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ftm Radio Page - August 13, 2010

Digital radio growth forecast
“narrow segments” and “other enhancements”

Digital radio receiver sales will grow to 200 million units worldwide by 2015, says ABI Research in a new report (August 12). Smartphones will be fitted with digital radio chips as mobile telcos look for more premium content. (See ABI Research presser here) More than 13 million DAB receivers have been sold in Europe.

“Digital radio technologies, including satellite radio and Internet radio, are expected to reverse trends of decreasing listenership,” said the ABI Research PR. “Listeners will have access to niche programming targeted to narrower demographic segments and will respond to a more interactive user experience enabled by program guides and other enhancements. Broadcasters, in turn, will have a larger reach and the ability to provide better targeted and more interactive ads.”

While the folks at ABI Research generally do nice work, one should be wary of comparing media trends in different parts of the world. For example, what “trends of decreasing listenership?” That may well be the case in North America – reasons having nothing to do with platform – but in most of Europe radio listening reported by national institutes is rising. (See more on digital radio here)

That little issue with basis notwithstanding, smartphones are very likely to drive radio usage over the next few years but mostly by offering easy access to Web radio platforms like open-fm. (JMH)

Change to public radio not easy
“easy listening” music added

New National Radio Company of Ukraine (NRCU) president Taras Avrahov described for Telekritika (August 10) changes to First Channel programming; new news and talk programs plus the addition of “easy listening” music. The changes, he said, are in keeping with plans to move away from State radio and toward public service radio.

“We decided to implement public broadcasting primarily in the content (area),” he explained. Changes to the two other NRCU channels are coming.

Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych has often repeated a goal of developing a public service broadcasting model in Ukraine. Avrahov was named president of the National Radio Company of Ukraine (NRCU) in June after Victor Nabrusko was dismissed. Previously he’d been press secretary to Yanukovych. (See more on media in Ukraine here)

”We talk about common things,” he said, of one of the new morning talk shows. “Today we talk about education, then we talk about the heatwave.”

Between the new talk shows First Channel broadcasts easy listening music. “Ukraine reinventing the bicycle is not necessary,” Avrahov explained. “All music content will be formatted, as it should be, as a public easy listening (music). If we declare the move to public broadcasting, this is a public format.”

”Nobody said that it will be easy,” said Avrahov.

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