I'm a Senior Lecturer in Radio at the University of Sunderland, I've been there since 1997 teaching a range of modules within radio production, radio studies and broadcasting. My research is primarily within radios interactions with new media and digital technology, including podcasting, use of social media and new platforms for radio content
When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in... more When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in 2004, the revolution that became podcasting was a new and emerging movement that re-appropriated the tools around it. As a word, a distribution system, and a production convention, podcasting is now considered mainstream. As the medium approaches teenage years podcast listening continues to grow, but today listeners favour smartphones over iPods, an ecosystem which seems to be generating renewed interest in the medium. The podcast Serial is leading this charge; raising the question ‘has podcasting finally grown up?’
Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2016
In 2004, a new movement began. It was one that promised democratization of media production tools... more In 2004, a new movement began. It was one that promised democratization of media production tools and the means to freely distribute work. Using domestic tools and open source software, the pioneers threatened to disrupt the top-down media ecosystem that we were used to. That movement was podcasting. In the 10 years that have passed since we first heard the word ‘podcast’ thousands of podcasts have started, audiences have grown steadily, technologies have evolved and the medium has become increasingly professionalized. By 2015, the medium had become a significant talking point through the success of podcasts such as Serial, Start-up and WTF, suggesting that podcasting may have reached maturity.
Radio Journal:International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 2020
In 2018, the BBC announced plans to replace their long-established ‘iPlayer Radio’ service with a... more In 2018, the BBC announced plans to replace their long-established ‘iPlayer Radio’ service with a new platform called BBC Sounds. The new service was promoted as a single space where listeners can consume BBC radio, music and podcasts, creating a single point of interaction between audiences and content. This is, however, far more than an exercise in reframing public service radio content in a new app; it is also a practical application of these policies through the commissioning of content made for online, specifically, younger, audiences. This shift happens not only at a time where traditional broadcasters are exploring ways to re-engage younger listeners but as commentators search for the ‘Netflix of Podcasts’ This article explores the manner in which the BBC Sounds project is a response to current trends in the radio industry and to which it recognizes podcasting as an audio medium that is distinct from but institutionally connected to radio.
Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2006
The Apple iPod has not only become a ‘must have’ style accessory for the ‘wirefree’ generation bu... more The Apple iPod has not only become a ‘must have’ style accessory for the ‘wirefree’ generation but has also revolutionized the way we consume music. At the time of writing, (November 2005) the revolution has already started in the audio world, and has been going for the last 18 months. ‘Podcasting’ allows anyone with a PC to create a ‘radio’ programme and distribute it freely, through the internet to the portable MP3 players of subscribers around the world. Podcasting not only removes global barriers to reception but, at a stroke, removes key factors impeding the growth of internet radio: its portability, its intimacy and its accessibility. This is a scenario where audiences are producers, where the technology we already have assumes new roles and where audiences, cut off from traditional media, rediscover their voices.
When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in... more When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in 2004, the revolution that became podcasting was a new and emerging movement that re-appropriated the tools around it. As a word, a distribution system, and a production convention, podcasting is now considered mainstream. As the medium approaches teenage years podcast listening continues to grow, but today listeners favour smartphones over iPods, an ecosystem which seems to be generating renewed interest in the medium. The podcast Serial is leading this charge; raising the question ‘has podcasting finally grown up?’
In this introductory chapter, the editors set out the technological, industrial and cultural cont... more In this introductory chapter, the editors set out the technological, industrial and cultural contexts which have facilitated the emergence of podcasting and podcasts as a ‘new aural culture’. Drawing on their own experiences as podcast producers, listeners and theorists they explore the unique circumstances through which podcasting has evolved into a discreet form, despite existing in a simultaneously symbiotic relationship with a host of mediums. The introduction also sets out the parameters of podcast studies and introduces the book’s chapters as developments of the previous nascent research, while furthering avenues of enquiry reflective of podcasting’s increasingly influential status in the digital media landscape.
Podcasting has thrived since its popularization in 2004 as a bastion for amateur media production... more Podcasting has thrived since its popularization in 2004 as a bastion for amateur media production. Over the past ten years, however, entrepreneurs and legacy media companies have rapidly expanded their interests in podcasting, bringing with them professional standards and the logics of capital. Breakout hits such as 2014’s Serial (with nearly 40 million downloads) and This American Life have demonstrated to both programmers and advertisers the potential for podcasting to emerge as a commercially viable media industry (O’Connell, 2015). According to a recent nationwide survey by Edison Research (2019), an estimated 90 million listeners reported having listened to a podcast in the previous month. Despite the medium’s homespun, DIY roots, this dramatic expansion of the podcast audience and interest from legacy media has begun to transform it “from a do-it-yourself, amateur niche medium into a commercial mass medium” (Bonini, 2015, p. 27). This proposed panel aims to explore the transit...
This chapter seeks to assert that podcasts are a distinct media form and that although they might... more This chapter seeks to assert that podcasts are a distinct media form and that although they might exhibit a ‘radioness’, they should be treated as a medium in their own right. This distinctiveness has been achieved over time through a process in which podcasters have asserted their own media identity. The chapter maps this development process using business models and a survey of practising podcasters, concluding that a new lens of ‘podcast studies’ is required to fully appreciate the nuances of this medium.
