He’s listening.
But unlike TV’s fussy radio psychologist Frasier Crane, Dave Arnold doesn’t want to delve into your personal psyche — he just wants to know what makes your Palm Pilot tick.
Arnold, 41, is the host of Tech Talk, a popular Saturday morning radio call-in program that gives many Calgary high-tech companies a chance to tell their stories and explain the technology behind a particular product or trend.
But don’t expect to hear about leveraging value-added content with multiple B2B platforms and scalable data-based integration.
“I don’t do geek-speak,” shudders Arnold, who has been orbiting radio microphones for more than a decade, the last eight years with QR77 working the drive-home show.
“But I am good at translating geek-speak into English, because I know a little bit about a lot of things.”
A self-confessed “late adopter” of technology who bought his first computer at age 35 and still uses a pocket daytimer, the velvet-voiced Arnold tries to demystify the latest technical trends by inviting local companies into the studio to talk about what they do. Topics range from the newest electronic toys to how GPS technology operates, and listeners are encouraged to call in with their questions.
“There’s so much going on in this city in terms of development of technology that it only made sense” to feature a regular radio segment, says QR77 programming director Jay Donald. “We’re obviously very pleased with (the numbers), and the expectation is he’ll be able to grow that audience down the line.”
The show began in September to replace the computer and electronics-based Chalk Talk radio show networked out of Vancouver. With very little promotion, the one-hour Tech Talk quickly attracted solid ratings from across Alberta in its 11 a.m.-noon time slot.
“Calgary is becoming a phenomenal technology centre, the whole province is. And people don’t know what’s really going on in their own backyard. It’s amazing the things that are being done here,” says Arnold.
Choosing a company to profile is “completely subjective,” he adds, but visitors must come equipped to talk about a topic that’s of broad interest versus talking about their latest e-widget.
In one recent in-studio interview, IVRnet Inc. CFO Jon Constable chatted about his company’s e-business strategy as well as talking about the recent crash in the tech market.
Constable says it’s important for companies to be able to get their message out to the public in plain language, even if they’re involved in purely B2B plays.
“One of the things that’s absolutely critical is that you be able to express yourself clearly and quickly,” he says.
But on the air, interesting topics aren’t always linked to articulate speakers. Arnold, who also runs a home-based media marketing agency, notes that a few of his on-air interviewees have been positively tongue-tied when it comes to explaining their work.
“I have to try and draw them out,” he says.
“There are so many great technical stories and companies . . . yet technical people as a general rule of thumb are lousy at marketing and telling people about themselves.
“It’s a fine line that I have to walk. I want people with technical skill and knowledge to listen . . . but I also want the average person out there not to get lost in a bunch of technical jargon.”
Arnold says hosting the show is a dream job which marries his passions for radio and technology.
“I see this being something very long term,” he says. “For me, it’s the best of two worlds.”
And Calgary is listening.
