ftm Radio Page - October 4, 2013

The digital leap good for journalists, not DJs
“Need fresh blood”

Most European public broadcasters have taken the mighty leap into digital radio. The process started in the richest countries, generally, with the richest public broadcasters and well before the Great Recession of 2008. Digital radio uptake in Central and Eastern Europe has been slower.

Poland’s public radio broadcaster Polskie Radio this week added DAB+ to its platform compliment. Its two main national channels – general interest Jedynka and eclectic music Trójka – have better than 90% national digital coverage, classical music and arts channel Dwójka 60% and youth-oriented educational channel Czwórka just under 20%, mostly in metropolitan areas. All-news channel Radio 24, previously available only on the web, is on the Warsaw local DAB+ multiplex. The 17 regional public stations will progress to DAB+ over the next year. (See more on digital radio here)

“We have a chance to become the forerunners in this field in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Polski Radio president Andrzej Siezieniewski, quoted by wirtualnemedia.pl (October 2). Media regulator KRRiT has offered additional financial support. Mr. Andrzej Siezieniewski said the total cost is between PLN 30 and 40 million (€7-9.5 million). Once analogue simulcasting ends, no deadline suggested, transmission costs will drop about 40%. (See more on media in Poland here)

Moving to the DAB+ platform opens the possibility of new radio channels as the FM band “has been exhausted,” explained Mr. Siezieniewski. And that could mean hiring. “We need a supply of fresh blood,” he said. He’ll be looking for journalists; “graduates who have gained experience at student radio stations, young people who are eager to use their skills.”

He’s not looking for show hosts. “Once it was a very large group who led the programs,” he explained, “but since we started to make programs run by journalists the demand for announcers has fallen. Today we have only a few teachers and, indeed, the whole (structure) is led by journalists. Changes in production, and also radio, means this type of personnel change must occur.” (JMH)

Summer listening: less news, more oldies
Remember the sun

Ah, summer! For some it’s already a distant memory. But the dutiful researchers at French audience measurement institute Médiamétrie reminded us that people in that holiday mood – or not – were listening to the radio in July and August, the traditional French holiday months. Indeed, overall listening levels were up year on year to 77.0% of the population and they were listening a bit longer – two hours and 56 minutes per day.

But the summer months don’t seem to change listening habits in France that much. Comparisons with the regular quarterly surveys are not recommended as the summer sample size is much smaller. As such, RTL is still the most listened to national channel, gathering 11.7% market share, considerably higher than the 10.8% market share in the summer of 2012. News-heavy national public channel France Inter and all-news France Info were lower year on year. Regional public network France Bleu was up on aggregate to 7.0% market share from 6.4%. Europe 1 was also up, biggest increase of any national channel, to 7.7% market share form 6.7%. News and sports channel RMC was also up, to 6.4% market share. (See France national radio audience summer market share trend chart here)

Most of the national music channels changed very little: NRJ with 6.8% and Nostalgie 4.8%. If we were to compare – but of course we won’t – the Nostalgie market share appears higher during the summer months that the rest of the year. Oldies. Beach music. Pop oldies channel RFM scored 3.4% market share, up from 2.7% year on year. Rap channel Skyrock and dance channel Fun Radio were both lower, reflective of trends from the regular surveys.

The Médiamétrie team also takes a peek at the listening level differences between the folks who stayed home during the summer and those on holiday. Vacationers listened far less. (JMH)

New national program launched ahead of government meeting
Music and sports

The newly redesigned and significantly downsized Greek public broadcasting system hurriedly opened a radio channel called First Program last Thursday (September 26) using FM frequencies of the former ERT. Coverage includes major metropolitan areas. Officially the program output is to consist of talk shows, music and hourly news bulletins, reported news.gr (September 27), but Greek media watchers heard mostly music and sports news. (See more on media in Greece here)

Apparently, the Greek government needed to demonstrate progress on the new public broadcasting system ahead of a Friday (September 27) meeting of the Council of State with POSPERT, the ERT employees union that is appealing the government decision to close ERT. Results from that meeting have not been forthcoming, many media watchers complaining of government secrecy. Ex-ERT employees continue to produce radio programs streamed on the web. (JMH)

Radio Page week ending September 27, 2013
radio in Hungary, music quotas, radio in the UK, digital radio, OFCOM

Radio Page week ending September 20, 2013
radio in Germany, measurement, RMS, AudiMark, online radio, radio in Norway, P4, MTG, Viamo

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radio in Belgium, radio audience, CIM, RTBF, VRT, Bel RTL, Nostalgie, NRJ, Studio Brussel, La Première, radio in France, Radio France, France Info

Radio Page week ending August 23, 2013
radio in Switzerland, private local radio, OFCOM, program content, RadioDay, WRS, Radio 105

Radio Page week ending August 9, 2013
radio in the Netherlands, NLO, Radio 538, Sky Radio, 3FM, Q-music

Radio Page week ending August 2, 2013
radio in the UK, RAJAR, BBC Radio 2, Absolute Radio, Bauer Media, digital radio, radio in Poland, Polskie Radio, DAB+, radio in Ireland, JNLR, RTE, Today FM, 98FM

Radio Page week ending July 26, 2013
radio in France, Mediametrie, Europe 1, NRJ, Nostalgie, radio in Switzerland, MediaPulse, SSR-SRG, SRF1, Musikwelle, Radio Swiss Pop, digital radio

Radio Page week ending July 19, 2013
radio in Germany, ag.ma, radio audience, Radio Energy, Antenne Bayern, radio in the UK, digital radio, analogue radio

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Radio Page week ending June 7, 2013
radio in Spain, XFin, Grupo S4 Media

Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• France - National Radio Summer Audience (03/10/2013)
  national channels, summer period 2008-2013 trend
• Austria - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (09/09/2013)
  public and private broadcasters, owners, management, audience trend
• Belgium - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (French region) (28/08/2013)
  Wallonia region, radio broadcasters, public, private, owners, platforms, audience trend
• Belgium - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (Flemish region) (28/08/2013)
  Flemish region, radio broadcasters, public, private, owners, platforms, audience trend
• Turkey - Major Media - Radio broadcasting (15/08/2013)
  ownership, management, program formats, platforms
• Netherlands - Radio Audience (08/08/2013)
  national survey, market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (01/08/2013)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (01/08/2013)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (01/08/2013)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• Ireland - National Radio Audience (30/07/2013)
  market share, 07h00-19h00, trend
• Ireland - Dublin Radio Audience (30/07/2013)
  market share, 07h00-19h00, trend
• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (23/07/2013)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• Switzerland - Radio listening by region (19/07/2013)
  public and private sectors, penetration, time spent listening
• Switzerland - French region Radio Audience (19/07/2013)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Swiss-German region Radio Audience (19/07/2013)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Italian region Radio Audience (19/07/2013)
  share, trend
• Germany - Radio Audience (16/07/2013)
  leading stations, audience trend, daily reach
• France - National Radio Audience (16/07/2013)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Germany - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (16/07/2013)
  public and private broadcasters, ownership, management, platforms, audience trend
• Latvia - National Radio Audience (12/06/2013)
  national channels, audience share, trend
• Spain - National Radio Audience (24/04/2013)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• Poland Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (28/03/2013)
  public and private radio channels, management, platforms, market share
• Lithuania Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (25/02/2013)
  public and private radio channels, management, platforms, audience reach
• Czech Republic Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (18/02/2013)
  public and private radio channels, management, audience reach

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