When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in... more When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in 2004, the revolution that became podcasting was a new and emerging movement that re-appropriated the tools around it. As a word, a distribution system, and a production convention, podcasting is now considered mainstream. As the medium approaches teenage years podcast listening continues to grow, but today listeners favour smartphones over iPods, an ecosystem which seems to be generating renewed interest in the medium. The podcast Serial is leading this charge; raising the question ‘has podcasting finally grown up?’
The version below is the undited, and unproofed copy. If you plan on referencing the text, I suggest you buy the book. It's rather good, and has some other excellent chapters
Richard Berry is a Senior Lecturer in Radio and currently also manages the University’s Community Radio station, Spark FM – for which he also researched and wrote the licence application. He is a graduate of the University of Humberside (now Lincoln) and the University of London and previously worked in local radio news and Further Education before joining the University of Sunderland in 1997, where he now teaches undergraduate and postgraduate radio production and broadcasting. He has been researching and teaching on the impacts of new technologies in radio since 2004, specifically in the areas of Digital Radio, Podcasting and Visualised Radio.
Radio has always had pictures. The ones the listener created in their own minds and this is, most... more Radio has always had pictures. The ones the listener created in their own minds and this is, most of us agree, one of the medium's greatest strengths. However, radio is increasingly consumed on a digital platform (such as DAB Radio, Digital TV, a mobile device or a computer) on devices with screens, rather than a dial. This creates a problem for radio because when we look at the device we are listening to we see a screen that often lacks rich content. The process of Radio Visualisation is about filling this space. This papers focus, though, is the other ways in which radio is visualising itself online in a process that deploys transmedia storytelling techniques that build relationships with the audience, builds brands and helps broadcasters to tell stories in ways never before possible.
When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in... more When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in 2004, the revolution that became podcasting was a new and emerging movement that re-appropriated the tools around it. As a word, a distribution system, and a production convention, podcasting is now considered mainstream. As the medium approaches teenage years podcast listening continues to grow, but today listeners favour smartphones over iPods, an ecosystem which seems to be generating renewed interest in the medium. The podcast Serial is leading this charge; raising the question ‘has podcasting finally grown up?’
Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2016
In 2004, a new movement began. It was one that promised democratization of media production tools... more In 2004, a new movement began. It was one that promised democratization of media production tools and the means to freely distribute work. Using domestic tools and open source software, the pioneers threatened to disrupt the top-down media ecosystem that we were used to. That movement was podcasting. In the 10 years that have passed since we first heard the word ‘podcast’ thousands of podcasts have started, audiences have grown steadily, technologies have evolved and the medium has become increasingly professionalized. By 2015, the medium had become a significant talking point through the success of podcasts such as Serial, Start-up and WTF, suggesting that podcasting may have reached maturity.
Radio Journal:International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 2020
In 2018, the BBC announced plans to replace their long-established ‘iPlayer Radio’ service with a... more In 2018, the BBC announced plans to replace their long-established ‘iPlayer Radio’ service with a new platform called BBC Sounds. The new service was promoted as a single space where listeners can consume BBC radio, music and podcasts, creating a single point of interaction between audiences and content. This is, however, far more than an exercise in reframing public service radio content in a new app; it is also a practical application of these policies through the commissioning of content made for online, specifically, younger, audiences. This shift happens not only at a time where traditional broadcasters are exploring ways to re-engage younger listeners but as commentators search for the ‘Netflix of Podcasts’ This article explores the manner in which the BBC Sounds project is a response to current trends in the radio industry and to which it recognizes podcasting as an audio medium that is distinct from but institutionally connected to radio.
Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2006
The Apple iPod has not only become a ‘must have’ style accessory for the ‘wirefree’ generation bu... more The Apple iPod has not only become a ‘must have’ style accessory for the ‘wirefree’ generation but has also revolutionized the way we consume music. At the time of writing, (November 2005) the revolution has already started in the audio world, and has been going for the last 18 months. ‘Podcasting’ allows anyone with a PC to create a ‘radio’ programme and distribute it freely, through the internet to the portable MP3 players of subscribers around the world. Podcasting not only removes global barriers to reception but, at a stroke, removes key factors impeding the growth of internet radio: its portability, its intimacy and its accessibility. This is a scenario where audiences are producers, where the technology we already have assumes new roles and where audiences, cut off from traditional media, rediscover their voices.
When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in... more When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in 2004, the revolution that became podcasting was a new and emerging movement that re-appropriated the tools around it. As a word, a distribution system, and a production convention, podcasting is now considered mainstream. As the medium approaches teenage years podcast listening continues to grow, but today listeners favour smartphones over iPods, an ecosystem which seems to be generating renewed interest in the medium. The podcast Serial is leading this charge; raising the question ‘has podcasting finally grown up?’
