Hello.

The two things i've always been interested in are radio and the web. I remember spending two weeks at 2CR in Bournemouth doing work-experience aged fourteen and thinking it was the best thing ever. At around the same time I also remember sitting by my friend's computer trying to get Real Player to work and trying to work out how to register a domain name. I don't think we were very successful with either…

At University I remember sitting at the computer centre in my first year (1997) looking at jobs in MediaGuardian and thinking that if I left my course right now I could get a job at one of those dot coms. I chose not to (was that the right thing to do, i'm still not sure). Instead I joined the student radio station, Insanity, and eventually became the Station Manager. Whilst there I won two Radio 1 Student Radio Awards for Marketing and I also bid for a full-time FM licence in London when I really should have been doing my degree.

Thinking back the licence bidding thing was a little crazy. We didn't win, it went to Choice FM, but it was certainly a lot of fun. How we managed to persuade our rag bag of investors including GWR and Time Out to give us their money i'll never know.

I left University at bit early. You see us Media Arts students had no exams in the final term, and the Radio Academy has offered me a job as the Administrator. Now, whilst i'm sure this was down to my radio skill, in reality I think it was because Chris, who worked at the Academy, needed a new housemate, and he could entice me with one to get the other. Anyway, it worked.

I was there until Feb 2001 when Gregory Wastson at GWR, he who invested in our dodgy FM licence bid, asked me to help him bid for some new ones for GWR. I jumped aboard, joining Greg at Classic FM House in Oxford Circus. Gradually over the years my role expanded to cover local DAB Digital Radio, M&A and other strategic bits and bobs. I was also instrumental in the merger of GWR and Capital Radio. That's actually a lie, but if you were in strategy and survived the merger, I think it only right that you claim that.

Just before and a little after the merger I created the things I am most proud of. With Bern Leckie I co-created Chill, a chill-out radio station that spoke to its listeners on-line, rather than on-air. It's a brillant station staffed, erm, innovatively. I also co-created the children's radio station Fun Radio and led the programme strategy for its first two years. It was nominated for Digital Radio Station at the Sony Awards in 2007 and we were chuffed to bits.

In January 2006, with John Hirst, I built Creation Podcasts, a website that allowed GCap to create podcasts for third parties and new material (ie not station branded) to be distributed direct to consumers. We conceived, built, sponsored and launched the site within three months and in its first year distributed over a million podcasts. We did it to make money for the company, but also to learn more about this new platform. The download data and user behaviour we discovered was absolutely fascinating and allowed us to lead radio's podcasting revenues. It was also lots of fun.

DAB Digital Radio is something that's been a constant throughout my time at GWR/GCap. With Gregory I wrote and won 12 local digital multiplex licences and then went on to be responsible for GCap's network of 19 local multiplexes as well as represent GCap's interests at other digital radio consortiums. I've also been a Director of NOWdigital (East Midlands) Ltd, CE Digital Ltd, MXR Limited, MXR Holdings Ltd and Capital Radio/UBC Data Ltd. I was also very pleased when I wrote the winning application for a new FM licence for XFM in South Wales, I believed that officially made me a rock god. Well, until they sold it off in under a year and Jason rebranded it Nation Radio.

I did, however, abandon GCap in April 2007 to do radio and new media things for other people. I liked to think of myself as a media mercenary, a gun for hire, righting wrongs. Unfortunately I was just quite normal and helped companies do new radio stuff, be that strategy, digital or regulatory and to help organisations use social media, things like blogs and social networking to have more authentic conversations with their customers.

In September 2007 I threw in my lot with Gregory to form a new company – Folder Media – a firm that develops new platforms and the things that sit on them. Alongside that we also provide strategic advice on old and new media for anyone that needs a hand. We're friendly and reasonable and offer you biscuits if you come to the office.

I also do some cross-industry stuff too, I floor-produce dthe Sony Radio Academy Awards webcast and i've been on the committees for Radio at the Edge and the Association of Student Radio Alumni. I also help to judge the Student Radio Awards and the Radio Academy's Nations and Regions Awards. This year I was chosen as a '30 Under 30′ in Media Week. This was important. Especially as I won't be able to even be considered next year.

At Folder we won nine digital multiplexes through a thing Gregory named MuxCo and we went and bought that children's radio station we started, re-naming it Fun Kids. Our digital/radio crossover work continues and we're retained by ITN, NME Radio and Jazz FM to help them do interesting things.

You can email me by using the contact form.

Matt
(updated 19th December 2008)

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