December 2001 Archive
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November - Links- internally where there are follow-up stories we try, at the end of each story, to put a pertinent link to the top of the next relevant story. Regarding external links see note at end of page.
RNW December Comment is our wish list as the year draws to an end.
RNW November Comment looks at our fears for radio in recession.
RNW October Comment looks at the fight for minds element of the "War against terrorism", a war we fear the US may be incapable of winning.
2001-12-31:
For our final 2001 pick of print media reports on radio, we have chosen
to narrow down to a few highlights from two radio columnists look
at 2001 plus reports on three facets of radio that will still be with
us throughout 2002.
For the first, we start in the US with Dean Johnson of the Boston Herald; he lists five top radio stories of 2001, the first three being:
*Sept. 11: It changed everything in radio, too.
*Contraction: Too many jobs, too few people doing them.
*Christopher Lydon leaves WBUR-FM (90.9): Public radio never got so much attention.
On September 11, he doesn't go into the maladjusted hyperbole that has led many, primarily US, commentators to put its importance in line with that of the World Wars although in fairness some of them did speak of this in terms of the psychological impact on the US when it found it wasn't immune to the world (as opposed to the magnitude of the event).
Johnson is of course on the ball, and not only for Boston, when he writes, "…Sept. 11's most profound effect on local radio has been financial."
"An already struggling radio ad community took an enormous hit in the recession that has followed."
"As companies have contracted, numerous positions even in middle- and upper-management have been eliminated."
In the UK, Paul Donovan in the UK Sunday Times had two columns.
His regular weekly column focussed on a recent limited sale of digital radio receivers for GBP99 which was massively oversubscribed and leads on to issues he has written about that were brought to his attention by readers and listeners.
He also has a "Best of 2001" column which starts," Sometimes the same event can be both a high and a low. When John Simpson famously announced on the Today programme that he had just liberated Kabul, we both winced and smiled - knowing that it was a highly charged moment of the war and yet aware that it was an unintended example of the egoism that taints so much contemporary reporting."
Donovan goes on to list highs and lows -we're giving just the highs below.
These were: " Bouquets to: *Radio 4, for resurrecting children's radio in April in the shape of Go 4 It on Sunday evenings, complemented by the launch of Squawkbox on Oneword and more bedtime stories on Classic FM.
*Local radio, for its magnificent service to the beleaguered communities of Devon and Cumbria during foot and mouth.
*The Pashto Service, which events proved was trusted by Taliban and American-led coalition alike, and which has been invaluable for millions of Afghanis at a devastating time in their history.
*Today, for exposing child-trafficking between West Africa and Britain when no other programme, or body, appears to be interested in investigating the scandal.
*Virgin Radio, for firing the rude and obnoxious Chris Evans in June, and the BBC, for so promptly squashing the rumours that he is joining Radio 2 next year.
The third of Donovan's bouquets serves as a reasonable cue to a New York Times article by Anthony Borden and Edward Girardet that deals with the problems broadcasting will face in Afghanistan following the overthrow of the Taliban.
Noting that so far most international effort has focussed on broadcasts by non-Afghans including an expansion of their broadcasts by BBC World Service and the Voice of America plus the allocation of money to set up Radio Free Afghanistan, they comment, "These efforts may do some good, but they will also soak up enormous amounts of precious aid and draw talent away from more sustainable local institutions."
"Some, like Radio Free Afghanistan, will probably be temporary and largely propagandistic."
"All of these news sources are foreign and cannot provide the local news and perspectives that can come from Afghan journalists."
"What Afghans need most from their journalists is not explanations of the outside world and its views but reliable information and honest debate within their own society."
"Unfortunately, and despite clear lessons from Somalia and the Balkans, most international donors still fail to see the importance of supporting local media."
The writers do, of course, have a point, but it is also worth noting that the European Union and the European Broadcasting Union in particular have been active in supporting the rebirth of local stations in the Balkans.
A a wider and wisely thought-through version of what has been done there would, we suggest, be just as beneficial to the US as any funds it may plough into RFA never minds plans to try and set up a pro-American satellite TV channel to broadcast to the Islamic world.
Afghanistan, of course, also puts into a different context the benefits of such developments as the Internet, never mind Internet radio, which is the subject of a Baltimore Sun article by David Colker.
This looks at the benefits and problems for Internet radio, ranging from the small to the large.
The small is "Destroy Radio", a Californian Internet radio station which operates from the bedroom of Jeff Burgess, one of two prime announcers on a round-the-clock Internet rock station that operates on a shoestring budget.
The large are operations such as those of US National Public Radio and the BBC.
As Coker points out, Internet radio may be fairly cheap to run -a capital cost of maybe USD5000 and streaming costs of a few hundred dollars a month for a small scale operation --compared to terrestrial radio stations but it also has much smaller audience and has failed to attract the finances to keep it going in many cases or in others is kept going more because people want to do something than because they expect to make a lot of money.
And that, of course, is in a rich country like the US with all the infrastructure already available to support Internet stations.
For Afghanistan it's nowhere near the starting blocks.
And even in the US, as elsewhere where local and community stations provide a much cheaper per-listener way of reaching an audience, terrestrial radio doesn't really seem to be much at risk from the threat of Internet radio>
To illustrate this we picked up a Chicago Tribune story by Oscar Avila on a Chicago suburban radio service directed at the city's Indian community.
"Desi Junction", which airs less than two hours a week was started on a WJJG-AM by computer engineer and radio novice Jassi Parmar together with three partners in he hope of entertaining Chicago's Indian community with music and banter in their native languages.
Broadcast in Hindi, Punjabi and English, the show started on September 1 with a line-up of modern music and oldies, nearly all from the "Bollywood" films of Indian cinema.
Ten days later it became more of a phone-in:" The hosts abandoned their aversion to politics," writes Avila,"to let callers talk about the backlash they experienced."
"Entire shows were devoted to tales of harassment and fear. "
"We shared a lot of stories on the air," Dara Singh, one of the partners said.
"People felt relieved to have somewhere to turn."
That phase has now ended and the music is back and Avila writes." The show is a pleasant, some might say saccharine, blend of songs, trivia contests and conversation. This month's terrorist attack on the Indian parliament didn't warrant a mention."
To go back to Donovan's comment, "Sometimes the same event can be both a high and a low."
Bearing in mind the current developments in India and Pakistan, the absence of mention of that attack would indicate "Desi Junction" is rather limiting the value it could give to its community of listeners.
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
Previous Johnson:
Baltimore Sun on Internet radio:
Boston Herald - Johnson: Chicago Tribune on "Desi Junction":
New York Times on Afghan Radio:
UK Sunday Times -Donovan weekly column:
UK Sunday Times - Donovan comment on 2001:
For the first, we start in the US with Dean Johnson of the Boston Herald; he lists five top radio stories of 2001, the first three being:
*Sept. 11: It changed everything in radio, too.
*Contraction: Too many jobs, too few people doing them.
*Christopher Lydon leaves WBUR-FM (90.9): Public radio never got so much attention.
On September 11, he doesn't go into the maladjusted hyperbole that has led many, primarily US, commentators to put its importance in line with that of the World Wars although in fairness some of them did speak of this in terms of the psychological impact on the US when it found it wasn't immune to the world (as opposed to the magnitude of the event).
Johnson is of course on the ball, and not only for Boston, when he writes, "…Sept. 11's most profound effect on local radio has been financial."
"An already struggling radio ad community took an enormous hit in the recession that has followed."
"As companies have contracted, numerous positions even in middle- and upper-management have been eliminated."
In the UK, Paul Donovan in the UK Sunday Times had two columns.
His regular weekly column focussed on a recent limited sale of digital radio receivers for GBP99 which was massively oversubscribed and leads on to issues he has written about that were brought to his attention by readers and listeners.
He also has a "Best of 2001" column which starts," Sometimes the same event can be both a high and a low. When John Simpson famously announced on the Today programme that he had just liberated Kabul, we both winced and smiled - knowing that it was a highly charged moment of the war and yet aware that it was an unintended example of the egoism that taints so much contemporary reporting."
Donovan goes on to list highs and lows -we're giving just the highs below.
These were: " Bouquets to: *Radio 4, for resurrecting children's radio in April in the shape of Go 4 It on Sunday evenings, complemented by the launch of Squawkbox on Oneword and more bedtime stories on Classic FM.
*Local radio, for its magnificent service to the beleaguered communities of Devon and Cumbria during foot and mouth.
*The Pashto Service, which events proved was trusted by Taliban and American-led coalition alike, and which has been invaluable for millions of Afghanis at a devastating time in their history.
*Today, for exposing child-trafficking between West Africa and Britain when no other programme, or body, appears to be interested in investigating the scandal.
*Virgin Radio, for firing the rude and obnoxious Chris Evans in June, and the BBC, for so promptly squashing the rumours that he is joining Radio 2 next year.
The third of Donovan's bouquets serves as a reasonable cue to a New York Times article by Anthony Borden and Edward Girardet that deals with the problems broadcasting will face in Afghanistan following the overthrow of the Taliban.
Noting that so far most international effort has focussed on broadcasts by non-Afghans including an expansion of their broadcasts by BBC World Service and the Voice of America plus the allocation of money to set up Radio Free Afghanistan, they comment, "These efforts may do some good, but they will also soak up enormous amounts of precious aid and draw talent away from more sustainable local institutions."
"Some, like Radio Free Afghanistan, will probably be temporary and largely propagandistic."
"All of these news sources are foreign and cannot provide the local news and perspectives that can come from Afghan journalists."
"What Afghans need most from their journalists is not explanations of the outside world and its views but reliable information and honest debate within their own society."
"Unfortunately, and despite clear lessons from Somalia and the Balkans, most international donors still fail to see the importance of supporting local media."
The writers do, of course, have a point, but it is also worth noting that the European Union and the European Broadcasting Union in particular have been active in supporting the rebirth of local stations in the Balkans.
A a wider and wisely thought-through version of what has been done there would, we suggest, be just as beneficial to the US as any funds it may plough into RFA never minds plans to try and set up a pro-American satellite TV channel to broadcast to the Islamic world.
Afghanistan, of course, also puts into a different context the benefits of such developments as the Internet, never mind Internet radio, which is the subject of a Baltimore Sun article by David Colker.
This looks at the benefits and problems for Internet radio, ranging from the small to the large.
The small is "Destroy Radio", a Californian Internet radio station which operates from the bedroom of Jeff Burgess, one of two prime announcers on a round-the-clock Internet rock station that operates on a shoestring budget.
The large are operations such as those of US National Public Radio and the BBC.
As Coker points out, Internet radio may be fairly cheap to run -a capital cost of maybe USD5000 and streaming costs of a few hundred dollars a month for a small scale operation --compared to terrestrial radio stations but it also has much smaller audience and has failed to attract the finances to keep it going in many cases or in others is kept going more because people want to do something than because they expect to make a lot of money.
And that, of course, is in a rich country like the US with all the infrastructure already available to support Internet stations.
For Afghanistan it's nowhere near the starting blocks.
And even in the US, as elsewhere where local and community stations provide a much cheaper per-listener way of reaching an audience, terrestrial radio doesn't really seem to be much at risk from the threat of Internet radio>
To illustrate this we picked up a Chicago Tribune story by Oscar Avila on a Chicago suburban radio service directed at the city's Indian community.
"Desi Junction", which airs less than two hours a week was started on a WJJG-AM by computer engineer and radio novice Jassi Parmar together with three partners in he hope of entertaining Chicago's Indian community with music and banter in their native languages.
Broadcast in Hindi, Punjabi and English, the show started on September 1 with a line-up of modern music and oldies, nearly all from the "Bollywood" films of Indian cinema.
Ten days later it became more of a phone-in:" The hosts abandoned their aversion to politics," writes Avila,"to let callers talk about the backlash they experienced."
"Entire shows were devoted to tales of harassment and fear. "
"We shared a lot of stories on the air," Dara Singh, one of the partners said.
"People felt relieved to have somewhere to turn."
That phase has now ended and the music is back and Avila writes." The show is a pleasant, some might say saccharine, blend of songs, trivia contests and conversation. This month's terrorist attack on the Indian parliament didn't warrant a mention."
To go back to Donovan's comment, "Sometimes the same event can be both a high and a low."
Bearing in mind the current developments in India and Pakistan, the absence of mention of that attack would indicate "Desi Junction" is rather limiting the value it could give to its community of listeners.
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
Previous Johnson:
Baltimore Sun on Internet radio:
Boston Herald - Johnson: Chicago Tribune on "Desi Junction":
New York Times on Afghan Radio:
UK Sunday Times -Donovan weekly column:
UK Sunday Times - Donovan comment on 2001:
2001-12-31:
Although TeamTalk Media completed its purchase of a
four-fifths stake in Atlantic 252, which it plans to
convert to a sports outlet, earlier this month (See
RNW Dec 6), the Irish Times
reports that a former employee of state broadcaster RTÉ is still trying
a last-ditch approach to Ireland's Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht
and the Islands to prevent the sale.
Enda O'Kane says the transmitter, located in Summerhill, Co Meath, should be protected as a national asset and that he thought the minister had the power to block the sale.
O'Kane says the station is currently being misused by broadcasting pop music but that was no reason to allow it to be sold to a commercial interest with no public broadcasting dimension.
He has suggested that the transmitter could be used as a "national emergency channel" or for all-Ireland broadcasting.
"This is the only long-wave facility on the island of Ireland. It should be used for native programming," he said.
Former taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) John Bruton is supporting O'Kane and said the channel should be used "to rebroadcast to Britain a mix of Irish programmes output from northern and southern stations, both commercial and public." Previous TeamTalk:
Irish Times report:
Enda O'Kane says the transmitter, located in Summerhill, Co Meath, should be protected as a national asset and that he thought the minister had the power to block the sale.
O'Kane says the station is currently being misused by broadcasting pop music but that was no reason to allow it to be sold to a commercial interest with no public broadcasting dimension.
He has suggested that the transmitter could be used as a "national emergency channel" or for all-Ireland broadcasting.
"This is the only long-wave facility on the island of Ireland. It should be used for native programming," he said.
Former taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) John Bruton is supporting O'Kane and said the channel should be used "to rebroadcast to Britain a mix of Irish programmes output from northern and southern stations, both commercial and public." Previous TeamTalk:
Irish Times report:
2001-12-30:
It was an understandably slim last full week of the year on the licence
front with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI), Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and UK Radio
Authority either closed down until the New Year or moribund.
