April 2003 Archive
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March 2003 -May
2003 
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 April comment - War, business, freedoms and responsibilities.
RNW March comment - is equipment design promoting form over function and making it too difficult to operate essential controls?
RNW February comment considers what we think copyright should be in the future.
2003-04-30: US first quarter figures from Jefferson-Pilot, Saga Communications and Westwood One show a mixed picture with results in general meeting predictions.
Jefferson Pilot, whose holdings include 17 radio stations, has announced revenues up 4% but first quarter earnings of USD 7.1 million, up 8% on a year ago to for its Communications division. Broadcast cash flow was up 5% to USD 15.7 million and Jefferson comments that notable trends for the quarter included good growth in television profits offset by lower than expected results from sports operations.
Jefferson-Pilot as whole reported profits down 28.4% to USD109 million (USD 0.76 per share after taking into account USD 0.09 per share of realized investment losses).
Saga Communications reported net revenues up 9.3% for the quarter to USD 26.1 million but same station revenue was down 0.2% to USD 24.3 million. Overall station operating income was up 0.5% to USD 7.3million but on a same station basis there was a similar fall to USD 7.2 million.
Net income was down 5.6% to USD1.7 million (USD 0.08 per share compared to USD 0.09 per share).
Looking ahead, Saga is predicting second quarter revenues of USD 31 million- USD 32 million and for the year it ways it expects revenues to increase between 3% and 5%.
Westwood One reported first quarter revenues down USD 501, 000 to USD 125.8 million but notes that a year ago it had non-recurring revenues of around USD 6 million relating to the Winter Olympics; excluding this, revenues would have increased by around 5%.
EBITDA was down by USD 59,000 to USD 32.099 million and net income was down 3% to USD 16.194 million. Net income per share, because of a stock repurchase programme, was unaltered at USD 0.16 despite the fall.
Looking ahead, Westwood One says it expects low to mid single digit revenue growth and high single digit growth in EBITDA for the full year.
President and CEO Joel Hollander commented that the company "was able to achieve these financial results in spite of the effects that the war with Iraq had on our business."
"We continued to deliver on our share repurchase program, buying back nearly 2.3 million shares for approximately $77 million since the beginning of the year," he added. "Additionally, we continue to invest in new program offerings that are well received by both affiliates and advertisers."
Previous Hollander:
Previous Jefferson-Pilot:
Previous Saga:
Previous Westwood One:
2003-04-30: Arbitron has reported a further decline in response rated, down 2.3% to 33.9% for Winter 2003 across its 97 continuously measured markets. The average metro consent rate was down 3.3% to 59.8% indicating increasing reluctance to participate in surveys and Arbitron has responded by announcing a May 1 meeting at which it is to unveil a "comprehensive plan" to enhance its diary surveys in a number of areas including response rates (the product of consent rate- the percent of eligible sample who live in households that said "yes" to keeping an Arbitron diary and return rate --those sent a diary that actually returned it).
Arbitron's President of U.S. Media Services Owen Charlebois said, "Our plan is a serious, multiyear commitment designed to address the issue of sample quality over the short and long term."
He noted that the decline in response rates was one affecting the entire research industry.
Previous Arbitron:
Previous Charlebois:
2003-04-30: Latest Irish radio ratings released by the JNLR/MRBI survey covering the six months from October 2003 to March 2003 show listenership in the country at 86% of the population with independent local stations recording a figures of 55%, up 2% on the period a year earlier.
State broadcaster channels RTÉ Radio One down 4% to 28%, 2FM down 1% to 26%, and Lyric FM down 1% to 3%. National commercial channel Today FM lost 1% to 15%.
In area terms the figures for those listening to any local station on weekdays were 68% in Connaught/Ulster (Up 6%), 58% in Munster (Down 3%), and 48% in the rest of Leinster (Up 3%).
Among local stations Galway Bay FM increased its figures by 18% to 61% and in Cork, Cork 96FM/County Sound lost 8% to end up with a listened yesterday figure of 51% while Red 104-106FM recorded a reach of 18%.
In the capital, 98FM and FM104 each reached 22% of Dublin listeners with increases of 4% and 2% respectively and Country 106.8FM and Newstalk 106 FM each recorded a listenership of 2%.
Previous Irish Ratings:
Previous RTÉ:
JNLR web site:
2003-04-30: Denver-based NextMedia Group has announced USD8.25 million and USD 4.25 million sale and purchase deals. Both deals are all cash.
Being sold is WAIT 850-AM, Crystal Lake, Chicago, which is to go to Newsweb Corporation, whose other stations include other stations include WCSN-AM, WSBC-AM, and WCFJ-AM. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and Newsweb is considering format options for the station.
Commenting on the sale, Samuel "Skip" Weller, President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of NextMedia's Radio Division, said, "We acquired WAIT-AM in a group acquisition as part of our Chicago Suburban Radio strategy. While we remain committed to the Chicago market through our 11-station cluster, WAIT-AM's metro Chicago coverage will be more effectively utilized by Newsweb Corporation."
The purchase is of Citadel's KNHK-FM in Reno, Nevada, and will take NextMedia's holding in the market up to four FMs. Well commented, "With its healthy economic environment and young, growing population, Reno represents one of NextMedia's largest and fastest growing markets. And, with a cluster of four stations in the market, we are able to leverage sales and programming resources to drive significant ratings, revenues and cash flows. We look forward to integrating KNHK-FM into our station portfolio."
Previous Forstmann-Little (Citadel owner):
Previous NextMedia:
2003-04-30: The vexed question of UK music charts is brought up in a UK Guardian article that look at the four charts that will soon exist and the competing claims they have to be accurate records of British musical tastes - and the competition between their various promoters.
