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ftm Radio Page - November 19, 2010

Strikes Blamed For Ratings Tumble
Libre France Inter News and information are truly significant to radio programming. When news is hot and there’s lots to talk about channels significantly branded for letting people know what’s going on get a ratings benefit. The news-talk listener is loyal, to a point, and doesn’t react well to changes.

 

 

Multiculturalism isn’t dead
It’s just moved to digital radio

Johnny Hallyday fans living in London are getting their fix of French pop music with the launch of French Radio London, a 24/7 digital radio channel. The appeal, said owner Pascal Grierson to Le Monde (November 17), is both to the 400,000 French ex-pats craving the sounds of home plus Brits craving something a little different. The channel appears on the London DAB multiplex and is offering 80% French music.

Anglophone ex-pats living in Paris, however, have only internet radio options. World Radio Paris (WRP), first set up in 2005, operates from the American University in Paris. Paris Live Radio received part-time MW/AM authorization, which appears to have lapsed. World Radio Paris, Paris Live Radio and the BBC World Service were denied broadcast licenses in 2007. English language broadcasting is generally forbidden to French licensed broadcasters. Perhaps when the French government sorts out its digital radio dilemma a bit more diversity will be allowed. That is, of course, one of the biggest selling points for digital radio. (See more on digital radio here)

Residents of the British seacoast town Brighton were dismayed when French radio channel FIP (France Inter Paris) disappeared from the airwaves in 2007. A local citizen had been grabbing the FIP signal from the satellite and rebroadcasting over an unlicensed FM frequency. Alas, the radio police came one day a scooped up the transmitter.

World Radio Switzerland, an English language service of Swiss public broadcasting, operates on DAB and DAB+ multiplexes throughout the country. (JMH)

Big reach of mobile phones
Interactive ideas

International broadcasters are always looking for new ways to reach out in challenging parts of the world. Unsurprisingly, the mobile phone has become the device of choice.

RFE/RL, the American government “surrogate” broadcaster, is using the SMS text capacity of mobile phones to interact with listeners to its Afghan service Radio Azadi. News alerts are sent in Dari and Pashto. “Citizen journalists” can send text messages back to the station with their own news items and questions. (See RFE/RL presser here)

RFE/RL quotes a Nokia estimate of 17 million mobile phone users in Afghanistan, about 57% of the population. (JMH)

Aid for digital radio promotion
“fair chance”

Digital radio, manifest as DAB+, is getting a boost from the Bavarian State government in the form of a new promotional campaign. The Bayern Digital Radio (BDR) is providing a series of ads touting the benefits of digital radio. BDR receives financial support from Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), transmission supplier Media Broadcast, digital services provider Bayerische Medien Technik and Bavarian State agency BLM. 

Some local stations in Bavaria have been airing the spots since August. Antenne Bayern, the powerhouse regional commercial channel, is channeling DAB+ in November. Another flight of spots will air after the first of the year. (See BLM presser here – in German)

BR and the BLM issued a call to give digital radio “a fair chance,” in a joint statement (November 15). (See here – German) Public broadcaster BR has committed funding to DAB+ roll-out. German private sector broadcasters, generally, remain reticent although those in Bavaria have been most supportive. (JMH)

Q3 – US Radio Revenue Up; Newspapers Down

Most big US radio groups have reported Q3 revenue growth in single-percentage digits which is a change after two years of falling revenues, but at newspapers the story is still the same – revenues continue declining although the percentage is getting smaller with each quarter.

The Radio Advertising Bureau says big radio groups, on average, saw Q3 earnings up 5% over a year ago. The Q3 average revenue for newspapers was down around 3.7%.

Which probably means that as the economy begins to recover advertisers still like radio, but they are diverting more and more of their print newspaper spend to digital.

Dublin bailout approved
Phantom deal

The Broadcast Authority of Ireland (BAI) approved “in principle” (November 15) Communicorp’s offer to acquire about 30% of Dublin alternative rock station Phantom. Two private investors, one being rock band U2’s manager Paul McGuinness, will see their stakes increased while the stations founders will see their stake reduced. Financial terms have not been disclosed. Both Communicorp and Phantom will provide the BAI more details before the approval becomes final.

Phantom has been struggling financially and shareholders have invested more than €2 million. Communicorp, principally owned by media and telecoms investor Denis O’Brien, emerged as the only angel available. Communicorp is the major owner and investor in Ireland’s radio broadcasting and a special approval by the BAI was required. (JMH)

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