In Australia, licence activity by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has been confined to the community radio sector with the announcement of the allocation of new licences for Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, South Australia, being announced and further comment sought on plans for an additional wide coverage community radio service for Sydney. The new licences have gone to RPH Adelaide Inc to serve the print handicapped community with a permanent licence from June and to Barossa Broadcasting Board Inc (TripleBfm) to serve the general community with a permanent licence starting in September. Both services are already on the air under temporary community licences. These licences take to 100 the total of new community licences issued since the introduction of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. A further Adelaide community licence is yet to be allocated. In Sydney, the Authority has detailed two options on which it is canvassing opinion in relation to plans for an additional AM community licence. The first option involves using the 1386 kHz spectrum with a maximum transmission power of 5 kW from a transmitter site at Bicentennial Park at Homebush with an omni-directional pattern whilst the second is for a similar service with a directional pattern towards Lithgow from a transmitter site at Prospect. The ABA says the first option is more spectrum-efficient but notes that it may require a frequency change for the existing Lithgow AM national radio service 2LG operating on 1395 kHz.
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)has proposed four new FMs that would require amendment of existing FM operation tables.
They are for a Class C2 for Pierce, Nebraska and Class As at Coosada, Alabama, Pineview, Georgia and Diamond Lake, Oregon.
All are for small communities, the largest population of them being for Piece which has 1774 residents.
The FCC has also proposed a USD10000 fine on David Edwin Merrell of Wichita Falls, Texas, for operating a radio station on an amateur frequency without a license.
Previous ABA:
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
ABA web site:
FCC web site:
In Australia, licence activity by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has been confined to the community radio sector with the announcement of the allocation of new licences for Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, South Australia, being announced and further comment sought on plans for an additional wide coverage community radio service for Sydney. The new licences have gone to RPH Adelaide Inc to serve the print handicapped community with a permanent licence from June and to Barossa Broadcasting Board Inc (TripleBfm) to serve the general community with a permanent licence starting in September. Both services are already on the air under temporary community licences. These licences take to 100 the total of new community licences issued since the introduction of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. A further Adelaide community licence is yet to be allocated. In Sydney, the Authority has detailed two options on which it is canvassing opinion in relation to plans for an additional AM community licence. The first option involves using the 1386 kHz spectrum with a maximum transmission power of 5 kW from a transmitter site at Bicentennial Park at Homebush with an omni-directional pattern whilst the second is for a similar service with a directional pattern towards Lithgow from a transmitter site at Prospect. The ABA says the first option is more spectrum-efficient but notes that it may require a frequency change for the existing Lithgow AM national radio service 2LG operating on 1395 kHz.
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)has proposed four new FMs that would require amendment of existing FM operation tables.
They are for a Class C2 for Pierce, Nebraska and Class As at Coosada, Alabama, Pineview, Georgia and Diamond Lake, Oregon.
All are for small communities, the largest population of them being for Piece which has 1774 residents.
The FCC has also proposed a USD10000 fine on David Edwin Merrell of Wichita Falls, Texas, for operating a radio station on an amateur frequency without a license.
Previous ABA:
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
ABA web site:
FCC web site:
2001-12-29:
As the year end approached, traffic reporting should be almost back
to normal in the US following the restoration of general aviation
access to all the country's main metropolitan areas except for Washington,
New York and Boston.
Restrictions were imposed throughout the US after the September 11 attacks and in the latter areas, local restrictions will remain in space around specific sensitive areas.
In addition, the US Federal Aviation Authority can impose temporary flight restrictions when it considers them justified.
It is continuing such restrictions for major sporting events or other events where there is a major open-air gathering.
The moves to restore flight access has been welcomed by the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), which had been campaigning for the restoration of news and traffic flights.
Previous RTNDA:
RTNDA web site:
Restrictions were imposed throughout the US after the September 11 attacks and in the latter areas, local restrictions will remain in space around specific sensitive areas.
In addition, the US Federal Aviation Authority can impose temporary flight restrictions when it considers them justified.
It is continuing such restrictions for major sporting events or other events where there is a major open-air gathering.
The moves to restore flight access has been welcomed by the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), which had been campaigning for the restoration of news and traffic flights.
Previous RTNDA:
RTNDA web site:
2001-12-28:
Sirius Satellite Radio shares have bounded again this
week following more analysts suggestions that they had been
undervalued compared to rival XM Satellite Radio; they
ended Thursday at 11:02, up 20% on the week which they began at around
USD9.
Shares in both the satellite companies had also done well in the past few weeks as a result of optimism that followed XM gaining more subscribers than expected (See RNW Dec 20).
Over the past 52 weeks, Sirius has ranged from USD 2.2 to USD35 whilst Sirius, which began the past week at USD17 and ended at USD18, has ranged from USD3.87 to USD21.06.
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
Sirius web site:
XM Web site:
Shares in both the satellite companies had also done well in the past few weeks as a result of optimism that followed XM gaining more subscribers than expected (See RNW Dec 20).
Over the past 52 weeks, Sirius has ranged from USD 2.2 to USD35 whilst Sirius, which began the past week at USD17 and ended at USD18, has ranged from USD3.87 to USD21.06.
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
Sirius web site:
XM Web site:
2001-12-28:
US religious broadcaster Salem says it has not completed the swap
of its 9% Series B notes for 9% Series A notes that it launched in
November.
In all notes worth USD150 million were involved.
Previous Salem:
In all notes worth USD150 million were involved.
Previous Salem:
2001-12-27:
Two stories relating to collapsed towers today, starting with New
York where some USD8 million of Federal Aid is to be made available
to help with the replacement of the towers destroyed in the September
11 attack on the World Trade Centre.
The money is part of an USD8 billion package approved for New York City by the US Congress. It is not yet clear how the money will be spent with options including the construction of a stand-alone tower on a number of locations or expanding the existing complex on the Empire State Building, or both.
The overall cost is estimated to be between USD30 million and USD 40 million.
New York broadcasters have lost audiences through having to move to alternative sites with lower power and height with TV companies being especially hit; the New York Times says most local TV stations have lost from 10% to 35% of their audiences.
The other tower loss hit Chicago Du Page College's station jazz and eclectic WDCB-FM, whose tower was toppled by wind on December 22.
Some 50 feet (15 metres) was left standing but the rest of the 310-foot (100 metre) tower toppled into a wildlife sanctuary.
The station, which had been planning to refurbish the tower in spring, was off the air until December 27 and then resumed transmission at a lower power from a makeshift antenna on a 60-foot back-up tower.
Cost of the replacement tower is estimated at around USD100000.
WDCB is due to mark its 25th anniversary in January of next year.
Chicago Tribune report:
The money is part of an USD8 billion package approved for New York City by the US Congress. It is not yet clear how the money will be spent with options including the construction of a stand-alone tower on a number of locations or expanding the existing complex on the Empire State Building, or both.
The overall cost is estimated to be between USD30 million and USD 40 million.
New York broadcasters have lost audiences through having to move to alternative sites with lower power and height with TV companies being especially hit; the New York Times says most local TV stations have lost from 10% to 35% of their audiences.
The other tower loss hit Chicago Du Page College's station jazz and eclectic WDCB-FM, whose tower was toppled by wind on December 22.
Some 50 feet (15 metres) was left standing but the rest of the 310-foot (100 metre) tower toppled into a wildlife sanctuary.
The station, which had been planning to refurbish the tower in spring, was off the air until December 27 and then resumed transmission at a lower power from a makeshift antenna on a 60-foot back-up tower.
Cost of the replacement tower is estimated at around USD100000.
WDCB is due to mark its 25th anniversary in January of next year.
Chicago Tribune report:
2001-12-27:
After 21 years on WABC-AM, New York Yankees radio broadcasts are to
move to WCBS-AM from spring next year under a five-year deal between
Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting and the Yankees Entertainment
& Sports Network.
Infinity,through its WFAN Sports/Talk WFAN is also to handle the Yankees' Spanish language programmes, although it hasn't yet announced which station will broadcast them.
The Yankees YES television network has already announced agreement with WCBS-TV for broadcasting its 20 regular season games with other games, except those televised nationally, to be shown on YES, which launches in March.
Previous Viacom-CBS-Infinity:
New York Times report:
Infinity,through its WFAN Sports/Talk WFAN is also to handle the Yankees' Spanish language programmes, although it hasn't yet announced which station will broadcast them.
The Yankees YES television network has already announced agreement with WCBS-TV for broadcasting its 20 regular season games with other games, except those televised nationally, to be shown on YES, which launches in March.
Previous Viacom-CBS-Infinity:
New York Times report:
2001-12-26:
Entercom Communications has announced an USD180 million
deal to acquire Tribune Broadcasting's three Denver radio stations,
Adult Contemporary KOSI-FM, Classic Rock KKHK-FM and Adult Standards
KEZW-AM, subject to regulatory approval.
If the deal gets Hart-Scott-Rodino approval, expected in the first quarter of next year, Entercom will take on sales and programming for the stations under a Time Brokerage Agreement that can run up to three years at Tribune's option.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval is also needed to close the deal.
Tribune had said in November that it was looking to dispose of the stations, possibly in an exchange for more TV assets and under the deal Tribune is to look for suitable TV assets that will be bought by Entercom and then spun off to Tribune with a cash adjustment for any difference in the price and the asset values.
Tribune, which once owned six stations, says it plans to retain WGN-AM, Chicago, its remaining radio outlet. If the deal goes through, Entercom will operate 100 stations in 19 US markets.
Previous Entercom:
If the deal gets Hart-Scott-Rodino approval, expected in the first quarter of next year, Entercom will take on sales and programming for the stations under a Time Brokerage Agreement that can run up to three years at Tribune's option.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval is also needed to close the deal.
Tribune had said in November that it was looking to dispose of the stations, possibly in an exchange for more TV assets and under the deal Tribune is to look for suitable TV assets that will be bought by Entercom and then spun off to Tribune with a cash adjustment for any difference in the price and the asset values.
Tribune, which once owned six stations, says it plans to retain WGN-AM, Chicago, its remaining radio outlet. If the deal goes through, Entercom will operate 100 stations in 19 US markets.
Previous Entercom:
2001-12-25:
Yet another feature of BBC Radio 4
is soon to be diminished; this time it's the shipping forecast, which
has long been a feature on the channel and is broadcast four times
a day.
Following complaints from Spain, the name Finisterre, used on Radio 4 since 1949 for an area off northwest Spain is to be replaced from February 4 next year by FitzRoy.
The new name comes from Admiral Robert Fitroy who founded the British Meteorological Office.
Spain uses the name Finisterre, which originated in the belief that the far western tip of the country was the end of the earth -"finis terre" -for a different and smaller sea area.
The last major change in the forecast's list of names was in 1956 when Heligoland became German Bight.
The rolling list of names in the forecast has been described as a "familiar poem"; areas currently included are Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, Finisterre, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, Southeast Iceland.
Previous BBC:
Following complaints from Spain, the name Finisterre, used on Radio 4 since 1949 for an area off northwest Spain is to be replaced from February 4 next year by FitzRoy.
The new name comes from Admiral Robert Fitroy who founded the British Meteorological Office.
Spain uses the name Finisterre, which originated in the belief that the far western tip of the country was the end of the earth -"finis terre" -for a different and smaller sea area.
The last major change in the forecast's list of names was in 1956 when Heligoland became German Bight.
The rolling list of names in the forecast has been described as a "familiar poem"; areas currently included are Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, Finisterre, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, Southeast Iceland.
Previous BBC:
2001-12-25:
The spread of commercial FM radio in India is leading to a boom in
receiver sales including cities where including the capital, Delhi,
where some FM launches have been delayed.
In some cases Indians are fitting sets to their motorbikes, a practice that has led to concern from not only authority but also from some shopkeepers.
The motorbike radios are usually attached near the handlebars or inside a sidecar with speakers often placed near or on the leg guards.
As well as locally-made sets from small manufacturers, radio giants are also using the advent of FM to boost sales and Philips, India, put out a set of adverts tied in to the launch of ENIL's (Entertainment Network (India) Limited) Radio Mirchi.
ENIL is the only company to have licences for all of India's metro regions but its Delhi launch has been delayed, probably until the second quarter of 2002.
Previous ENIL/Radio Mirchi:
Previous Indian Radio report:
In some cases Indians are fitting sets to their motorbikes, a practice that has led to concern from not only authority but also from some shopkeepers.
The motorbike radios are usually attached near the handlebars or inside a sidecar with speakers often placed near or on the leg guards.
As well as locally-made sets from small manufacturers, radio giants are also using the advent of FM to boost sales and Philips, India, put out a set of adverts tied in to the launch of ENIL's (Entertainment Network (India) Limited) Radio Mirchi.
ENIL is the only company to have licences for all of India's metro regions but its Delhi launch has been delayed, probably until the second quarter of 2002.
Previous ENIL/Radio Mirchi:
Previous Indian Radio report:
2001-12-24:
It being a season supposedly of goodwill, we thought it appropriate
to limit to the positives this week's look at print cover of radio
and chose three items on this basis.
The first, from UK Times media correspondent Raymond Snoddy is most closely tied to religion, albeit not purely the religious as such or Christianity. Snoddy devoted his column to BBC Radio 4's Something Understood programme; it airs at 0605 GMT on Sundays and, to use his words, "gently confronts the spiritual issues that face us all, religious as well as non-religious, through music, poetry and conversation. "
Most prolific contributor to the series is Mark Tully, the BBC's former South Asia correspondent who lives in Delhi.
He has been responsible for some 30 programmes a year, many recorded in Delhi, and the programme has, writes Snoddy, "strengthened his belief that 'there are many routes to God but they all lead to the same destination'".
Tully comments, "It manifests itself demonstrably in music. When you go to a concert and read the music notes, quite often what has been written is a barrier to your enjoyment."
"You can have no experience of life if you cannot see beyond the rational."
Tully records his programmes in batches of six - three in London and three in Delhi.
"India broadens the whole thing enormously. We have lots of good interviews from India," he says.
Each programme costs around GBP6500 and takes two days to make, with one day off before the next one.
The written material for each theme is chosen first, then the music is selected and finally the script is added.
Secondly, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune comes praise for an honest job honestly done.
In this case it is an editorial bidding farewell to Bob Crawford, who has stepped down after 32 years of covering City Hall for WBBM-AM with what the Tribune calls "integrity and decency that never got overwhelmed by the absurdities around him."
It continues, "The truth is that Crawford, who is gray, bespectacled and above all humble, has never found his sense of worth in impressing those who work with him in the press room at City Hall, or in other newsrooms around Chicago."
"That's because in all those years he spent with gas-bag politicians and reporters who are legends in their own minds, Bob Crawford never forgot why he was there: to feed the most complete and honest information he could to hundreds of thousands of citizens who relied on him."
"That is a duty grandly espoused by more reporters than the number who actually live it, decade after decade. Crawford-style journalism has never been All About Bob--or about Bob's ambitions, other than to do his best."
"Crawford doesn't have the prettiest voice or the most compelling delivery."
"He's the rare broadcast reporter who embraces understatement and sometimes conveys volumes by what he doesn't say."
"In 32 years of being lied to by some of the best, he's never lost his enthusiasm for the next story, the next scam, the next character. He probably needed an all-news format like WBBM's even more than his listeners; how else could he get air time to tell all those yarns?"
There is more but more isn't needed.