At the BBC, the Radio 1 chart is based on Top 40 single sales, once pre-eminent but a measure that commercial groups say is outdated as shown by the drop of around a third in sales over the past five years. The BBC show, now hosted by Wes Butters, had seen an audience decline under its former host, Mark Goodier, now hosting the rival Emap Smash Hits Chart show (below).
The commercial groups say that airplay and Internet listening should now be taken into account, arguing that on music piracy is widespread and that as a result teenagers are often bred with a single by the time it in the shops.
Among the commercial radio chart shows, the former Pepsi Chart show, now re-branded the Hit 40 UK show, hosted by Neil Fox, and owned by Capital Radio,Chrysalis, GWR and Scottish Radio Holdings (SRH), uses a mix of singles sales and radio airplay data to rank songs.
Emap's rival, the Smash Hits Chart that was launched in January, goes wider and used s mixture of singles sales, airplay and information on video requests by viewers of its Smash Hits and Box TV channels.
The Official Chart Company, owned by the British Phonographic Industry and the British Association of Record Dealers, that compiles the lists for the BBC show recognises one deficiency in its approach, the absence of Internet sales that are becoming of increasing importance.
It has signed up OD2 to produce a standalone Internet sales chart for launch towards the end of this year.
Neale Tidd, director of music promoter Tonic Concerts, told the paper of the move that the internet is now an important part of how bands market themselves, adding, "If the digital data proves robust and the chart takes off, it will influence the way bigger, more established bands are promoted by their labels."
Tim Schoonmaker, chief executive of Emap Performance, argues record sales no longer reflect the most popular tracks and says that because its Smash Hits Chart is influenced by requests for videos before a record goes in sale, it is "wonderful predictor" of single sales success.
"Ironically, the Smash Hits chart is changing into a tool for the record industry to market their records," he says. "The labels can use it to convince retailers that a track will be a hit."
He is backed up by Rob Cornett, Hit 40 UK 's new managing director who argues, "Singles volumes are in decline and those numbers need to be boosted by combining them with another methodology. Radio airplay is based on the expertise of radio programmers. Combining that with sales data gives a more robust chart."
At the BBC, however, Ben Cooper, Radio 1's acting head of mainstream programming, maintains that singles sales are the best indicator of popularity.
"Getting the audience to buy the product is the best way to put a chart together," he says. "It is crystal clear. The other charts are a little muddied - they are put together by radio programmers," he says. "The commercial charts are not as clear and definite to the public and they can be altered to suit commercial interests. And they are running the risk of cannibalising their own audience. They've got a bit of a turf war on their hands about which chart to have on their stations."
Previous BBC:
Previous Butters:
Previous Capital:
Previous Chrysalis:
Previous Emap:
Previous Fox:
Previous Goodier:
Previous GWR:
Previous Schoonmaker:
Previous SRH:
UK Guardian report:
2003-04-29: Infinity Broadcasting President and COO John Fulham has stepped down amid speculation about re-structuring of the Viacom division that was singled out for criticism last week when Viacom's results were announced. Infinity revenues were down 2% compared to a 7% increase for the company as a whole and Viacom President and COO Mel Karmazin, formerly a long-time Infinity chief, had said he was going to focus his attention on Infinity
Initial speculation had suggested that Infinity CEO John Sykes could be ousted.
Fullam, who joined Infinity in August last year in succession to Dan Mason (See RNW Aug 21, 2002) had formerly been a Clear Channel Senior Regional Vice President.
He was the highest level appointment to be made by Sykes, who had been moved into his Infinity role in March 2002 from his then post of president of Viacom's VH1 cable music TV network (See RNW March 18. 2002) after Fared Suleman left to become CEO of Citadel Communications and a special partner of its parent, Forstmann Little and Co.
Sykes had no previous radio experience and was said to be closer to Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone than to Karmazin.
Previous Fullam:
Previous Karmazin:
Previous Redstone:
Previous Suleman:
Previous Sykes:
Previous Viacom-CBS-Infinity:
2003-04-29: US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Michael Powell has told the Newspaper Association of America Convention in Seattle that scrapping rules that prohibit newspapers from owning broadcasting stations could mean more and better news programming.
Speaking as a guest of the Associated Press at the convention, Powell said it was difficult to retain current regulations and that cross-ownership could allow more efficiency ain news production that could in turn lead to extended programming that would "benefit both newspapers and the public."
NAA chairman Dean Singleton, who is vice chairman and chief executive officer for MediaNews Group, welcomed the prospect, saying, "When the ban on cross ownership falls, what will rise is the opportunity to combine the immediacy of television and radio with the depths of newspapers, along with the interactivity and continued updates of the Web."
Much further down the West Coast the latest field hearing on US media regulations was being held at the University of Southern California (USC) Davidson Conference Center. The meeting was originally scheduled for February but was postponed because of a severe snowstorm on the US East Coast.
It was attended by Democrat commissioner Michael J Copps, whose push for a series of field meetings on the issue was rejected by Powell, and by various media academics and media executives; Copps fellow Democrat commissioner Jonathan Adelstein took part via a teleconference link.
Copps told the session that with a little over a month to go before new rules were issued even the FCC leaders didn't have a rough idea or details of the planned new system, yet the "FCC will have voted on this, changed the rules, reconfigured the media landscape, and told the world that, 'Sorry, there's no opportunity for or time for public comments on what has been decided.'"
Copps, who stresses that the issue was one of public airwaves and how they should be used to the public benefit also said that releasing new rules for discussion before they came final could aid their chances of holding up to court scrutiny.
Previous Adelstein:
Previous Copps:
Previous FCC:
Previous Powell:
2003-04-29: It's not so just what is said but how it is said that has led to some criticism of the BBC's daily religious "Thought for the Day" slot on Radio 4 and not the Corporation is to expand a programme of private sessions to help contributors improve their delivery according to a report in the UK Sunday Telegraph.
