ftm Radio Page - January 22, 2010

News Corp exit from Russian radio tied up
A year and a half ago News Corp Premier Rupert Murdoch said he’d be clearing out of Russia and other Eastern European holdings. He’s found it easier said than done.

It’s the music. It’s the measurement. It’s awful!
Judging from early returns – ratings, that is – this year starts almost where it left off. Audiences are still falling. It’s the fault of everything. The best advice may be to keep a good sense of humor.

Court rules license renewal illegal, again
Regulator “stunned”

The contentious license renewal for Hungarian national radio channels is winding its way through the courts. Eventually there will be an end but not soon.

The Budapest Municipal Court ruled (January 19) the context of the radio license renewal illegal. Slager Radio brought the lawsuit in November (see details here) contending wrongdoing on the part of Hungarian media regulator ORTT. Danubius Radio’s national license renewal was also denied. Slager Radio is (was) owned by Emmis International and Danubius Radio is (was) owned by Accession Mezzanine Capital. Both are principally foreign owned and both sued the ORTT seeking to reverse license awards to, they contend, unqualified and politically connected companies.

In the verbal ruling, the Municipal Court agreed that, under the rules, NeoFM was awarded Slager Radio’s license illegally, principally because NeoFM’s owner holds a 75% stake in a local Budapest radio station. In early January the same court made a similar decision in the lawsuit brought by Accession Mezzanine Capital against the ORTT.

The ORTT, reportedly “stunned” by the ruling in the Danubius Radio case, announced it would appeal both judgments.

Resolution of the radio license dispute, brought to a wide international audience because of corruption charges against the Hungarian government, is likely to drag on for months if not longer. The Municipal Court, while granting legal faults to the license award process, also said it had no jurisdiction to overturn the license awards to the new radio channels. That decision, after ORTT appeals the first-instance rulings, will go to the Hungarian Administrative Court. Then there’s the Hungarian Supreme Court. Then there’s the European Court of Justice.

The Municipal Court ordered Slager Radio to pay about €30,000 in court fees.

We know who wins this one. (JMH)

International broadcasters in Haiti
local media “…in ruins.”

Information is vital in disaster zones. Last weeks 7+ earthquake in Haiti disrupted the tiny country’s infrastructure, including much of its media.

Radio France Internationale (RFI) has been operating several FM frequencies and, apparently, has emergency power supplies. The international broadcaster has turned over its frequencies to international aid organizations an hour each morning.

BBC World Service is offering special news and information services via its local Haitian affiliate Radio Lumiere. Voice of America (VOA) Creole service has set up an internet ‘hot line’ service to help locate families. Satellite internet access appears intact.

"There is very little local news,” said Haitian government advisor Gabriel Varret to PBS Newshour (January 13). “Most of the local news stations are off the air. I heard two all afternoon or evening since the quake. One station continues to work normal and that is radio RFI.”

Most radio and television stations were rendered quiet, said Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) (January 15).  Offices of newspapers Le Matin and Le Nouvelliste survived the quake though, sadly, Le Nouvelliste director Max Chauvet was killed. Local radio stations Signal FM and Caraïbes FM continue to operate.

“The Haitian press is in ruins,” said RSF Canadian president François Buguingo. Offices of the National Association of Haitian Media were destroyed.

Radio Page - January 15, 2010

Radio Page - January 8, 2010

Radio Page - December 18, 2009

Radio Page - December 11, 2009

Radio Page - December 4, 2009

Radio Page - November 27, 2009

Radio Page - November 20, 2009

Radio Page - November 13, 2009

Recently added radio audience figures

• France - National Radio Audience (20/01/2010)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Spain - National Radio Audience (11/12/2009)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• France - Paris Radio Audience (30/11/2009)
  national and local channels, market share

Also see ftm Knowledge

Europe’s Radio – Northern Europe – new

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)

ftm Members order here

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

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
Order