Finally another editorial, this time from the London Observer: It starts, "A single broadcaster was yesterday invited to attend the entire inauguration ceremony of Afghanistan's new government."
"The factions that tentatively constitute the new Kabul administration easily accepted one thing; they wanted the BBC World Service present."
"At a time when Britain could easily be dismissed as partial, and the Arab broadcaster al-Jazeera has attracted worldwide notice, it is a remarkable tribute to the enduring reputation of the 'Cinderella arm' of the BBC.'" "For two decades, some Conservatives gave the appearance of wishing to starve the World Service into insignificance. Even now it is attacked for its insistence that it avoid the word 'terrorism' to describe acts which some of its 153 million listeners, from Vietnam to Somalia, might not regard in that light."
"But that is what helps preserve the strength of the BBC brand as one of the most trusted in the world." "Broadcasters such as the Voice of America are still regarded - often understandably - as strident propagandists for the nation that funds them."
"Yet in war-torn and unstable countries across the world, the World Service will be listened to today by people longing to know, above all else, the truth."
"For all its limitations, the BBC still serves as a singular cultural glue between diverse communities at home."
"So the World Service performs that function overseas… The World Service - with its robust commitment to impartiality and the liberal values of democracy and fairness - remains far better an ambassador for Britain in a changing world than almost any of us credit."
"And it costs us the tiny sum of £183 million a year... In 1999, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan described the World Service as 'Britain's greatest gift to the world during the twentieth century'. He was right. In a world where truth is too often thin on the ground, it is a gift we should sustain well into the twenty-first."
Previous Columnists:
Previous Snoddy:
Chicago Tribune editorial:
UK Observer editorial:
UK Times - Snoddy:
The first, from UK Times media correspondent Raymond Snoddy is most closely tied to religion, albeit not purely the religious as such or Christianity. Snoddy devoted his column to BBC Radio 4's Something Understood programme; it airs at 0605 GMT on Sundays and, to use his words, "gently confronts the spiritual issues that face us all, religious as well as non-religious, through music, poetry and conversation. "
Most prolific contributor to the series is Mark Tully, the BBC's former South Asia correspondent who lives in Delhi.
He has been responsible for some 30 programmes a year, many recorded in Delhi, and the programme has, writes Snoddy, "strengthened his belief that 'there are many routes to God but they all lead to the same destination'".
Tully comments, "It manifests itself demonstrably in music. When you go to a concert and read the music notes, quite often what has been written is a barrier to your enjoyment."
"You can have no experience of life if you cannot see beyond the rational."
Tully records his programmes in batches of six - three in London and three in Delhi.
"India broadens the whole thing enormously. We have lots of good interviews from India," he says.
Each programme costs around GBP6500 and takes two days to make, with one day off before the next one.
The written material for each theme is chosen first, then the music is selected and finally the script is added.
Secondly, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune comes praise for an honest job honestly done.
In this case it is an editorial bidding farewell to Bob Crawford, who has stepped down after 32 years of covering City Hall for WBBM-AM with what the Tribune calls "integrity and decency that never got overwhelmed by the absurdities around him."
It continues, "The truth is that Crawford, who is gray, bespectacled and above all humble, has never found his sense of worth in impressing those who work with him in the press room at City Hall, or in other newsrooms around Chicago."
"That's because in all those years he spent with gas-bag politicians and reporters who are legends in their own minds, Bob Crawford never forgot why he was there: to feed the most complete and honest information he could to hundreds of thousands of citizens who relied on him."
"That is a duty grandly espoused by more reporters than the number who actually live it, decade after decade. Crawford-style journalism has never been All About Bob--or about Bob's ambitions, other than to do his best."
"Crawford doesn't have the prettiest voice or the most compelling delivery."
"He's the rare broadcast reporter who embraces understatement and sometimes conveys volumes by what he doesn't say."
"In 32 years of being lied to by some of the best, he's never lost his enthusiasm for the next story, the next scam, the next character. He probably needed an all-news format like WBBM's even more than his listeners; how else could he get air time to tell all those yarns?"
There is more but more isn't needed.
Finally another editorial, this time from the London Observer: It starts, "A single broadcaster was yesterday invited to attend the entire inauguration ceremony of Afghanistan's new government."
"The factions that tentatively constitute the new Kabul administration easily accepted one thing; they wanted the BBC World Service present."
"At a time when Britain could easily be dismissed as partial, and the Arab broadcaster al-Jazeera has attracted worldwide notice, it is a remarkable tribute to the enduring reputation of the 'Cinderella arm' of the BBC.'" "For two decades, some Conservatives gave the appearance of wishing to starve the World Service into insignificance. Even now it is attacked for its insistence that it avoid the word 'terrorism' to describe acts which some of its 153 million listeners, from Vietnam to Somalia, might not regard in that light."
"But that is what helps preserve the strength of the BBC brand as one of the most trusted in the world." "Broadcasters such as the Voice of America are still regarded - often understandably - as strident propagandists for the nation that funds them."
"Yet in war-torn and unstable countries across the world, the World Service will be listened to today by people longing to know, above all else, the truth."
"For all its limitations, the BBC still serves as a singular cultural glue between diverse communities at home."
"So the World Service performs that function overseas… The World Service - with its robust commitment to impartiality and the liberal values of democracy and fairness - remains far better an ambassador for Britain in a changing world than almost any of us credit."
"And it costs us the tiny sum of £183 million a year... In 1999, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan described the World Service as 'Britain's greatest gift to the world during the twentieth century'. He was right. In a world where truth is too often thin on the ground, it is a gift we should sustain well into the twenty-first."
Previous Columnists:
Previous Snoddy:
Chicago Tribune editorial:
UK Observer editorial:
UK Times - Snoddy:
2001-12-24:
In another case of misdirected e-mail, a BBC sports executive has
scored an own goal with an e-mail response to last week's signing
by BBC Radio 5 Live of Andy Gray from Sky Sports and Jonathan Pearce
from Capital Radio.
Graeme Reid-Davies, executive editor of BBC Sports News, responded to an e-mail announcing the appointments by sending an e-mail to Gordon Turnbull, head of BBC Radio Sport, saying he thought both signings were "crap" - and hit the Reply-to-all button.
Realising he had sent his message to all BBC sports staff, he sent another e-mail headed, "'We all make mistakes... and I just made a big one!'".
It continued, "'Apologies - having just had a long chat with Gordon about the good news regarding Andy Gray and Jonathan Pearce, I sent a joke email to him - and the rest of you. Just a private joke with the wrong keyboard key hit - sense of humour and all that. Happy Christmas."
No disciplinary action is being taken over the message.
Previous BBC:
Graeme Reid-Davies, executive editor of BBC Sports News, responded to an e-mail announcing the appointments by sending an e-mail to Gordon Turnbull, head of BBC Radio Sport, saying he thought both signings were "crap" - and hit the Reply-to-all button.
Realising he had sent his message to all BBC sports staff, he sent another e-mail headed, "'We all make mistakes... and I just made a big one!'".
It continued, "'Apologies - having just had a long chat with Gordon about the good news regarding Andy Gray and Jonathan Pearce, I sent a joke email to him - and the rest of you. Just a private joke with the wrong keyboard key hit - sense of humour and all that. Happy Christmas."
No disciplinary action is being taken over the message.
Previous BBC:
2001-12-23:
A busy week in Australia and fairly busy in Ireland and the US in
the run up to the holidays but quiet elsewhere:
In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority
(ABA) has now announced a number of new stations following the completion
of the radio planning exercise it started nine years ago under the
country's Broadcasting Services Act.
Overall nearly one thousand new national, commercial community and narrowcast services have now been made available throughout Australia.
Nearly 1500 new transmitters have been planned since 1992 compared to only 900 operating before then and a similar number of low powered narrowcast services have also been made available, mainly for services such as tourist radio.
135 transmitters for 90 new services have been planned during 2001.
The latest plans have involved Western Victoria and New South Wales; in the former the ABA is to make available licences for two additional commercial channels, 11 additional national (Australian Broadcasting Service and Special Broadcasting Service) services, 10 additional open narrowcasting services and one additional community service.
In the latter it is to make a new community licence available.
It's also to launch an investigation into the issue of loud advertisements on commercial television and examine if similar concerns exist in commercial radio.
The two new commercial licences will be in Warrnambool and Hamilton under final radio licence plans for Warrnambool, Hamilton and Horsham and their introduction will be combined with changes for existing commercial services.
3YB-AM in Warrnambool will lose Portland from its designated area, although no technical changes will be required.
The fudge will reduce the overlap between it and 3HA-AM, Hamilton, and making both stations eligible for additional commercial FM licences.
The existing Horsham commercial FM service, 3WWM, will gain a translator service in Nhill and Horsham will gain an additional community service.
The additional national services will be comprised of additional national radio service to serve the Western Victoria region: one in Warrnambool; one in Portland; three in Hamilton and six in Horsham.
Additional open narrowcasting radio services will be made available at Ararat, Casterton, Hamilton, Horsham, Portland, St Arnaud, Stawell, Terang, Warracknabeal, and Warrnambool.
In New South Wales, the authority has allocated a new community licence or Byron Bay to Bay FM Community Radio Inc but it has decided to postpone allocation of a community licence in Blacktown.
In Byroin Bay, Bay FM had already been operating with a temporary licence on the frequency now allocated permanently to it with a service of music, local issues and information.
In Blacktown, there were three applicants for the licence, Blacktown City Community Radio SWR-FM Association Incorporated (SWR-FM), and Western Community-Radio Association Incorporated (West FM) who were offering services for the general community and Voice of Charity Limited, whose service was for the Christian Community.
The ABA decided that none of the applicants could provide an adequate service for the community and suggested they work together to create a coalition that would provide the required service.
For the moment the frequency will continue to be made available for temporary community broadcasting licences.
Canada was quiet with the main activity from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) being to allow CHUM Limited and NewCap Inc. to jointly take over Sun Radio Limited, CHUM and Standard Radio to swap a station each between them.
It has also approved a new low power English FM for Seaside Broadcasting Organization at Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia,and allowed Rogers Radio to relocate its transmitter for CFRV-FM Lethbridge, Alberta, and allowed Tri-Co Broadcasting Limited an extension until May 22 next year to reduce the power of CJSS-FM at Cornwall, Ontario.
The station deals involving CHUM and Standard allowed Standard to take over CHOM-FM Montréal, Quebec, from CHUM and CHUM to take over CFWM-FM Winnipeg, Manitoba, from Standard.
As a result each organisation will end up with three stations in each of the makets, the maximum permitted in Canada in a single language in a market.
Standard already owns Montreal stations CJAD-AM and CJFM-FM and Chum owns Winnipeg stations, CFST-AM and CHIQ-FM.
In Ireland, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has received more than 70 expressions of interest in local commercial licences (See RNW Dec 18) but the UK was quiet on the licence front although the Radio Authority has now issued its revised News and Current Affairs code and Programme Code, now published as one document.
Most significant changes in the code relate to new rules on automation, networked competitions and "wind-up" calls.
Regarding automation, the Authority said that it was concerned that licencees could in theory automate their operations 24 hours a day.
Its code now suggests that "as a general rule, FM stations with an MCA of over 50,000 should not broadcast more than two hours of automated output during daytime hours; AM stations (of any size) and those FM stations with an MCA of less than 50,000 should not broadcast more than four hours during daytime.
Networked AM stations required to broadcast only four hours of locally produced and presented programming should not automate that four-hour segment."
As a backstop the Authority determined it would generally limit FM stations without agreed exemptions to a maximum of 13 or 14 hours' automation on a weekday; it accepted that there would be exemptions in certain cases such as volunteer-based stations and specialist stations such as Ritz Country 1035 or Jazz FM.
Regarding networked competitions there was concern that their nature must be clear and conditions have been imposed that details must be put in written rules and stated within all broadcast promotions. Concerning "wind-ups", the Authority felt that victims should not "not be exploited in an unacceptable way" and it has imposed conditions accordingly.
It also decided to continue its prohibition on sponsorship of general news although it allows it on a more limited basis such as business, sports, travel and entertainment news.
In the US there was a little Christmas cheer from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for one radio pirate whose USD10000 was dropped and for another station whose fine was reduced by USD125000 (See RNW Dec 20).
The FCC also annoucned that during November its Enforcement Bureau issued various notices of apparent liability including the following:
Holbrook, Arizona - Navajo Broadcasting Company - USD10000 relating to equipment, operational readiness.
San Juan, Puerto Rico - Javiez Rodriguez Boqueron --USD 10000 liability for unauthorised operation
Bastrop, Louisiana - Jamie Patrick Broadcasting, KTRY-FM --USD22000 for failure to respond to notice of violation, equipment operational readiness.
New Roads, Louisiana - New World Broadcasting - USD11000 relating to transmission system monitoring and control.
The FCC has also started a hearing to determine whether Kevin Mitnick, best known for his computer hacking activities, should be granted renewal of his Amateur Radio Station and General Class Operator License.
Mitnick, who first gained notoriety in 1982 when he hacked into the North American Defense Command (NORAD) system, later broke into the systems of a number of companies including Digital Equipment Corporatio.
After this he was jailed for breaking intot he sysyems of a number of companies including Motorola, Nokia Mobile Phones, Fujitsu, Novell, NEC, Sun Microsystems.
The FCC notes thatMitnick is a "convicted felon " and says that his background "raises a substantial and material question of fact as to whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to be and remain a Commission licensee."
The Commission has also been involved in a number of red-flagging activities. It has now added WEBE-AM in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the list of stations in the planned Cumulus takeover of Aurora that it is looking at because of ownership and advertising concentration concerns.
Only one of the stations in the deal, WICC-AM is now not up for a flag.
The Commission has also flagged the USD20.5 million North Carolina deal for Entercom to purchase WPET-AM & WKSI-FM in the Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point market
And another anthrax scare note, this time in relating to more changes for filings or general correspondence with the FCC. Daytime (8 am to 7pm) hand-delivered filings for the FCC Secretary now have to go to 236 Massachusetts Ave. although other messenger-delivered packages and overnight mail except for US Postal Service Express and Priority mail continues to have to go to Capitol Heights, Maryland.
US Postal Service mail may still be sent to the FCC HQ. The Commission has also set up a fax line for general correspondence.
Previous ABA:
Previous BCI:
Previous CRTC;
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
ABA web site:
BCI web site:
CRTC web site:
FCC web site:
UK Radio Authority web site:
Overall nearly one thousand new national, commercial community and narrowcast services have now been made available throughout Australia.
Nearly 1500 new transmitters have been planned since 1992 compared to only 900 operating before then and a similar number of low powered narrowcast services have also been made available, mainly for services such as tourist radio.
135 transmitters for 90 new services have been planned during 2001.
The latest plans have involved Western Victoria and New South Wales; in the former the ABA is to make available licences for two additional commercial channels, 11 additional national (Australian Broadcasting Service and Special Broadcasting Service) services, 10 additional open narrowcasting services and one additional community service.
In the latter it is to make a new community licence available.
