The Canadian ‘Social Radio’ Experiment

The Canadian ‘Social Radio’ Experiment
Steve Pratt, CBC, Canada

Canada’s public broadcaster has attempted to rethink radio in a digital and social context through an innovation unit called CBC Radio 3.  Designed to be anything but traditional radio, this music service is not broadcast on AM or FM – instead, it relies on digital distribution, heavy participation from music fans, and user-generated content from musicians.  The result is a new way to make radio, new ways to experience radio programming, and a greatly increased sense of loyalty and ownership in the service from its audience.

Steve Pratt is the Director of Digital Music for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.