By India Pemberton
To step into his new role as station manager at ABC 702, Nick Lowther didn’t head straight to the office. He got on a train.
“I went north, I went south. I went into pubs, I went into cafes, I went and rode the trains everywhere,” Lowther said. “I just wanted to know as much about the audience as possible.”
It’s a simple yet revolutionary tip from someone who has built a career on connecting with his audience.
Lowther made the journey from regional radio to one of Australia’s most prominent metropolitan stations late last year.
Having spent nearly a decade at ABC Western Plains, and beginning his radio journey in Bendigo, he speaks about the intimacy of country radio with the kind of warmth that only comes from lived experience.
Lowther’s roots are firmly in regional broadcasting, and he makes no secret of his fondness for it.
“I love the idea that people can knock on the door of regional radio,” he said.
“That’s what metropolitan misses, because you go to a big station, you wouldn’t even know what building they’re in.”
He highlighted the crucial role a particular character from his Dubbo days played for the station; a local elder known as Riverbank Frank, who would simply stroll into the station unannounced, sometimes bringing strangers he’d found downtown along with him.
“Sometimes they didn’t speak English, and that was a problem,” Lowther laughed. “But other times that was really helpful.”
Lowther lovingly described himself as “an appalling, nosy person” and credits long hours of people watching in shopping centres, on ferries, and in suburban pubs as his most valuable research tool.
“Nothing tells you a story in a spreadsheet,” he said. “It’s just about seeing how the city moves, lives, what their behaviours are.
“The odd eavesdrop into a conversation about what they’re talking about in the news will give you a better understanding of what resonates for people in their everyday lives.”
His advice to anyone in media trying to understand their audience is simple, and perhaps surprising: take a train trip.
Featured image: Darcy Milne of Pro Podcast (left) and Nick Lowther (middle) debate podcasting v broadcasting at the TAFE Media Forum, alongside mediator Sterling Hall (right). Photo: Cat Cranston