It's also to launch an investigation into the issue of loud advertisements on commercial television and examine if similar concerns exist in commercial radio.
The two new commercial licences will be in Warrnambool and Hamilton under final radio licence plans for Warrnambool, Hamilton and Horsham and their introduction will be combined with changes for existing commercial services.
3YB-AM in Warrnambool will lose Portland from its designated area, although no technical changes will be required.
The fudge will reduce the overlap between it and 3HA-AM, Hamilton, and making both stations eligible for additional commercial FM licences.
The existing Horsham commercial FM service, 3WWM, will gain a translator service in Nhill and Horsham will gain an additional community service.
The additional national services will be comprised of additional national radio service to serve the Western Victoria region: one in Warrnambool; one in Portland; three in Hamilton and six in Horsham.
Additional open narrowcasting radio services will be made available at Ararat, Casterton, Hamilton, Horsham, Portland, St Arnaud, Stawell, Terang, Warracknabeal, and Warrnambool.
In New South Wales, the authority has allocated a new community licence or Byron Bay to Bay FM Community Radio Inc but it has decided to postpone allocation of a community licence in Blacktown.
In Byroin Bay, Bay FM had already been operating with a temporary licence on the frequency now allocated permanently to it with a service of music, local issues and information.
In Blacktown, there were three applicants for the licence, Blacktown City Community Radio SWR-FM Association Incorporated (SWR-FM), and Western Community-Radio Association Incorporated (West FM) who were offering services for the general community and Voice of Charity Limited, whose service was for the Christian Community.
The ABA decided that none of the applicants could provide an adequate service for the community and suggested they work together to create a coalition that would provide the required service.
For the moment the frequency will continue to be made available for temporary community broadcasting licences.
Canada was quiet with the main activity from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) being to allow CHUM Limited and NewCap Inc. to jointly take over Sun Radio Limited, CHUM and Standard Radio to swap a station each between them.
It has also approved a new low power English FM for Seaside Broadcasting Organization at Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia,and allowed Rogers Radio to relocate its transmitter for CFRV-FM Lethbridge, Alberta, and allowed Tri-Co Broadcasting Limited an extension until May 22 next year to reduce the power of CJSS-FM at Cornwall, Ontario.
The station deals involving CHUM and Standard allowed Standard to take over CHOM-FM Montréal, Quebec, from CHUM and CHUM to take over CFWM-FM Winnipeg, Manitoba, from Standard.
As a result each organisation will end up with three stations in each of the makets, the maximum permitted in Canada in a single language in a market.
Standard already owns Montreal stations CJAD-AM and CJFM-FM and Chum owns Winnipeg stations, CFST-AM and CHIQ-FM.
In Ireland, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has received more than 70 expressions of interest in local commercial licences (See RNW Dec 18) but the UK was quiet on the licence front although the Radio Authority has now issued its revised News and Current Affairs code and Programme Code, now published as one document.
Most significant changes in the code relate to new rules on automation, networked competitions and "wind-up" calls.
Regarding automation, the Authority said that it was concerned that licencees could in theory automate their operations 24 hours a day.
Its code now suggests that "as a general rule, FM stations with an MCA of over 50,000 should not broadcast more than two hours of automated output during daytime hours; AM stations (of any size) and those FM stations with an MCA of less than 50,000 should not broadcast more than four hours during daytime.
Networked AM stations required to broadcast only four hours of locally produced and presented programming should not automate that four-hour segment."
As a backstop the Authority determined it would generally limit FM stations without agreed exemptions to a maximum of 13 or 14 hours' automation on a weekday; it accepted that there would be exemptions in certain cases such as volunteer-based stations and specialist stations such as Ritz Country 1035 or Jazz FM.
Regarding networked competitions there was concern that their nature must be clear and conditions have been imposed that details must be put in written rules and stated within all broadcast promotions. Concerning "wind-ups", the Authority felt that victims should not "not be exploited in an unacceptable way" and it has imposed conditions accordingly.
It also decided to continue its prohibition on sponsorship of general news although it allows it on a more limited basis such as business, sports, travel and entertainment news.
In the US there was a little Christmas cheer from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for one radio pirate whose USD10000 was dropped and for another station whose fine was reduced by USD125000 (See RNW Dec 20).
The FCC also annoucned that during November its Enforcement Bureau issued various notices of apparent liability including the following:
Holbrook, Arizona - Navajo Broadcasting Company - USD10000 relating to equipment, operational readiness.
San Juan, Puerto Rico - Javiez Rodriguez Boqueron --USD 10000 liability for unauthorised operation
Bastrop, Louisiana - Jamie Patrick Broadcasting, KTRY-FM --USD22000 for failure to respond to notice of violation, equipment operational readiness.
New Roads, Louisiana - New World Broadcasting - USD11000 relating to transmission system monitoring and control.
The FCC has also started a hearing to determine whether Kevin Mitnick, best known for his computer hacking activities, should be granted renewal of his Amateur Radio Station and General Class Operator License.
Mitnick, who first gained notoriety in 1982 when he hacked into the North American Defense Command (NORAD) system, later broke into the systems of a number of companies including Digital Equipment Corporatio.
After this he was jailed for breaking intot he sysyems of a number of companies including Motorola, Nokia Mobile Phones, Fujitsu, Novell, NEC, Sun Microsystems.
The FCC notes thatMitnick is a "convicted felon " and says that his background "raises a substantial and material question of fact as to whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to be and remain a Commission licensee."
The Commission has also been involved in a number of red-flagging activities. It has now added WEBE-AM in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the list of stations in the planned Cumulus takeover of Aurora that it is looking at because of ownership and advertising concentration concerns.
Only one of the stations in the deal, WICC-AM is now not up for a flag.
The Commission has also flagged the USD20.5 million North Carolina deal for Entercom to purchase WPET-AM & WKSI-FM in the Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point market
And another anthrax scare note, this time in relating to more changes for filings or general correspondence with the FCC. Daytime (8 am to 7pm) hand-delivered filings for the FCC Secretary now have to go to 236 Massachusetts Ave. although other messenger-delivered packages and overnight mail except for US Postal Service Express and Priority mail continues to have to go to Capitol Heights, Maryland.
US Postal Service mail may still be sent to the FCC HQ. The Commission has also set up a fax line for general correspondence.
Previous ABA:
Previous BCI:
Previous CRTC;
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
ABA web site:
BCI web site:
CRTC web site:
FCC web site:
UK Radio Authority web site:
Direct
to Broadcasters Code (35 Mb Acrobat
PDF):
2001-12-23:
Canada's Competition
Bureau has made moves to block Astral Media's purchase
of ten Quebec stations included in a 19-station CAD255 million cash
and stock deal from Telemedia announced in May;
this was followed in June by Telemedia's agreement to sell the rest
of its radio holdings to Standard Broadcasting (See
RNW June 30).
The two companies have gone to court to protect the deal, which would give Astral more than a third of Quebec's radio advertising and some 40 of its listeners.
The Bureau is not opposing the sale of the other nine stations in the deal but says that it sees serious competition issues in six French language markets in Quebec, with Astral having a "near-monopoly" in French language stations in four of them and dominance over French-language radio advertising in Montreal and Quebec City.
The companies in their filing in the Federal Court of Canada argue that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has the sole jurisdiction to regulate broadcasting deals but the Bureau says it has authority to take action whenever competition issues arise.
Astral says that it will already have to revise downwards its earning estimates for next year because the action means it can no longer be sure it can commence booking its earnings from the Telemedia stations in March as previously planned; it says that radio advertising should not be considered separately from competitive advertising pressures in the overall market.
Astral and Telemedia are still awaiting a decision on the deal from the CRTC, which held public hearings on the proposed transaction in Montreal in November.
Previous Astral:
Previous CRTC:
Previous Standard:
Previous Telemedia:
The two companies have gone to court to protect the deal, which would give Astral more than a third of Quebec's radio advertising and some 40 of its listeners.
The Bureau is not opposing the sale of the other nine stations in the deal but says that it sees serious competition issues in six French language markets in Quebec, with Astral having a "near-monopoly" in French language stations in four of them and dominance over French-language radio advertising in Montreal and Quebec City.
The companies in their filing in the Federal Court of Canada argue that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has the sole jurisdiction to regulate broadcasting deals but the Bureau says it has authority to take action whenever competition issues arise.
Astral says that it will already have to revise downwards its earning estimates for next year because the action means it can no longer be sure it can commence booking its earnings from the Telemedia stations in March as previously planned; it says that radio advertising should not be considered separately from competitive advertising pressures in the overall market.
Astral and Telemedia are still awaiting a decision on the deal from the CRTC, which held public hearings on the proposed transaction in Montreal in November.
Previous Astral:
Previous CRTC:
Previous Standard:
Previous Telemedia:
2001-12-23:
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has now
reached a tentative contract agreement with some 1600 radio and television
technicians who have been on strike for two weeks.
The technicians had walked out after failure to agree on a new contract was followed by a CBC decision to impose one; their action hit news and sports output (see RNW Dec 9) and also affected plans to mark the anniversary of Marconi's first transatlantic wireless transmission in 1901 (See RNW Dec 13).
Previous CBC:
The technicians had walked out after failure to agree on a new contract was followed by a CBC decision to impose one; their action hit news and sports output (see RNW Dec 9) and also affected plans to mark the anniversary of Marconi's first transatlantic wireless transmission in 1901 (See RNW Dec 13).
Previous CBC:
2001-12-22:
Doctors treating US Conservative talk host Rush Limbaugh for
hearing loss say that cochlear implant surgery performed on Thursday
was successful.
Limbaugh himself said he felt "great", adding, "The surgery went smoothly and I'm looking forward to enjoying the holidays and returning to the air in early January."
Dr Antonio De la Cruz commented, "As we expected, Mr. Limbaugh responded very well to the surgery, which lasted about two hours, and he was sent home this morning."
"Rush has the approval of his physicians at the House Ear Clinic to return to work in early January."
He added that Limbaugh would return to the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles in a few weeks to be fitted with the external unit for the implant.
"Mr. Limbaugh won't be ready to use his cochlear implant until a recovery period of several weeks is completed," he said.
"Mr. Limbaugh will be able to work and resume his other activities during the post-surgery recovery period while his incision is healing."
The doctors say that cochlear implants have a 99.6% success rate and in rare cases of failure rare instances there is always the possibility of re-implanting or implanting the other side.
Cochlear implant users wear an external unit worn behind the ear comprised of a microphone and speech processor, which produces an electrical signal that is sent to the brain via the implanted electrodes within the inner ear.
Previous Limbaugh:
Limbaugh web site:
Limbaugh himself said he felt "great", adding, "The surgery went smoothly and I'm looking forward to enjoying the holidays and returning to the air in early January."
Dr Antonio De la Cruz commented, "As we expected, Mr. Limbaugh responded very well to the surgery, which lasted about two hours, and he was sent home this morning."
"Rush has the approval of his physicians at the House Ear Clinic to return to work in early January."
He added that Limbaugh would return to the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles in a few weeks to be fitted with the external unit for the implant.
"Mr. Limbaugh won't be ready to use his cochlear implant until a recovery period of several weeks is completed," he said.
"Mr. Limbaugh will be able to work and resume his other activities during the post-surgery recovery period while his incision is healing."
The doctors say that cochlear implants have a 99.6% success rate and in rare cases of failure rare instances there is always the possibility of re-implanting or implanting the other side.
Cochlear implant users wear an external unit worn behind the ear comprised of a microphone and speech processor, which produces an electrical signal that is sent to the brain via the implanted electrodes within the inner ear.
Previous Limbaugh:
Limbaugh web site:
2001-12-22:
The US Congress has voted to spend USD19 million to start Radio
Free Afghanistan (RFA), which could start broadcasts in the
Pashto and Dari languages as early as the end of January.
The funding was included in the US military spending and anti-terrorism package that has been overwhelmingly approved by both the US Senate of Congress.
The move was sponsored by California Republican Rep Ed Royce, who said it was "important that the Afghan population have access to the truth, first, about the Taliban and, second, about the United States."
RFA will be run by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which already has Pashto and Dari speakers on its staff.
RFE/RL president Thomas A Dine, said it will originate its service from RFE/RL's Prague facilities but the fund will in part be used to move three transmitters from Spain to Kuwait to strengthen the signal to the area. Broadcasts would start with a few hours daily but expand to some 12 hours a day.
Previous Dine:
Previous RFA:
Previous RFE/RL:
RFE/RL web site:
The funding was included in the US military spending and anti-terrorism package that has been overwhelmingly approved by both the US Senate of Congress.
The move was sponsored by California Republican Rep Ed Royce, who said it was "important that the Afghan population have access to the truth, first, about the Taliban and, second, about the United States."
RFA will be run by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which already has Pashto and Dari speakers on its staff.
RFE/RL president Thomas A Dine, said it will originate its service from RFE/RL's Prague facilities but the fund will in part be used to move three transmitters from Spain to Kuwait to strengthen the signal to the area. Broadcasts would start with a few hours daily but expand to some 12 hours a day.
Previous Dine:
Previous RFA:
Previous RFE/RL:
RFE/RL web site:
2001-12-22:
The annual general meeting of Canadian broadcaster CHUM, has been
told that the company intends to stick by its new all-sports format,
The TEAM, which was launched in May (See RNW
May 7) but has done poorly in the ratings.
CHUM has had particular problems in Toronto where it is competing against established sports station The FAN, owned by Rogers Communications.
Jim Waters, president of CHUM's radio division, said he though 18 months to two years would be a suitable period in which to assess the format.
Previous CHUM:
Previous Rogers:
Previous Jim Waters:
CHUM web site:
CHUM has had particular problems in Toronto where it is competing against established sports station The FAN, owned by Rogers Communications.
Jim Waters, president of CHUM's radio division, said he though 18 months to two years would be a suitable period in which to assess the format.
Previous CHUM:
Previous Rogers:
Previous Jim Waters:
CHUM web site:
2001-12-22:
US radio website conglomerate LMIV (Local Media Internet Venture),
whose members include Bonneville, Emmis, Entercom and Corus, has announced
that it has cut 15 staff posts, around a third of its staff before
the cuts.
Along with this goes a restructuring and a plan to expand its current websites six fold from 20 to around 125 by the end of March next year.
Jack Swarbrick, LMiV President/CEO, commented, "Our first and primary objective was to help move the company from a product development focus to one of product delivery…We had always anticipated that some restructuring would be required at this point in our evolution."
"Today's more challenging business climate caused us to make more adjustments than might have otherwise been the case."
LMIV web site:
Along with this goes a restructuring and a plan to expand its current websites six fold from 20 to around 125 by the end of March next year.
Jack Swarbrick, LMiV President/CEO, commented, "Our first and primary objective was to help move the company from a product development focus to one of product delivery…We had always anticipated that some restructuring would be required at this point in our evolution."
"Today's more challenging business climate caused us to make more adjustments than might have otherwise been the case."
