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ftm Radio Page - September 17, 2010

Greek radio stations closed
Still cleaning up that license problem

Several radio stations were ordered closed (September 16) by the Greek National Telecommunications Commission, reported radiofono.gr (September 17). Acting with prosecutors, the regulator shut down at least seven stations for not having licenses or having lapsed licenses, reported SKAI (September 16). Some had been operating for as long as six years.

Included was Athens International Radio, a multi-lingual public channel owned by the City of Athens. It had been operating with a temporary permit since 2004. Also closed was Hot FM a leading commercial music channel.

Over the last two weeks Greek authorities have seized several illegally operating radio transmitters. Broadcast licensing in Greece has been, shall we say, rather ephemeral for years. (JMH)

Music quota law draws heat
Return to the old days

When the Slovenian Ministry of Culture proposed reducing music quota rules for radio and television broadcasters, the country’s musicians and musician unions let out a howl. Only Slovenia, France and the French-speaking part of Belgium have hard quotas on national language and origin productions for broadcasters. The current rule is 20% Slovenian content on radio stations between six o’clock in the morning and eight o’clock in the evening.

The Ministry of Culture met with stakeholders last week (September 9) for a sharing of views. Official comments on the proposed rule change are due September 20th. Slovenian broadcasters and music people have already made known their views, mostly quite predictable.

“The mandatory quota of Slovenian music constitutes state interference with freedom of the media.,”  said Radio 1 and Radio Antenna owner Leo Oblak to Vecer.com (September 10). “Listeners have different tastes and no law should force them just to listen to Slovenian music.

We live in the internet age and anyone at any time on their computer can hear what they want. Some radio stations in Slovenia have done research and found that listeners evaluate only four to eight percent of Slovenian music as excellent.”

Minister of Culture Majda Sirca, certainly feeling heat, said at a press conference (September 16), that quotas are necessary to protect Slovenian culture. Musician unions have proposed higher Slovenian music quotas on public radio channels. Minister Sirca said the draft media law could undergo “cleaning, improving.” (See more on turbulent times in the new EU Member States here)

This revision in Slovenia’s media law is getting as much criticism as the last. A separate provision setting strict rules on hate speech in all media has drawn freedom of expression concerns from journalist groups. “The bill returns us to the old days, which were characterized by a totalitarian way of thinking and limiting freedom of expression,” said Journalist Association chairman Igor Krsinar, quoted in Dvevnik (September 16). (JMH)

Fewer people don’t listen to radio
Is it digital?

Radio listening levels in Malta have long been notoriously low. According to Broadcasting Authority of Malta (BA) media research, Maltese not listening to radio at all outnumbered those who did.  It’s been about a year since that long-term trend reversed. Radios reach reached 54% in the October-December 2009 survey and there it has remained.

Shifting popular DJs one station to another may have raised interest in radio listening. Most top stations have changed line-ups over the last year or so. Dance/R&B station Vibe FM recruited several well-known DJs when the station was launched in June 2009. Vibe FM’s reach share was 9.0% in the most recent April-June 2010 BA survey, quite a leap from 3.1% in the same period one year on when the station was called Capital Radio. Bay Radio is the market leader with a reach share of 20.1% (See Malta national radio audience here)

Digital platforms may have affected radio listening. “In many cases respondents are not aware what specific type of media platform they are using for listening and viewing their radio and television sets, especially so with older generations,” noted the BA report on broadcasting (August 27).

Household ownership of FM radio sets, according to the BA survey, increased to over 90% from 75.6% in the same period one year on. Ownership of digital devices increased to 5.24% in April-June 2010 from 1.2% year on year. For the April-June 2010 survey digital radio devices include DAB+ receivers as well as TV set-top boxes and internet radio. Malta will complete digital television switch-over in December, perhaps another reason for confused survey respondents. The BA surveys do not show listening by platform.

DAB+ multiplex owner Digi B Network announced plans last November to roll out as many as 40 DAB+ channels in 2010. Malta's first DAB+ broadcasts began in 2008.

 

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