A Pinch Here And A Pinch There

Michael Hedges February 23, 2015 Follow on Twitter

It is a sign of the times that broadcasters, when faced with a restless audience and restive advertisers, struggle for balance. "Build an audience and the money will follow" rings hollow in the digital era, automated media buying only one challenge. Big media brands are at greatest risk because when money is scarce doing "more with less" pinches. And the audience notices, of course.

Total radio reach in Italy dropped more than half a million listeners between second half 2014 and 2013 periods according to the recently released GfK Eurisko Radiomonitor audience estimates. All but one national radio channels were bitten, some more than others. Many Italian broadcasters have repositioned on-air and off-air over the last two years largely to chase illusive digital listeners with multimedia offerings.

Full-service hit music channel RTL 102.5 continues to lead the national radio market, off 1.6% in audience reach against the same period last year. "This data rewards our work and our choices in every respect," said company president and principal owner Lorenzo Suraci in the post-release statement, quoted by media portal primaonline.it (February 18). RTL 102.5 is significantly attached to the Italian music scene with record label Ultrasuoni and music publisher Baraonda.

Rising to 2nd place was all-Italian music channel Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana (Radio Italia or RISMI), audience reach dropping 2.4% half-year to half-year. "Naturally I'm happy," said chief executive and principal owner Mario Volanti. "Of course we will continue our work to improve the product for listeners who love, like us, Italian music." Radio Italia-RISMI also has a record label under the Solo Musica Italiana name.

Through these turbulent waves, RDS (Radio Dimensione Suono) held 3rd place in the national rankings while losing 5.4% of audience reach half-year to half-year. "We are practically in second place," noted president and principal owner Eduardo Montefusco. RDS is a hit music channel, traditionally splitting Italian and foreign tunes. They produce a TV talent show - RDS Academy - broadcast on Sky Uno in cooperation with Vanity Fair. Last November RDS began offering 100 second news bulletins from the aforementioned Radio 24.

Dance music channel Radio Deejay has apparently been caught in the undertow, falling to 4th place from a 6.4% loss in audience reach from 2nd half 2013. Radio Deejay offers sets by club DJs, relatively distinct in composition. It is owned by media house Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, publisher of major newspaper La Repubblica. Sister channels Radio Capital and m2o ranked 12th and 13th, respectively, in the half year 2014 audience estimates. Oldies channel Radio Capital dropped 2.2% audience reach against half year 2013 audience estimates. Club/urban DJ channel m2o fell 8.0%, the biggest loss among national radio channels other than religious channel Radio Maria (15th nationally), which lost 14.7% reach audience.

Gruppo Finelco, another big commercial radio operator, owns Radio 105, Virgin Radio and Radio Monte Carlo. Radio 105 held 5th ranking nationally, audience reach 4.4% lower year on year. Rock music channel Virgin Radio held 8th position, 3.6% down in audience reach. Radio Monte Carlo (RMC), with less than full national coverage, ranked 16th, audience reach down 3.6%. (See Italy - Major Media - Radio Broadcasters for updated audience figures here)

Radio channels of public broadcaster RAI slipped a bit here and there. Main news-talk channel Radio 1 held 6th ranking, audience reach 2.7% lower half year to half year. Entertainment channel Radio 2 was also unchanged in the national rankings, audience reach off 1.5%. Cultural channel Radio 3, ranked 14th nationally, was off 6.2% in audience reach.

A year ago Flavio Mucciante moved from Radio 2 to Radio 1 as director, reorganizing the news operation as well as shifting many programs. "The goal is to revive the Radio 1 brand and its potential advertising appeal," he said in a statement last April, "to maximize the information content, make programming consistent with the network's mission." All options would be studied, he added, that "may have their own potential not only in terms of audience but also with regard to commercial revenues."

Whatever the effect of changes at national radio channels offering news and information the notable exception to the general loss in audience reach was Radio 24. Defying the trend - or bad weather - the all-news channel posted a half percent audience reach increase. "The growth figure," said company president Roberto Napoletano to Il Sole 24 Ore (February 17), "comforts us in the choices made for Radio 24 to continue investing in quality (and) our own way to make radio." Radio 24 is owned by Gruppo 24 Ore, publisher of Il Sole 24 Ore.

Regional differences in Italian radio listening are notable. RDS leads in the greater Rome (Lazio) region, followed by regional channel Radio Subasio, RTL 102.5 and RAI Radio 2. In Lombardia (greater Milan) RTL 102.5 tops, followed by Radio Deejay then Radio 105.

Nielsen reported (February 11) radio advertising in Italy for 2014 1.8% lower than the previous year. Total ad spending was down 2.5%. Digital advertising was, of course, up 7.6%.

Italian broadcasters will host in mid March the RadioDays Europe expo and networking fest in Milan.

See also in ftmKnowledge

Media in Italy

The Italian media market is totally unique and very competitive. Italian consumers are quickly embracing new media and the advertising community is quickly changing. And hovering close is Italy's richest person - Silvio Berlusconi. 112 pages, includes Resources, PDF (October 2012)

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