'Ignore people who tell you radio is dead' – Podcasting advice from BBC Click

Although new storytelling formats are continuously developing and emerging, radio has stood the test of time as an engaging way to connect with audiences.

In recent years, podcasts have also become increasingly popular, with everyone from big news organisations to individual journalists experimenting with them.

Gareth Mitchell, presenter of BBC Click, the BBC World Service's radio technology programme, advises those who are starting out in podcasting to “ignore people who tell you radio is dead”, saying that “radio will remain the killer medium until we have brain implants that put information straight into our head.”

“If you've got a distinctive, interesting way of putting across something you care about, put it out there as a podcast and if it's good enough, people will listen to it."

He explained that podcasters have to keep their listeners as their number one priority, adding that the biggest challenge for his production team is to keep focused on serving their wide audience of cultures and ages, providing them with content that matters to them.

“If I am not careful, I can get very carried away by a piece of kit, but at all times we have to think – why does it matter to the listener? Just trying to nail that audience is challenging."

The weekly show, broadcast every Tuesday on BBC World Service and also available as a podcast, is always recorded in one take and lasts exactly 26 minutes and 29 seconds.

Mitchell interviews technology experts from around the world, and discusses a range of issues with technology writer Bill Thompson.

The ability to listen is a simple yet fundamental attribute for radio hosts to have, he said, ensuring they keep the flow of the conversation relevant, interesting and appropriate for the audience.

“It's a disaster on air if you drift off from what your interviewee is saying just as they say something libelous, outrageous or something really interesting and you've missed it.

“You might ask them a question a minute later that gets them to repeat themselves. That's a pretty bad feeling, even in informal company, but on air, that's terrible.”

As well as the ability to read a script without being put off by making small mistakes – which he said are all part of live radio – Mitchell emphasised the importance of using quality audio kit to record your podcast.

“It amazes me when people think ‘right, you know I'm going to be a podcaster so I’ll just record it all on some crummy old MP3 player without a proper microphone and a horrible reverberate room, but because the content is so amazing people listen to it."

“It’s not rocket science you know, but you do need some decent kit.”

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