ftm Radio Page - November 22, 2013

The Audience Is Angry
Conventional wisdom holds that programmers must not upset the audience. With so many buttons to push, figuratively, people easily change channels. The challenge for broadcasters is to share the same moment. Music and news are only ingredients. More emotion is necessary.

News and ‘quality foreign music’ at Olympic host city
Sochi Today

Visitors to the Sochi Winter Olympic Games lacking proficiency in the Russian language will have an FM radio station to tune-in to. State-owned international television channel Russia Today, also known as RT, is producing an English language station, which powered up this week, called Sochi Today. The station will offer half-hourly news bulletins complimented with “quality foreign music,” according to the RT statement, reported by RAI Novosti (November 21).

“Thanks to Sochi Today, millions of foreign visitors to the Olympics will be aware of the most important and interesting events of the Sochi Olympics and around the world,” said RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan in the statement. “Sochi Today will continue the success of RT in the radio industry.” Since 2012, RT has provided English language content to Moscow radio station Moscow FM. RT’s culture editor Dmitry Mirimanov is directing the Sochi Today project. (See more on media in Russia here)

Olympic Games host cities often provide multi-lingual media services targeting visitors, athletes, officials and, of course, other media people. They typically close with the event. About 20 AM/MW and FM radio stations operate in the Sochi region, most national networks. (JMH)

Staff in frenzy as commercial broadcaster tapped for public radio post
Different games and contests

Job changes across the public/private radio divide are quite common, particularly in the biggest national markets. Duty descriptions are similar and salary levels are, shall we say, competitive. But when the new director of Germany’s biggest regional public broadcaster recruited a senior executive at the biggest private radio broadcaster as head of radio everybody had something to say.

Following the precedent of incoming chiefs, Tom Buhrow nominated new TV and radio directors about six months after taking office as Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) General Director. Herr Buhrow, long a fixture in German TV news, replaced highly respected WDR General Director Monika Piel, who resigned earlier this year for health reasons. WDR operates a regional television channel, contributes to several others and produces the Das Erste news program on national network ARD. There are six radio channels under the WDR mantel.

WDR news director Jörg Schönenborn would become TV director and Valerie Weber, program director of private channel Antenne Bayern, was chosen as radio director. Herr Schönenborn’s nomination was not controversial. On the other hand, Frau Weber is inextricably tied to private radio; Antenne Bayern, principally owned by RTL Group, being the biggest in Germany. (See more on media in Germany here)

Frau Weber was nominated as a “versatile, passionate and analytic strategist,” said Herr Buhrow’s statement (November 15). There can be no arguing Antenne Bayern’s rating (and revenue) success under Frau Weber’s leadership. But the current WDR crew wasn’t impressed and dozens, according to Die Welt (November 18), have petitioned against the nomination, saying Frau Weber is “too commercial”

The WDR board will consider the nominations this week but is unlikely to challenge Herr Buhrow’s decision. (JMH)

Radio Page week ending November 15, 2013
radio in Ukraine, United Media Holding, radio advertising, radio in the UK, digital radio, EBU, radio sports

Radio Page week ending November 8, 2013
radio in Africa, international broadcasting, Radio France International, Citi FM, African Story Challenge

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Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (26/11/2013)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (19/11/2013)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• UK - National Radio Audience (24/10/2013)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (24/10/2013)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (24/10/2013)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• France - National Radio Summer Audience (03/10/2013)
  national channels, summer period 2008-2013 trend
• Austria - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (09/09/2013)
  public and private broadcasters, owners, management, audience trend
• Belgium - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (French region) (28/08/2013)
  Wallonia region, radio broadcasters, public, private, owners, platforms, audience trend
• Belgium - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (Flemish region) (28/08/2013)
  Flemish region, radio broadcasters, public, private, owners, platforms, audience trend
• Turkey - Major Media - Radio broadcasting (15/08/2013)
  ownership, management, program formats, platforms
• Netherlands - Radio Audience (08/08/2013)
  national survey, market share, trend
• Ireland - National Radio Audience (30/07/2013)
  market share, 07h00-19h00, trend
• Ireland - Dublin Radio Audience (30/07/2013)
  market share, 07h00-19h00, trend
• Switzerland - Radio listening by region (19/07/2013)
  public and private sectors, penetration, time spent listening
• Switzerland - French region Radio Audience (19/07/2013)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Swiss-German region Radio Audience (19/07/2013)
  share, trend
• Switzerland - Italian region Radio Audience (19/07/2013)
  share, trend
• Germany - Radio Audience (16/07/2013)
  leading stations, audience trend, daily reach
• Germany - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (16/07/2013)
  public and private broadcasters, ownership, management, platforms, audience trend
• Latvia - National Radio Audience (12/06/2013)
  national channels, audience share, trend
• Spain - National Radio Audience (24/04/2013)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• Poland Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (28/03/2013)
  public and private radio channels, management, platforms, market share
• Lithuania Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (25/02/2013)
  public and private radio channels, management, platforms, audience reach
• Czech Republic Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (18/02/2013)
  public and private radio channels, management, audience reach

More Resources

Also see ftm Knowledge

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Europe's Radio - Southern Europe

Radio broadcasting in southern Europe ranges from highly developed to developing highly. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese radio is unique, creative and very popular. Radio in Croatia, Serbia and Greece has had ups and downs. The ftm Knowledge file includes Resources. 74 pages PDF (May 2012)

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