Saturday morning competition and became the stations' most popular slot.

Then there are a bunch of more specialist weekly shows that, combined, sum up the distinctiveness of 6Music for me. Guy Garvey's Sunday night show is required listening. More thoughts on Guy Garvey here. Craig Charles' Saturday evening Funk and Soul show is one of those perfectly scheduled shows that plays a mix of music that could only be curated on 6Music. Stuart Maconie's Sunday afternoon Freak Zone is perhaps the stations most musically unique offering, and truly alternative to any offered on BBC or commercial radio. It is, perhaps, almost the definition of public service popular music broadcasting. Often a challenging listen, sometimes willfully unusual, but you'll always learn something about a range of music commercial radio wouldn't even recognise as music. The same could probably be said of Jarvis Cocker's new Sunday afternoon show, which is shaping up to be another 6Music hit.

Lastly, my favourite part of Steve Lamacq's weekday show, Roundtable. Being old enough to fondly remember the original Roundtable on Radio 1, this is pure joy.

Those are the programmes that I'll miss most if 6Music ceases to exist in 2012.

What did I miss?

Music listening, Feb 2010

2010-02-13T14:00:00.004+00:00

Some excellent new music around right now, from Midlake's deep and wonderful second album to Laura Veirs lovely "July Flame" to young trumpet player Matthew Halsall's first full length album. I saw Matthew Halsall play live at the Vortex in Dalston and it was the most fun I've had at a jazz gig for ages, whilst Midlake at Wilton's Music Hall was truly memorable in the most unusual venue I can remember.

Tracklist:

Midlake - "Acts of Man"
Laura Veirs - "July Flame"
Vampire Weekend - "Cousins"
The Unthanks - "Here's the tender coming"
Volcano Choir - "Island,IS"
The Dry Spells - "Too Soon For Flowers"
Laura Gibson - "Spirited"
Fever Ray - "When I Grow Up"
Matthew Halsall - "Colour Yes"

Enjoy.

Podcast listening - January 2010

2010-01-23T11:13:00.016+00:00

Podcasts were so over-hyped by the media industry 3 or 4 years ago that it seems to me a perfect example of the old cliche: their importance was over emphasized in the short term, but under emphasized in the long term.

Nowadays some people in the industry seemed to have moved on and forgotten all about podcasts - they didn't kill radio/we can't make money from them so we can ignore them. This seems a mistake to me. Think of podcasts as portable, on demand, personalised audio (or radio), and they seem less like a mid-noughties fad and more like the future of personal media consumption. Don't tell the conference organisers though, or we'll end up with more sessions on how podcasting is the death knell of radio. Which it isn't, because live radio has a long life left in it. The biggest problem remaining is that many people still don't know what a podcast is or why they'd want one, which is a challenge we're tackling head on at the BBC this year.

More to the point, it's time for the annual podcast clear out: I've looked at what I'm subscribed to but in reality don't get round to listening to. Like most people I know who listen to podcasts, the temptation is always to subscribe to more, which means it's inevitable that you end up with a whole bunch which never get heard.

Having just been through this process, this is what I'm left with: some new, some old, all good.

Media Talk from the Guardian. Entertaining, informative and infuriating in equal measure, it's a must listen.

All Songs Considered from NPR. This is my favourite music related podcast. NPR presenter Bob Boilen offers his personal take on the most interesting new music of the week. His thoughtful, paced, intelligent presenting style makes this a laid back listen. The context he gives to the tracks he's chosen makes you listen to the music even if you don't initially like the sound of it. He's become one of my most trusted music guides. Really worth listening to his round up of 2009 with his producer and fellow NPR music folk.

Radio Talk from the Radio Academy. Trevor Dann turns out to be really quite a good host of this weekly half hour radio industry show. Trevor has - in my view - been heavily influenced stylistically by some excellent NPR presenters, which is a good thing. If you work in radio, this is a must.

The Word podcast, from The Word magazine. Most weeks, this is pure joy. Frankly, it shouldn't be, given that it's two or three middle aged men sat round an office who all like the sound of their own voice just a little too much, talking loosely about music matters. But it is. David Hepworth, Mark Ellen, Andrew Harrison and Fraser Lewry, with occasional guests such as Danny Baker or Steve Lamacq, have somehow conjured podcast magic. Addictive.