LMIV web site:
2001-12-21:
More radio deals, in the UK and the US: In London, London News
Radio (LNR) has put its LBC and News Direct stations up for
sale.
There had been rumours for a while that GWR, which owns 20 per cent of the stations, was likely to put them up for sale (See RNW Nov 20).
The other shareholders in LNR are ITN, which holds a 42%, Reuters, which has 32%, and Daily Mail & General Trust, which owns the remaining two per cent. Both stations are due to be re-launched after a frequency switch that will make them more attractive.
The price estimates for the stations ranges from a low of some GBP14 million to a high of more than double that: Chrysalis, owner of the Heart franchise, is said to be among the early frontrunners for the stations.
In the US, deals involve three AM stations: they are Black gospel format KHVN-AM, Dallas, for which Mortenson Broadcasting is paying USD4.5 million to Viacom; Adult standards format WISE-AM in Asheville, North Carolina, for which Ashville Radio Partners LLC is paying USD1.7 million to Ardell Sink's United Broadcasting Enterprises; and another Sink station in North Carolina, WTZQ-AM in Hendersonville for which Houston Broadcasting is paying USD750000.
Previous Chrysalis:
Previous GWR:
There had been rumours for a while that GWR, which owns 20 per cent of the stations, was likely to put them up for sale (See RNW Nov 20).
The other shareholders in LNR are ITN, which holds a 42%, Reuters, which has 32%, and Daily Mail & General Trust, which owns the remaining two per cent. Both stations are due to be re-launched after a frequency switch that will make them more attractive.
The price estimates for the stations ranges from a low of some GBP14 million to a high of more than double that: Chrysalis, owner of the Heart franchise, is said to be among the early frontrunners for the stations.
In the US, deals involve three AM stations: they are Black gospel format KHVN-AM, Dallas, for which Mortenson Broadcasting is paying USD4.5 million to Viacom; Adult standards format WISE-AM in Asheville, North Carolina, for which Ashville Radio Partners LLC is paying USD1.7 million to Ardell Sink's United Broadcasting Enterprises; and another Sink station in North Carolina, WTZQ-AM in Hendersonville for which Houston Broadcasting is paying USD750000.
Previous Chrysalis:
Previous GWR:
2001-12-21:
Two radio appointments have been announced in the UK: the first is
of Jonathan Pearce, Capital Radio's
soccer commentator, who is to move to BBC
Radio 5 Live.
Pearce, who began his broadcasting career with BBC Radio Bristol in 1979, moved to Capital Radio in 1987 and helped launch Capital Gold Sport the following year.
He will be a regular soccer commentator for Radio 5 as well as developing new programme ideas.
The second is the appointment by Chrysalis's Galaxy 101 of DJ Lisa Kelly to host two weekly shows on the station. Born in Bristol, she had a spell as drive time presenter at Rhythm FM in Australia and is well known on the world club scene.
Also in the UK, Scottish Media Group (SMG) is cutting its last link with Chris Evans, who is suing the group for around GBP9 million as a result of his firing by Virgin Radio (See RNW Dec 15).
The action it is taking is to replacing the trademark black-rimmed glasses from the logo at the end of Ginger TV's programmes.
Ginger TV was part of the Ginger Media Group for which SMG paid GBP225 million.
Previous BBC:
Previous Capital:
Previous Chrysalis:
Previous Evans:
Previous SMG:
Pearce, who began his broadcasting career with BBC Radio Bristol in 1979, moved to Capital Radio in 1987 and helped launch Capital Gold Sport the following year.
He will be a regular soccer commentator for Radio 5 as well as developing new programme ideas.
The second is the appointment by Chrysalis's Galaxy 101 of DJ Lisa Kelly to host two weekly shows on the station. Born in Bristol, she had a spell as drive time presenter at Rhythm FM in Australia and is well known on the world club scene.
Also in the UK, Scottish Media Group (SMG) is cutting its last link with Chris Evans, who is suing the group for around GBP9 million as a result of his firing by Virgin Radio (See RNW Dec 15).
The action it is taking is to replacing the trademark black-rimmed glasses from the logo at the end of Ginger TV's programmes.
Ginger TV was part of the Ginger Media Group for which SMG paid GBP225 million.
Previous BBC:
Previous Capital:
Previous Chrysalis:
Previous Evans:
Previous SMG:
2001-12-20:
Shares in US satellite radio companies Sirius
and XM have risen sharply following positive reports
from Bear Sterns media analyst Robert Peck and Lehman Brothers satellite
analyst William Kidd.
Peck has increased his estimate of the take-up of XM to some 26000 subscribers by year-end and increased his 2002 price target to USD21.
Kidd spoke up for Sirius, saying that that investors had been undervaluing it because XM had launched its service first.
By late afternoon Wednesday, Sirius shares, which had languished at around USD2.20 at the start of November were more like USD10.20 whilst XM, whose last low was around USD4.50 in mid-September was up to USD17.30.
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
Sirius web site:
XM Web site:
Peck has increased his estimate of the take-up of XM to some 26000 subscribers by year-end and increased his 2002 price target to USD21.
Kidd spoke up for Sirius, saying that that investors had been undervaluing it because XM had launched its service first.
By late afternoon Wednesday, Sirius shares, which had languished at around USD2.20 at the start of November were more like USD10.20 whilst XM, whose last low was around USD4.50 in mid-September was up to USD17.30.
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
Sirius web site:
XM Web site:
2001-12-20:
The US Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) has reduced from USD15000 to USD2500 a fine on MAPA Broadcasting,
L.L.C., licensees of WSLA- AM, Slidell (New Orleans), Louisiana, USD2500
for failure to install operational Emergency Alert System (EAS) equipment
at WSLA and its failure to enclose the station's antenna tower within
an effective locked fence or other enclosure.
The fine follows a March inspection when inspectors found a gate to the area round the tower had been left unlocked and that no EAS equipment was installed. MAPA had responded by ordering EAS equipment but in July the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture amounting to USD15000.
MAPA responded in September by arguing that at its violations were not wilful. It said that at the time of the inspection the station had a "modified EBS unit with an AM tuner" which allowed reception of EAS transmissions, but not transmitting functions.
It further argued that it had not been told of problems with its equipment after an EAS Equipment Inspection in 1998. Regarding the tower offence, it said that the gate had been left "temporarily unlocked" by the yard maintenance person, despite being cautioned not to leave the gate open and added that the adjacent area was not built-up but was forest or swamp.
There was some Christmas cheer as well for one radio pirate: Jeffrey Alan Pettry, who had been fined USD10000 for operating a pirate station from Princeton, West Virginia, has escaped having to pay after the Commission looked at his finances and accepted that he was unable to pay.
Previous FCC:
MAPA notice:
Pettry notice:
The fine follows a March inspection when inspectors found a gate to the area round the tower had been left unlocked and that no EAS equipment was installed. MAPA had responded by ordering EAS equipment but in July the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture amounting to USD15000.
MAPA responded in September by arguing that at its violations were not wilful. It said that at the time of the inspection the station had a "modified EBS unit with an AM tuner" which allowed reception of EAS transmissions, but not transmitting functions.
It further argued that it had not been told of problems with its equipment after an EAS Equipment Inspection in 1998. Regarding the tower offence, it said that the gate had been left "temporarily unlocked" by the yard maintenance person, despite being cautioned not to leave the gate open and added that the adjacent area was not built-up but was forest or swamp.
There was some Christmas cheer as well for one radio pirate: Jeffrey Alan Pettry, who had been fined USD10000 for operating a pirate station from Princeton, West Virginia, has escaped having to pay after the Commission looked at his finances and accepted that he was unable to pay.
Previous FCC:
MAPA notice:
Pettry notice:
2001-12-20:
Entertainment Network (India) Limited (ENIL), a wholly
owned subsidiary of The Times of India Group officially launches its
Radio Mirchi brand in Ahmedabad today although it has been on the
air unofficially since last week.
The station will be inaugurated in the morning by Bollywood celebrity Sonali Bendre and she will then go on the air for a phone-in; in the evening the station is hosting a gala launch event.
The station will have the same format of Hindi music together with jokes, Bollywood gossip, local tit-bits and celebrity interviews as that of its sister station in Indore, the first of 12 planned Mirchi stations to be launched by ENIL. (See RNW Nov 13).
Previous Indian Radio report:
The station will be inaugurated in the morning by Bollywood celebrity Sonali Bendre and she will then go on the air for a phone-in; in the evening the station is hosting a gala launch event.
The station will have the same format of Hindi music together with jokes, Bollywood gossip, local tit-bits and celebrity interviews as that of its sister station in Indore, the first of 12 planned Mirchi stations to be launched by ENIL. (See RNW Nov 13).
Previous Indian Radio report:
2001-12-19:
US Spanish language group Hispanic Broadcasting has
announced agreement to purchase KARA-FM in the San Jose/San Francisco
market for USD58 million in cash from Empire Broadcasting Corporation.
Hispanic currently operates 52 stations in 12 of the top Hispanic markets in the US: the San Jose/San Francisco markets together are the sixth largest Hispanic market in the US.
The station is currently a hot AC format, which will be flipped to a Spanish one. Hispanic says the new format will be introduced on completion, which is anticipated in the first quarter of next year.
It expects KARA-FM) to generate operating losses during 2002 and to dilute Hispanic's 2002 after-tax cash flow by approximately $0.01 per share.
Previous Hispanic Broadcasting:
Hispanic web site:
Hispanic currently operates 52 stations in 12 of the top Hispanic markets in the US: the San Jose/San Francisco markets together are the sixth largest Hispanic market in the US.
The station is currently a hot AC format, which will be flipped to a Spanish one. Hispanic says the new format will be introduced on completion, which is anticipated in the first quarter of next year.
It expects KARA-FM) to generate operating losses during 2002 and to dilute Hispanic's 2002 after-tax cash flow by approximately $0.01 per share.
Previous Hispanic Broadcasting:
Hispanic web site:
2001-12-19:
As expected, US radio advertising revenues in October of this year
were down on October of last year with local sales again holding up
better than national ones according to the Radio Advertising
Bureau (RAB).
Its figures showed combined revenues down 8% but national advertising was down 15% whilst local revenues were only off 6%. On a year to date basis, total revenues were off 4%, with national down 19% and local revenues 4%.
RAB's sales index, based on 1998 as a base year of 100 and thus taking the dot.com boom out of the equation show that this year so far has an overall index of 125, national index of 114 and local index of 126.9.
RAB President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Fries said that within the figures larger markets were the ones suffering most with year to date revenues in the top 15markets down 12% overall with national down 24% and local down 7%.
For next year, he sees national revenues as flat or down a little but with local sales up around 4% to take combined revenues up 3%.
Previous Fries:
Previous RAB (US):
RAB (US) web site:
Its figures showed combined revenues down 8% but national advertising was down 15% whilst local revenues were only off 6%. On a year to date basis, total revenues were off 4%, with national down 19% and local revenues 4%.
RAB's sales index, based on 1998 as a base year of 100 and thus taking the dot.com boom out of the equation show that this year so far has an overall index of 125, national index of 114 and local index of 126.9.
RAB President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Fries said that within the figures larger markets were the ones suffering most with year to date revenues in the top 15markets down 12% overall with national down 24% and local down 7%.
For next year, he sees national revenues as flat or down a little but with local sales up around 4% to take combined revenues up 3%.
Previous Fries:
Previous RAB (US):
RAB (US) web site:
2001-12-19:
Measurecast's latest figures show a new record for Internet listening
in the week to December 9 when its Internet Radio Listening Index,
based at 100 at the start of the year, jumped 16% to 364.
It also shows Christmas listening continuing to rise, although UK Virgin moved into the top rank ousting from the top spot classical station WXQR-FM, which dropped to fourth.
As last week, WXQR was ahead of rival classical station King FM but it had fewer listeners staying longer.
In the top five there was again no change in stations, just jousting for position, as indeed was the case for the top ten.
The top five were, ranked by Total Time Spent Listening (TTSL) and with, where applicable, previous week's TTSL and Cume persons (CP), a measure of the cumulative audience, in brackets:
1): Adult Alternative Virgin Radio - TTSL 160305 (152597); CP 31647 (32775) - Up from second thanks to leap in listening but reach was down.
2): Christmas music format CableMusic Christmas Classic - TTSL 146283 (108820); CP 33464 (25047) - Up from fifth with listening and reach each well up.
3): Classical station WXQR-FM TTSL - 138842 (156319); CP 9797 (10493) - Down from first.
4): Classical music King FM TTSL - 132738 (132860); CP 25064 (34245) - Same position with listening and reach down.
5): Listener Formatted MediaAmazing TTSL - 101740 (142711); CP 62379 (60002). - Down from third with listening down but reach up.
Previous MeasureCast weekly ratings:
MeasureCast web site:
It also shows Christmas listening continuing to rise, although UK Virgin moved into the top rank ousting from the top spot classical station WXQR-FM, which dropped to fourth.
As last week, WXQR was ahead of rival classical station King FM but it had fewer listeners staying longer.
In the top five there was again no change in stations, just jousting for position, as indeed was the case for the top ten.
The top five were, ranked by Total Time Spent Listening (TTSL) and with, where applicable, previous week's TTSL and Cume persons (CP), a measure of the cumulative audience, in brackets:
1): Adult Alternative Virgin Radio - TTSL 160305 (152597); CP 31647 (32775) - Up from second thanks to leap in listening but reach was down.
2): Christmas music format CableMusic Christmas Classic - TTSL 146283 (108820); CP 33464 (25047) - Up from fifth with listening and reach each well up.
3): Classical station WXQR-FM TTSL - 138842 (156319); CP 9797 (10493) - Down from first.
4): Classical music King FM TTSL - 132738 (132860); CP 25064 (34245) - Same position with listening and reach down.
5): Listener Formatted MediaAmazing TTSL - 101740 (142711); CP 62379 (60002). - Down from third with listening down but reach up.
Previous MeasureCast weekly ratings:
MeasureCast web site:
2001-12-19:
GrooveRadio, which was closed down by Clear
Channel at the end of last month after it had returned control
of streaming operations to its stations, says it will be back in the
New Year.
A message posted on its site by founder Swedish Egil (Egil Aalvik) says "The good people behind the scenes here at grooveradio.com are preparing for a digital reincarnation that will celebrate 10 incredible years of GROOVE RADIO in January 2002."
"Stay tuned while we take control of our own platform, harness the technology, and simply deliver on an old promise of better things to come."
Groove was part of the Enigma Digital group, which Clear Channel bought for USD 20 million.
Enigma also included KNAC.Com, which is still streaming but no longer offers a broadband connection and whose future is also in doubt.
Clear Channel itself has switched tack in its Internet focus in another way through an agreement with Chicago-based FullAudio.com to sell an online music subscription service in five radio markets.
This involves 30 Clear Channel stations in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
The service, which is due to start in February, will compete with similar offerings from the big record companies; FullAudio so far has agreements to use music from EMI and Universal.
