The head of BBC Radio 5 Live says podcast success is key to his legacy in the job.
With increased numbers of people now accessing radio via DAB, mobile and the internet, only 50 per cent now listen via analogue signals, creating a challenging environment for traditional radio.
The medium-wave station dedicated to news and sport is massively popular and has produced the two most popular podcasts of 2017 to date: 鈥楩lintoff, Savage and the Ping Pong Guy鈥� and the crime series 鈥楤eyond Reasonable Doubt?鈥�
Jonathan Wall has served as the controller since 2013 and says success upon new media platforms, including podcasting, can help reach new audiences.
鈥淪ometimes you write down what you want to do in the next three or five years of your life, and for me it鈥檚 about leaving a legacy in the job I鈥檓 doing,鈥� he told a packed audience at our 鈥楽ecrets of leadership鈥� event at Themis, at Burnley College.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be a manager who manages decline. There are barriers in radio 鈥� medium wave, in our case, and one or two other issues about audience behaviour 鈥� but I use that as a motivating factor.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done the two best podcasts this year, the Flintoff one and the crime 鈥� so that鈥檚 a positive motivation.鈥�
Wall was integral to persuading big-name presenters Andrew Flintoff and Robbie Savage to partner with sports journalist and former international 聽table tennis player Matthew Syed for the sports podcast which debuted at no.1 in the overall UK chart in February.
鈥楤eyond Reasonable Doubt?鈥� focuses on real-life crime stories and also hit no.1 immediately after launching in June.
Wall is responsible for setting 5 Live鈥檚 overall strategy and leads a team of 200 people.
鈥淚n terms of leadership, the single biggest thing for me is authenticity and the moral compass you have in a job. You must have an instinct for what鈥檚 right and fair,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here must also be a bigger purpose for what you do 鈥� one which your staff feels inside and which motivates them to get up in the morning.鈥�
- The聽Secrets of Leadership event was sponsored by Themis in association with CascadeGo HR software.