The paper quotes an unnamed senior BBC executive as saying, "These courses are trying to get across to people that this is a lively radio programme and not a pulpit. Making an interesting broadcast is very different from sermonising to a captive audience."
The BBC has also confirmed that a number of contributors, whom it will not name, have been given voice coaching, and some of the programme's regular contributors have welcomed the idea.
Rabbi Lionel Blue, who has contributed to the slot for more than 25 years, said, "I try to give my own students advice on how to handle themselves on God slots."
"I tell them it can be like listening to an announcement on the Underground. The message may be important but, because of the way it's delivered, it may sound like gibberish."
Another contributor, Christina Rees, a religious broadcaster and member of the Church of England Synod said: "I think some of the presenters need voice training. I tend not to agree with all her thoughts, but Anne Atkins [another regular contributor] is a trained actress and she delivers her thought - whether or not you like it - more animatedly and arrestingly than other people.
Previous BBC:
UK Telegraph report:
2003-04-29: XM satellite radio has announced a kit to enable its service to be listened to using a personal computer. The XM PC Receiver kit includes a receiver, antenna, PC software CD-ROM, an audio cable and a USB cable that both provides power to the receiver and serves as the data connection to the PC and is being retailed at just under USD70.
Unlike streaming audio, that uses Internet bandwidth, the new kit receives its signal directly from XM's satellites and does not need an Internet connection or place the same demands on resources that streaming audio does.
The receiver is connected to the computer via the USB input and as well as being said to give significantly better audio quality also provides extra screen display information on what is playing on al XM channels and features allowing song titles or artists to be saved onto an "alert list" that will trigger a pop-up message when they are played on a channel that is not being listened to at the time.
Previous XM:
XM web site (orders link):
2003-04-29: Yahoo's Launch music network has now subscribed to Arbitron-MeasureCast's Internet ratings and will be included in the results release on May 1 for the week to April 20.
For the week to April 13 Launchcast recorded a TTSL of 3,194,628 and Cumulative listeners (Cume Persons -CP) 678,693, numbers that would have put it at the head of Arbitron-MeasureCast network rankings, well ahead of the leader Live365.com, which recorded TTSL 2,260,465 and CP 450,419 (See RNW April 25).
Arbitron has also announced the appointment of Sam Millstone to the new position of vice president, Finance.
Millstone, who was senior vice president, Lodging Finance and Business Development at Marriott International, will report to Arbitron chief financial officer William Walsh and will oversee financial forecasting and analysis for the company.
Previous Arbitron:
2003-04-28: Since so much of the world seems to value only those things to which it can attach a number, we start this week's look at print comment on radio with two columns that are pegged to numbers.
One was Chris Campling's radio column in the UK Times that celebrated a BBC Radio 4 series - in his words, "...join me in welcoming back Simon Singh's Another Five Numbers, which returned last Tuesday to Radio 4 (08:30 GMT)"
Campling led into the comment through reminiscences about his schooldays and concluded, "Maths is also something that radio does particularly well, since its power lies not in the listener's ability to understand the concepts being described but in the presenter's ability to convey the enthusiasm with which those who do understand it pursue it. "
Of the concepts being discussed, he wrote, "The first digit he concerned himself with was four. With ever-mounting excitement, Singh discussed whether it is possible to colour any map, however complex, using only four colours."
"Apparently it is, but it took 124 years, ten million man hours put in by some of the brightest mathematical minds of those 124 years and, in the end, a computer, to prove that it is. One after the other, blokes with brains the size of a planet trotted up and confessed to having spent valuable synapses on trying to work out something that, let's face it, didn't matter."
"And that is what I love about this programme, and others like it - so much of what they do is so much Pi, spread across so many skies. And we get to lie on our backs, and look up, and gaze (uncomprehendingly) with them into infinity."
Next up his Sunday Times colleague Paul Donovan, whose weekly RadioWaves column was pegged to numbers more generally associated with radio -those of ratings.
The peg was the fact that the next UK radio ratings, due out in May, will for the first time include figures for digital radio listeners and also for listeners to BBC World Service in the UK.
The service, originally the Empire Service, began in 1932 and until recently it was available in the UK only in the south east via medium wave transmissions and, fairly recently, overnight on the BBC Radio 4 FM frequency.
Now it can be head via digital audio broadcasts, on digital TV services -cable, satellite and terrestrial, and the Internet leading Donovan to comment that of the figures, "If the total is much less than the 1.2m the BBC claims - an estimate based on inexact research - then it will embarrass it. If it is more, then it should be celebrated, because the World Service is one of the best things we have."
"It is a curious phenomenon, the output of Bush House. We pay for it [via taxation and Foreign Office funding not the BBC licence fee], yet it is not intended for us at all."
"The English- language service is aimed at those whose first language is not English, even though that is the tongue they most want to speak. And it reaches 45m of them, across the planet, on wind-up clockwork sets in wattle huts, on transistors in the desert, on ghetto blasters on pick-up trucks, on local FM stations everywhere. Then there are another 100m people listening to another 42 languages, from Albanian to Vietnamese."(RNW note, Regretfully there are no World Service broadcasts in Zenaga!)
And as Donovan concludes, "So, in 11 days' time, we will at last find out for sure how many UK listeners tune into Outlook, Everywoman, Charlie Gillett, The World Today and all the rest. I hope the figures are healthy. It may not be intended for us, but we too can share it."
Enough of numbers though, what about qualities behind the numbers? Well sometimes they too relate to numbers as noted in the Irish RadioWaves column in the Sunday Times, this time by Michael Ross.
The first numbers in his column are those of property prices, the "new pornography" that he says has become "a linchpin" in David McWilliams' breakfast show on Dublin talk station Newstalk.
