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Investors, regulator punt digital for AM/MW
Not like it used to be
Newly authorized licenses are opening an “exciting new phase in South African radio,” said one awarded recipient. Media regulator Independent Communications Authority (ICASA) granted licenses for three AM/MW licenses, two in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, and one in Western Cape province in southwestern South Africa. ICASA indicated new licensees need to start facility construction within six months.
“New AM technology is far more efficient than in the old days of LM Radio, Capital Radio and 702,” said LM Radio CEO Chris Turner, quoted by themediaonline.co.za (April 2). “The audio quality is very good and at night, you can pick up AM stations all over the country.” The original LM Radio was shutdown by the government in the mid-1970’s eventually restarting in Mozambique and Lesotho. The new LM Radio, licensed to Gauteng province, will be “all music all day,” said Mr. Turner, and will target listeners 35 years and older.
UK radio broadcaster UTV is taking a leading position, though minority ownership, in talkSport 540, licensed to Gauteng province. The station will be modeled on UK national commercial channel talkSport, obviously an all-sports channel. “We will be covering major South African sports,” said a UTV spokesperson. “In terms of foreign sports talkSPORT is global audio partner of the Premier League and broadcasts Barclays Premier League matches internationally, so we’ll have the ability to broadcast that.”
The new Western Cape license was awarded to publisher Cape Media and private equity Sekunjalo Investments for Magic 828, which will be a “mainly music” station, said Cape Media spokesperson David Capel.
Public broadcaster SABC and State-owned technology provider Sentech opposed licensing new AM/MW stations. SABC and Sentech began a one-year digital radio (DAB) trial at the first of April.
Politicians ask public broadcasting chief about news, ratings
News reported “rigorously”
Responding to written questions from MPs, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE president Leopoldo Gonzalez-Echenique said news is reported “with rigor” and negative news about the government or the People's Party is not “silenced,” said Europa Press (April 24), which has access to the communication. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy appointed Sr. Gonzalez-Echenique RTVE’s president in 2012. He had previously been in the hotel business.
Socialist Party MP Juan Luis Gordo asked why “news that irritates” the government is not reported or “slipped into the queue of 20 or 30 seconds… in favor of issues of little or no importance.”
Sr. Gonzalez-Echenique, in his response, rejected “the premise of the question.” News on RTVE channels, he said, is reported “rigorously” and not “politically manipulated.” (See more about media in Spain here)
Another question referred to the January appointment of Luis Javier Alcalá as TVE news director. “The criteria… are the same as for all nominations: suitability and professionalism,” said Sr. Gonzalez-Echenique, noting that Sr. Alcalá had been head of news at public radio RNE “with success.” Sr. Alcalá, an RTVE lifer, replaced Cristina Ónega, who resigned after 18 months to take a PR job.
The politicians also asked about the TV ratings. Sr. Gonzalez-Echenique said he has had “no complaints.”
TV channel in trouble for reporting assassination attempt on news anchor
Spies not happy
Pakistan’s media regulator has formed a special committee at the request of the Defense Ministry to investigate a news report on Geo TV implying spy agency ISI had a hand in the assassination attempt on the channel’s top news anchor. The Defense Ministry accuses Geo TV of “maligning” the spy agency and “harming the national interest,” reported Dawn (April 24). Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has “demanded” the station be closed.
Unidentified gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on the automobile driven by Geo TV news anchor Hamid Mir Saturday night (April 19). He was shot several times and has survived. Reporting the incident in its newscast, Geo TV interviewed Mr. Mir’s brother who called the ISI complicit in the attack. Privately owned Geo TV is the top rated television channel in Pakistan.
All things in Pakistan being complicated, media regulator Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) as currently assembled may be unable to take any action against Geo TV. The investigating committee will certainly perform its task, calling Geo TV executives answer. But Pemra cannot suspend or annul any broadcast license without a duly authorized chairperson.
Last December Pakistan’s president Mamnoon Hussain fired Chaudhry Rashid as Pemra chairperson and appointed somebody else. Mr. Rashid sued and was granted a stay against the removal but was eventually shown the door last week (April 17). He’s sued again, now for unlawful termination.
Not quite an earthquake, but audience shares shift
Rattle, rattle, hummm…
The picture painted by recently released Médiamétrie radio audience estimates for Il-de-France (IDF – greater Paris) is a bit of post-modern art. Hitherto indestructible RTL appears vulnerable, falling to 10.9% market share from 13.0% one year on. The legacy news talk channel remains number one in the IDF but by the thinnest margin. Public channel France Inter gained a full point to 10.8% market share.
Lagardère’s mostly talk channel Europe 1, having a very good year generally, posted 9.3% market share, up from 7.7% year on year. Rounding out the top four, all news or talk channels, is RMC, down to 6.8% market share from 7.8%. Fifth place is hit music channel NRJ, flashing forward to 6.1% market share and its best IDF showing in more than a decade from 5.0%. IDF audience estimates matter, as one executive one told me, because “there are five media buyers who control 90% of ad spending in France and they all live in Paris.” (See IDF audience share trend chart here)
France Info, the all-news channel of public broadcaster Radio France, held 6th place, increasing slightly to 4.2% market share. Local public channel FIP posted 1.9%, up from 1.4%. France Culture, France Musique and RFI were all down. Overall, the aggregate market share for Radio France channels was slightly off, 22.5% from 22.7%
Rap and hip-hop Skyrock, once in the IDF top five, continued sliding with 4.1% and 7th place from 4.8% year on year. Classical music channel Radio Classique, owned by Louis Vuitton and Les Echos, posted 3.7% market share, up slightly to 8th position. Cherie FM, part of NRJ Group, moved into 9th place with 3.2% market share.
Local stations on aggregate increased market share to 18.6% market share from 16.5%, with Radio Latina placing 10th overall. Tropiques FM had its best showing ever at 1.7% market share.
Twitter blocks accounts, avoids tax question
Now toeing the line
The online universe just doesn’t please everybody. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a bit of history last week as the first PM in Turkey to sue the government. Since December he’s made a name for himself as a crusader against the internet, ordering Twitter and YouTube blocked, which was overturned by Turkey’s Constitutional Court. And so, PM Erdogan filed a lawsuit against the court, which accepted the application. PM Erdogan also vowed to “go after” Twitter and other online portals for tax evasion. (See more on media in Turkey here)
Turkish President Abdullah Gül publicly opposed the Twitter and YouTube bans. International publisher association WAN-IFRA, in a letter to President Gül, urged him “to use his outspoken opposition to better protect digital liberties and freedom of expression in general.” Turkey remains one of the world’s most prolific jailers of media workers. (See WAN-IFRA statement here)
Twitter Global Public Policy chief Colin Crowell met with officials last week, acceding to Turkish demands for a personal audience. Twitter has about 12 million users in Turkey. After the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said “Twitter now toes the line,” in a press statement, quoted by Hurriyet Daily News (April 21). There was apparently no movement on either the tax question or suggestion that a Twitter office be opened in Turkey.(See more on social media here)
Twitter accounts were used to post indelicate audio recordings that suggested corrupt practices linked to PM Erdogan. He was not pleased and vowed to “wipe out” or “root out” Twitter, depending on translation from Turkish. The Twitter accounts in question have been blocked, reported Reuters (April 20), after last week’s court order and the meeting between Twitter and Turkish government officials.
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