Liam Thompson is the co-founder of the Smart Seven Podcast, a portable version of a radio which consistently delivers relevant news straight to its audience’s mobile phone. The concept is relatively simple: “The world served up in seven minutes”. This formula is applied to all aspects of the podcast’s production, providing an innovative take on news distribution: all programs are exactly 7 minutes and are published every day at 7 a.m. “It is easy to make podcasts but it is incredibly difficult to stand out. You need a clear idea”, Thompson says.
“Le short”, a podcast voiced and run by Davy Bailly for Radio Télévision Suisse, plays around with its content and delivery method. This news shot lasts about 3 to 4 minutes and is sent every morning by Whatsapp, giving listeners an overview of the news in a lighter tone. The podcast is recorded by Bailly outside, every morning, in order to capture ambient sounds, making it sound closer to a voice audio someone would receive from a friend.
“We needed to adapt that the world is younger and consume news less”- Steven Titherington
Steve Titherington, Senior Commissioning Editor of BBC, explained the idea behind their new project: BBC minute. It’s a sound bit that can be consumed as a podcast or integrated into different radio broadcasts. It starts with music and delivers the news in a semi-casual tone. It was first used in a radio station in Johannesburg. From there, it’s been picked up by stations all over the world.
Written by: Beatriz Valente and Artyom Laptev
