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Swiss radio listening drops
…more for public broadcaster…
Radio listening survey figures for Switzerland are publicly reported for each of the three linguistic regions. The most recent report (July 22) shows lower listening in French-speaking and Swiss German-speaking regions but not in the Italian-speaking region. Listening levels dropped to 88.5% in the French-speaking region from 90.0% for the same period in 2007.
In the French-speaking region public broadcaster Radio Suisse Romande (RSR) increased its market share to 57% from 56.4%. Listening to channels of Swiss public broadcaster SSR-SRG other than RSR channels increased to 7.7% from 6.8% one year on. Listening to private stations dropped to 23.3% from 23.7% year on year. Listening to cross border stations from France decreased to 12.1% from 13.1% one year on.
Listening also increased in the Swiss German-speaking region for public broadcaster DRS to 64.6% from 63.8% year on year. Listening to private stations dropped to 25.4% from 26.3% one year on.
In the Italian-speaking region public broadcaster RSI increased its already substantial market share to 71.1% from 69.3% one year on. Listening to SSR-SRG radio channels other than RSI channels increased to 13.1% from 12.7%. Private radio – stations - market share dropped to 7.8% from 8.9% one year on.
Audience surveys in Switzerland are conducted and reported by an affiliate company of public broadcaster SSR-SRG. (JMH)
Obama’s Berlin Crowd Was Not Left To Chance…
If you think it was just a matter of Barack Obama showing up in Berlin Thursday and giving a speech to the masses, then you certainly don’t understand the sophistication of how these things are organized.
Der Spiegel online ran a minute-by-minute account of what was going on -- reggae musician Patrice kicked things off, followed by the rock band Reamonn. It was taking around an hour for the tens of thousands to pass through the metal detectors. German TV gave the event all-day coverage.
As for John McCain, Der Spiegel wrote, “Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain is not leaving Berlin to his Democratic rival. The Republicans are airing anti-Obama radio ads in Berlin on Thursday. Not in Berlin, Germany but in the city's namesakes in the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. The audience reach may be tiny, but the 60-second ads which accuse Obama of voting against allocating money to military troops, shows that the Republicans can have a bit of fun at Obama's expense.”
… And For US Viewers, Watch The Olympics, Watch Obama
If Americans thought watching the Olympic Games would give them a respite from all the political advertising going on, then think again. The Obama campaign has bought a $5 million package giving him network and cable exposure. Most dayparts are covered.
As far as financing is concerned this year’s presidential campaign is a reversal of the usual situation. This time it is the Democrats flush with cash and the Republicans are far behind. By not accepting federal matching money the Obama campaign can spend as much as it can raise and June was a record month, bringing in some $52 million compared to the $21.5 raised by John McCain.
UK Ofcom Loosens TV Advertising Rules
Ofcom, the British TV regulator, is softening its advertising restrictions come September 1. It is abandoning its current rule that requires at least 20 minutes before advertising breaks – that rule often had led to ads very quickly at the front of a program and also at the end – and it will now allow in movies one advertising break every 30 minutes instead of every 45 minutes.
Advertising will be allowed for the first time as during religious shows, current affairs programs, and documentaries that run less than 30 minutes.
Next up is to take a look at how much advertising is actually allowed but Ofcom has signaled the industry it doesn’t favor increasing the amount of advertising time. Even with the changes now announced advertising will not be allowed to exceed 12 minutes an hour with the average for the day not to exceed more than seven minutes an hour.
NYT Raises Newsstand Price, Again
The New York Times Company reported that its Q2 print and online advertising revenue dropped 11.8% compared to a year ago, not as bad as others such as Gannett, but still bad enough. And July results are showing no mercy. So what to do when total ad revenues declined $37.3 million and that would have been much worse except online ad revenues increased $14.8 million? Raise the newsstand price of its flagship newspaper, that’s what.
So the price is going up Monday – Saturday from $1.25 to $1.50, that’s a 50% increase in just 12 months. Management believes, based on previous experience, that it has a very loyal readership and even if a few drop off, the increased fee will still turn in a handy profit.
Last July the paper raised its newsstand price from $1 to $1.25, and it increased its home delivery rates by 3-4%. Management was pleasantly surprised to see sales did not suffer much and in its third quarter it reported a 4% circulation gain. In this last Q2 reporting period circulation revenue was up 2.5%, some $5.5 million.
Handy additional petty cash!
Janet Jackson blames Bush
"They needed a hook - and they found me”
Speaking to the Financial Times Deutschland singer Janet Jackson puts the row in America over her 2004 Super Bowl ‘wardrobe malfunction’ in perspective.
"The government needed something to take advantage of major foreign policy problems,” said Jackson. “They needed a hook - and they found me. It shows that we urgently need a democrat as president."