In this introductory chapter, the editors set out the technological, industrial and cultural cont... more In this introductory chapter, the editors set out the technological, industrial and cultural contexts which have facilitated the emergence of podcasting and podcasts as a ‘new aural culture’. Drawing on their own experiences as podcast producers, listeners and theorists they explore the unique circumstances through which podcasting has evolved into a discreet form, despite existing in a simultaneously symbiotic relationship with a host of mediums. The introduction also sets out the parameters of podcast studies and introduces the book’s chapters as developments of the previous nascent research, while furthering avenues of enquiry reflective of podcasting’s increasingly influential status in the digital media landscape.
Podcasting has thrived since its popularization in 2004 as a bastion for amateur media production... more Podcasting has thrived since its popularization in 2004 as a bastion for amateur media production. Over the past ten years, however, entrepreneurs and legacy media companies have rapidly expanded their interests in podcasting, bringing with them professional standards and the logics of capital. Breakout hits such as 2014’s Serial (with nearly 40 million downloads) and This American Life have demonstrated to both programmers and advertisers the potential for podcasting to emerge as a commercially viable media industry (O’Connell, 2015). According to a recent nationwide survey by Edison Research (2019), an estimated 90 million listeners reported having listened to a podcast in the previous month. Despite the medium’s homespun, DIY roots, this dramatic expansion of the podcast audience and interest from legacy media has begun to transform it “from a do-it-yourself, amateur niche medium into a commercial mass medium” (Bonini, 2015, p. 27). This proposed panel aims to explore the transit...
This chapter seeks to assert that podcasts are a distinct media form and that although they might... more This chapter seeks to assert that podcasts are a distinct media form and that although they might exhibit a ‘radioness’, they should be treated as a medium in their own right. This distinctiveness has been achieved over time through a process in which podcasters have asserted their own media identity. The chapter maps this development process using business models and a survey of practising podcasters, concluding that a new lens of ‘podcast studies’ is required to fully appreciate the nuances of this medium.
When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in... more When Ben Hammersley quickly pulled the word “podcasting” out of the air for a Guardian article in 2004, the revolution that became podcasting was a new and emerging movement that re-appropriated the tools around it. As a word, a distribution system, and a production convention, podcasting is now considered mainstream. As the medium approaches teenage years podcast listening continues to grow, but today listeners favour smartphones over iPods, an ecosystem which seems to be generating renewed interest in the medium. The podcast Serial is leading this charge; raising the question ‘has podcasting finally grown up?’
The version below is the undited, and unproofed copy. If you plan on referencing the text, I suggest you buy the book. It's rather good, and has some other excellent chapters
Richard Berry is a Senior Lecturer in Radio and currently also manages the University’s Community Radio station, Spark FM – for which he also researched and wrote the licence application. He is a graduate of the University of Humberside (now Lincoln) and the University of London and previously worked in local radio news and Further Education before joining the University of Sunderland in 1997, where he now teaches undergraduate and postgraduate radio production and broadcasting. He has been researching and teaching on the impacts of new technologies in radio since 2004, specifically in the areas of Digital Radio, Podcasting and Visualised Radio.
Radio has always had pictures. The ones the listener created in their own minds and this is, most... more Radio has always had pictures. The ones the listener created in their own minds and this is, most of us agree, one of the medium's greatest strengths. However, radio is increasingly consumed on a digital platform (such as DAB Radio, Digital TV, a mobile device or a computer) on devices with screens, rather than a dial. This creates a problem for radio because when we look at the device we are listening to we see a screen that often lacks rich content. The process of Radio Visualisation is about filling this space. This papers focus, though, is the other ways in which radio is visualising itself online in a process that deploys transmedia storytelling techniques that build relationships with the audience, builds brands and helps broadcasters to tell stories in ways never before possible.
Uploads
Papers by Richard Berry
http://onlinestore.sunderland.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=1&deptid=73&catid=81&prodvarid=267
The version below is the undited, and unproofed copy. If you plan on referencing the text, I suggest you buy the book. It's rather good, and has some other excellent chapters
Richard Berry is a Senior Lecturer in Radio and currently also manages the University’s Community Radio station, Spark FM – for which he also researched and wrote the licence application. He is a graduate of the University of Humberside (now Lincoln) and the University of London and previously worked in local radio news and Further Education before joining the University of Sunderland in 1997, where he now teaches undergraduate and postgraduate radio production and broadcasting. He has been researching and teaching on the impacts of new technologies in radio since 2004, specifically in the areas of Digital Radio, Podcasting and Visualised Radio.
http://onlinestore.sunderland.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=1&deptid=73&catid=81&prodvarid=267
The version below is the undited, and unproofed copy. If you plan on referencing the text, I suggest you buy the book. It's rather good, and has some other excellent chapters
Richard Berry is a Senior Lecturer in Radio and currently also manages the University’s Community Radio station, Spark FM – for which he also researched and wrote the licence application. He is a graduate of the University of Humberside (now Lincoln) and the University of London and previously worked in local radio news and Further Education before joining the University of Sunderland in 1997, where he now teaches undergraduate and postgraduate radio production and broadcasting. He has been researching and teaching on the impacts of new technologies in radio since 2004, specifically in the areas of Digital Radio, Podcasting and Visualised Radio.