Car Talk from NPR. Two American brothers - Tom and Ray or Click and Clack - take phone calls from listeners about cars and car related issues. Not, I agree, on the face of it, a rivetting listen. But it is. I reckon this gives more of an insight into American life than any amount of US TV imports. Really quite addictive even if you have no interest in cars, which is quite a feat.

Tech Weekly from the Guardian. The audio counterpart to the paper's extensive technology journalism. It's not particularly professional sounding, mainly because the contributors - Charles Arthur, Bobbie Johnson and Jack Schofield and presenter Aleks Krotoski - have good tech knowledge but lack radio presenting skills. But still worth paying attention to.

Zane Lowe's Hottest Records. A music recommendations mini-podcast. Only about 6 minutes long, this weekly edit from his Radio 1 show is perfect for catching up with Zane's take on music. Yes it only has 30" music clips in, but it really doesn't matter in this context.

6 Music daily music news from BBC 6 Music. I like this principally because it's short - usually under 5 minutes - so fits in with those annoying times on public transport when you don't have time to listen to something longer. Also, it doesn't follow the standard press release driven music news agenda.

Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode from BBC Five Live. Now extended to two podcasts per week, due to the schedule change which means they have a weekly two hour show which soley focusses on film matters. Part two is what i listen to as it includes the film reviews; part one tends to be interviews which are more hit and miss for me. Simon and Mark's friendship spills out making this one of the warmest and wittiest pod listens.

Notable mention should also go to Adam & Joe, Desert Island Discs, Jazz Library, On The Media, Stephen Fry, Bending Corners, and The Bitterest Pill.

As you can see, I haven't made a distinction between podcasts that originate from broadcast radio and those created just for online.

Any recommendations for things I should be listening to?

Albums of 2009

2009-12-24T21:24:00.019+00:00

So it's that time of year, when you look back over the music you discovered over the past 12 months, and try to figure out what has meant the most. Not that these are necessarily the best albums of 2009 - I'm not really sure what that means - but they are the one's I felt most attached to, listened to most, would most recommend. So, in no particular order, here goes:

Grizzly Bear - "Veckatamist"
Not easy listening at all, but really worth the effort.

Noah and the Whale - "The first days of Spring"
A remarkable second album, excellent lyrics, beautiful songs. Listen in one go for maximum impact

Animal Collective - "Merriweather Post Pavilion"
Everyone's favourite American undergound act. Innovative, tuneful, lovely.

Portico Quartet - "Isla"
My favourite jazz album of 09: very distinctive sound, great tunes

Great Lake Swimmers - "Lost Channels"
Something melancholic about Canadian folk rockers GLS; I like it alot

Temper Trap - "Conditions"
The backlash has already started, but I love the songs and that voice

The XX - "XX"
Reminds me of much, but sounds new and different at the same time

The Mummers - "Tale to Tell"
I found their performance on Later with Jools mesmerising. Bjork-ish vocals with a more English feel

Woods - "Songs of Shame"
More American folky ramblings which I seem drawn to these days

Woodpigeon - "Treasury Library Canada"
The second Canadian group in my list. But don't let that put you off, it's great

The Low Anthem - "Oh My God, Charlie Darwin"
In truth I'm not mad on all of this album, but the good tracks are superb and make up for the rockier/less convincing others

Jack Penate - "Everything is New"
Who would have thought that JP would make a critically acclaimed second album loved by the charts and Zane Lowe? My favourite pop album of 09.

Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen - "Inspiration Information 4"
Jazz + African funk = excellent album

Laura Gibson - "Beasts of Seasons"
Portland singer songwriter. Haunting, sad, lovely songs

Bon Iver - "Blood Bank"
Not really an album but an EP, but for someone still reeling from the wonderful "For Emma, Forever ago" album of 2008 this was enough to prove that Justin Vernon has more than one record in him. Thank goodness.

So there it is. There's loads more but you have to stop somewhere. I heartily recommend all of the above 15 albums to you.

In praise of... Guy Garvey

2009-12-05T11:11:00.005+00:00

Elbow lead singer Guy Garvey only has one radio show. It's just 2 hours per week, on BBC 6Music. But it's an important show, in that it points to a possible future direction for digital music radio stations to make them stand out in a world of ubiquitous online music.

The question is this: as broadband becomes the norm, and services such as Spotify give you free access to a huge virtual library, what is the point of a digital music radio station? By this, I mean, how can a digital music radio station stand out from the other services on offer, either as a radio station or as a digital music service?

