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ftm Radio Page - week ending November 29, 2019

When brand space is limited, the strongest thrive
nothing to do with parking spaces

Big city radio listeners are, often, ahead of the audience trend curve. This is driven by exposure; more channels, more promotion, more sampling. Generally, at least in recent times, lessor known brands benefit. Choice is an advantage.

French measurement institute Médiamétrie released this week the September/October period radio audience estimated for Ile de France (IDF) - Greater Paris. National audience estimates were released last week with a few surprises. IDF and national surveys often diverge. Not this time.

Total listening reach and time spent listening trickled lower in the national survey. In the IDF survey those numbers crashed. Monday through Friday audience reach dropped to 68.6% from 71.7% year on year. Average time spent listening was 10 minutes lower. Aggregate share for public broadcaster Radio France channel rose to 31,6% from 26.3%. For commercial channels aggregate audience share fell to 63.0% from 69.2%.

France Inter, the main general interest channel of Radio France, literally stole the show; a historic 16.2% audience share, up from 11.4% one year on. Commercial general interest channel RTL also rose; 13.9% audience share from 12.8%. News-talk channel RMC wilted; 7.0% audience share from 8.0%. Public national all-news channel France Info was lower at 5.4% audience share from 5.9%. Under renovation, Europe 1 plunged to 4.7% audience share from 7.3%. (See Greater Paris radio audience share trend chart here)

Arts and culture pubic channel France Culture placed 6th; 3.6% audience share from 3.8% year on year. Channels taking the next four places - Skyrock, NRJ, Nostalgie and RFM - were unchanged or marginally lower. Classical music channels Radio Classique rose to 11th place, 2.9% audience share from 2.6%. Radio France alternative channel FIP, similar to the national survey, was up to 2.5% audience share from 1.6%.

Local stations took a hit, FIP notwithstanding; aggregate audience share dropping to 16.5% from 17.9% one year on. Most of that came from Radio Latina dropping to 2.1% audience share from 3.8%. Seven local stations passed the publication share threshold, Generations added and Tropiques FM dropped.

Tipping point or point of diminishing return, measurement first
"hyper-engaged"

It is hardly a surprise that media measurement organizations are collecting data on podcasts. Media buyers really want this since they like podcasts, which are very cool. And, too, they see throngs of GenZers listening to something via their mobile phones and, with traditional radio listening falling among that age group, presume they must also be into podcasts. The logic, therefore, is not questioned. Media buyers want this so it will be. Media buyers wanted electronic measurement of radio listening and that, too, arrived post haste.

French media measurement institute Médiamétrie is soon to offer data on podcast listening. “We are currently in the technical audit phase,” said radio department director Emmanuelle Le Goff, quoted by Le Figaro (November 21). Data on podcast and catch-up listening could roll out in January. Médiamétrie began measuring downloads in 2009. But buying avocados is not the same as eating them.

Similar to the Médiamétrie TV panel, the national podcast panel consists of three thousand persons 13 years and older. Panelists will be attached to a pager-like device that collects “watermarked” data, just like those used in early electronic radio measurement. “The pager will identify which podcasts are being listened to, by whom and at what time,” explained Ms Le Goff, adding that listening through headphones (or those earbuds) could be “underestimated.” (See more about podcasts and podcasting here)

Results are “proprietary,” released to subscribers monthly. “Radio stations will be able to communicate their results at their discretion,” she said. So far, only radio broadcaster products will be watermarked leaving out the plethora of French audio producers and distributors. (See more about measurement here)

“Podcast listeners really are the hyper-engaged, super supportive audiences that everybody hoped,” wrote Wired’s Miranda Katz nearly two years ago (January 28, 2018). “Everybody” in this case means the advertising people as well as audio producers formerly known as broadcasters. In its Global Entertainment and Media Outlook, published this past July, PwC forecast podcast ad revenues might double by 2023. Reasons given include better measurement, programmatic ad insertion and far fewer ads in podcasts than in traditional radio broadcasts. Listener resistance to ads, said IAB and PwC separately (June 2019), will make subscription models more attractive for producers.

Holidays are prime-time for special guests
planning is everything

By this point on the calendar most big broadcasters in Western countries have organized special programs for the Holiday week. The big reason, of course, is that star show hosts will be contractually unavailable. For traditional music channels it’s not a problem; wall-to-wall music with tiny pre-recorded greetings interspersed. And commercial channels have ads. For news and talk channels filling that Holiday period requires a bit more thought.

BBC Radio 4 is such a channel; very professional, always brand-aware. Over the weekend guest editor-hosts for December 26th through New Years Day were announced. Radio 4 does this every year. This year’s star attraction for the top-rated Today program is climate activist Greta Thunberg. Details of her appearance include an interview by Mishal Husain with Bank of England governor Mark Carney and duly commissioned special reports on Antarctic and Zambia. Ms Thunberg is currently (November 25) mid-Atlantic on a 48 foot carbon-neutral catamaran, expecting arrival in Lisbon next week.

