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ftm Radio Page - September 3, 2010

Africa’s Media Seeks Broad Support
We Can Do It poster Media has long been a priority of international organizations in post-conflict development. After security information is considered a basic necessity. Most often these are long-term efforts and successes are delicate.

 

 

Talk show adds mobile hot line
Attract attention

Radio talk shows are one of the medium’s oldest forms. Having listeners interact with talk show hosts and guest experts isn’t particularly new. Indeed, this kind of interactivity pre-dates new media by more than a generation. Where the mere idea of listeners grilling a politician live on-the-air is almost revolutionary, the mobile phone puts immediacy at the test.

Ukrainian radio station Radio Era FM has teamed up with mobile operator MTS Ukraine for “a series of talk shows devoted to social issues,” said a station statement (September 1). The idea is “to attract the attention of local authorities to the urgent problems of Ukrainians.” Suggested topics are housing, government budgets and the environment.

The program is modeled, says the station, on the popular BBC Radio 4 program “Any Questions?” MTS Ukraine has organized a voice ‘hot-line’ as well as SMS portal. The program – ‘Scope’ – airs Friday evenings. (See more on media in Ukraine here)

Radio Era operates in several Ukrainian cities on FM frequencies. Some of its programs had, until recently, broader coverage carried by state broadcaster National Radio Company of Ukraine (Natsradio). That relationship ended, soured by disagreements “for the last time” between Radio ERA owner Andrey Derkach and Natsradio over re-transmission fees, reported Delo (August 31). (JMH)

Broadcasters best reputation
But Google still leads

Broadcasters are highly rated for brand reputation, according to a survey by Portuguese market research firm Marktest (September 2). Public broadcaster Radio Television Portugal (RTP) ranked first, tied with magazine Visão, and radio channel TSF ranked third among Portuguese media brands. Rádio Comercial ranked fourth followed by television broadcaster SIC.

Of all brands, Google remains the most trusted brand in Portugal.

The survey was conducted in June from interviews with residents of Portugal between 15 and 64 years. (JMH)

New radio festival opens
Good question

It was a mystery to me when Phil Stone mentioned hearing about the International Radio Festival opening in Zürich (September 6). Doing my best to check it out, I’m still not quite sure what it is. It seems to be something of a secret…at least not much publicity.

From the website (see here) and a couple of short press releases there will, indeed, be a gathering of broadcasters invited – “hand picked” – by the organizers to present their stations during the six day program. Those invited include some of the world’s most erudite radio stations – Radio One from Bangalore, Radio Nova from Paris, 4FM from Vienna, Dynamo from Istanbul and others. Apparently the output from these stations will be broadcast in Zürich on temporary FM and DAB frequencies. There’s a webcast.

If anybody knows anything more, let me know.

This International Radio Festival is not to be confused with the annual International Radio Festival held in Iran. (JMH)

Top transmitter site to close
Way up there

The Jungfrau, fabled Swiss mountain, is picturesque. There’s a little train going to the top. Also up there, 3,700 meters, is Europe’s highest transmitter site. Soon it will close.

The relay site was first built in 1954 and Swisscom Broadcast no longer needs it, reported Klein Report (September 1). Technology has moved on. The site will close in 2013.

Jungfrau Railways, however, is interested in acquiring the building for the breathtaking views of Alps. (JMH)

More talk added to youth channel
There’s even a Plan B

One of the most troubled public broadcasting “youth-oriented” radio channels is Radio France’s Le Mouv. It fights an uphill battle against popular national commercial channels Skyrock and NRJ. Audience ratings for Le Mouv have been anemic compared with BBC Radio 1, WDR’s Eins Live or NRK’s P3.

Le Mouv is, however, the “grand project of the season,” said Radio France General Director Jean-Luc Hees (August 30). He wants that audience share doubled. (See more on radio audience in France here)

The plan, said Le Mouv director Hervé Riesen, is to significantly increase the speech content. High profile show hosts have been recruited, included France 4’s Yassine Belattar for the morning show. “Plan B,” said Riesen, is the return of Frederic Bonnaud, once a mainstay of France Inter. The channel will “embody young people without clichés.”

Riesen took over Le Mouv in 2009, moving from Swiss public broadcasting’s youth channel Couleur 3. Le Mouv also moved from Toulouse, where it was launched in 1997, to Paris. (JMH)

Public channels share radio award
Private broadcasters unite

Swiss public radio channels Rete Tre and DRS4 News were honored as Radios of the Year 2010 at the annual Swiss RadioDay (August 26).

Rete Tre is the youth-oriented channel of the Swiss-Italian public broadcaster RSI. DRS4 News is the all news channel of Swiss-German public broadcaster DRS. The Radio of the Year award is determined by market share increase. All public radio channels in Switzerland have national coverage, usually FM but also DAB+, internet and satellite.

The annual Radio of the Year award is always shared between a Swiss-German channel and one from either the French or Italian speaking regions.

Private broadcaster associations in the Swiss-German and French speaking regions announced plans to open a joint office this fall in the Swiss capital Bern.

The 12th Swiss RadioDay will be held in Zürich, August 25, 2011. (JMH)

Regulator to monitor controversial station
routine request or political attack?

Investigating complaints, Polish media regulator National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has asked the operators of religious radio station Radio Maryja to submit recordings of its programming, reports Gazeta Wyborcza (August 26).

“This is a routine request to provide records,” said KRRiT board member Krzysztof Luft. “I do not want to say specifically what content drew complaints or who submitted them.”

Broadcasters in Poland are required to keep recordings of their daily programming for 28 days. The KRRiT requested recordings of broadcasts between August 9th and 15th. (See more on media in Poland here)

A spokesperson associated with Radio Maryja, quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza, called the regulators action a ”political attack” reminiscent ”of communist-era censorship.”

Radio Maryja is one of several media outlets in Poland operated by ultra-conservative priest Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. The station has been controversial in broadcasting highly inflammatory programs pointedly critical of individuals and institutions out of favor with Father Rydzyk.

Complaints to KRRiT charging “religious insensitivity” have been lodged against other broadcasters in Poland, sometimes resulting in fines. Neither fines nor sanctions have resulted from complaints against Radio Maryja. Since recent elections in Poland, the KRRiT has been restructured with new board members. (JMH)

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