ftm Radio Page - February 6, 2015

Digital Transition More A Dance Than A Race
An easy path to digital transition for the media world somehow got lost in the fog. The road has been littered with great ideas that collapsed from fatigue of one kind or another. To those leading the march patience is not a virtue. Others take it all in stride.

People Like A Bit Of Theater, Free And Easy
At first it was confusing, with many in the media realm eager to dismiss. Then there was the grasping and gasping phase; the new and different always attracts the curious and repels those with better things to do. Eventually there is a point at which the folks just do what they like. The digital world moves in evermore mysterious ways.

Amidst budget crunch youth channel gets makeover
"eclectic nugget" sacrificed?

Radio channels targeting young people have long been part of the public radio repertoire. An ageing audience base for traditional public radio channels has added a certain urgency. Commercial and privately-owned competitors have always chased youthful listeners for want of media buyer happiness.

Radio France launched Le Mouv' for young people in 1997. It has languished among the plethora of hit music commercial channels, regularly failing to reach minimums on the Médiamétrie measurement radar. Each successive CEO has promised a fix. This past week Le Mouv' became, simply, Mouv, replete with new logo. DJs are gone, at least temporarily, and hip-hop electro music for young urban listeners dominates.

There is something of a budget crunch at Radio France. A €20 million plus deficit has sent CEO Mathieu Gallet looking for new revenue sources and, of course, savings. A French Senate report suggested last year sending Le Mouv‚Äô to memory lane. Radio France unions are planning industrial action.

Making the rumor mill rounds is the possibility of funding the new Mouv' by scuttling FIP, the regional public channel that generally serves greater Paris with a quite eclectic program. Audience estimates from Médiamétrie released in January showed strong growth for FIP, Le Mouv' again missing. (See recent greater Paris audience estimates chart here) Le Mouv' is distributed across France on 32 FM transmitters. Big general interest public channel France Inter, by contrast, has hundreds. FIP has 10, mostly in and around Paris. An internet petition to save FIP - "the eclectic nugget of Radio France" - began circulating this week, reminiscent of the listener-supported drive in the UK to save BBC 6Music a few years ago.

Radio Page week ending January 30, 2015
radio in Switzerland, FM shut-off, digital radio, DAB, BAKOM, radio in Ukraine, Super Radio, Radio Friday, Retro FM, Gala Radio

Radio Page week ending January 23, 2015
radio in Greece, radio licenses, VFM, Best FM, Flash 96, radio in France, radio in Paris, Médiamétrie, radio audience, Europe 1, RTL, Radio France, FIP

Radio Page week ending January 16, 2015
radio in France, Médiamétrie, radio audience, Europe 1, RTL, Radio France, France Inter, France Culture, NRJ, Nostalgie, Skyrock, Alouette, radio in Denmark, DR

Radio Page week ending January 9, 2015
radio in Russia, Ekho Moskvy, Gazprom Media, Mikhail Lesin, radio in the Netherlands, Radio Veronica, concession fees

Radio Page week ending January 2, 2015
radio in Turkey, radio audience, URYAD, Kral FM, TRT FM, Power Turk, RTUK

Radio Page week ending December 12, 2014
radio in Austria, ORF, O3, FM4, FM21, DAB+, radio in Ukraine, medium wave, NRCU

Radio Page week ending December 5, 2014
radio in France, digital radio, Libé Radio, Radio Nova, radio in Sweden, radio in Switzerland, radio in Germany, DAB, digital transition

Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• UK - National Radio Audience (February 2015)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (February 2015)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (February 2015)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• Switzerland - Radio listening by region (February 2015)
  public and private sectors, penetration, time spent listening
• Switzerland - French region Radio Audience (February 2015)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Swiss-German region Radio Audience (February 2015)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Italian region Radio Audience (February 2015)
  share, trend
• Bosnia/Herzegovina - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (January 2015)
  public and private broadcasters, management, descriptions, regulator, broadcaster association
• Albania - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (January 2015)
  public and private radio channels, national, regional, religious and community stations
• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (January 2015)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (January 2015)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Turkey - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (January 2015)
  ownership, management, program formats, platforms, audience estimates
• Serbia - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (November 2014)
  public and private, national and regional, management
• Croatia - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (November 2014)
  public, private and religious broadcasters, national and regional, management, audience estimates
• Portugal - National Radio Audience (October 2014)
  leading stations, audience share, trend

More Resources

Also see ftm Knowledge

Europe's Radio - Western Europe

Opportunity meets tradition in Western Europe's radio broadcasting. Change has come fast and yet oh, so slowly. This ftm Knowledge file contains material and resources on public and private radio broadcasting in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Netherlands and Switzerland. 244 pages. Resources. PDF (September 2013)

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Europe’s Radio – Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s radio writes new rules. In fact, most everything about radio in this region is new... and changes often. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine. 159 pages PDF (April 2013)

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Europe’s Radio – Northern Europe

Northern Europe’s radio has a very digital sound. And change is in the air. Economic challenges abound for both public and commercial broadcasters. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the UK. 144 pages PDF includes Resources (November 2012)

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Digital Radio - Possibilities and Probabilities

Digital radio has many platforms. From broadcast platforms to internet radio and rapidly emerging smartphone platforms, listeners and broadcasters have choices galore and decisions to make. Some regulators have made up their minds, others not, some hedging their bets. This ftm Knowledge file details the possibilities for digital broadcasting and the probabilities for success. Includes Resources 149 pages PDF (August 2012)

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Europe's Radio - Southern Europe

Radio broadcasting in southern Europe ranges from highly developed to developing highly. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese radio is unique, creative and very popular. Radio in Croatia, Serbia and Greece has had ups and downs. The ftm Knowledge file includes Resources. 74 pages PDF (May 2012)

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