“No piece of audio has ever gone viral, that’s a simple fact,” said Harland. “That’s why Radio 1’s strategy is now listen-watch-share. At a time when radio listening is changing and the competition for ears and eyes is everywhere, you can’t rely on running a trailer on your radio show to increase listenership.”
A clip of Radio 1’s Chris Stark interviewing American actress Mila Kunis last year, has now had more than 12 million views. A performance in the “Live Lounge” by Miley Cyrus drew 9m views, partly because she used the camera to encourage her legions of fans to make it a viral hit. When Radio 1 presenter Greg James did a version of the Cyrus hit Wrecking Ball, it had 4.8m viewers.
With American radio broadcasters trying to find ways to follow young people’s media use, Radio 1’s YouTube success has attracted coverage in USA Today and Billboard. “They have looked over and realised that Radio 1 is setting the bar for how radio can perform in that space,” said Harland. “The audience don’t differentiate between a US piece and a UK piece. For them it’s a global model.”