Doing what existing radio stations do is surely not the answer, simply because they are already doing it, and there's frankly lots of them doing it. And the audience are really quite happy with their existing radio listening choices. Doing what Spotify does is not only impossible for a radio station, but again is not distinctive because Spotify (etc) already does it very well thank you.

So where does that leave new digital music stations?

One answer is in becoming a trusted guide offering curated recommendations, which is something that Spotify isn't that great at, despite various playlist sites which allow you to create a spotify playlist. Which brings me back to Guy Garvey. His show is a "must listen" for me, because I've come to trust that there's a high chance he will introduce me to an artist (new or old) or track or album that I really want to investigate. I value that highly.

This is what I would call "high value" content, combining carefully chosen music, interesting and informative bits between the music, some humour, and audience involvement in parts of the show (e.g."Song for Guy"). Importantly, there's really nothing in the two hours that places it in any particular day or time, meaning there's no jarring time checks or news summaries when you listen on-demand. This stands out enough for me to make the effort to spend time with it.

The ultimate irony of all this is that although I often listen to his show on-demand, it's actually a genius piece of old-school scheduling - late Sunday evening - which really works as a broadcast. A perfect end to the weekend. Or whenever you choose to listen.

6Music: Wear your old band t-shirt to work day

2009-12-04T18:30:00.001+00:00

Made me laugh...

And yes, I wore my Led Zep t-shirt to work. Under a nice pin stripe jacket.

Rock jumping in Mallorca

2009-11-22T10:31:00.003+00:00

On holiday in Mallorca this summer we found an excellent beach in a national park. One side was made up of rock formations, which is where I filmed this. I admit I was too scared to jump from the very top, but Ned (10) loved it.

August 09 mix

2009-08-13T22:09:00.005+01:00

Here's what I've been listening to in the last few weeks. Grizzy Bear, Temper Trap, The Low Anthem, The Invisible, Bowerbirds, Jack Penate, and of course the obligatory Microdisney. Somehow it's always Microdisney time round my house.

In praise of... Nick Grimshaw

2009-07-24T19:59:00.006+01:00

I have to admit to being a little sad when i heard that Colin Murray was leaving Radio 1: his brand of humour and eclectic music taste on his late late evening weekday show worked for me. But now we have Nick Grimshaw (Grimmers) in his place it makes me realise just how old the previous show had become. Nick not only sounds young (well, he is), only occasionally sounding like he's trying too hard, but the music sounds younger too. I'm particularly enjoying his countdown of "1000 albums you should hear" feature, varied as it is. He was good on Switch, but this new show is beginning to sound confident and fun.

It's a good move for Radio 1, who constantly need to do more to attract a younger audience to radio. Nick Grimshaw can only help bring in that sub-24 audience that we need to learn to love radio. Radio 1 now sounds like its target audience between 10pm and midnight, which is a good thing.

May 09 mix

2009-05-20T21:27:00.005+01:00

Latest selection of my home listening. Just re-discovering one of my favourite bands from when i was a student in the 80's: Microdisney. Cathal Coughlan and Sean O'Hagan making glorious bitter-sweet pop. Also featuring new discoveries Woods, Grizzly Bear, Sigur Ros and Leisure Society. Enjoy.

April 09 mix

2009-04-18T20:06:00.003+01:00

Here's a taster mix of what i'm listening to at the moment. Mainly accoustic stuff. Particularly keen on the Great Lake Swimmers, The Mummers and Bon Iver. Must mean i'm getting old.

On a lighter note, I'm impressed with new mix site 8Tracks. Not 100% sure of legality, but I think they've actually sorted licences.

Audio embed using SoundCloud

2009-03-22T21:32:00.005+00:00

Here's a particularly enjoyable episode of BBC Radio 3's Jazz Library podcast, focussing on Brad Mehldau. The purpose of this post is really just to try out SoundCloud's embeddable audio player. Seems to work pretty nicely. I have to say the podcast is usually pretty good too - you really don't miss the full length tracks (we're limited to one minute for right reasons).

JazzLib Brad Mehldau by londonN16

Twitter + radio = good interaction

2009-03-14T13:14:00.005+00:00

Just a quick thought about how Twitter is having a positive impact on radio. One of our big aims is to help make radio more interactive, and to get programmes to engage in a dialogue with their audiences, and to reflect that interaction in the broadcast. Radio, after all, is an incredibly personal medium, and should be as much about the audience as the presenter.