It will cost from USD5 to USD 15 a month, depending on the number of songs ordered, with around a hundred songs a month for a subscription of USD10.
If the subscription lapses, subscribers will lose access to the songs they have already put on their computers.
Clear Channel has limited its exposure; it is not taking any equity interest in FullAudio nor does the agreement prohibit similar deals with other organisations.
In the UK, the Financial Times has cut back on its ambitious plans for an Internet radio and television service although its says that its FTMobile alerts service of audio reports on share prices and financial news is to continue.
Previous Clear Channel:
GrooveRadio site:
A message posted on its site by founder Swedish Egil (Egil Aalvik) says "The good people behind the scenes here at grooveradio.com are preparing for a digital reincarnation that will celebrate 10 incredible years of GROOVE RADIO in January 2002."
"Stay tuned while we take control of our own platform, harness the technology, and simply deliver on an old promise of better things to come."
Groove was part of the Enigma Digital group, which Clear Channel bought for USD 20 million.
Enigma also included KNAC.Com, which is still streaming but no longer offers a broadband connection and whose future is also in doubt.
Clear Channel itself has switched tack in its Internet focus in another way through an agreement with Chicago-based FullAudio.com to sell an online music subscription service in five radio markets.
This involves 30 Clear Channel stations in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
The service, which is due to start in February, will compete with similar offerings from the big record companies; FullAudio so far has agreements to use music from EMI and Universal.
It will cost from USD5 to USD 15 a month, depending on the number of songs ordered, with around a hundred songs a month for a subscription of USD10.
If the subscription lapses, subscribers will lose access to the songs they have already put on their computers.
Clear Channel has limited its exposure; it is not taking any equity interest in FullAudio nor does the agreement prohibit similar deals with other organisations.
In the UK, the Financial Times has cut back on its ambitious plans for an Internet radio and television service although its says that its FTMobile alerts service of audio reports on share prices and financial news is to continue.
Previous Clear Channel:
GrooveRadio site:
2001-12-18:
The future of diaries as a the main means of radio audience measurements
has been further weakened by an announcement
by British radio research organisation RAJAR ( Radio
Joint Audience Research Limited) that it is to go ahead with a number
of developments, including the testing of meter measurements, to improve
its service.
The announcement follows an announcement earlier this month by US ratings organisation Arbitron that, following successful tests of its Portable People Meter, in Wilmington, it is to expand its trial to at least 1500 people across the whole Philadelphia market and may switch to live PPM measurement for the Winter '03 book.
It is already planning to release unofficial PPM results the beginning with the Spring '02 book.
RAJAR is jointly owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA); it organises the largest radio audience survey outside the US with more than 260 stations taking part
Like Arbitron, RAJAR currently uses the diary method.
As well as looking at meter methods for measuring audiences for normal terrestrial broadcasts, it is currently exploring the possibility of providing research on event-led listening data for interested stations carrying specific events such as pop concerts or sporting events.
It is also planning to extend its measurements in the areas of listening via DAB, Internet & Digital TV platforms.
As far as meters are concerned, the areas it intends to evaluate include tests in different environments and how far respondents react to wearing meters and which meters they prefer.
RAJAR also intends to research differences shown by meter and diary methods of measurement.
Arbitron's latest data comparing the two methods has shown higher total-day average quarter hour (AQH) numbers being reported by the PPM for both radio and TV.
Within the radio figures it shows a higher average daily cumulative audience (79.5% compared to 66.6% for the diary) but a lower listening time (2hours 51 minutes for the PPM and 3 hours 12 minutes for the diary).
The only time that the PPM shows lower AQH than the diary was morning drive (11% lower compared to 14% higher for the PPM in Afternoon drive time).
Arbitron has also released its Fall 2001 RADAR Radio Network Ratings, covering the period from October 11, 2000 to October 16, 2001; the figures show the 31 RADAR-rated networks reach 77% of US consumers in a typical week.
As already revealed in a teaser earlier in the month (See RNW Dec 14), radio does better amongst higher income and educated groups.
Previous Arbitron:
Previous RAJAR;
Arbitron web site:
RAJAR web site:
The announcement follows an announcement earlier this month by US ratings organisation Arbitron that, following successful tests of its Portable People Meter, in Wilmington, it is to expand its trial to at least 1500 people across the whole Philadelphia market and may switch to live PPM measurement for the Winter '03 book.
It is already planning to release unofficial PPM results the beginning with the Spring '02 book.
RAJAR is jointly owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA); it organises the largest radio audience survey outside the US with more than 260 stations taking part
Like Arbitron, RAJAR currently uses the diary method.
As well as looking at meter methods for measuring audiences for normal terrestrial broadcasts, it is currently exploring the possibility of providing research on event-led listening data for interested stations carrying specific events such as pop concerts or sporting events.
It is also planning to extend its measurements in the areas of listening via DAB, Internet & Digital TV platforms.
As far as meters are concerned, the areas it intends to evaluate include tests in different environments and how far respondents react to wearing meters and which meters they prefer.
RAJAR also intends to research differences shown by meter and diary methods of measurement.
Arbitron's latest data comparing the two methods has shown higher total-day average quarter hour (AQH) numbers being reported by the PPM for both radio and TV.
Within the radio figures it shows a higher average daily cumulative audience (79.5% compared to 66.6% for the diary) but a lower listening time (2hours 51 minutes for the PPM and 3 hours 12 minutes for the diary).
The only time that the PPM shows lower AQH than the diary was morning drive (11% lower compared to 14% higher for the PPM in Afternoon drive time).
Arbitron has also released its Fall 2001 RADAR Radio Network Ratings, covering the period from October 11, 2000 to October 16, 2001; the figures show the 31 RADAR-rated networks reach 77% of US consumers in a typical week.
As already revealed in a teaser earlier in the month (See RNW Dec 14), radio does better amongst higher income and educated groups.
Previous Arbitron:
Previous RAJAR;
Arbitron web site:
RAJAR web site:
2001-12-18:
The Voice of America is yet again mired in controversy
over what a ruling that number of staff perceives as akin to censorship.
In a memorandum to department heads, new VOA chief Bob Reilly, a Bush appointee, has said that it must take notice of "both the letter and the spirit" of a provision that it must not "air interviews with any official from nations that sponsor terrorism or any representative or member of terrorist organizations, or otherwise afford such individuals opportunities to air inaccurate, propagandistic, or inflammatory messages." The provision is part of a pending congressional appropriations bill covering VOA's funding for the 2002 fiscal year and staff response to the memorandum was negative, many seeing it as part of a response to a row over the broadcast of a VOA exclusive interview with Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. The item was initially dropped (See RNW Sept 25) but later broadcast after staff protests.
At a meeting with staff, Reilly maintained there was a clear distinction between "news" (The VOA charter says news should be presented in an "accurate, objective and comprehensive" way) and giving someone a platform to disseminate their views. RNW comment: from long experience in news on an international basis, we would strongly contend that there is a significant grey area along the road between reporting comprehensively and giving someone a platform just as there are many shades of grey in what the term terrorist means.
Indeed one could argue cogently that the description would cover many activities currently being carried out by Israel with the tacit support of the US.
We would also comment that the current US view seems to be that with an undoubted military superiority, the need to take into account the views of people with different perceptions of US activities has rapidly receded into the background compared to the days when the US appeared to be fearsome of widespread opposition in much of the Moslem world.
In our view this may in the long term cost the US dearly; we just hope that it does not do so in the lives of its citizens or those of othe nations.
Previous Reilly:
Previous VOA:
In a memorandum to department heads, new VOA chief Bob Reilly, a Bush appointee, has said that it must take notice of "both the letter and the spirit" of a provision that it must not "air interviews with any official from nations that sponsor terrorism or any representative or member of terrorist organizations, or otherwise afford such individuals opportunities to air inaccurate, propagandistic, or inflammatory messages." The provision is part of a pending congressional appropriations bill covering VOA's funding for the 2002 fiscal year and staff response to the memorandum was negative, many seeing it as part of a response to a row over the broadcast of a VOA exclusive interview with Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. The item was initially dropped (See RNW Sept 25) but later broadcast after staff protests.
At a meeting with staff, Reilly maintained there was a clear distinction between "news" (The VOA charter says news should be presented in an "accurate, objective and comprehensive" way) and giving someone a platform to disseminate their views. RNW comment: from long experience in news on an international basis, we would strongly contend that there is a significant grey area along the road between reporting comprehensively and giving someone a platform just as there are many shades of grey in what the term terrorist means.
Indeed one could argue cogently that the description would cover many activities currently being carried out by Israel with the tacit support of the US.
We would also comment that the current US view seems to be that with an undoubted military superiority, the need to take into account the views of people with different perceptions of US activities has rapidly receded into the background compared to the days when the US appeared to be fearsome of widespread opposition in much of the Moslem world.
In our view this may in the long term cost the US dearly; we just hope that it does not do so in the lives of its citizens or those of othe nations.
Previous Reilly:
Previous VOA:
2001-12-18: The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has received 72 "expressions of interest" in providing local radio services during the first phase of its process to re-advertise existing licences.
The applications will now be examined and a decision on which franchise areas are to be advertised will be made in mid-January.
After that the first advertisements are likely to be placed in February.
Of the expressions of interest, 19 relate to existing franchise areas, 17 to modified franchise areas, 23 to additional local radio services, 9 to opt out services and four to digital services.
Previous BCI:
BCI web site:
2001-12-17:
A look ahead to start this week's look at radio columns and comment;
it comes courtesy of UK Sunday Times
radio critic Paul Donovan, who reflects on the "sharply different
tones" in the way the two media celebrate the Christmas/New Year period.
Television, he notes concentrated on jollity whilst speech radio "is a quieter and more steadfast companion for an audience dominated by those listening by themselves."
"Given the uses to which the two seasonal plants are often put, you might call television the holly and radio the ivy."
After looking at some of the programming planned in the UK and noting some areas of overlap, he concludes that "We should be pleased that radio and television are different: broadcasting would be much poorer if each sought to emulate the other... Radio at Christmas is the last bastion of Dickensianism."
Which in a sense takes us to a Robert Feder column in the Chicago Sun-Times, in which he notes that 20 years ago the then king of late-night radio in Chicago, Eddie Schwartz, launched his "Good Neighbour Food Drive" to protest against the then-Mayor who was spending USD100000 to "light up the city's bridges and set off fireworks at a time when the shelves of local food pantries were bare."
"The drive, " Feder writes, "eventually grew into the largest one-night anti-hunger event in the country, raising millions of dollars and tons of food" adding that, although Schwarz's career was derailed by health problems, the mission he began continued this week with a WBBM-AM 19-hour radiothon to raise money for the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation.
Feder then went on with an interview with Schwartz that contained an interesting comment on the state of US radio today.
Schwartz commented on radio, "I listen to it a lot, but I often don't like what I hear. Thanks to Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, the broadcasting industry has been deregulated to the point where there are almost no rules left."
"The accountability portion of the industry is about gone."
"As a listener, I find the lack of news content on most radio stations rather baffling."
"Because of deregulation, three companies now own the majority of all the great radio stations in the entire country. Three owners! I don't think that's good for radio, and I don't think that's good for the country."
RNW comment: A point worth noting, particularly as one St Louis TV station may have started a trend for TV stations to follow radio in many areas and pull out of local news cover.
That decision, of course, will relate to maximising profits, which makes another Chicago newspaper column, this time in the Tribune by its music critic John von Rhein welcome as a contrast.
He writes of 50 years of WFMT-FM, started by Bernard and Rita Jacobs "as a station built around classical music but not limited to it."
"A station where quality and style mattered more than big bucks and big ratings numbers."
In a paragraph which brings to mind comments in the UK concerning the difference between BBC Radio 3, also built on classical music but with a broader remit, and Classic FM, a commercial station mainly playing popular classical snippets, Rhein writes, "WFMT remains true to its mandate: it's an oasis of broadcasting class in a sea of crass."
"Outsiders have called the station elitist. But others say it respects the intelligence of its listeners at a time when a growing number of classical radio outlets have dumbed down their programming."
Rhein then quotes Bruce Dumont, president of the Chicago-based Museum of Broadcast Communications as saying, "WFMT has [built] one of the most loyal audiences in the U.S. by sticking to its initial mission of [offering] quality and excellence and not mucking it up with gimmicks."
"I wish other commercial broadcasters were as true to their core beliefs."
Later in his article, Rhein gives a list of highlights of the station, now run by a not-for-profit.
Two entries that particularly caught our eye were the following: "'78 -- For the first time, WFMT programs are heard overseas. The following year WFMT becomes America's first radio superstation, delivered by satellite to hundreds of cable systems and millions of listeners in more than two dozen countries, including the Soviet Union and China."
" '80 -- WFMT becomes the first U.S. radio station to join the European Broadcasting Union and participate in its program exchange of festivals and concerts. A close relationship with the British Broadcasting Corp. enables WFMT to broadcast and sometimes syndicate hundreds of BBC concerts, plays and spoken-word programs."
Finally a rather newer station, also founded on ideas as opposed to purely for profit, albeit profiting from a niche was firmly in the mind of its founder, Torquil Riley-Smith. who is a heterosexual with a chequered business career.
The station is featured in the UK Daily Telegraph that, in an article by Matt Born, takes a look at LBH, Britain's first and only gay radio station.
The station is based on Colchester because rents are much lower than in London. It's headquarters, writes Born, were furnished for just GBP600.
Riley-Smith saw a pan-European market in a continent with some35 million gay people and the station initially broadcast from Poland on an AM frequency.
This brought with it unsustainable costs of some GBP120000 a month but a switch to Sky digital and the Internet has helped reduce these to around GBP31000 and it is now taking around half this in advertising.
Riley-Smith says the corner has been turned with word of the station spreading rapidly and growth following.
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
Previous Feder:
Chicago Tribune - Rhein:
Chicago Sun-Times - Feder:
UK Sunday Times - Donovan (requires registration):
UK Telegraph - Born:
LBH web wite:
Television, he notes concentrated on jollity whilst speech radio "is a quieter and more steadfast companion for an audience dominated by those listening by themselves."
"Given the uses to which the two seasonal plants are often put, you might call television the holly and radio the ivy."
After looking at some of the programming planned in the UK and noting some areas of overlap, he concludes that "We should be pleased that radio and television are different: broadcasting would be much poorer if each sought to emulate the other... Radio at Christmas is the last bastion of Dickensianism."
Which in a sense takes us to a Robert Feder column in the Chicago Sun-Times, in which he notes that 20 years ago the then king of late-night radio in Chicago, Eddie Schwartz, launched his "Good Neighbour Food Drive" to protest against the then-Mayor who was spending USD100000 to "light up the city's bridges and set off fireworks at a time when the shelves of local food pantries were bare."
"The drive, " Feder writes, "eventually grew into the largest one-night anti-hunger event in the country, raising millions of dollars and tons of food" adding that, although Schwarz's career was derailed by health problems, the mission he began continued this week with a WBBM-AM 19-hour radiothon to raise money for the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation.