"At its most coolly cynical," comments Ross, "it's a good schtick, particularly for Newstalk, which in its first year on air has made a virtue of its shoestring resources by adapting the Last Word model of opinionated, discursive broadcasting to mount a credible challenge to RTE in two key slots, at breakfast and lunch times."
And of the station's lunchtime show,"Damien Kiberd has made an outstanding and idiosyncratic success of his lunchtime news programme, bringing to it a kind of hippy republican monetarism unique in Irish broadcasting."
And then the sting in the tail: "The trouble is, it's a routine of endless tumescence not unlike the property journalism that McWilliams regards with disdain. It gets wearying after a while, as the lack of programme resources gleams through the stridency.
On the other side of the Atlantic, a comment on the virtues - or otherwise - of print compared to broadcast from the Baltimore Sun in a column by Michael Olesker commenting on Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s decision to eschew print - specifically the Sun and Washington Post - in favour of broadcasting media.
Olesker starts his column: "NOTE TO TV news reporters and radio talk show hosts: Don't look now, but I think the governor of Maryland, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., just called you a bunch of patsies and hoped you didn't notice."
The action was taken, says Olesker, because the Governor thinks the papers are not being nice to him and Olesker goes on, "The governor will embrace TV and radio people because he thinks they are nice to him. He seems not to understand this, but he has just indicted them for not doing their jobs. A slight lesson in civics: It is not reporters' business to be nice to public officials; it is our job to look at their work, and analyse it as best we can, and to report what we find as fairly as we can."
Not long though before the numbers are back: After comments on newspaper cover of politics in the area, Olesker writes, "This is a governor who took office with one plan to balance the budget: Bring in slots. But he had no backup plan. In a late-night revision of his first slots package, he changed the numbers to give more money to track owners and less to schools and dissembled when everybody caught the quarterback sneak he'd attempted."
Olesker then goes on to note the limitations of TV cover because of the short durations allocated to items and then goes on to comment of radio, "As for talk radio, the governor declares, "There is no filter. It's direct and there is no middle entity either friend or foe."
On which, Olesker concludes, "Those of us who live in a community where Rush Limbaugh and squadrons of Limbaugh wannabes dominate the airwaves will keep such a remark in perspective.
Further north, Clea Simon in her column in the Boston Globe looks at talk radio from a different perspective.
"What do women want? Could it be more of our own radio shows?" she asks before answering in terms of a new show ''ChickChat." Currently being aired on WBPS-AM, although there are aims for national syndication for the show hosted by DC-based Heidi Hanzel and Jacy Cowgill and New York-based Lara Dyan.
''We're the radio equivalent of `Sex and the City' and Cosmo'' magazine," Dyan told the paper of the show's mix of "gossip, information, and camaraderie." Simon adds that since it began in February the show has "explored everything from sexual etiquette and dating to the boycott of the US Open golf tournament… The only topic the three have avoided has been the war."
The rationale for that omission? Says Cowgill, ''We're radio as entertainment.''
And from Hanzel, comparing the show with most talk radio: "''All you hear are men talking about extremely boring things like politics. That's not my everyday life.''
Maybe not, but as Olesker's column had noted of Maryland's Governor, he " changed the numbers to give more money to track owners and less to schools." And that is politics - but the schools affect life!
Finally since earlier this month, we carried a report of a Chicago Tribune column by its rock critic Greg Kot expressing scepticism of Clear Channel's decision to end deals with independent record promoters (See RNW April 14 ) a response in the same paper that came in a letter from Clear Channel's Senior vice president for public policy, Andrew W. Levin.
Levin takes issue with Kot, saying "It is unfair to first criticize Clear Channel's business arrangements with independent promoters and then renew criticism when the company discontinues the practice."
He then says Clear Channel is ending the deals because they gave an "appearance of impropriety", argues that the article perpetuates a myth of "narrow play lists" and adds, "Radio also remains the dominant source for diverse, new music. Last year alone, radio debuted 3,000 new songs and 550 new artists on more than 250 formats.
Previous Campling:
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
Previous Simon:
Baltimore Sun - Olesker:
Boston Globe- Simon:
Chicago Tribune - Levin letter:
UK Sunday Times- Donovan:
UK Sunday Times - Ross:
UK Times - Campling:
2003-04-28: Last week's Arbitron figures show that, although war on Iraq did not begin until March 19th, anticipation of the event was to the significant advantage of news and talk broadcast stations in some markets but considerably less so in others.
Among the talk stations heading the rankings were WBZ-am in Boston, which was already top-ranked but took its share up from 7.3 to 8.5; WGN-AM in Chicago, which jumped from a third-ranked 4.9 share to 6.1; WWJ-AM in Detroit, which took its share up from 5.3 to 5.9 and KYW-AM, Philadelphia, which took its share up from 7.0 to 8.2.
In other areas, where other formats retained their leads, many news and talk stations still increased their audiences but the picture was patchy.
In New York, where WLTW-FM (Lite-FM) was top with a 6.8 share, News-Talk WABC-AM took its share up from 3.2 to 3.7 but other news and talk stations did not see much movement and in Washington, where urban WMMJ-FM (Magic 102.3) boosted its lead, all-news WTOP -AM seemed to gain slightly although still down from the fall ratings when it was boosted by the sniper story.
Conservative talk hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity also seemed to benefit with increases in ratings for their syndicated daily shows on WMAL-AM.
In Los Angeles, where hip-hop KPWR-FM (Power 106) lost share but kept top ranking, news-related movement was much lower. The main change was in the morning slot where KROQ-FM's "Kevin & Bean" show moved from fourth to first place, following the decision by long-time morning leader Renán Almendárez Coello to move his show on Spanish-language KSCA-FM afternoons.
