RADIOactive is a one-stop-shop for broadcasters offering complete radio solutions from targeted advertising to live streaming to engaging web and mobile apps.
Its COO Aloysius Tan spoke to Asia radio Today about his plans for the company following the death of Managing Director Andrew Crothers in February.
Aloysius co-founded the company along with Crothers and the pair had been long-time friends and colleagues at Singapore’s largest broadcaster MediaCorp.
1. Drew’s death came as a shock to the entire radio industry in South-East Asia. How has the RADIOactive team dealt with this and you personally as you and Drew were business partners and good friends?
It’s been five months and everyone in the team has stepped up their game. While we miss Drew for everything that he is, in a way, his passing has pushed everyone out of their comfort zone and moved us into a very steep learning curve, myself included. On reflection, the team has grown even closer and stronger over the last 4 months. I know everyone still misses Drew, especially when we work on some of the projects that he has started the ground work on. But everyone is also driven by the fact that we can continue based on the foundation that was built over the past few years. A few days after his passing, as a group, we decided that we will carry on and that’s what everyone is doing.
On a personal front, not a day goes by where I do not miss him. I am very touched by the support from the team and also our business partners. Drew is a very dear friend who has seen the best and worst of me and together, we have weathered so many challenges together to get to where we are. The only way I know how to honour the memory of a good friend is to carry on what we have started together and I hope to be able to one day, deliver on his share of the company to his wife and son and share with his son how wonderful a person his dad is.
2. You co-founded RADIOactive with Drew and you’ve decided to continue the business. So how will that work?
Both Drew and myself lasted this long in the business because we bring into the mix, a good balance of industry experience, technology relevance and business know-how, tempered with mutual respect and a long standing good working relationship that pre-dated RADIOactive. Over the years, RADIOactive has not only been about the technology but more importantly, we have tried to create an environment where it is more about passion, the respect that team members have for each other and strong work ethics. We share openly, our rationale behind business decisions and our vision of where the company is heading. So while I have taken on the role of leading and managing the company operations, each and every member of the team plays an equally important role and has been putting in more than their fair share. We learn from each other every day and along the way, we have found our balance. The business strategy has not changed. What that was planned and discussed before Drew’s passing are still going to be implemented. A proud note to share is that the team has conceptualised a couple of very interesting ideas that we intend to develop and add to our service offerings, which will be named after Drew.
3. RADIOactive has grown very fast with the mass adoption of streaming apps. Where do you see future growth coming from regarding apps and streaming?
Real Monetisation of the streams will drive the future of Radio Streaming. At this moment, there are still many challenges that make it difficult for radio stations to be doing this optimally. But we are seeing this slowly improving. There is better understanding and appreciation for what needs to be done. And as we start seeing more positive results being shared, I believe that more broadcasters will be able to cut through the clutter and see the light at the end of the tunnel.
4. How can stations keep costs down as they have to pay a bit extra for each listener that tunes in through online/mobile?
Honestly, if they are taking the correct approach towards monetising their streams, then I would say that the streams will pay for themselves and more. But, the key is not just to do it for the sake of doing it but to do it correctly. In other words, talk to us!!
5. How is RADIOactive involved in this concept of Hybrid radio, where listeners tune to traditional radio which can automatically change to streaming radio in poor signal areas. Do you see that taking off?
Hybrid radio is a very exciting development which has still a bit of ways to go. Conceptually, it’s brilliant. Whether if it takes off or not really depends on many drivers and factors which are beyond our control.
6. You have been developing deploying a new ad delivery system which can offer targeted ads to streaming listeners. How does that work exactly and who is in the process of rolling out?
Essentially the audio ad in the simulcast stream is replaced on the fly with a targeted in-stream audio ad to the individual listener. The audio ad can can also be delivered (in sync) with a visual companion ad as well and allow for (click thru) interaction if the advertiser so chooses. Technically, when a listener first initiates the stream to listen and provides basic targeting information, these will be passed on to our servers. When it comes to the ad break, our servers will then intelligently replace the original simulcast ads with ads from advertisers that target the relevant listeners. We have already rolled this out with our partners in Malaysia and they are already seeing good traction. Indonesia and Singapore will be next.
7. Where else do you see future growth for your business?
You will be the first to hear about it when the time comes. However, I would venture to say that we are not short of ideas and the future looks bright enough for us to invest in ourselves by purchasing our own little office space and bringing in more staff.