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ftm Radio Page - April 4, 2014

Regulator chases pirate stations with paperwork
“the final blow”

Radio stations in Greece operating without benefit of licenses have but a short time to get right with the regulator. Many Greek radio stations and even a few television stations have transmitted from the country’s numerous antenna farms and not actually bothered with registration. They’ve been considered pirates but not, until recently, of the nuisance variety.

Two years ago telecom regulator EETT (Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission ) let it be known that this spring would be the end of unlicensed broadcasting. And in mid-March a hard deadline was given. Broadcasters have until April 30th to file documents covering civil aviation interference, environmental impact including a release from the Atomic Energy Commission as well as proof of legitimate use of broadcast frequencies. After all the required documents and studies are submitted broadcaster will wait another 18 month for a decision. (See more on media in Greece here)

Affected broadcasters are freaking out because all that documentation is expensive to prepare and the deadline falls during the Greek Orthodox Easter holidays. “Several thousand euros for the studies may be the final blow for radio stations whose finances are tenuous,” wrote Greek radio web portal radiofono.gr (March 28).

Station promotions for cash going strong
The phrase that pays

Give-aways, contests and competitions are all over the radio. It seems they’ve always been with us, at least on commercial radio channels. As every promotion manager knows, things are nice but cash is king. Perhaps times of financial insecurity makes cash give-aways more attractive, suggests AFP (March 29).

The big national French channels seem to have ramped up cash-aways in recent years or, maybe, the report’s author is just now noticing. Virgin Radio has been paying a listener’s rent for a month since last September. The call-in-to-win promotion runs three times each morning. Occasionally, as if by surprise, a listener’s rent for a year is paid. The phrase that pays: “What station pays your rent?” (See more on media in France here)

Fun Radio’s morning promotion pays a listener’s bills for a month, limit €2,000. Programmers like winner-listeners to have a good story, all the better for the station promo. For the last two and a half years, however, participant-listeners have wanted money for more mundane things like utility bills, said station director Sébastien Joseph. The station budgets about €100,000 a year for this specific promotion.

Station executives accept cash and thing give-aways as a cost of doing business. Accountants grumble. Promotion costs can easily exceed 25% of an annual budget. The Virgin Radio promotion is self-financed, said station manager Roberto Ciurleo, by charges from registration by SMS. “The mechanics allow us to bring in listeners who do not usually listen,” he said. “And it’s very difficult to change listening habits.”


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