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ftm Radio Page - week ending July 19, 2019

Regulator waves through transfers, except one
spreadsheet lottery

Czech media regulator RRTV announced several decisions involving radio broadcast licenses transfers this week. Most outcomes were expected. Privately-owned radio in the Czech Republic is in a period of consolidation.

The Broadcasting Council Approved the transfer of Media Bohemia’s 50% stake in Radio Zet to Active Radio. The transaction was first announced several months ago after Czech Media Invest Group, principally controlled by investor Daniel Kretinsky, acquired Eastern European radio assets held by Lagardère Active Radio. Radio Zet is principally a news and information channel broadcasting in 12 Czech cities, once operated by the BBC World Service. At the time the Broadcasting Council approved the takeover, furiously fought by BBC partner Czech public radio, only as a joint venture of Lagardère Active Radio and Media Bohemia. The new subsidiary of Czech Media Invest, Active Radio, operates Evorpa 2, Frekvence 1 and Radio Bonton. (See more about media in the Czech Republic here)

Also approved by the Broadcasting Council are shareholding changes, perhaps in the interest of transparency, with Voice of Prague becoming the sole shareholder in 4s Productions, licensee of Prague station Expres FM, and RKR sro, licensee of Classic Praha. Voice of Prague is solely owned by media company Seznam.cz. It is expected Seznam.cz will, sooner or later, ask for approval to simply bring both radio stations into the same spreadsheet. The transactions took place last February.

Investors Petr Stulick and David Simonik formed Voice of Prague to acquire both radio stations from industrial and media conglomerate Mafra in 2014. Seznam.cz Investments, owner of the popular internet portal, acquired Voice of Prague last year.

Empresario Radim Parizek sought to transfer his holdings in Juke Box, licensee of Radio CAS, to R-Stump, which he also owns. The Broadcasting Council demurred, citing rules requiring local news coverage. Radio CAS is a radio network operating in the Moravia-Silesia region in the east of the Czech Republic, bordering Poland and Slovenia. Mr. Rarizak founded Radio CAS in 1998 and has fronted heavy metal band Citron since the late 1970s. Holdings include Radio CAS Rock, a TV channel and online retail portal Radiomat. He is also a digital radio platform advocate.

All-platform measurement shows more for big channels
"almost everyone listens"

Top line results from the Media-Analyse (MA) Audio 2019/II, released July 10, suggest a slight tilt, less than 1%, away from public broadcasters to the obvious benefit of private-sector broadcasters, compared to the previous audio listening estimates. On aggregate, more folks are listening to public radio channels. Time spent listening rose, on aggregate, to 258 average minutes per day from 249. “Almost everyone in Germany listens to radio,” noted news agency DPA (July 10), now estimated at 93.6% of the 14 years and older population.

The rankings show private network Radio NRW on top, as usual. Its number comes from being the umbrella for almost all private radio stations, 45 in total, in North Rhine-Westfalia. Filling out the top five are Bavarian public channel Bayern 1, Westdeutscher Rundfunk WDR 2, Bavarian regional private channel Antenne Bayern and Südwestrundfunk SWR 3. Yes, two of the top five are from Bavaria.

Looking for trends in the ups and downs of several hundred stations and channels spread across the various German States is a job for experts. Rock and oldies scored very well, noted meedia.de radio expert Jens Schröder (July 10). Oldies, in this reading, means traditional German Schlager music. Suffering, in the broad view, are hit music channels.

The latest German radio audience estimates came, once again, with methodology changes. Last year “audio” was added, meaning streaming services were included. Now DAB+ listening was measured, apparently to include, again, listeners who have never heard of FM. Comparisons with previous audience estimates are, therefore, not recommended. What’s up or down is subject to interpretation. (See more about media in Germany here)

German media watchers, it seems, are as befuddled as those surveyed. The term “digital radio” is, itself, confusing. The newer DAB+ receiving devices also offer FM reception. Then, too, internet and mobile streaming is hardly different from DAB+, receiving devices all being, in one way or another, digital. In several German States, streaming service Spotify placed in the top ten.

Radio Page week ending July 12, 2019
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Radio Page week ending July 5, 2019
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Radio Page week ending June 28, 2019
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Radio Page week ending June 21, 2019
radio in Poland, Eurozet, Agora Group, mergers and acquisitions, radio in the Czech Republic, Radio Zet, Czech Media Invest, Lagardere Active Radio, Media Bohemia

Radio Page week ending June 14, 2019
radio in Africa, radio in Malawi, talk radio, Capital Radio, elections and media, radio in Germany, media credibility, news credibility, radio news, public radio, radio in Denmark, elections and media, Radio24syv, DR, DAB

Radio Page week ending June 7, 2019
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Radio Page week ending May 31, 2019
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Radio Page week ending May 24, 2019
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