Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Models and the Radio Industry…

Earlier this year, February the 13th to be exact, I joined some festivities to mark annual World Radio Day. What is World Radio Day? Click here: And there’s the UNESCO site – which explains a bit more… In case you’re wondering, everyone has their day. For example, May the 4th is International Firefighters' Day and they won’t thank you for making some unnecessary…

http://prefadelisten.com/2026/03/14/artificial-intelligence-large-language-models-and-the-radio-industry/

Analogue* radio’s uneasy relationship with protest songs

I’m writing here about pop music that makes a political statement – and tunes that call out bad decisions by leaders and politicians. Later in this piece I’ll recall the Pistols, The Clash, The Specials, and Robert Wyatt. Gems from my formative years A pop star writing and singing about what’s going on around them is hardly new. However, dear listener, we can only have so much internal angst and drivel about how…

http://prefadelisten.com/2026/02/14/analogue-radios-uneasy-relationship-with-protest-songs/

Encouragement... for writers and radio stars like us in these straightened times

http://prefadelisten.com/2026/01/14/encouragement-for-writers-and-radio-stars-like-us-in-these-straightened-times/

A moment to pause, reflect and pray. The Palestinian folk song “Yamma Mwel El Hawa” (Mama, Sing to the Wind), with new English lyrics written by Peter Gabriel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G957oaAZwhc

Radio & ideas – all our scrapbooks (Part 3)

Ideas are the lifeblood of what we do as writers and broadcasters. I'll have more about them in a moment, but first some things to avoid. Especially if you're a big beleaguered British public service broadcaster in the mid 2020s with a reputation to defend, with the right-wing press baying for your blood, and with a charter renewal in 2027 to think about.

http://prefadelisten.com/2025/12/15/radio-ideas-all-our-scrapbooks-part-3/

Radio & ideas – all our scrapbooks (Part 2)

In which I discuss W. H. Auden's habit of cultivating ideas and how writers like us need desperately to generate and hold on to our good ones. Just to be clear, this comes under a headline (above) that in itself is not 100% accurate. Perhaps that admission is poignant given the fragile state of public service broadcasting in the UK as I write this in late 2025.

http://prefadelisten.com/2025/11/14/radio-ideas-all-our-scrapbooks-part-2/

Radio & ideas – all our scrapbooks (Part 1)

Here for you: a piece of writing about the process of writing… In the doing of it I'll write about - and reflect upon - er, the writing of it. With examples of pieces by E. M. Forster and other Eng. Lit. heavies. Post Modern maybe but I think all writing - good writing that is - starts from ideas. And those sparkles of inspiration don't just call themselves into existence the moment you need them.

http://prefadelisten.com/2025/10/14/radio-ideas-our-scrapbooks-part-1/

Radio speak (Part 2) Bots and AI on air… what could possibly go wrong?

I’m considering how radio-speak – the inane gabble of a mindless jock – is a constant danger for us presenters and DJs. In a previous article I wrote about the foot-in-mouth escapades of DJs who forgot to engage brain before opening the microphone fader. Yes, dear reader, it’s happened to me on many occasions. I mentioned Billy Crystal’s voice of Mike Wazowski in the film…

http://prefadelisten.com/2025/09/15/radio-speak-part-2-bots-and-ai-on-air-what-could-possibly-go-wrong/

Radio speak. Why we’re all turning into brainless bots. Sort of.

So, here’s the moment when your radio alarm goes off and the DJ, all-bright-and-breezy, says: "Hey! Good Morning! It’s now five-after-the-hour of six AM in the big Monster City." The slick breakfast jock is actually Mike. He’s really good at doing impersonations and spouting cliches like this. And for the English language pedants, the question arises about this time-based geographic specificity of Mike's.

http://prefadelisten.com/2025/08/14/radio-speak-why-were-all-turning-into-brainless-bots-sort-of/