A Federal Appeals Court overturned the US regulator Federal Communication Commission decision to fine television network CBS $500,000 for the, er, problem. (See details here). The US Supreme Court may take up the decision when its new term begins in October… in the closing days of the US presidential campaign. (JMH)
Arbitron pledges bigger samples
…samples up, profits down, whinging stable…
US radio audience measurement supplier Arbitron agreed with its customers to raise sampling rates. (See Arbitron presser here) All of that pushes up costs, very unpopular with stock traders. Second quarter results released yesterday (July 22) show revenue up but profits down. Expenses increased 9% for the quarter year on year.
The last diary-based radio audience survey for New York City, America’s largest market, was released this week. From now on Big Apple radio will be measured with electronic devices. (JMH)
Do You Visit Your Newspaper’s Web Site?
Newspapers these days prefer to talk about readership – people who read the product no matter on what platform. And readership numbers, of course, are far higher than just newspaper circulation figures, with the spin being that a lot of people who don’t read print do at least read the newspaper’s Internet site.
But the Readership Institute at Northwestern University says that 62% of its respondents reported they have never visited their local newspaper’s web site. So it seems the marketing folks still have a big job ahead of them.
If people are giving up on print, at least get them to look at the web site!
Online Ad Prices Down
With traditional media reporting continuing horrendous monthly figures how goes it with online advertising inventory? Actually, prices are falling there, too, for the third consecutive month.
The findings from PubMatic says June’s decrease was very slight, averaging just a penny an ad, but it still marks three months in a row of declines and that’s not so good.
Rajeev Goel, PubMatic general manager explained, “Online advertising is in a holding pattern like many sectors of the US economy. I think what we are really seeing is that the economy is in a wait-and-see mode. A lot of economists are saying we’re probably heading into a recession. It will probably be a light recession, but everyone is in a wait-and-see mode and that is affecting ad prices.”
News sites are seeing the biggest drops. In May their average CPM stood at $1.10 but in June that sank to $.48.
Bad news is bad news!
London Finds Recycling Newsprint Saves Trees
Having been threatened with taking away their right to distribute their free newspapers in many parts of London because of the throwaway mess left behind, thelondonpaper (News International) and London Lite (Associated Newspapers) have now completed six months of a scheme in which they jointly installed and empty 70 recycling bins across the city, and according to Westminster City Council the project is a success, even though it is falling short of targets. (See Westminster CC presser here)
The Council says that 120 tonnes of newsprint have been gathered from those bins, equivalent to saving 1,920 trees – more trees than those found in the 58-acre (23 hectare) St. James Park near Buckingham Palace. That sounds good but the Council had set an annual target of 400 tonnes of newsprint from those special bins, so it says it is in discussions with Associated Newspapers that also prints the morning free Metro to get more bins installed across the city.
Additionally the Council says it has collected 465 tonnes of newsprint from its own 153 recycling bins around the city for the first six months of the year.
Not On My Airplane You’re Not
We wrote last week about the New Yorker cartoon cover showing Barack and Michelle Obama in the Oval Office, both in Muslim dress, she carrying a rifle, and with the American flag burning in the fireplace. Very few people except New Yorker staff thought it was funny or satirical.
Well, Obama flew from Washington to Afghanistan, Iraq and then to Europe this week and The New Yorker tried to get its Washington correspondent on his plane only to be told there was no room! No one in the press corps bought that.
So, it seems although politicians and their campaigns are supposed to have thick skins, it rather seems like the skin is decidedly thin in Obama Land. The refusal also serves as a signal to others that if they get out of line the same fate could well await them. Petty, but it does show a character streak not noticed before.
Big Spend Expected For House, Senate Races, Let Alone The Presidency
One striking feature of traditional media groups that own TV stations is that their TV advertising is down this year, not as bad as newspapers but down all the same. But the good news is that already the Democrats alone have locked up some $50 million in booked advertising for the House ($35 million) and the Senate races ($15 million) to be decided November 4.
And considering the National Democratic Senatorial Committee is said to already have a war chest of some $70 million, it seems we’re only now looking at the tip of this iceberg.
The Democrats are said to have raised more cash than the Republicans but, according to Advertising Age, both parties have already each spent about $20 million in Presidential advertising since wrapping up their respective Presidential primary victories. Figures through June show the Obama campaign holding $71.7 million in contributions compared to McClain’s $26.8 million.
All told, around $3 billion will have been spent from the primaries through to Election Day. Some $270 million has already been spent on the Presidential race, according to TNSMI’s Campaign Media Analysis Group.
Beijing opening ceremony worries ARD chief
…tilting at windmills…
With less than three weeks before the much anticipated 5 hour opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, yet another major broadcaster is wringing his hands.
Speaking to Der Spiegel (July 20) Walter Johannsen, executive producer for German public TV channels ARD and ZDF, said, "The technical people are in an almost heroic struggle against windmills of the Chinese bureaucracy.”
One set of Chinese authorities, he said, gives “completely different” explanations from other Chinese authorities. “Then you start again from scratch.”
ARD will use its own cameras and crews at the opening ceremony, he said. “At the moment when something extraordinary happens, we can show the world.” (JMH)
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