Coello's morning replacement Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo, took second place in that slot whilst Coello himself took many of his listeners with him, lifting KCSA's afternoon show from a 24th place in the fall ratings to second.
Previous Arbitron:
2003-04-28: Clear Channel's Urban AC WVAZ-FM and smooth jazz WNUA-FM have become the first Chicago stations to commence digital broadcasts using iBiquity's HD In-Band On-Channel technology that uses part of the station's existing frequency.
Most of the rest of the world has opted for a system using different frequencies for its digital audio broadcasts using the Eureka 147 system.
Clear Channel has spent some USD 7 million on digital studios for all six of its Chicago stations in its combined headquarters but it will be some while before it gets any benefit at all.
On current schedules digital receivers for the system will not be available in the US until July.
Previous Clear Channel:
Previous iBiquity:
2003-04-27: Last week was again fairly quiet for the regulators although in the US the issue of media regulation is still bubbling away.
There was nothing from Australia or Ireland and only minor radio-related activity in Canada.
There, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was involved only three radio decisions, which were (by province):
Alberta:
*Renewal only for four years rather than seven of the licence of CHHK-FM, Taber. The shorter term followed an analysis of the broadcasts of the station for a week at the beginning of October, 2001, when it was found that just under 30% of the category 2 musical selection it broadcast were Canadian as opposed to the required 35%.
Yukon Territory:
*Approval of a 1-watt transmitter in Faro for CHON-FM, Whitehorse.
Ontario:
*Approval of an application by Durham Radio Inc. to acquire for CAD 3.9 million the assets of AC format CKGE-FM and oldies format CKDO-AM, Oshawa, from a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Durham already controls CJKX-FM in the market.
In the UK, the Radio Authority has published its first quarterly complaints bulletin of the year (See RNW April 24) and its quarterly Programming and Advertising Review (See RNW April 24).
It also published its assessment of the award of the Kent digital multiplex to the sole applicant, Capital Radio Digital Ltd. (See Licence News April 13).
Capital is proposing a bouquet of 8 channels in addition to carrying BBC Radio Kent (See Licence News, February 16).
Commenting on the proposed service, Authority members said they considered that "overall, the programming bouquet covered a wide range, offering music for listeners in the different age groups."
They took up the issue of overlap by the three London multiplexes but noted, "For listeners in the eastern half of the county, the choice of services available will be very considerably increased."
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is still involved in the issue of rewriting media regulation rules with chairman Michael Powell receiving backing from the Bush administration for sticking to his June 2 deadline (See RNW April 26) and Democrat Commissioners going along with those who want less of a rush (See below).
In other actions the FCC has confirmed fines totalling USD 39,000 for technical offences on a Kansas FM (see RNW April 24) and has also now lifted a red flag, instituted on market concentration grounds, that had held up a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, purchase by Radio South (See RNW April 25).
Previous CRTC:
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous Powell:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
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FCC web site :
UK Radio Authority web site:
2003-04-27:The University of Southern California forum on US media regulation, postponed in February after a major Washington snowstorm is now to be held on Monday; It was preceded by an informal hearing on media ownership rules held in San Francisco on Saturday and attended by Democrat Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein.
In advance of the meetings, Adelstein in an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle wrote of attending meetings to find out public views, adding, "it's almost too late now."
Noting that FCC chairman Michael Powell had rejected a request "to hold off on any changes until the FCC discloses its plans publicly so that Congress and the public can respond", Adelstein commented, "The FCC must proceed with enormous caution. Caution and speed don't mix well when safeguards of our democracy are at stake. We cannot allow too much consolidation to tune out voices heard across this country and in each of our communities."
Adelstein them noted the effect of consolidation on radio so far, writing, "The relaxation of similar rules for radio shows how quickly rule changes can alter an industry's structure."
"In 1996, Congress relaxed radio ownership rules, prompting an unprecedented wave of consolidation. Radio conglomerates now centralize broadcasting from remote headquarters and pump homogenized playlists to stations across the country."
"Minot, a small town in North Dakota, felt the effects recently. When a train carrying ammonia derailed and released chemicals -- sending 300 people to the hospital -- police called the local radio stations, all six of which are owned by Clear Channel Communications, to alert the community. But Clear Channel had pared down its local operations and no one answered the phone for more than an hour. Given that TV and newspapers are even more crucial sources than radio for local information, the pending changes could have an even more dramatic impact."
RNW comment: As we've already noted, the Minot case appears less clear cut than stated by Adelstein -See RNW April 1 - but if indeed delays were the result an unmanned station because of staff cuts, then we stick to our position that Clear Channel should be held unfit to hold licences.
If Clear Channel's case is true, then it would appear to us that some of the money spent on their DC lobbying could be better diverted to funding an independent investigation to clear its name.
Equally, much as we agree with the tenor of Adelstein's comments that a matter as critical to democracy as this issue should not be rushed, the facts remain that the US passed a law requiring the FCC to justify its rules every two years or see them fall.
The FCC has subsequently seen courts overturn regulations and is stuck with the requirement, so is between a rock and a hard place. We therefore reluctantly conclude that the important battle has long been lost and probably the war as well: what is needed is not a delay now but a rethink about the two-year re-evaluation requirement and the whole issue of the nature of media best suited to preserve diversity and democracy.
Indeed a thorough debate about the nature of US democracy and freedomwould be even more valuable but we don't see many signs of that either.
Previous Adelstein:
Previous FCC:
Previous Powell:
San Francisco Chronicle - Adelstein op-ed:
2003-04-27: Philadelphia Classic Rock station WMGK-FM is today staging a 1000-dog walk, which its publicity in somewhat hyperbolic wording, links with the 1995 Million Man March, called by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakahn and the 2000 Million Mom March calling for gun control laws.