We've had phone-ins for decades, we've had incoming faxes and letters, for 15 years or so we've had emails, and for 10 years we've had text messages (I introduced incoming SMS to Radio 1 in '98). We've also played - not particularly successfully imho - with message boards and live chat rooms. None of this is wrong or bad, but it seems to me that micro-blogging services - and let's be honest I really mean Twitter - has had a bigger impact with some shows in terms of engaging with audiences than all the rest put together.

Why? Because at it's heart, Twitter is a two-way medium, tweets and replies, which means that a presenter/DJ who sends out a tweet will nearly always get replies which are relevant and useful. And because Twitter is a personal service - you choose who you follow, and tweets are by their very nature personal ("what are you doing/thinking?") - it gives the illusion that you are receiving something more personal to you than, say, a live broadcast. And in fact you are, so it's not really an illusion.

So, when Annie Mac, Mistajam or Hugh Stevens or Chris Moyles sends out a tweet, it's likely to be something more personal than something they'd be likely to say on their radio programme. And when people reply, it's usually with a comment which is directly relevant, which means there's a higher chance of that feedback becoming part of the broadcast. Virtuous circle complete.

There's loads of radio presenters already using Twitter, and it's growing all the time. Some are starting to play with how they can use it - for example BBC 6Music's Jon Holmes is experimenting with offering "simulcast bonus song nonsense" if you follow a particular hashtag during his show. More here.

Steve Bowbrick and Jem Stone are also trying out a new form of social listening via Twitter at Good Radio Club. Having listened and watched and tweeted to a Radio4 progamme this week, I can confirm it makes the listening experience much deeper, more intense, and frankly more fun. Seeing what others are thinking about the radio programme that you are listening to enhances the experience considerably.

For a list of most radio folk on Twitter, see James Cridland's list.

Finding music on bbc.co.uk

2009-02-07T17:32:00.020+00:00

Thinking about our music offering on bbc.co.uk, and changes which are coming soon, here's a list of ways in which we could be helping people find music, or music content, on bbc.co.uk. Some of these are possible now, most are not. If we can offer these as automated feeds, we really will be maximising routes to content. Which means, of course, that more people will consume more content, and bbc.co.uk will have improved it's utility considerably.

Tracklistings. All music shows have, or will have, lists of music played on the programme. These will soon become clickable, taking you to the relevant artist page

Now playing. What music is the BBC playing right now? An aggregation of all our music stations live output.

Recently played. We should be listing all artists that have been played recently across BBC radio. We need to define what "recently" means, and in the future get all our stations having live music information. This is not currently the case. By network, and across all networks.

Most searched for artists. Which artists are people searching for on bbc.co.uk?

Breaking artists. Which artists played recently on BBC radio are brand new, i.e. haven't been played before on the BBC?

Most recommended. Which artists are being most heavily recommended by BBC talent?

Most recent BBC session. Which artists have recently performed live exclusively for the BBC?

Most recent BBC interview. Which artists have recently been interviewed on BBC radio or TV?

Most recent BBC documentary. Which artists have recently featured in a BBC documentary?

Artists quoted in SMS sent to the BBC. Which artists have featured most in text messages sent in to the BBC?

Artists being discussed on bbc.co.uk. Which artists are being discussed, commented on, rated, or added to personal profiles?

Artist A-Z. Complete list of all artists played on BBC radio over a certain time period

Charts. e.g. Top 40 singles and albums, music genre charts

News. Artists mentioned in recent news stories published on bbc.co.uk, and elsewhere

I'll be adding more to this list over the coming days/weeks, so feel free to add other possibilities.

Some basics for media companies

2009-02-04T15:23:00.009+00:00

Been thinking about some really basic principles that traditional media companies need to remember:

Don't assume people will find your website
Don't assume people will come to your website
Don't assume people will come back to your website once they have visited
Don't treat the web as a broadcast medium - it's not
Look at what really works on the web, not what looks flashy or beautiful
Social isn't a nice add-on, it's core
Don't create walled gardens
Focus on findable, linked, shareable unique content
Users behaviour online is different to what it is for radio or tv
Do the right thing for the medium - listen to people who understand it
Your brand won't carry you far online if you get it wrong

Not rocket science, but I feel better for writing it down.