ftm Radio Page - June 11, 2010

Government to pick the tunes
different spin on ‘ministry of sound’

Every few years, well-intentioned politicians decide to choose music for commercial radio stations. It’s always in the name of culture, protecting local cultural institutions and, of course, the local music business. The consequences are blunt.

In the Polish Law on Radio and Television there is a provision (Article 15) requiring one-third of all music played on all radio stations to be Polish. It’s a rather porous provision calculated daily. Stations programming popular music, from hits to oldies, tend to load the wee hours with all-Polish tunes allowing them to program the more competitive day-time hour as they perceive the audience demand. (See more on media in Poland here)

That could change. The Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage wants to change the law to require commercial radio stations to play 75% Polish-origin music in any hour. That would almost certainly destroy popular rap and hip-hop stations like Radio Zet and Chili.

Last year the Hungarian government started making rumblings about radio stations playing too little Hungarian music, which ultimately factored into the unsuccessful license renewal applications of two national channels – owned by foreign companies, the major factor. Several years ago German commercial broadcasters fought off a similar proposal to require more German music content.

Almost all such music content proposals cite French law, which has a specific and enforced French music quota, designed to protect the French music business. For the most part, French radio broadcasters play by the rules accepting that most French people want to hear French music on the radio. But things have dampened that wisdom in the iPod era, which has seen significant audience losses for all popular music radio channels.

PSB finance crisis threatens radio
digital channels eyed

“Finance crisis” is on the tip of the tongue of almost every public broadcaster. With few exceptions revenue short-falls precede cuts to programming and services… or threats thereof.

Swiss public broadcaster SSR-SRG finds itself increasingly in a sea of red-ink. It has asked the Federal Council for help; raise the license fee, increase direct support or both. Without more money coming in, radio channels are threatened, reports the NZZ (June 8).

Several “marginal” radio channels have been mentioned as targets of cost cutting. All appear to be digital (DAB) channels, in which SSR-SRG has invested significantly.

“The closure of those niche channels would ruin the deliberate political strategy of the SRG to digitize radio completely,” said the NZZ article. “The heavy investment would then be useless. Moreover, it seems doubtful that a withdrawal of the SRG would encourage private companies to push forward into the gap.”

Also mentioned as cutting room targets are the multi-lingual, multimedia news service Swiss Info and the “exotic” English language World Radio Switzerland. (JMH)

Radio channel joins green music initiative
“Environment Offensive 2010”

“Environmental awareness and fun need not be mutually exclusive,” said Jump Radio program director Michael Schiewack. The German public broadcasting channel is signed up to co-sponsor summer music events as part of the Green Music Initiative.

“Find a parade and claim it,” is one of the great marketing truisms attributed to the Walt Disney Company. In environmentally conscious Germany, “Green” marketing is not just effective but competitive.

Jump Radio is the pop music channel of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), located in Leipzig. (See more on media in Germany here)(JMH)

Radio Page - June 4, 2010

Radio Page - May 28, 2010

Radio Page - May 21, 2010

Radio Page - May 14, 2010

Radio Page - May 7, 2010

Radio Page - April 30, 2010

Radio Page - April 23, 2010

Radio Page - April 16, 2010

Recently added radio audience figures

• UK - National Radio Audience (13/05/2010)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (13/05/2010)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (13/05/2010)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• France - Paris Radio Audience (23/04/2010)
  national and local channels, market share
• Spain - National Radio Audience (16/04/2010)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (15/04/2010)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Germany - Radio Audience (14/03/2010)
  leading stations, 2010 national survey, daily reach
• Czech Republic - Radio Audience (01/03/2010)
  Top stations, national survey, trend

More Resources

Also see ftm Knowledge

Europe’s Radio – Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s radio writes new rules. In fact, most everything about radio in this region is new... and changes often. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Russia and Slovakia. 65 pages PDF (February 2010)

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Europe’s Radio – Northern Europe

Northern Europe’s radio has a very digital sound. And change is in the air. Economic challenges abound for both public and commercial broadcasters. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the UK. 72 pages PDF (December 2009)

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Available at no charge to ftm Members, others from €49
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Digital Radio - Forward...slightly

Digital radio is slowly finding its way. Broadcasters are challenged by shifts in business models, audience expectations and regulation limbo. This ftm Knowledge file details the promise of digital broadcasting and the paradigm shifts. 83 pages PDF (June 2009)

ftm Members order here

Available at no charge to ftm Members, others from €49
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