The best radio ads, the most dubious BBC complaint yet, and radio's skip button

Do you know what radio commercials are best? The RAB claims to, using its RadioGauge service. We saw a presentation of it earlier this year in Copenhagen, and it's impressive. In Q1 2011, they've tested 33 radio commercials so far (in front of 5,900 people) in what seems an oddly scientific service for something that's so creative - and come out with a top ten. See if you agree that effectiveness can be measured with a set of rules.

The Mail on Sunday, just like the Daily Mail, wastes no opportunity to pointlessly slag off the BBC. Normally, they're pointless moans from jealous journalists who don't understand the scope that the BBC has; but they excelled themselves recently, attacking the Corporation for "ruling that the most offensive word in English is acceptable for broadcast." The word is "most abhorrent to women", apparently. Anyway, good job that the BBC didn't broadcast it. Mind, it filled a front page. The Tabloid Watch article we link to is especially good.

Also in newspapers, Martin Belam points out that the Daily Express's racism appears to be in its user registration online.

Anyway, it's not as if the news article is the goal of journalism any more, says Jeff Jarvis. He argues that it's a value-added luxury - a byproduct of the journalism process. It's an interesting read, which might annoy a good few newspaper writers.

US radio consultant Mark Ramsey discusses, in a two part post, how radio can battle Pandora. In part one, he makes the rather sensible observation that radio already has a "skip" button - every time you change the station. Worth a read.

Also worth a read is Radio InSights' post that argues that the craziness and innovation of radio has stopped (in the US). "New media is not radio’s greatest challenge. Radio’s greatest challenge is complacency and a growing buttoned-down attitude that stifles creativity." Amen. (Not that we're supposed to take sides.) (But we are.)

Apparently, we're about to get rid of our TVs and DVDs, says John Naughton. Maybe. At least - it's certainly worthwhile thinking again about how we use TV.

And, apparently, the new digital radio is the iPad. All round good egg James Cridland reports on his excellent blog that 55% of UK iPad users listen to live radio on their iPad. The post's full with comments from people saying they do exactly that. James surmises that the iPad's success is the freedom from headphones. Perhaps. He's a bright man. (Will this do?) (Yes)