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Radiomania 2010 awards nominees named
Wait until May 14

Finalists have been announced (May 5) for the Radiomania 2010 awards presented by the All-Russian non-profit organization of media professionals and the Russian Ministry of Communications. I love awards. All of ‘em. Anywhere.

Nominees for the top award – leader of the musical ether – are show hosts Diane Lesnichaya of Fresh Radio, Anton Veselov of Retro FM and Valentina Yugorskaya of Radio Blizzard, according to the association press release.

"During the crisis radio survived, developed and has shown its relevance and indispensability," said Department of State Policy Media director Ekaterina Larina to assembled reporters.

Radiomania 2010 will give awards in 21 categories. All winners will be announced May 14th at a gala event. (JMH)

Bandit Radio Expanded
Where’s Tom?

Long ago, it seems, when private local radio licenses were first auctioned in Sweden one of the first to walk away with a concession was Bandit Radio. Obviously, a lot has changed in Sweden’s radio sphere in nearly twenty years. Bandit Radio was sold on to Modern Times Group (MTG) and developed into a small network to compliment the once-successful soft-rock network Lugna Favoriter.

Times change and MTG is taking frequencies in several cities from Lugna Favoriter and building up Bandit Radio’s successor Bandit Rock. The expansion takes place July 1st. The intention is taking on Swedish public radio channel P3, reported Dagens Media (May 4).

Somewhere Tom the Bandit is chuckling. (JMH)

Public broadcaster punished
To lose national channel

Politicians in Denmark are finalizing an agreement that could strip public broadcaster DR of one national radio channel. In its place will be a private sector competitor funded by State aid.

When the government proposal emerged (May 4) sides were quickly drawn. The national radio audience share for DR channels – 75% - is close to the highest for a European public broadcaster. Private sector radio, embattled by shrinking ad revenues, is looking thin. Several broadcasters have simply given up.

“When there are six national channels, it would be reasonable that half and public and half private, says Liberal Alliance spokesperson Simon Emil Ammitzbøll to epn.dk (May 4). (See more on radio in Denmark here)

Under the proposal, which is part of a broad political negotiation about Danish public broadcasting, arts radio channel P2 would be ceded to a private company and funded by the State with up to 125 million each year. The intention is to establish a competitor to DR P1, a news and general interest channel. It is not clear if the funding for the new private venture would come from the broadcasting license fee.

“One hundred twenty-five million is a huge amount,” said DR General Director Kenneth Plummer, in a statement (May 4). “That figure is more than the actual cost to operate the P1 and P2 combined.” DR is being punished for its success, he suggested. (JMH)

Labor Day Cancellation
Casting error

Two long-time France Inter hosts have had their radio program cancelled after a production assistant’s harassment complaint. Both have been dismissed, according to LePoint.fr (May 1), which described the circumstances as “very delicate.”

Public broadcaster Radio France removed business program “Rue des entrepreneurs” from the France Inter schedule effective May 1st, coincidentally International Labor Day. The program and the two hosts had been part of the France Inter schedule for 28 years. Official details of the dismissal remain confidential. Disciplinary action had been expected for several weeks.

One of the program hosts, Didier Adès, spoke out to LePoint, blaming the France Inter human resources department for repeated “casting errors.”

Known details seem to support a variety of errors, perhaps endemic of large public sector employers. France Inter human resources assigned an employee to the program as a production assistant in December. The person had for eight years been a union representative, a non-broadcast position, replaced in a union election. Shortly after assignment the new production assistant took sick-leave for a month, claiming stress.

“(The person) has huge aptitude for languages,” said M. Adès. “She speaks six, but not English, which is rather unfortunate, because the business media of reference is Anglo-Saxon."

“Rue des entrepreneurs” aired on France Inter Saturday mornings. France Inter has the largest audience of the French public radio channels. Its programs are among the most accessed by podcast. (JMH)

BBC Pakistan service cut
Ah, press freedom

More than two dozen FM re-broadcasters of the BBC Urdu service have been ordered to stop carrying BBC programming by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), reported the Hindustan Times (April 30). Apparently the service cuts began earlier in the week.

“This is a clear attack on the freedom of media,” said Hamid Mir speaking on behalf of the International Press Institute. “Local channels have not violated any law. In fact PEMRA is violating the law.”

"The ban on BBC Urdu through FM channels is strange," said BBC Urdu service spokesperson Aamir Ahmed Khan. Local sources said the Pakistan government is also targeting Voice of America (VOA) re-broadcasters.

The BBC World Service announced a series of programs marking World Press Freedom Day. (See BBC WS presser here) (JMH)

 

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