ftm Radio Page - November 14, 2014

Broadcasters flock to web, mobile apps
“tons of potential”

Once UK public broadcaster BBC put their Radioplayer on the market, it was only a matter of time before broadcasters in other countries seized the moment. Actually, it took about four years. But digital transition doesn’t come quickly.

Irish public and private broadcasters joined radio compatriots in Germany, Norway and Belgium to license the Radioplayer, which offers front-end, back-end and search technology. “This is a big step forward by our mature industry; bringing simplicity and variety to digital listeners on a strong, robust platform with tons of potential,” said RTÉ Radio operations director JP Coakley, quoted by Radio Today Ireland (November 11). The Irish version, smartphone app only, will offer 43 radio stations starting in December.

Of course, web aggregators for radio channels on the web are plentiful and not new. What excites broadcasters about proprietary, more or less, technology is control over the look and feel of it all plus, naturally, the advertising. In Germany private broadcasters licensed Radioplayer, perhaps available in November, with a bigger capacity for video. German public broadcasters have been “invited,” said FFH Radio CEO Hans-Dieter Hillmoth to radiozene.de (November 3). (See more about digital radio here)

The phones (or something more modern) must be ringing off the hook at Radioplayer Worldwide, the marketing company owned by the BBC and UK commercial broadcasters Bauer Media and Global Radio. Austrian private radio broadcasters Life Radio, Kronehit and Antenne Steiermark are preparing their own Radioplayer version for launch next year, said Kronehit managing director Ernst Swoboda to APA (November 11). Austrian public broadcaster ORF launched its Radiothek player earlier this year.

Big French broadcasters have also joined the online player ranks, their Direct Radio app is now functional, the website will certainly follow. NRJ Group, RTL France, Next RadioTV and Lagardére Active Radio emphatically resisted DAB digital radio development in France, preferring to follow the web. They have been joined in the Direct Radio venture by public broadcaster Radio France. The collective radio marketing association Les Indés, representing mostly local stations in France, popped with their Mur Du Son app in 2012.

Landmark restored, music plays
Endless project

The iconic Paris landmark Maison de la Radio has reopened after five years of renovation. In celebration, French public radio channels are offering three days of live music mostly but not entirely classical music. Two weeks ago a fire broke out on the building’s eighth floor in the midst of last minute preparations.

Arts channel France Musique get most of the attention, with live concerts in the new auditorium by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and the French National Orchestra throughout the weekend. The building’s main venues have been redesigned in hopes of better acoustics. Youth channel Le Mouv’, itself under renovation, will offer live DJ sets in the new atrium venue and staff from news channel France Info will demonstrate to children the fine art of live broadcasting. (See more about media in France here)

Maison de la Radio opened in 1963, dedicated by President Charles De Gaulle, after five years of construction to centralize French state broadcasting operations. By the first of the 1990’s the building was sorely in need of rehabilitation, not to forget asbestos removal. In 2003 Paris authorities deemed parts of the building unsafe. The total renovation cost has been about €585 million, noted Le Monde (November 3), almost as much as the Radio France annual budget.

DJ encourages riots on Facebook, gets fired
Back to the woodshed

Berlin radio station Star FM and morning show host Martin Kesici have parted ways culminating a “long conversation,” reported radiowoche.de (November 10). Last week his appearance on the station’s morning show was suspended after a particular Facebook post appearing to encourage civil disobedience of the neo-Nazi kind grabbed plenty of attention. The parties “agreed to an amicable termination.”

“Star FM distances itself from any kind of extremist and criminal thought, xenophobia, violence and glorification of violence,” said the station’s statement. “We think these statements are wrong. The private opinions of Martin Kesici on his Facebook page are his responsibility alone and do not reflect the attitude of Star FM.” Kescic posted an apology and removed the offending remarks; too little, too late it seems. (See more about media in Germany here)

Before turning his talents to radio broadcasting Kesici won the Star Search TV talent show on Sat.1 in 2003 and was a one-hit-wonder with a heavy metal band. His conversion to radio DJ came later. Star FM has gone through several programming iterations in its long history, originally sharing the Berlin FM frequency with Voice of America (VOA) and more recently settling into a hard rock music format. The Berlin license is up for renewal in 2020.

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Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• France - National Radio Audience (November 2014)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• 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
• UK - National Radio Audience (October 2014)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (October 2014)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (October 2014)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• 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

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