Radio 1 - recovering from the longest show ever
We all know what it feels like to be tired right? I mean really tired. We love watching people go the extra mile for a good cause and 52 hours is a long time to be awake. 'Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 1's Longest Show Ever with Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave' hit the mark for many people, including me. Radio 1 listeners raised £2.6 million. Incredible. It was, dare I say it, an emotional moment as we came off air, as it had so clearly captured and motivated our listeners in a way that we were simply not expecting. We could see it, in volume, written large on a gigantic screen in the studio; a flow of Facebook comments, SMS texts, tweets and a donations total wrapped around the BT Tower. It showed us how radio and the internet can work together so well and how far we'd come in terms of using different platforms.
I have no doubt that Chris and Dave would have had plenty of support without the internet or the red button but we have been building around different themes for some time. Trying out different ideas: from social media to empowering our audience with U CRTL Katy (Perry), visualising aspects of our output without damaging the passive radio experience and opening up our relationship with DJs as a compliment to listeners' social media noise. This felt like the coming of age for a new way to interact with listeners.
We simplified our approach: regular updates to , clear communications about , a flow of visual material to catch up on (people seem particularly keen on seeing Fearne in a swimsuit) and an all-important live video window on the challenge Chris and Dave were undertaking. We had every door open to our audience and they used them.
It meant that you could stick with Chris and Dave, whether you were listening or not, dip in and out, see the impact of donations on a train or at work. Chris and Dave could see you and your support rolling in before their eyes.
It's a pretty humbling experience really when you witness such a positive wave of reaction. It was made all the more strong as Chris and Dave felt permanently propped up by listeners - trending No 1 in the world on Twitter is a great feeling for someone trying to stay awake for 52 hours. So our thanks go to Radio 1 listeners - we are all in awe.
By the way, I have yawned 6 times in remembering the marathon for this blog post and I actually got some sleep last week!
Ben Chapman is Interactive Editor at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 1
- Relive the marathon broadcast on the Radio 1 web site.
- Get the latest news and make a donation .
Comment number 1.
At 22nd Mar 2011, Jon Jacob wrote:Well done sir. :)
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Comment number 2.
At 26th Mar 2011, M Lee wrote:I loved the red button and internet broadcasts!, All radio should be televised especially Chris Moyles!! LOL
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