The event itself seems an odd fit for a rocker, although maybe it sits more with classic rock listener, since it is a dog appreciation day and fair where dog owners can learn about things such as animal health issues and microchip identification as well as watching training demonstrations.
It's also being held with due deference to responsible behaviour such as keeping animals on a short lead and insistence that all dogs have all their shots and vaccinations.
WMGK web site:
2003-04-26: US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Michael Powell has been openly backed by the administration in his push to keep to a June 2 deadline for issuing new US media regulations in a letter from US Commerce Secretary Donald Evans that urged the FCC to stick to the self-imposed June 2 deadline.
In a letter he wrote, "This proceeding presents an important opportunity for the commission to update its media rules to reflect the realities"; he also praised Powell for ``recognizing the need to resolve the uncertainty surrounding potential rule changes.''
Under the 1996 Communications Act, the FCC has to justify its regulations every two years and courts have already overturned a number of them because the FCC could not provide justification.
Last week Powell said in a letter in response to various lawmakers who had written to him that the Commission needed to finish the current review on schedule so that it could have time to meet the next deadline, adding, "Further and more specific notice is unwarranted in light of the full record before us, and weighed against the pitfalls of further delay." (See RNW April 17).
Previous FCC:
Previous Powell:
New York Times/Reuters report:
2003-04-26: UK Chrysalis Group has confirmed that it is at an advanced stage of talks to sell its TV production interests to a team headed by former Granada TV chief Steve Morrison and David Liddiment, the former ITV programming chief.
A sale would allow Chrysalis to concentrate on its radio division, whose holdings include the Heart and Galaxy franchises and the London LBC stations; it is valued at around GBP 40-50 million (USD 78 million).
The TV side was responsible for around 37% of Chrysalis revenues last year but its Chief Executive Richard Huntingford sees radio as the group's main priority in advance of the relaxation of ownership laws due under new UK media legislation later this year.
Previous Chrysalis:
Previous Huntingford:
UK Guardian report:
2003-04-26: US shock jock Howard Stern has again been attacking executives of Viacom, whose Infinity subsidiary airs his radio show. Earlier this month he accused Infinity of "setting him up for the fall" after the row over a record indecency fine imposed on the company's Detroit station WKRK-FM (See RNW April 19).
In his latest on-air comments Stern attacked CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves for signing a development deal with Mike Fleiss and Scott Einziger whom Stern is suing for allegedly stealing his concept for what became ABC TV's "Are You Hot?"
Stern attacked both Moonves himself, who he says he has never liked, and the deal. In a personal attack he commented that Moonves, a former actor, had "phoney hair and fake capped teeth."
A CBS spokesman responded to the New York Daily News saying, "Mr. Moonves' teeth are not capped and are in fact his own. And the hair is real."
Previous Stern:
Previous Viacom-CBS-Infinity:
New York Daily News report:
2003-04-26: The US National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has urged support for the Telecommunications Ownership Diversification Act of 2003, sponsored by Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, that is designed to encourage diversity in US media ownership through tax breaks where purchases are made by minority owners.
A letter sent by NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts to all US Senators says, "In an era when Congress and the Federal Communications Commission are examining ownership rules for broadcast and other media, this proposal would institute market-based, voluntary measures to foster diversity in broadcast ownership."
"By providing sellers of telecommunications assets a tax deferral, the bill could make it significantly more affordable for sellers of broadcast properties to divest their properties to qualified small and minority owned businesses. Moreover, the legislation would provide investors an incentive to consider certain small businesses by providing a reduction in the tax on gains from investment in these companies."
"These steps could significantly advantage the cause of minority ownership without creating opportunities for abuse."The letter then says that NAB has given priority to increasing both employment and ownership opportunities in broadcasting for minorities and calls for support of the bill.
Previous Fritts:
Previous McCain:
Previous NAB:
2003-04-26: Former British TV chat show host Vanessa Feltz, more famous for problems in her personal life since the show was axed, is to return to her radio roots by taking over as host of the with BBC London radio's afternoon show from Lisa I'Anson from April 28.
I'Anson, a former BBC Radio 1 DJ, has left the station to spend more time with her mother, who is recovering from a heart operation.
Feltz began her broadcasting career on the station, then BBC GLR (Greater London Radio) and has been a regular guest presenter on the station since the New Year.
She recently stepped in to front talk shows when the station turned to 24-hour rolling news for the first two weeks of the war in Iraq.
Previous BBC:
2003-04-25: US National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President and CEO Eddie Fritts has warned that changing the definition of a radio market could cause problems but described as "modest" the changes in US ownership media regulation sought by NAB, adding that he did not see the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as being "on a mad rush to toss out all media ownership rules."
Speaking at a at a Media Institute luncheon in Washington, DC, Fritts also defended the cap that prevents a broadcaster from owning stations that reach more than 35% of US homes, saying that it had been "good for localism and diversity."
He argued that the position differed for radio and TV since there were only some 1,300 US TV stations, compared to ten times as many radio stations, and argued that deregulation had made local radio stations more competitive with other media and had increased diversity.
"From hip-hop to gospel, from all-sports to all children's stations, radio format diversity has exploded," he said.
"Quite frankly, the radio business was in terrible financial shape a decade ago. Some 60% of stations were losing money, and scores of stations went dark because the economics of the business could not justify their existence. Given that backdrop, Congress concluded that radio deregulation was warranted. Lawmakers got it right. Radio broadcasters were afforded the opportunity to better serve consumers. And that is exactly what has happened. "
Even with deregulation, radio ownership remains far more diversified than virtually all media. There are 3,500 separate companies that still own stations in the U.S."
"Bottom line: Congress got it right with radio deregulation. Listeners are now better served by stronger companies, and program formats are as diverse as the American population."
