By Darren Gilbert

“The whole nature of how people access information has evolved dramatically over the last few years, but radio news hasn’t evolved with it,” says Simpson. “You have newsreaders come on air and read a news bulletin at the audience. I think that is outmoded and there is no future in that.”

A better way to present the news on radio

Heart FM News believes it has found a way forward.

“People have far higher expectations of the information that they get from radio and when we are presenting it in a very staid, old way, we are inviting people to switch off,” say Simpson. “At Heart FM News, we’ve change that. Now, you’ll find that all our news readers are striving to deliver the bulletins in a conversational style.”

In short, they are telling you the story rather than just reading it to you, and, in so doing, inviting you to be part of it.

“I don’t believe people aren’t interested in information. It’s not like there is a lack of desire for the news either,” he adds. “There is just a disconnect with how the news is presented.”

A closer look at Heart FM News’ new broadcasting style

While the end goal for Heart FM News is to implement this conversational-type news reading across all of its bulletins, for now, they’ve focused on their three flagship bulletins.

There is the 7am News Agenda, the Lunchtime News Wrap at Noon and the 6pm News Wrap.

Simpson explains, “The 7am bulletin is where our news anchor engages in straight-out dialogue with the breakfast show host, going in with a couple of bullet points and talking about the big stories of the day. It’s a conversation between two people that you are listening in on, but you are also getting all the salient information.”

When done correctly, the audience will listen to a news anchor that isn’t just reading the story but understands what is going on, which builds trustworthiness.

The Lunchtime News Wrap has a slightly different format, as it is a space for delving deeper into a story. “It’s quite an editorial space. We delve into speculation as to why something is happening. It’s the ‘Why’ of the news rather than just the facts.”

While the final bulletin of the day, the 6pm News Wrap, is yet to be implemented, listeners can expect a summary of the news of the day, as well as a little bit of editorialising.

Facing the challenges head-on

Considering the amount of time and effort that the team has put into this, Simpson is quick to point out that this style of radio news broadcasting is still a work in progress.

“The one challenge is there are no archetypes to lean on,” explains Simpson. “We can’t channel a particular newscaster that we’ve idolised for years because no one has done the news this way before. That means we have to guide ourselves internally.”

There is also the need to find the balance between editorialising and the facts of a story, a challenge that Simpson is all too aware of.

“We have to tread carefully within that editorial space,” he says. “We don’t want to become opinionistas here. We also don’t want to place the radio station in a philosophical position.”

An ambitious vision for the future of radio news

When it comes to Simpson’s vision for this new style of broadcasting, it is about becoming “seamless” with the rest of the station.

He explains, “Rather than having news and newsreaders perceived by the audience as being of a particular category, it’s about having them seen in the same light as a presenter. They are just different because of the type of knowledge they hold and the level of contact they have with newsmakers.”

“I want our listeners to be better informed when they get to the water cooler,” he says. “I want them to know more because they have absorbed more because we presented the news better.”

Will this ultimately work? Not even Simpson is 100% sure. But, at least he, along with the rest of the Heart FM News team is giving it a go, and in the process, allowing listeners the chance to hear how the news on radio can be presented better.

For more information, visit www.1049.fm.

Heart FM isn’t the only station that is taking on how radio is done. Read more about the CliffCentral journey in our article, CliffCentral.com: From head of the curve, to looming mainstream.