ftm Radio Page - October 10, 2014

Local stations top national channels for music and news
“not inferior”

Local media can have a distinct advantage, local radio in particular, in reaching the public’s interests and needs. Listeners in the western Ukrainian city Lviv vastly prefer local stations over national channels, according to GfK Ukraine data from April through mid July. Of course, audience measurement in Ukraine has changed.

Lviv Wave Radio, a regional adult contemporary station, posted 50% weekly reach share in Lviv, topping the top five. Lux FM, a local station of the national top 40 network, placed second with 48% weekly reach share. National hit music channel Hit FM was 3rd with 36% weekly reach share followed by regional traditional Ukrainian music station FM Glacia, tied with national general interest channel Nashe Radio at 30% weekly reach share. Lviv Wave Radio broadcasts some programs from the BBC Ukrainian service and Nashe Radio offers programs from Radio Svoboda (RFE/RL).

“We are seeing that local stations have high ratings,” said Independent Association of Broadcasters (NAM) research director Vitaliy Gordozenko, reported by media portal Telekritika (October 8). “We can assume that it is because listeners are looking not only for music, but also news primarily coming from the immediate family circle, city or village then expanding to regional interests, national and so on. These rated local stations are not inferior and in some time periods and target audiences exceed national channels.” (See more about media in Ukraine here)

Lviv is about as far from the Donbass region conflict as physically possible. The city of 750,000 is about 1,200 km from Donetsk and has a negligible ethnic Russian population. Days before former President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country in February the Lviv Oblast declared independence from his national government.

In the national audience estimates of persons 12 to 65 years, Hit FM ranked 1st with 38.85% weekly reach share, followed by Russian Radio, Radio Chanson, Lux FM, retro FM, Avtoradio, Nashe Radio, Kiss FM, Radio ROKS and Radio Melodia. Among the top ten nationally, only Russian Radio was lower in weekly reach share compared with the January-March audience estimates. NAM analysts noted a steady rise in recent surveys of men listening to radio.

The geographical sample for audience estimates in Ukraine – both radio and TV – changed at the first of April. Ukraine listening and viewing estimates no longer include the Crimea, territory seized by Russian Federation troops, “due to technical, logistical and the legal impossibility to conduct qualitative audience measurement,” said Nielsen Ukraine.

New station attracts visitors from afar
Nothing like being there

Ideas, as we’ve learned, are easy to come by. Brilliance comes from perfect execution. Radio conferences might offer a new idea or two but the teaming consultants reveal just enough to collect a fee. Where then do program directors in the digital age seek out new ideas and how they’re brought to the airwaves?

For Radio 1 Oslo program director Cecile Svabo it was a tip from a colleague about a new station in Zagreb, Croatia. “I looked it up, downloaded the smartphone app and followed the program and thought – I must visit this station,” she said to Poslovni Dnevnik (September 30). And so, with a crew from Oslo, she called on Enter Zagreb.

Enter Zagreb entered the market last March, replacing Total Zagreb with a new format, new logos and visual design. It’s a hit music station targeting a young, urban dance audience. DJs are also quite young, lively and interact with listeners and fans through all the usual social media. In the opening weeks there were all the normal brand-change games and contests, marketing and live appearances. All of that well-executed, people in Zagreb were talking. (See more about media in Croatia here)

“We just wanted to come here, to hear their story,” said Ms Svabo. “Now we have lots of ideas to take back home…so this was really good.”

Former Kiss FM Berlin general manager Christian Schalt advised Enter Zagreb on its launch before relocating to Silicon Valley.

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Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• Portugal - National Radio Audience (October 2014)
  leading stations, audience share, trend
• France - National Radio Summer Audience (September 2014)
  national channels, summer period 2010-2014 trend
• Estonia - Major Media - Broadcasting (radio and television) (September 2014)
  public and private, ownership, management, platforms, national audience trend
• Latvia - National Radio Audience (September 2014)
  national channels, audience share, trend
• Spain - National Radio Audience (August 2014)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• Spain - Major Media - Radio (August 2014)
  public and private broadcasting companies, channels, management, platforms, audience estimates
• Switzerland - Radio listening by region (January 2014)
  public and private sectors, penetration, time spent listening
• Switzerland - French region Radio Audience (January 2014)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Swiss-German region Radio Audience (January 2014)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Italian region Radio Audience (January 2014)
  share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (July 2014)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (July 2014)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (July 2014)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (July 2014)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (July 2014)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Germany - Radio Audience (July 2014)
  leading stations, audience trend, daily reach
• Greece - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (June 2014))
  public and private broadcasting, owners, executives, market share
• Portugal - Major Media - Radio (May 2014)
  public and private broadcasting companies, channels, management, platforms, audience estimates
• Italy - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (March 2014)
  public and private broadcasting companies, channels, audience reach/share, management

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