Feder then went on with an interview with Schwartz that contained an interesting comment on the state of US radio today.
Schwartz commented on radio, "I listen to it a lot, but I often don't like what I hear. Thanks to Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, the broadcasting industry has been deregulated to the point where there are almost no rules left."
"The accountability portion of the industry is about gone."
"As a listener, I find the lack of news content on most radio stations rather baffling."
"Because of deregulation, three companies now own the majority of all the great radio stations in the entire country. Three owners! I don't think that's good for radio, and I don't think that's good for the country."
RNW comment: A point worth noting, particularly as one St Louis TV station may have started a trend for TV stations to follow radio in many areas and pull out of local news cover.
That decision, of course, will relate to maximising profits, which makes another Chicago newspaper column, this time in the Tribune by its music critic John von Rhein welcome as a contrast.
He writes of 50 years of WFMT-FM, started by Bernard and Rita Jacobs "as a station built around classical music but not limited to it."
"A station where quality and style mattered more than big bucks and big ratings numbers."
In a paragraph which brings to mind comments in the UK concerning the difference between BBC Radio 3, also built on classical music but with a broader remit, and Classic FM, a commercial station mainly playing popular classical snippets, Rhein writes, "WFMT remains true to its mandate: it's an oasis of broadcasting class in a sea of crass."
"Outsiders have called the station elitist. But others say it respects the intelligence of its listeners at a time when a growing number of classical radio outlets have dumbed down their programming."
Rhein then quotes Bruce Dumont, president of the Chicago-based Museum of Broadcast Communications as saying, "WFMT has [built] one of the most loyal audiences in the U.S. by sticking to its initial mission of [offering] quality and excellence and not mucking it up with gimmicks."
"I wish other commercial broadcasters were as true to their core beliefs."
Later in his article, Rhein gives a list of highlights of the station, now run by a not-for-profit.
Two entries that particularly caught our eye were the following: "'78 -- For the first time, WFMT programs are heard overseas. The following year WFMT becomes America's first radio superstation, delivered by satellite to hundreds of cable systems and millions of listeners in more than two dozen countries, including the Soviet Union and China."
" '80 -- WFMT becomes the first U.S. radio station to join the European Broadcasting Union and participate in its program exchange of festivals and concerts. A close relationship with the British Broadcasting Corp. enables WFMT to broadcast and sometimes syndicate hundreds of BBC concerts, plays and spoken-word programs."
Finally a rather newer station, also founded on ideas as opposed to purely for profit, albeit profiting from a niche was firmly in the mind of its founder, Torquil Riley-Smith. who is a heterosexual with a chequered business career.
The station is featured in the UK Daily Telegraph that, in an article by Matt Born, takes a look at LBH, Britain's first and only gay radio station.
The station is based on Colchester because rents are much lower than in London. It's headquarters, writes Born, were furnished for just GBP600.
Riley-Smith saw a pan-European market in a continent with some35 million gay people and the station initially broadcast from Poland on an AM frequency.
This brought with it unsustainable costs of some GBP120000 a month but a switch to Sky digital and the Internet has helped reduce these to around GBP31000 and it is now taking around half this in advertising.
Riley-Smith says the corner has been turned with word of the station spreading rapidly and growth following.
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
Previous Feder:
Chicago Tribune - Rhein:
Chicago Sun-Times - Feder:
UK Sunday Times - Donovan (requires registration):
UK Telegraph - Born:
LBH web wite:
2001-12-17:
Members of two Sydney community radio groups are at loggerheads in
the courts over whether arts broadcaster Free Broadcast Incorporated
(Fbi), which in May was awarded one of Sydney's last permanent community
radio frequencies (See RNW
May 25), has the right to refuse membership of its
station to supporters of Sydney Youth Radio Incorporated
(SYRI), one of the losers.
SYRI ran dance music station WILD FM , which the Australian Broadcasting Authority investigated because of complaints that its CD sales made it part of a profit-making enterprise run by its president, entrepreneur Anthony Gherghetta. (See RNW April 26).
Not long after the licence award Gerghetta and some 200 WILD FM supported marched to Fbi studios and demanded that they be granted membership.
Fbi refused them on the basis that it should not accept money from an organisation that did not agree with its philosophy.
Gerghetta says the decision is illegal under Australia's Broadcasting Services Act.
SYRI ran dance music station WILD FM , which the Australian Broadcasting Authority investigated because of complaints that its CD sales made it part of a profit-making enterprise run by its president, entrepreneur Anthony Gherghetta. (See RNW April 26).
Not long after the licence award Gerghetta and some 200 WILD FM supported marched to Fbi studios and demanded that they be granted membership.
Fbi refused them on the basis that it should not accept money from an organisation that did not agree with its philosophy.
Gerghetta says the decision is illegal under Australia's Broadcasting Services Act.
2001-12-16:
Licence activity was fairly high in Australia and fairly quiet elsewhere
this week.
In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA)is to make two new commercial services available in Tasmania; they'll be in Burnie and Scottsdale and the licencees of the existing AM services in each area will be eligible to apply.
In addition provision is to be made for five additional community radio services in Tasmania, one each in George Town, the Northern Midlands, Scottsdale, South Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula, and five additional national radio service (Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Special Broadcasting Service channels), four in Burnie and one in Launceston, and three open narrowcasting services, one each in Burnie, Devonport and Launceston.
In connection with the plan there will also be changes to some existing services.
The licence area of 7RPH community radio in Hobart will be extended to serve Launceston, that of 7RGY Hobart will be extended to cover the areas of Huonville, Kingston and Blackman's Bay and an alternative frequency is being made available for the community radio service 7HFC in Hobart and its licence area extended to cover the same area as the existing commercial radio services.
7THE in Hobart will gain an additional frequency in Lutana.
The ABA also says it is concerned that Launceston has no access to a commercial FM radio service and that it will consider ways of providing this in future.
In Queensland, the ABA has allocated the new AM Brisbane community licence to Brisbane Interactive Radio Group Inc. (Switch) against competition from three other groups, Silver Memories Community Radio Association Inc., Greater Brisbane Radio Broadcasters Inc. (Pulse FM) and Radio Queensland Inc.
In Western Australia, the new community licence for the Geraldton area has gone to Christian group Soncity FM, which already runs its service under a temporary licence.
Canada has been quiet with the main radio activity being the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval of a new power FM station to provide traffic and parking information for motorists en route to Montreal international airport.
There was nothing of note in the Republic of Ireland but in the UK the Radio Authority has been active on both the analogue and digital fronts.
On the analogue side, it has advertised a new local FM licence for the Island of Skye and the Kyle of Lochalsh area on the west coast of Scotland and re-awarded the Northampton local FM and AM licences to existing holders, Northants 96 and Classic Gold 1557 respectively.
It has also announced that it has received two applications for the new local FM licence for Mid-Ulster, comprising the towns of Cookstown and Magherafelt and the surrounding districts.
They are from Mid FM Ltd, which is proposing a full-service community focussed station and Mid Ulster Broadcasting Ltd, which is offering a full service station of news, information and entertainment and says it would like to extend the service area to cover Dungannon.
On the digital front, the authority has advertised a new digital multiplex licence for the city of Norwich and surrounding area and has awarded the digital multiplex for Inverness in Scotland to the sole applicant, Score Digital Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Radio Holdings plc.
The award is subject to Score meeting the revised launch date of July 2003, which it has proposed for the commencement of its service. Score is offering three commercial services in addition to the two BBC services it has to carry (See Licence News Oct 21).
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released details of proposals for new rules concerning Equal Opportunity in Employment (See RNW Dec 13).
It has also been looking at a number of deals including a planned purchase by Regent Broadcasting of WLSP-AM & WRXF-FM Lapeer, Michigan.
It has red-flagged the deal because of concerns about ownership concentration in the Lansing market.
The Commission has also red-flagged most of the deals in Cumulus's planned 200 million USD purchase of the 18 stations of Aurora Communications in Connecticut and New York (See RNW Nov 20).
Only two deals have not been flagged, those for WICC-AM & WEBE-FM in Bridgeport, Connecticut
The FCC is also looking into a Virginia deal in Charlottesville where Clear Channel is planning to acquire WUMX-FM, which it has operated under an LMA since January this year.
Clear Channel argues that its
Operation of the station has enhanced competition in the market and that the FCC should be considering advertising competition from all media in the area, not just within the radio sector..
Previous ABA:
Previous CRTC;
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
ABA web site:
CRTC web site:
FCC web site:
UK Radio Authority web site:
In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA)is to make two new commercial services available in Tasmania; they'll be in Burnie and Scottsdale and the licencees of the existing AM services in each area will be eligible to apply.
In addition provision is to be made for five additional community radio services in Tasmania, one each in George Town, the Northern Midlands, Scottsdale, South Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula, and five additional national radio service (Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Special Broadcasting Service channels), four in Burnie and one in Launceston, and three open narrowcasting services, one each in Burnie, Devonport and Launceston.
In connection with the plan there will also be changes to some existing services.
The licence area of 7RPH community radio in Hobart will be extended to serve Launceston, that of 7RGY Hobart will be extended to cover the areas of Huonville, Kingston and Blackman's Bay and an alternative frequency is being made available for the community radio service 7HFC in Hobart and its licence area extended to cover the same area as the existing commercial radio services.
7THE in Hobart will gain an additional frequency in Lutana.
The ABA also says it is concerned that Launceston has no access to a commercial FM radio service and that it will consider ways of providing this in future.
In Queensland, the ABA has allocated the new AM Brisbane community licence to Brisbane Interactive Radio Group Inc. (Switch) against competition from three other groups, Silver Memories Community Radio Association Inc., Greater Brisbane Radio Broadcasters Inc. (Pulse FM) and Radio Queensland Inc.
In Western Australia, the new community licence for the Geraldton area has gone to Christian group Soncity FM, which already runs its service under a temporary licence.
Canada has been quiet with the main radio activity being the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval of a new power FM station to provide traffic and parking information for motorists en route to Montreal international airport.
There was nothing of note in the Republic of Ireland but in the UK the Radio Authority has been active on both the analogue and digital fronts.
On the analogue side, it has advertised a new local FM licence for the Island of Skye and the Kyle of Lochalsh area on the west coast of Scotland and re-awarded the Northampton local FM and AM licences to existing holders, Northants 96 and Classic Gold 1557 respectively.
It has also announced that it has received two applications for the new local FM licence for Mid-Ulster, comprising the towns of Cookstown and Magherafelt and the surrounding districts.
They are from Mid FM Ltd, which is proposing a full-service community focussed station and Mid Ulster Broadcasting Ltd, which is offering a full service station of news, information and entertainment and says it would like to extend the service area to cover Dungannon.
On the digital front, the authority has advertised a new digital multiplex licence for the city of Norwich and surrounding area and has awarded the digital multiplex for Inverness in Scotland to the sole applicant, Score Digital Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Radio Holdings plc.
The award is subject to Score meeting the revised launch date of July 2003, which it has proposed for the commencement of its service. Score is offering three commercial services in addition to the two BBC services it has to carry (See Licence News Oct 21).
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released details of proposals for new rules concerning Equal Opportunity in Employment (See RNW Dec 13).
It has also been looking at a number of deals including a planned purchase by Regent Broadcasting of WLSP-AM & WRXF-FM Lapeer, Michigan.
It has red-flagged the deal because of concerns about ownership concentration in the Lansing market.
The Commission has also red-flagged most of the deals in Cumulus's planned 200 million USD purchase of the 18 stations of Aurora Communications in Connecticut and New York (See RNW Nov 20).
Only two deals have not been flagged, those for WICC-AM & WEBE-FM in Bridgeport, Connecticut
The FCC is also looking into a Virginia deal in Charlottesville where Clear Channel is planning to acquire WUMX-FM, which it has operated under an LMA since January this year.
Clear Channel argues that its
Operation of the station has enhanced competition in the market and that the FCC should be considering advertising competition from all media in the area, not just within the radio sector..
Previous ABA:
Previous CRTC;
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
ABA web site:
CRTC web site:
FCC web site:
UK Radio Authority web site:
2001-12-15:
Former DJ and radio tycoon Chris Evans is suing UK Virgin
Radio, which fired him as its breakfast show host in June
after he had failed to turn up for work for nearly a week (See
RNW June 29) for
around GBP9million
His lawyers have served a writ on Scottish Media Group (SMG), which acquired Virgin radio as part of the GBP225 million to buy Evans' Ginger Media Group in January 2000 (See RNW Jan 13, 2000), claiming that he was entitled to share options worth GBP8.6 million that were forfeited as a result of the dismissal.
Evans also wants cash damages for his dismissal and interest on any sum awarded to him. SMG says it will defend the writ and plans counter-claims.
Evans personally collected around GBP75 million from the takeover, nearly half of it SMG shares to be paid in three annual payments, subject to forfeiture if Evans left the company.
Previous Evans:
Previous SMG:
His lawyers have served a writ on Scottish Media Group (SMG), which acquired Virgin radio as part of the GBP225 million to buy Evans' Ginger Media Group in January 2000 (See RNW Jan 13, 2000), claiming that he was entitled to share options worth GBP8.6 million that were forfeited as a result of the dismissal.
Evans also wants cash damages for his dismissal and interest on any sum awarded to him. SMG says it will defend the writ and plans counter-claims.
Evans personally collected around GBP75 million from the takeover, nearly half of it SMG shares to be paid in three annual payments, subject to forfeiture if Evans left the company.
Previous Evans:
Previous SMG:
2001-12-15:
Duncan's American Radio has come up with more gloomy
figures and predictions about US radio.
It says revenues this year were down 7-8% on 2000 and founder Jim Duncan Jr. says his best bet is that there will be another decline in 2002.
He adds that he senses that rates are dropping rapidly, especially in larger markets and expresses concern over a continuing decline in listening levels.
Duncan says satellite radio will affect listening over time, albeit not for a few years, but predicts that only one satellite radio company will survive, commenting," If they had any sense they would have merged by now."
The warning came as the US continued officially in recession and retail sales fell a record 3.7% in November compared to October, which in turn had seen an increase of 6.4% over a September hit by the effects of the September 11 attacks.
The figures were skewed in particular by auto sales, which had been boosted in October by price cuts and which fell some 12% in November.
Better news came from north of the US border where Montreal-based Astral Media has reported net revenues for 2001 up 22% to CAD345 million and net earnings from continuing operations more than double at CAD29.7 million in 2001 compared to CAD13 million in 2000.
On a per share basis, EBITDA from continuing operations was up slightly over 2000 at CAD3.21 compared to CAD3.20, cash flow from continuing operations was up from CAD1.97 to CAD2.18 and net earnings from continuing operations were CAD1.31 compared to CAD 0.67 Astral's president and chief executive Ian Greenberg told the company's AGM in Toronto.
"Astral Media stands apart as one of the few large Canadian pure play media companies, said Mr. Greenberg.
