ftm Radio Page - week ending July 2, 2021

Public broadcaster purges radio hosts, cancels programs
"voices it doesn't like"

After the forced closing of Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily and its parent publisher Next Digital, attention of authorities has turned to other irritating critics. Among other targets is Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK. Over recent days and weeks several reporters and program hosts have been removed, some programs cancelled. Much of this has been reported by the few standing independent news media.

Veteran talk-show host Allen Au Ka-lun was removed from the current affairs radio program Open Line Open View then fired, reported Hong Kong daily The Standard (June 30). “I was merely raising questions as a host and speaking the truth on the show but RTHK management is quite sensitive,” said Mr. Au. The dismissal, he added, was the result of comments he made off-air. "What we have seen over the past few months is that RTHK has been using all its administrative power to do whatever it wants, to remove people and voices it doesn't like," Mr. Au said on Commercial Radio (June 29), quoted by Radio Free Asia. (See more about media in Hong Kong here)

The Open Line Open View, broadcast weekly on Fridays, was then removed from the RTHK schedule. The phone-in show was co-hosted by Chris Yeung Kin-hing, former Hong Kong Journalists Association chairman. Also this week, regular contributor to morning radio show Backchat Steve Vines resigned, saying “I think I’d better go. it seems to me that for somebody who is more critical, the time to remain at RTHK has ended.” He RTHK TV show The Pulse was cancelled in April.

Two weeks ago, satirist Tsang Chi-ho was fired by RTHK. He had hosted the radio program Crazy and Happy on RTHK Radio 2. Public affairs program RTHK This Week and culture program RTHK Talk Show have also been recently removed from the program schedule. Responding to questions, RTHK spokesperson said the broadcaster regularly reviews programs and show hosts.

RTHK, originally GOW then Radio Hong Kong (RHK), was established in 1928 by the British Hong Kong government. It was loosely based on the BBC though funded directly by the government. RTHK currently operates seven radio channels, most on FM, some on AM/MW. Broadcasts are in Cantonese, Mandarin, Urdu and English. Arts and culture channel Radio 4 also carries BBC World Service.

Management was changed this past February when political operative Patrick Li was installed as director. He mostly targeted television programs, cancelling several, and online content. Several RTHK executives departed, citing demands to sign loyalty oaths.

Major radio broadcaster expands because it can
"well-known"

The Media Authority for North Rhine-Westphalia (LfM) granted permission for Antenne NRW GmbH to operate a radio channel. The new channel will commence this autumn on the DAB+, cable and online platforms, reported Munich daily Süddeutsche Zeitung (June 28). Further details will certainly be known shortly.

Antenne NRW is a subsidiary of Antenne Bayern, which operates the Bavarian radio channel of the same name and has significant ownership participation (81%) in Rock Antenne. Last year Antenne Bayern took positions on the nationwide DAB+ platform. In addition to robust FM distribution in Bavaria, it is also available on FM in several other German States as well as dots in Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Like most legacy German private radio channels it is principally owned by a consortium of local interests and big broadcasters (RTL Group) and big publishers (Axel Springer and Hubert Burda Media). (See more about media in Germany here)

Named managing director of Antenne NRW - “with personnel number 001,” wrote Radioszene (June 30) - is Julia Schutz, recently program director of Antenne Thuringia. The new radio channel, she hinted, will be “a mix of good entertainment and relevant information.” The company has also applied to the LfM for a state-wide FM license, offered by the regulator to drastically change privately owned broadcasting from dozens of local stations to 16 “well-known” channels.

Radio Page week ending June 25, 2021
radio in Sweden, Mix Megapol, Bauer Media, Mad Men Media, Relax FM, radio awards, Prix Italia, radio documentary, radio drama, radio music

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Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• Romania - Radio Audience (May 2021)
  national and Bucharest surveys, market share, trend
• Belgium - Flemish region, Radio Audience (April 2021)
  market share, Jan-Apr 2019 to Sep 2020-Feb 2021 trend
• Belgium - French region, Radio Audience (April 2021)
  market share, Jan-Apr 2019 to Sep 2020-Feb 2021 trend
• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (April 2021)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (April 2021)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Austria - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (February 2021)
  public and private broadcasters, owners, management, audience trend
• Portugal - National Radio Audience (November 2020)
  leading stations, audience share, trend
• Switzerland - Radio listening by region (July 2020)
  public and private sectors, penetration, time spent listening
• Switzerland - French region Radio Audience (July 2020)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Swiss-German region Radio Audience (July 2020)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Italian region Radio Audience (July 2020)
  share, trend
• Poland - National Radio Audience (July 2020)
  national survey, market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (May 2020)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (May 2020)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (May 2020)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• Italy - National/Regional Radio Audience (January 2020)
  weekly reach, AQH trends 2017-2019
• Poland - National Radio Audience (January 2020)
  national survey, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Summer Audience (September 2019)
  national channels, summer period 2014-2019 trend
• Spain - National Radio Audience (released June 2019)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• Ireland - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (May 2019)
  national public and commercial radio channels, major local/regional stations, management, listening share
• Netherlands - Radio Audience (May 2018)
  national survey, market share, trend
• Czech Republic - Radio Audience (November 2017)
  Top stations, national survey, reach trend
• Turkey - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (October 2017)
  ownership, management, program formats, platforms, audience estimates
• Portugal - National Radio Audience (May 2017)
  leading stations, audience share, trend
• Germany - Radio Audience (March 2017)
  leading stations, audience trend, daily reach
• Italy - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (July 2016)
  public and private broadcasting companies, channels, audience reach/share, management
• Spain - National Radio Audience (April 2016)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• Sweden - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (February 2016)
  public and private radio channels, owners, management, national market share trend
• Poland - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (January 2016)
  public and private radio channels, owners, management, platforms, market share
• Estonia - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (December 2015)
  public and private broadcasting companies, channels, management, platforms, audience estimates
• Spain - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (December 2015)
  public and private broadcasting companies, channels, management, platforms, audience estimates
• Ireland - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (November 2015)
  national public and commercial radio channels, major local/regional stations, management, listening share
• Finland - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (September 2015)
  public and private radio channels, management, market share, platforms
• Ireland - National Radio Audience (August 2015)
  market share, 07h00-19h00, trend
• Ireland - Dublin Radio Audience (August 2015)
  market share, 07h00-19h00, trend
• Greece - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (June 2015))
  public and private broadcasting, owners, executives, market share

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