Also during the special week the Today program will also hear from UK Supreme Court president Brenda Hale, transvestite potter Grayson Perry, performer George the Poet and extreme conservative Charles Moore, formerly Daily Telegraph editor. At other times Radio 4 will present comedy. Sports channel Five Live will Sober Christmas via podcast. (See more about the BBC here)

Ms Thunberg is unlikely to interview for the program renowned climate-denying, motor-head former BBC TV host Jeremy Clarkson even has he quite recently made an ironic admission. Filming jet boat race for Grand Tour series on the Mekong River in Cambodia, Mr. Clarkson and crew were reduced to wading because the vast river system is nearly dry. “The irony is not lost on me,” he said to the Sunday Times (November 24),“limited to 7mph by global warming.”

Mr. Clarkson has regularly disparaged Ms Thunberg in various UK newspaper columns. His contract with the BBC for ratings monster Top Gear was “not renewed” in 2015. Shortly thereafter he entered into a production agreement for the Grand Tour motor-head show with Amazon Prime.

Radio Page week ending November 22, 2019
radio in France, Médiamétrie, radio audience, national reach, RTL, Radio France, France Inter, France Info, RMC, Lagardere Active, Europe 1, NRJ, Nostalgie, FIP

Radio Page week ending November 15, 2019
radio in Ireland, RTE, DAB, Radio Nova, BAI, music radio, Christmas music, Spotify, radio in Africa, radio in DR Congo, community radio, Lwemba Community Radio

Radio Page week ending November 8, 2019
radio in Romania, SRR, Radio Romania Actualitati, radio in Germany, radio license, radio in Hamburg, Medienanstalt Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein, Radio Hamburg, Rock Antenne Hamburg, 917XFM, Energy Hamburg, Hamburg 2

Radio Page week ending November 1, 2019
radio in Denmark, Radio24syv, Radio Loud, Radio MTV, Viacom

Radio Page week ending October 25, 2019
radio in Australia, radio advertising, Commercial Radio Australia, radio measurement

Radio Page week ending October 18, 2019
radio in Ireland, RTE, Radio 1, 252 LW, longwave

Radio Page week ending October 11, 2019
streaming media, podcasts, Spotify, radio in Bulgaria, public broadcasting, Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, news radio, Horizont, journalism, radio in the Netherlands, streaming audio, podcasts, radio in Germany, smart speakers, digital radio

Radio Page week ending October 4, 2019
digital radio, radio in Switzerland, local radio, FM switch-off, DAB

Radio Page week ending September 27, 2019
radio in Norway, pop-up radio, Christmas Radio, Bauer Media, NRK, podcasts, podcasting, BBC StoryWorks, German Radio Prize, NPR

Radio Page week ending September 20, 2019
radio in France, Mediametrie, radio audience, summer radio listening, RTL, France Inter, France Bleu

Radio Page week ending September 13, 2019
radio in Poland, Radio Track Kantar, radio audience, RMF FM, Radio Zet, Polskie Radio, radio in Germany, digital radio, digital transition, Vaunet

Radio Page week ending September 6, 2019
radio in the UK, RAJAR, BBC Radio, public broadcasting, commercial radio, Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 1, Five Live, Magic, LBC, Heart, Classic FM, Kisstory, Smooth, digital transition, smart speakers, radio in Italy, radio audience, RadioTER, RTL 102.5, Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana, RAI, Radiofreccia, Virgin Radio

Radio Page week ending August 2, 2019
radio in the UK, RAJAR, BBC Radio, public broadcasting, commercial radio, Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 1, Five Live, Magic, LBC, Heart, Classic FM, Kisstory, Smooth, digital transition, smart speakers, radio in Italy, radio audience, RadioTER, RTL 102.5, Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana, RAI, Radiofreccia, Virgin Radio

Radio Page week ending July 26, 2019
radio in France, Paris radio audience, FIP, Mediametrie, radio audience, RTL, Radio France, France Inter, NRJ, Nostalgie, RMC, Europe 1, Lagardere

Radio Page week ending July 19, 2019
radio in the Czech Republic, RRTV, Active Radio, Radio Zet, seznam.cz, Radio Expres, Radio CAS, radio in Germany, radio audience, Media-Analyse, Radio NRW, Bayern 1, WDR 2, Antenne Bayern, SWR 3, Spotify

Radio Page week ending July 12, 2019
radio in Switzerland, Mediapulse, radio audience, public radio, SRF, RTS, RSI

Radio Page week ending July 5, 2019
radio in Spain, radio audience, EGM, Cadena SER, Cadena Cope, Los 40 Principales, Los 40 Classic, RNE

Radio Page week ending June 28, 2019
radio advertising, Cannes Lions, GenZ, radio in Germany, digital transitions, DAB+, 5G

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

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