Shuffling The News And Changing The Channel

Michael Hedges March 6, 2014 Follow on Twitter

The news is the news is turning. Privately-owned broadcasters are challenging public radio channels known for news and information. Public broadcasters – and the politicians who run them – are reading the ratings and do not like what they see. But changes are just so negotiable.

The top rated national radio channel in Italy remains RTL 102.5, according to the GfK Eurisko RadioMonitor combined daily reach results for 2013. The full-service hit music channel posted 6.93 million daily listeners, up 3.5% over 2012. “We are proud to be once again a leader of free broadcasting in the audience ranking while public service broadcasting continues to decline,” said company president Lorenzo Suraci in a statement (February 19).

RTL 102.5 maintains one of the largest news departments among privately-owned broadcasters. The Italian radio channel is unrelated to pan-European broadcaster RTL Group, the channels’ original name being Radio Trasmissioni Lombarde. RTL 102.5 is principally owned by the Suraci family.

Radio DeeJay, also playing the hits, placed second in the 2013 national survey results, 4.989 million daily listeners, down from 5.231 million in 2012. Radio 105 took 3rd spot with 4.714 million listeners and RDS 4th with 4.699 million, both slightly lower. Big media house Gruppo Espresso owns Radio DeeJay as well as Radio Capital and m2o.

Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana marked 5th place with 4.601 million daily listeners, up 4% over the 2012 totals. Public radio channels RAI Radio 1 and Radio 2 placed 6th (4.204 million, down from 4.399 million) and 7th (2.046 million, down from 3.076 million), respectively. Virgin Radio took 8th in the national rankings with 2.362 million daily listeners, only a fractional gain.

News-talk channel Radio 24 posted the biggest gain in daily reach, to 2.046 million listeners, up 9.6% year on year for 9th place in the national survey. Radio Kiss Kiss moved into 10th place with 1.881 million listeners.

Change in leadership at Italian public radio’s two main channels, RAI Radio 1 and Radio 2, is widely expected, perhaps later this month. Lower listening estimates are but part of the reason. Director General Luigi Gubitosi told the RAI Board of Directors at the end of February of his intention to replace Radio 1 director Antonio Preziosi, who also heads the news operation for all RAI radio channels. Mr. Preziosi has been RAI Radio 1 director since 2009.

Discontent over the direction of Radio 1 under Mr. Preziosi has rumbled among Italian media watchers for several months. All have noted steep declines in audience estimates plaguing both Radio 1, the news and talk channel, and Radio 2, the talk and entertainment channel. And, too, Mr. Preziosi is seen as close to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as well as former Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Several names have been floated for the Radio 1 director’s job including Radio 2 director Flavio Mucciante and former La Stampa editor and correspondent Marcello Sorgi.

“According to the latest survey,” noted Partito Democratico deputy and RAI supervisory board secretary Michele Anzaldi to Velino (February 27), “radio as a whole has seen a rise in listeners on an average day of 1.3% year on year. The private radio stations, especially those information stations, have shown a marked increase. Radio 1, however, has fallen to sixth place after always being at the top. The problem, evidenced by but not limited to listening figures, is the public service. In light of the unsatisfactory results some choices by RAI have proven short-sighted.”

See also in ftmKnowledge

Media in Italy

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Europe's Radio - Southern Europe

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