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ftm Radio Page - January 7, 2011

Public radio holds lead
Russian music channel gains

Lithuania’s radio market is quite competitive for its size, 30 channels of all kinds. The autumn season radio figures from TNS Gallup, released this week (January 5), show the popularity of the public broadcaster, traditional music and, too, the Russian music.

Lithuanian public radio’s main general interest channel LR1 kept its lead with 17.6% daily reach, falling from 19.4% during the spring period. Last March LR1 began broadcasting a reduced schedule due to budget cuts.

Lithuania’s first commercial radio station M-1, ranked 2nd (15.9%) also dropped from 16.8%. Adult-contemporary M-1 Plius rose slightly to 5.3% from 4.9%. Also playing the hits, Radiocentras fell to 7.7% from 8.0%. Lietus, sort of a non-stop classic hits channel, rose to 14.6% from 14.1%.

Russian music channel Russkoje Radio Baltija rose to 4th place, increasing to 9.3% daily reach from 8.7%.

Dance music stations Power Hit Radio and ZIP FM seem to be struggling. Power Hit radio dropped to 5.8% daily reach from 5.9% in the spring survey and ZIP FM fell to 5.7% from 6.8%.

Pukas, an all-music channel targeting older listeners with traditional music, dropped slightly to 9.1% from 9.3%.

The TNS Gallup survey of radio listeners 12 to 74 years in Lithuania was conducted September through November and released January 5. (JMH)

Capital everywhere debuts
Brand consolidating

UK commercial radio company Global Radio has taken its Capital radio brand to the entire country. Disappeared (January 3) were local and regional radio brands Red Dragon FM, Leicester Sound, RAM FM and Trent FM. It’s the latest move toward national branding by UK commercial radio companies after media regulator OFCOM relaxed rules on local origination.

The challenge for Global Radio is selling the Capital brand to parts of the UK where the name could be grating to local listeners. Under a variety of all similar names – Capital Radio, Capital FM and now just Capital – the brand’s association with London may not sell well in Scotland and Wales. Consolidating under the Capital brand name will almost certainly change reporting in the RAJAR audience surveys. And UK media buyers, mostly working in London, like bigger numbers.

Morning (breakfast) and afternoon (drive-time) shows remain locally oriented. London morning mouth Johnny Vaughn, for example, appears only in London. Daytime, nighttime and most weekend programming will come from a central source. The accountants clearly won this round. (JMH)

News website adding radio channel
Just in time for the elections

Acclaimed French news website Rue89 could be jumping into radio…in time for the 2012 French presidential elections, said founder Pierre Haski, quoted by OZAP (December 29). Keeping with the new media spirit, it would be a web radio.

“Today, technology has greatly simplified production, entry costs are relatively modest,” he said, “and when you have the Rue89 community and audience a by-product is possible and it’s one tool we imagine in view of the 2012 presidential elections.” (See more on media in France here)

Rue89, launched by Haski and other journalists from Libération in 2007, has a vested interest in French presidential elections and current President Nicolas Sarkozy in particular. “We owe a lot to Nicolas Sarkozy,” said Haski to the 2008 World Editors Forum. The news site exploded on the French media scene the day M. Sarkozy took office when it published the story that a Lagardere-owned newspaper “suppressed” an article about the “absence” of Cecilia Sarkozy, then spouse of M. Sarkozy. (JMH)

Lagardere rumors abound
let the negotiations begin

Early in December rumors were practically confirmed that French media giant Lagardere would exit all or part of its international magazine publishing division. US publisher Hearst and German publisher Bauer were prominently mentioned. Three weeks later, according to French sources, negotiations hadn’t gone very far.

In Russia, however, rumors persist that Lagardere will sell its radio assets sooner rather than later. Lagardere owns radio channels Europa Plus, Retro FM and Radio 7 in Russia. The story has developed to include a few more details.

French bank Societe Generale is handling the transaction for Lagardere, according to Kommersant (December 24), which has operated in Russia as European Media Group (EMG). Suggested buyers include EMG President George Polinski, Select Radio owner Ivan Tavrin and ProfMedia. Select Radio operates several stations that carry EMG programming. ProfMedia owns Autoradio, Humor FM, Radio Romance and the NRJ affiliate. (See more on media in Russia here)

Societe Generale has apparently valued Lagardere’s Russian radio assets at US$100 – US$150 million. Lagardere is apparently looking for US$150-US$200 million. 2010 revenues for the Russian assets, according to Kommersant, are about US$60 million with about US$10 million pre-tax profit.

ProfMedia President Rafael Akopov told Kommersant buying EMG is “uninteresting, but the alliance with Select Radio could be considered.” (JMH)

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