Lying dormant for decades after being one of radio’s star attractions during the twentieth century, audio drama seems to be making a comeback in Spain thanks to the emergence and consolidation of podcasting. This phenomenon is being promoted equally by the new digital platforms and by traditional broadcasters. This research aims to explain how the podcast is helping to revive drama and to what extent the new productions will allow radio stations to preserve their identity or if the latter will be forced to reinvent themselves due to the peculiarities of this new format. The results confirm both hypotheses. The fact is, there has been significant growth in production during three well-defined periods. Moreover, at the same time, fiction is changing in terms of its characteristics, content and production techniques, as the rich heritage accumulated over the last century has been lost with the passing of time.
Review of: Jazz Radio America , Aaron J. Johnson (2024) Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 406 pp., ISBN 978-0-25208-830-8, p/bk, USD 29.95
There has certainly been a revival of interest in what is known variously as spatial, immersive or three-dimensional sound in radio and podcasting in recent years. It has been used in news, documentaries, investigative series and audio dramas. But this article turns instead to its relative lack of use. Focusing on factual programmes and based on research with programme-makers from several countries over five years, I analyse the reasons they give for not using spatial sound as often as they want and identify significant underlying cultural patterns that constitute wider cultural problems in the radio and podcast sector. These threaten to undermine the growth and development of narrative audio more generally.
As the Australian community radio sector approaches its 50th birthday, many stations are reflecting on their own colourful pasts. Regional community radio stations are under-represented in historical literature, with most Australian community radio histories focusing on metropolitan stations. This research explores how community radio histories can find new life through practice-based research. Drawing on historical research conducted for and alongside a regional Australian community radio station, this article critically reflects on both the importance of preserving and sharing community radio histories and the potential of radio production as an approach to reciprocal research in this space. The findings suggest that radio production has a key role to play not only in increasing the accessibility of research findings in the platform age but also as a way of shaping and guiding inquiry itself. This is vital for both preserving historical research and ensuring that these stories remain accessible to their communities.
Review of: Podcast Studies: Practice into Theory , Lori Beckstead and Dario Llinares (eds) (2025) Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 383 pp., ISBN 978-1-77112-643-4, h/bk, GBP 79 ISBN 978-1-77112-676-2, p/bk, GBP 35
