Author: Chris Stevens

  • Are You Obit Ready?

    (Picture: All Saints Church, Highweek, Devon, England. Pic: SmallJim) Two things are guaranteed – death and taxes. Every 3 months, when I pay my company’s VAT bill, I’m glad that I’ve reached another tax date and not the alternative! Radio is an immediate medium, meaning that when news breaks, we can react quickly. For many…

  • An audio producer’s travelling nightmare

    My work leading Ignite Jingles means that I travel a fair bit. Having an American wife also adds to the international travel, and the result of all this is that I consider myself a bit of an expert at airports. I pack efficiently, I have an adapter for all occasions, I can edit audio in…

  • Taste and decency in radio imaging – how far is too far?

    The UK’s original Jack FM has been in trouble with the radio regulators this week, for an ident which said the following, while accompanied by the Ski Sunday music, two days after this terrible news story… Jack FM: As dependable as a Germanwings co-pilot Yikes. Certainly edgy, and according to Ofcom, not acceptable. This is…

  • Why Five Live was right to drop its imaging this week

    It’s been a fast-moving week of news from France, with many UK outlets sending reporters to the area for on-location coverage. Because I’ve mainly been in the car and I don’t have DAB in the current vehicle, I’ve mainly been getting my radio news from BBC Five Live, who in my opinion did a great…

  • The positioning of promos…

    I can go on about stuff like this for hours. But I’ll try not to… Last week, while driving round the M25, I was surprised to hear a major London station play three promos, back to back, all containing the same station voices, and all for different clients. It goes without saying that this is…