"Our goal is to offer the best television, radio and outdoor advertising experiences by delivering relevant media."
He commented that, two years after the company said it would become purely a media company, it had accomplished the aim.
Astral owns radio stations, specialty, pay and pay-per-view television services and outdoor billboards across Canada; in May it spent CAD255 million on buying 17 radio stations in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from Telemedia Corp. It also took a 50 per cent interest in Radiomedia, which operates two of Québec's foremost AM stations and its leading radio news and sports networks.
The company is hoping for regulatory approval of the deal early in the New Year.
Astral says it sees room for "organic growth" in its radio operations and, although it was keen to grow, it would not buy at any price. "We're not desperate to do acquisitions in order to have growth," said Greenberg.
"Our position is, firstly, to make sure we're running our businesses very well and, secondly, to make sure we're positioned financially."
Previous Astral:
Previous Greenberg:
Astral web site (A Flash.site).
It says revenues this year were down 7-8% on 2000 and founder Jim Duncan Jr. says his best bet is that there will be another decline in 2002.
He adds that he senses that rates are dropping rapidly, especially in larger markets and expresses concern over a continuing decline in listening levels.
Duncan says satellite radio will affect listening over time, albeit not for a few years, but predicts that only one satellite radio company will survive, commenting," If they had any sense they would have merged by now."
The warning came as the US continued officially in recession and retail sales fell a record 3.7% in November compared to October, which in turn had seen an increase of 6.4% over a September hit by the effects of the September 11 attacks.
The figures were skewed in particular by auto sales, which had been boosted in October by price cuts and which fell some 12% in November.
Better news came from north of the US border where Montreal-based Astral Media has reported net revenues for 2001 up 22% to CAD345 million and net earnings from continuing operations more than double at CAD29.7 million in 2001 compared to CAD13 million in 2000.
On a per share basis, EBITDA from continuing operations was up slightly over 2000 at CAD3.21 compared to CAD3.20, cash flow from continuing operations was up from CAD1.97 to CAD2.18 and net earnings from continuing operations were CAD1.31 compared to CAD 0.67 Astral's president and chief executive Ian Greenberg told the company's AGM in Toronto.
"Astral Media stands apart as one of the few large Canadian pure play media companies, said Mr. Greenberg.
"Our goal is to offer the best television, radio and outdoor advertising experiences by delivering relevant media."
He commented that, two years after the company said it would become purely a media company, it had accomplished the aim.
Astral owns radio stations, specialty, pay and pay-per-view television services and outdoor billboards across Canada; in May it spent CAD255 million on buying 17 radio stations in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from Telemedia Corp. It also took a 50 per cent interest in Radiomedia, which operates two of Québec's foremost AM stations and its leading radio news and sports networks.
The company is hoping for regulatory approval of the deal early in the New Year.
Astral says it sees room for "organic growth" in its radio operations and, although it was keen to grow, it would not buy at any price. "We're not desperate to do acquisitions in order to have growth," said Greenberg.
"Our position is, firstly, to make sure we're running our businesses very well and, secondly, to make sure we're positioned financially."
Previous Astral:
Previous Greenberg:
Astral web site (A Flash.site).
2001-12-14:
The Pacifica Foundation, parent company of the five
US Pacifica Radio has settled four lawsuits against its board of directors
in an agreement that the dissident SavePacifica campaigners
say brings to an end two and a half years of struggles following what
it terms an illegal change in the method of selecting Pacifica's board
of directors who had previously been elected by local Pacifica station
boards.
Under the deal, an interim 15-member board would serve for 15 months while new structures are implemented for an elected national Pacifica board.
The interim board, to be made up of five members each of the current board minority and majority and five more members appointed by the chairs of Pacifica stations' Local Advisory Boards (LABs) is in line with details announced last month by the campaign. (See RNW Nov 19).
The agreement gives five days for the parties to " take all necessary actions to resolve the pending lawsuits in the form of a stipulated judgment that dismisses all complaints and cross-complaints" involved and may only be amended by unanimous written agreement of all the parties.
The agreement requires a two-thirds vote by all members of the Interim board who are present at a meeting to effect changes to bylaws whilst resolutions concerning election of officers requires only a simple majority.
Resolutions on other matters require a simple majority subject to an "aye" from at least one member of the three groups on the board or a two-thirds majority of those present in voting.
A resolution passed by a simple majority but without an "aye" from a member of all three groups will automatically be referred to Alameda County Superior Court Judge Ronald Sabraw, who will retain jurisdiction over the settlement, and has promised to quickly rule on all disputes that may result from the agreement's implementation.
All parties to the four pending lawsuits against the Pacifica Foundation's board of had attended a "Mandatory Settlement Conference" with the pre-trial judge on Tuesday, designed to reach agreement before a full trial on January 7.
In addition to the settlement, SavePacifica says that Pacifica's National Program Director Utice Leid who had been heavily involved in last December's "Christmas Coup" at WBAI-FM, New York, has resigned her post after only two months in the job.
She had been the target of continued protests by dissidents after the dispute at WBAI, which was followed by her appointment as its General Manager and the firing and banning of many members of staff.
Juan Gonzalez, former co-host of Pacifica's "Democracy Now" programme and the coordinator of the Pacifica Campaign, a nationwide listener pressure group, described her resignation as "another important step in our campaign to restore accountability to the Pacifica Radio network." "...the injustices at and the destruction of WBAI cannot be swept under the rug," he added. "All the producers that were arbitrarily fired and banned must return and a new democratic governing structure must be put in place at WBAI and around the network."
Amy Goodman, the former host of WBAI's "Democracy Now," said she hoped the settlement would lead to the rehiring of those who were fired at WBAI and its affiliates in Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, and Berkeley, California.
Previous Gonzalez:
Previous Goodman:
Previous Leid:
Previous Pacifica:
SavePacifica web site:
Agreement details:
Statement re Leid resignation:
Under the deal, an interim 15-member board would serve for 15 months while new structures are implemented for an elected national Pacifica board.
The interim board, to be made up of five members each of the current board minority and majority and five more members appointed by the chairs of Pacifica stations' Local Advisory Boards (LABs) is in line with details announced last month by the campaign. (See RNW Nov 19).
The agreement gives five days for the parties to " take all necessary actions to resolve the pending lawsuits in the form of a stipulated judgment that dismisses all complaints and cross-complaints" involved and may only be amended by unanimous written agreement of all the parties.
The agreement requires a two-thirds vote by all members of the Interim board who are present at a meeting to effect changes to bylaws whilst resolutions concerning election of officers requires only a simple majority.
Resolutions on other matters require a simple majority subject to an "aye" from at least one member of the three groups on the board or a two-thirds majority of those present in voting.
A resolution passed by a simple majority but without an "aye" from a member of all three groups will automatically be referred to Alameda County Superior Court Judge Ronald Sabraw, who will retain jurisdiction over the settlement, and has promised to quickly rule on all disputes that may result from the agreement's implementation.
All parties to the four pending lawsuits against the Pacifica Foundation's board of had attended a "Mandatory Settlement Conference" with the pre-trial judge on Tuesday, designed to reach agreement before a full trial on January 7.
In addition to the settlement, SavePacifica says that Pacifica's National Program Director Utice Leid who had been heavily involved in last December's "Christmas Coup" at WBAI-FM, New York, has resigned her post after only two months in the job.
She had been the target of continued protests by dissidents after the dispute at WBAI, which was followed by her appointment as its General Manager and the firing and banning of many members of staff.
Juan Gonzalez, former co-host of Pacifica's "Democracy Now" programme and the coordinator of the Pacifica Campaign, a nationwide listener pressure group, described her resignation as "another important step in our campaign to restore accountability to the Pacifica Radio network." "...the injustices at and the destruction of WBAI cannot be swept under the rug," he added. "All the producers that were arbitrarily fired and banned must return and a new democratic governing structure must be put in place at WBAI and around the network."
Amy Goodman, the former host of WBAI's "Democracy Now," said she hoped the settlement would lead to the rehiring of those who were fired at WBAI and its affiliates in Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, and Berkeley, California.
Previous Gonzalez:
Previous Goodman:
Previous Leid:
Previous Pacifica:
SavePacifica web site:
Agreement details:
Statement re Leid resignation:
2001-12-14:
A new report by London-based Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates
says that commercial radio in Europe is underdeveloped.
It comes out as Arbitron releases a teaser for its Radar 71 Radio Network Audience Report, due to be released next week, that says that in the US over the course of a typical week, radio reached 99 percent of persons 12+ living in households with an income of $50,000 or more.
The Oliver & Ohlbaum report says that European radio is still dominated by public service stations, which together consume more than half of radio revenues and nearly 40% of listening.
In all it says that some 5000 European radio stations share some USD9.2 million dollars in revenues from advertising and sponsorship compared to a US commercial radio revenue of some USD 40 billion.
In terms of advertising yield per thousand listening hours, European stations take between USD35 and USD70 compared to around 115 USD in the US.
The report also says that listeners in major European cities have only around three-fifths as many stations to choose from compared to US listeners in similar circumstances, citing a total of 47 stations in Chicago, 39 in New York and 38 in San Francisco whereas London has just 24 including BBC and national services.
(RNW comment -a look at range and quality of choice, would, we suggest give a different picture. Perhaps someone in Chicago would like to try and compare their classical music choice with that offered by BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and Talk Output with that of the gamut available in the UK from BBC Radio 4 onwards).
It denigrates the likely impact of digital broadcasting in the near future, saying that within the next 5 years the 2000 digital terrestrial channels planned in Europe will only reach a tenth of the population and account for around 6% of total listening.
Likely to be of far more impact, it suggests, will be changes to ownership rules and regulation in general.
The digital audience, it says, will be shared by a combination of technologies including terrestrial DAB, satellite, cable, Internet and mobile devices with no one platform dominating the scene.
Oliver & Ohlbaum regards prospects for radio in Europe as positive, noting that listening is on the up, advertising on radio is comparatively cheap and that likely de-regulation including relaxation of ownership limits, is likely to reduce costs.
The Arbitron RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) report, based on a 12000 person telephone survey, shows radio doing better in higher income households than lower income ones.
Compared to the weekly reach of 99% of above 12's in households with an income of USD50000 pa or more, it says the reach was only 90% for those households where the annual income was USD30000 or less.
Over a week, 97% of college graduates listened to radio compared to 94% of non-graduates.
In demographic terms, the report shows that men listen more than women (96.6% reach compared to 94.3%) and the young listen more than the old (99.2% of the 12-17 age group falling to 87.5% of the 65 plus group.
Illustrating radio's availability irrespective of location, the survey notes that 68.5% listen in the home, 83.8% in the car, and 36.2% in other locations.
Over the course of a week the report says, radio reaches more the 225 million people, or 96 percent of all persons aged 12 and older.
And radio doesn't take the weekend off-more than 188 million people, or 80 percent of all Persons 12+ tune to radio on Saturday or Sunday. In time of day terms, 82% listened in the morning up to 10 A.M., 77% in the following period to 3P.M. followed by an afternoon-drive pick-up to 80% in the 3-7 P.M. slot, an a drop to 56% for the rest of the evening up to midnight.
Previous Arbitron:
Arbitron web site:
Oliver & Ohlbaum web site:
It comes out as Arbitron releases a teaser for its Radar 71 Radio Network Audience Report, due to be released next week, that says that in the US over the course of a typical week, radio reached 99 percent of persons 12+ living in households with an income of $50,000 or more.
The Oliver & Ohlbaum report says that European radio is still dominated by public service stations, which together consume more than half of radio revenues and nearly 40% of listening.
In all it says that some 5000 European radio stations share some USD9.2 million dollars in revenues from advertising and sponsorship compared to a US commercial radio revenue of some USD 40 billion.
In terms of advertising yield per thousand listening hours, European stations take between USD35 and USD70 compared to around 115 USD in the US.
The report also says that listeners in major European cities have only around three-fifths as many stations to choose from compared to US listeners in similar circumstances, citing a total of 47 stations in Chicago, 39 in New York and 38 in San Francisco whereas London has just 24 including BBC and national services.
(RNW comment -a look at range and quality of choice, would, we suggest give a different picture. Perhaps someone in Chicago would like to try and compare their classical music choice with that offered by BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and Talk Output with that of the gamut available in the UK from BBC Radio 4 onwards).
It denigrates the likely impact of digital broadcasting in the near future, saying that within the next 5 years the 2000 digital terrestrial channels planned in Europe will only reach a tenth of the population and account for around 6% of total listening.
Likely to be of far more impact, it suggests, will be changes to ownership rules and regulation in general.
The digital audience, it says, will be shared by a combination of technologies including terrestrial DAB, satellite, cable, Internet and mobile devices with no one platform dominating the scene.
Oliver & Ohlbaum regards prospects for radio in Europe as positive, noting that listening is on the up, advertising on radio is comparatively cheap and that likely de-regulation including relaxation of ownership limits, is likely to reduce costs.
The Arbitron RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) report, based on a 12000 person telephone survey, shows radio doing better in higher income households than lower income ones.
Compared to the weekly reach of 99% of above 12's in households with an income of USD50000 pa or more, it says the reach was only 90% for those households where the annual income was USD30000 or less.
Over a week, 97% of college graduates listened to radio compared to 94% of non-graduates.
In demographic terms, the report shows that men listen more than women (96.6% reach compared to 94.3%) and the young listen more than the old (99.2% of the 12-17 age group falling to 87.5% of the 65 plus group.
Illustrating radio's availability irrespective of location, the survey notes that 68.5% listen in the home, 83.8% in the car, and 36.2% in other locations.
Over the course of a week the report says, radio reaches more the 225 million people, or 96 percent of all persons aged 12 and older.
And radio doesn't take the weekend off-more than 188 million people, or 80 percent of all Persons 12+ tune to radio on Saturday or Sunday. In time of day terms, 82% listened in the morning up to 10 A.M., 77% in the following period to 3P.M. followed by an afternoon-drive pick-up to 80% in the 3-7 P.M. slot, an a drop to 56% for the rest of the evening up to midnight.
Previous Arbitron:
Arbitron web site:
Oliver & Ohlbaum web site:
2001-12-13:
Mapleton Communications is to add yet another station
to its cluster in Monterey, California.
It's buying KTEE-FM Seaside, from Bicoastal Media for an as-yet undisclosed price; Bicoastal paid USD1.5 million for the station two years ago.
Mapleton paid USD10.25 million to New Wave Broadcasting for its existing five stations in September and also has a JSA with New Wave for KBOQ-FM (See RNW Sept 26).
Previous Mapleton:
It's buying KTEE-FM Seaside, from Bicoastal Media for an as-yet undisclosed price; Bicoastal paid USD1.5 million for the station two years ago.
Mapleton paid USD10.25 million to New Wave Broadcasting for its existing five stations in September and also has a JSA with New Wave for KBOQ-FM (See RNW Sept 26).
Previous Mapleton: