ftm Radio Page - November 27, 2009

Radio Energy promotes myEnergy
Logical with logos

Web communities have never been more popular. The concept, at least, is perhaps the ‘stickiest’ of anything to have come from the Web. Merging radio and the Web through derivative communities has a certain logic.

The five Radio Energy stations in Germany will use a revamped Website to build on those community synergies. The community is now called myEnergy and it’s offered at www.energy.de. NRJ Group owns and operates the five German stations and owns or manages stations in Norway, Belgium, Finland and Lebanon.

Much of what users will see on the German websites will be familiar; music oriented with a Facebook feel. Exclusive content will set the website apart from competitors, said NRJ Germany CEO Christophe Montague to radiowoche.de (November 26).

Interestingly, NRJ Group shelved many internet projects at its non-French subsidiaries several years ago. (JMH)

Good news on climate change
Copenhagen conference

Little acknowledged amidst reports of profit and loss are the initiatives of broadcasters and publishers that truly add to society. Unfortunately these are the ‘good news’ media stories, easily dismissed. One popped up from Lagardère Active, the broadcast division of French media giant Lagardère.

Coming up in the next weeks will be the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen (December 7-18). Lagardère Active broadcast outlets will be present, to say the very least. (See Lagardère presser here – in French) French channels Europe 1, Virgin Radio and RFM as well as Lagardère-owned stations in Romania, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic have planned extensive coverage and coordinated events.

Lagardère Active CEO Didier Quillot calls it a “crucial event for the future of our planet.”

And what are you doing? (JMH)

Swiss organization and efficiency
Radio and TV merged in French speaking region

Radio and television operations of Swiss public broadcaster SSR-SRG in the country’s French-speaking are being merged. Television Suisse Romande (TSR) and Radio Suisse Romande (RSR) will now be known as Radio Television Suisse (RTS). The merger is no surprise and comes amidst “efficiency” decisions at SSR-SRG.

“SSR is free to organize itself as it sees fit,” said a statement from the Swiss Department of Energy, Transport, Environment and Communications (DETEC). (Read DETEC statement here – in French) Local governments in Geneva and Lausanne extracted commitments from SSR-SRG to maintain separate news departments.

TSR and RSR were created when SSR-SRG was formed from Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) in 1999. TSR, the television broadcaster, has been headquartered in Geneva while RSR, the radio broadcaster, was located in Lausanne, 75 miles away. The decision to merge TSR and RSR was made in March with SSR-SRG hoping for a ten percent reduction in overall operating expense. Only 30 jobs are expected to be cut as the new RTS is organized around ‘news’ and ‘programs’. Of course, there will be accounting and government relations.

The merger changes little except a bit of organizational structure. Television stays in Geneva. Radio stays in Lausanne. TSR General Director Gilles Marchand becomes GD of the new public company, which remains a division of SSR-SRG. RSR GD Gerard Tschopp will leave that post December 31st having already been named Deputy General Director of SSR-SRG carrying the reorganization portfolio.

SSR-SRG General Director Armin Walpen tendered his resignation in June to be effective at the end of 2010. Posturing to replace Walpen has been hot and heavy for months, even before he made it official. Marchand has been odds on favorite; important consideration being a French-region candidate after Walpen (German region) and Anthonio Riva (Italian region).

Ingrid Deltenre, Director of Swiss German public TV (DSF), spun out of that job in June to become European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Director. SSR-SRG Deputy General Director Daniel Eckmann also tendered his resignation in June. (JMH)

400 channels on UK RadioPlayer
a no radio radio

The BBC has another “really exciting development” to spice up radio listening without more bad DJ jokes. The UK RadioPlayer is a searchable Web-based attraction that will attach all licensed UK radio channels to anybody with a PC or laptop. When launched, sometime next year, UK radio listeners won’t need a radio at all. It’s the new rage in radio: no radio radio.

Later – sometime later – the UK RadioPlayer will bring all 400 (or so) UK radio channels to mobile devices.

Every UK radio luminary described the UK RadioPlayer as a “breakthrough.” Presumably listeners will soon be able to return DAB radios. (JMH)

Negotiating and little faith
Always be ready to walk away

Losing its national commercial radio license in a widely criticized selection process, Slager Radio’s owner Emmis International appears to be walking away from its highly successful Hungarian franchise. The “difficult decision,” said the statement posted on the stations website (November 20), means the company “at present… does not wish to continue analogue broadcast services in Hungary.”  Slager Radio and Radio Danubius, Hungary’s second national commercial radio service, lost license renewal bids in late October and were struck from the airwaves last week (November 18).

Two national radio concessions were awarded to companies closely aligned with Hungary’s two major political parties under dubious terms. (See earlier article here) A joint letter from nine major diplomatic missions in Budapest condemned corrupt practices in Hungary noting “significant new instances of non-transparent behavior affecting investors in such areas as public utilities, broadcasting and elements of the nation's transport infrastructure.”  

Local speculation, through the last two weeks, strongly suggested Slager Radio’s owner was negotiating with one or more regional radio networks for full or part-time carriage of the stations programs. Greedy local owners asked for huge amounts even though their own licenses will be up for renewal in the next 18 months. Emmis International may (or may not) apply for one or more of those licenses; hence the phrase “at present” in the statement (November 20). And, too, the Slager Radio brand will be kept alive on the Web; hence the reference to ending “analogue broadcast services.”

All of this may be parsing words. Emmis International made clear it would be pursuing its grievance in Hungarian and European courts. Accession Mezzanine Capital, Radio Danubius’ owner, has been far less visible in criticizing the licensing process or other aspects of their future in Hungary. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is a 30% shareholder in Accession Mezzanine Capital and quite likely to have reached an agreement with the Hungarian government on compensation.

The Hungarian business and financial establishment, facing the severe test of dismal economics, appears to have been stunned by international criticism focused on the two radio licenses. In addition to strong condemnation by diplomats, articles in the Financial Times, Economist and Wall Street Journal raised questions of government incompetence and corruption. One Budapest advertising executive, speaking off the record, suggested all of the aforementioned issues – from political interference to corruption – may cause further peril within the media sector. “Big international advertisers may be scared away from Hungary,” they said. (JMH)

Radio Page - November 20, 2009

Radio Page - November 13, 2009

Radio Page - November 6, 2009

Radio Page - October 30, 2009

Radio Page - October 24, 2009

Radio Page - October 16, 2009

Radio Page - October 9, 2009

Radio Page - October 2, 2009

Radio Page - September 25, 2009

Radio Page - September 18, 2009

Radio Page - September 11, 2009

Recently added radio audience figures

• France - National Radio Audience (18/11/2009)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Czech Republic - Radio Audience (11/11/2009)
  Top 12 stations, national survey, trend
• Slovakia - National Radio Audience (09/11/2009)
  leading stations, market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (29/10/2009)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (29/10/2009)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (29/108/2009)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• Poland - National Radio Audience (24/10/2009)
  national survey, market share, trend
• Poland - Warsaw Radio Audience (24/10/2009)
  Warsaw survey, market share, trend

Also see ftm Knowledge

Europe's Radio

Europe’s media landscape is dotted by 15,000 radio stations and channels. Public, private, digital and even a few MW stations reach upwards of 90% of Europe’s listeners each day. This updated ftm Knowledge file adds new material on digital broadcasting, measurement, regulation, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Russia and the UK. 195 pages PDF (August 2009)

ftm Members order here

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
Order