Blog: Radio that leaves you reeling

I have just finished listening to almost 100 hours of radio programming for The Sony Radio Academy Awards in my role as chair of one of the judging panels, and have been left reeling.

The quality, innovation, creativity and sheer energy is amazing. Judging the Sony's exposes you to radio you might otherwise miss and in both the BBC and commercial sector there is some fantastic work being done on local and national stations across the UK.

I am not a regular listener to the BBC World service, Asian Network, Century or Radio 3, but for the annual judging I am suddenly thrust into those worlds and delighted to be immersed in their brilliant programming.

Radio is currently facing unprecedented challenges. The whole infrastructure of the medium is up for grabs, whether it's how to compete with online for advertising revenue, the survival of DAB, how to get into bed with iTunes, or issues of station ownership.

Commercial radio is gripped by what will happen to GCap Media, the UK's largest radio group, which says it would work with Global Radio to decide whether to recommend a takeover.

Global want to work with GCap to create shareholder value (let me declare an interest here as a modest shareholder in GCap) and create a group to compete with the BBC.

It all sounds plausible, but then didn't GWR and Capital Radio say the same thing before their disfunctional merger?

But if the Sony Awards teach you anything at all, it's that this medium is all about excellence of content.

Commercial radio is often derided for crap repetitive bland programming, but it's not entirely fair. If you listen to Kiss or Smooth you will know about two of the best DJ based shows on UK radio.

The first is David Rodigan's Reggae program on Kiss 100 on Sunday nights. Rodigan began his broadcasting career on BBC Radio London in 1978, but when he moved to Capital he became so successful that reggae concert promoters became fearful of staging a live show whilst Rodigan was on the air.

Nowadays his authoritative, passionate DJ style on Kiss defines what a music loving DJ should sound like.

The other exceptional commercial radio DJ is Peter Young, who's Soulful Saturday show is to be found on Smooth Radio 102.2FM. Peter is a graduate of the legendary biscuit factory radio UBN, but it was at Capital where he made his name on the Capital Countdown, Drive time and Pete's Party.

Peter is also a complete music fan-you know from every DJ link that he loves soul music and he exudes knowledge and enthusiasm.

When you think of music loving DJs, the names that first come to mind are John Peel or Roger Scott, but David Rodigan and Peter Young are in the same class, and rather happily, both very much alive.

I hope that some of the executives at GCap and Global were Sony Awards judges and take that experience to the board room.

Paul Robinson is the managing director of KidsCo

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