"… that revival," said Fritts, " could be jeopardized by an FCC initiative that would re-define what constitutes a local radio market. Congress did not change the FCC's existing definition when it enacted new local radio ownership limits in 1996."
"Broadcasters in large and small markets made significant business decisions based upon the existing market definition. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for the FCC to change the definition. However, if there is a change, the Commission at the very least must grandfather existing combinations and permit licensees to transfer these combinations in future sales. "
Fritts also brought up the issue of eliminating the newspaper-broadcast cross ownership ban, which NAB supports, and the issue of a "diversity index" that has been suggested by FCC chairman Michael Powell to ensure that consolidation does not end diversity, an idea on which he was more neutral..
" While details are still being debated," SAID Fritts, " he [Powell] assured us that the test will be simple, easy to administer, and reasonable."
"We've examined this idea from many different perspectives, but we're concerned that applying such an index will be difficult, if not impossible, to administer. We look forward to learning more about this proposal."
Previous FCC:
Previous Fritts:
Previous Powell:
Previous NAB:
2003-04-25: The British music industry may call for a home music quota system to help foster UK talent according to a report in the UK Times; Such a system is already operated in France, Canada and Australia operate quotas where up to 40 per cent of a radio station's output has to consist of home-grown contemporary music.
The aim is to reduce the influence of American pop and the quota countries believe that the system has helped to develop native talent.
The possible move comes as changes in UK media regulation may allow US companies to buy British radio groups and US artists dominate the charts.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which says the idea may have to be considered, is concerned about a threat to the British recording industry should there be takeovers by companies like US radio giant Clear Channel, which has attracted criticism for enforcing a highly-restrictive playlist upon its stations.
"I can foresee us having to ask the Government for quotas," Peter Jamieson, the BPI executive chairman told the paper. "The statistics already show that in recent years there has been a decline in the amount of British music played on air and a corresponding decline in sales of those same British singles."
He was backed by EMI Music chairman Tony Wadsworth, who raised the prospect of quotas at a music industry forum and Alison Wenham, chief executive of the Association of Independent Music, which represents Britain's smaller record companies, who warned of a "quantum shift and a measurable and meaningful one away from UK acts" on station playlists.
Britain's Broadcasting Minister Kim Howells, however, played down the idea and suggested that the record companies needed to do more to develop and promote British musical talent.
"There are lots of reasons why British bands don't seem to be having the success they enjoyed previously," he said. "It could be the way they are being managed or because they are not making the kind of music which has characterised the best of British in the past. I am opposed to quotas. What we need is British talent to be better developed and the music industry has got to look to itself to do that. When British music is popular, it is on the radio."
The idea of quotas is also opposed by the UK's commercial radio companies and Paul Brown, chief executive of the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) , said: "The last thing we want is to have a group of people getting into the minuscule and microscopic of what our playlists should be."
Previous Brown:
Previous CRCA:
UK Times report:
2003-04-25: More positive radio results have been issued in North America, this time by Canadian group Corus Entertainment and by Seattle-based Fisher Communications.
Overall Corus reported net income up 42% after excluding a one-off gain from the sale of its Comedy Network interests and double-digit earnings growth compared to a year earlier from its radio and TV divisions in its fiscal second quarter to the end of February.
If the adjustments for disposals are removed, Corus revenues fell 12% to CAD147.5 million (USD 100million) compared to a pro-forma increase of 1%; net income was CAD 7 million (USD 4.8 million), or CAD 0.16 per share, down from CAD19.3 million (USD 13.2 million), of CAD 0.45 per share a year earlier when the figures included a CAD 14.3 million (USD 9.8 million) gain on its sale of its share of the Comedy Network.
Corus Radio revenues were up 12% to CAD 48.9 million (USD 33.5 million), and radio EBITDA was up 32% to CAD 7.1 million (USD 4.9 million).
Corus President and CEO John Cassaday commented, "We were very encouraged by double digit advertising growth for both our television and radio assets in the quarter.
Still in Canada, Winnipeg-based CanWest Global Communications Corp. has reported a strong performance from its New Zealand radio operations whose revenues were up 27% to CAD 19 million (USD 13 million) and EBITDA up 31% to CAD 5 million (USD 3.4 million).
They significantly outperformed the company's overall operations that showed revenues for the quarter to the end of February up 7% to CAD 603 million (USD 412 million) from pro forma combined revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2002.
Over the border in the US, Seattle-based Fisher Communications has reported broadcasting revenues for the first quarter of this year up 3% to USD 28.8 million and trimmed its net loss from continued operations from USD 8 millions (USD0.94 per share) a year ago to USD 3.1 million (USD 0.36 per share).
Its net loss nearly tripled to USD 21.4 million (USD 2.49 per share) from USD 7.8 million (USD 0.90 per share), largely because of a loss from discontinued operations of USD 18.3 million.
In other US radio business, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has now lifted the red flag it had put upon the sale of a Tuscaloosa AM because it would lead to two companies- Clear Channel and Radio South - controlling nearly 95% of the market revenue.
WSPZ-AM was being sold by Birmingham Christian Radio to Radio South Inc., which owns three FMs and an AM in the market.
The FCC commented that the alternative in this case would probably have been that the station would go dark and Democrat Commissioner Michael Copps, a regular critic of consolidation, issued a statement in which he said," I support this transfer of WSPZ to Radio South despite the significant levels of market concentration that will result from this transaction, because the parties have made an adequate showing to demonstrate that WSPZ is a "failing station" which would otherwise go silent."
"The community will receive a tangible benefit from WSPZ remaining viable and on the air, and I am heartened by Radio South's commitment to serve the 50+ audience with public affairs, local news, weather, and other information not presently available to those residents of Tuscaloosa."
