Magnum Opus Broadcasting | New Podcasts
Magnum Opus Broadcasting was originally formed by Grammy Award winning producer Steve Levine and Richard Allinson as an audio production team to create high-value programming content and concepts for broadcast radio, which it continues to do to this day.
The company gained its on air reputation via The Record Producers; a long running BBC Radio 2 series of special programmes exploring the work of legendary record producers and production teams. The show’s first series hit the airwaves in 2006 and during later series The Record Producers also included special ‘extended cut’ shows on BBC 6 Music.
In well over 20 special programmes, featured producers included Trevor Horn, Sir George Martin, Arif Mardin, Roy Wood, Brian Wilson and many, many more. More recently Magnum Opus Broadcasting – joined since 2008 by writer and producer Lewis Borg-Cardona – was the production team behind the 2015 two part documentary series ‘30 Years Man And Boy, A Calmer Chameleon – The Boy George Story’ (described as “a refreshingly candid version of the life story of Boy George” by Gillian Reynolds, The Sunday Telegraph), also receiving ‘Pick Of The Day’ in The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, The Mail On Sunday, and Heat Magazine.
The series also won a Gold Award in the ‘Biography/Profile’ section of the Documentary category in the 2016 New York Festivals International Radio Awards. MOB was also the team behind 2017 documentary ‘Bing Crosby in The Road To Rock ‘n’ Roll (from Final Solution to Audio Revolution)’ –“The intriguing story of how Crosby was instrumental in adapting tape technology to change the face of the industry” Joe Clay, The Times.
This documentary was ‘Pick Of The Day’ in The Times, Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Observer, and The Daily Telegraph. The show also won two Gold Awards; in the ‘Biography/Profile’ section of the Documentary category; and the ‘Best Writing’ category, in the 2018 New York Festivals International Radio Awards. Now Magnum Opus Broadcasting has decided to enter the podcast world, in a move producer Steve Levine understands many might consider is long overdue.
Says Steve: “For well over a decade now MOB has been amassing a wealth of audio interview material and developing a comprehensive contacts list within the recording industry. While some of this archive has been utilised in the various broadcast programmes we have contributed to over the years, there is still a mass of fascinating chat that – up to now – has been sacrificed on the altar of time constraints and editorial decision making.”
That’s a theme echoed by Richard Allinson: “The podcast is the perfect audio medium through which we can delve back through the MOB archive and exploit the great names and stories at our fingertips. Within the format we can mix the intimacy and the informality of my current radio show, with the high end production values of a thoroughly researched radio documentary.”
While producer Lewis Borg-Cardona adds: “I’ve been working in broadcast radio for over 35 years, but at the same time I’ve been doing narrowcast audio programming for nigh on 30 years as well; long before anybody coined the term ‘podcast’! Believe me, engaging an audio audience is all about the quality of the content, however that content is consumed.”
Magnum Opus Podcasting will deliver its first content in December 2018, and Steve Levine is as enthused as ever: “Our first podcast series is a Christmas gift close to my heart and I’m so happy to be able to share with a new audience. Hopefully it’s the first of many.”