Previous CanWest:
Previous Cassaday:
Previous Copps:
Previous Corus:
Previous FCC:
Previous Fisher:
2003-04-25: Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines, whose comments about being "ashamed" of US President George Bush led to some US radio stations boycotting the group's records, has said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer for "Primetime Thursday" that she spoke out of frustration and regrets her choice of words but not thinking critically.
"It was the wrong wording with genuine emotion and questions and concern behind it," Maines told Sawyer.
Maines and the other members of the trio, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, said the reaction was too harsh for the offence and they've always supported U.S. troops even though they questioned the war.
They also speak of receiving threats and having to take precautions at their concerts. Robison commented, " It's not that we don't care [about record sales]. We just put in perspective as to what is really important. You know, when you're getting death threats ... At our concerts this year, we have to have metal detectors, and to me that's just crazy. But we have to take those precautions because this thing has gotten so out of control."
The Chicks, who appear nude on the May 2 issue of Entertainment Weekly, with epithets such as "Traitors" and "Saddam's Angels" written on their bodies, have received support from Bruce Springsteen in a message posted on his website.
In it he says, "The Dixie Chicks have taken a big hit lately [RNW note - their song Travelin' Soldier, which had been No 1 in Billboard's country charts went out of them and sales of their latest CD, Home, also fell, but it remained the top selling country album] for exercising their basic right to express themselves."
"To me, they're terrific American artists expressing American values by using their American right to free speech. For them to be banished wholesale from radio stations, and even entire radio networks, for speaking out is un-American. "
"The pressure coming from the government and big business to enforce conformity of thought concerning the war and politics goes against everything that this country is about - namely freedom. Right now, we are supposedly fighting to create freedom in Iraq, at the same time that some are trying to intimidate and punish people for using that same freedom here at home. "
"I don't know what happens next, but I do want to add my voice to those who think that the Dixie Chicks are getting a raw deal, and an un-American one to boot. I send them my support."
Bruce Springsteen web site comment:
2003-04-25: As news eased, WLS-AM dropped from second station rank to fifth in the Arbitron-MeasureCast ratings for the second week of April just released; MUSICMATCH's artist match retained top station spot but Live365 more than tripled its listening to take top network spot, pushing Chain Cast/StreamAudio into second.
Clear Channel continued its plunge and having fallen from second to seventh rank the previous week was down again to ninth.
For the week to April 13, Arbitron-Measure Cast's top five stations ranked by Total Time Spent Listening (TTSL) with (in brackets) TTSL and Cume persons (a measure of the cumulative audience -CP) for the previous week - were:
1: Internet only artist-match MUSICMATCH - TTSL 303,203 (306,290); CP 122,343 (128,991). Same rank with slightly lower listening and reach.
2: Classical format WQXR-FM- TTSL 216,468 (230,539); CP 34,435 (32,257). Up from third despite lower listening and reach.
3: Jazz format Jazz FM - TTSL 213,333 (186,945); CP 26,931 (28,710). Up from fifth with higher listening and lower reach.
4: Hot Adult Contemporary Virgin FM - TTSL 207,470 (202,303); CP 47,209 (48,436). Same rank with higher listening but lower reach.
5: News-Talk WLS-AM - TTSL 201,560 (230,788); CP 37,911 (44,046). Down from second with lower listening and reach.
The top five networks for the week to April 13 (Previous week's figures in brackets) were:
1: Live365.com - TTSL 2,260,465 (739,893); CP - 450,419 (138,503) Up from fourth with much higher listening and reach.
2: Chain Cast/StreamAudio TTSL 1,664,514 (1,595,972); CP 224,935 (228,953). Down from first despite higher listening and reach.
3: MUSICMATCH Inc. TTSL 1,296,186 (1,290,206); CP 358,034 (371,371). Down from second despite higher listening although reach was down.
4: Warp Radio TTSL 769,893 (765,357); CP 139,622 (136,648) - Down from third despite higher listening and reach.
5: Moontaxi TTSL 586,529 (629,963); CP 79,039 (151,557) - Same rank with lower listening and reach.
Previous Arbitron-MeasureCast ratings:
2003-04-24: The UK Radio Authority in its quarterly Programming and Advertising Review for the first quarter of this year just released headlines the issue of stations retaining recordings of their output, a matter highlighted in its latest complaints bulletins in which a number of complaints were automatically upheld because tapes had not been kept (See below)
An article by Martin Campbell, the Authority's Director of Programming and Advertising, notes that a fine of GBP 5000 (USD 7,900)was imposed on GWR station Chiltern FM (See RNW Feb 11) for failure to produce tapes for two days output and adds that it should be noted by licensees for three reasons.
The first marks a change in policy in that a fine was imposed for a first offence: previously the Authority has usually allowed a station one "slip".
Following on this is the general question of the importance of logging systems - a marked contrast to the US where complainants have to provide their own recording or transcript and some stations deliberately fail to keep recordings -- and finally the point that the Authority was unable to adjudicate on a potentially serious breach of regulations.
Only six UK stations have been fined for non-production of logging tapes over the past eight years with some twice as many getting off with warnings.
Campbell says that in the past stations have not taken advantage of the "one slip" policy to get away in the case of a particularly awkward complaint but as the regulatory climate changes and moves towards self-regulation stations will have to display responsibility.
Keeping a record of output-the UK requires tapes of entire output to be kept for 42 days - he goes on, has "always been a lynchpin of regulation in the UK, and the technology now available has rendered this obligation a pretty simple task."
"It was, therefore, with great disappointment that the Authority had to accept that a major group had not been able to meet the most basic of compliance requirements."
"The fining of a station for a first offence is a policy change. The move has been made in order to underline the seriousness with which such a breach is considered in today's climate, which in itself will hopefully act as a reminder to stations of the importance of checking regularly all logging procedures."
Campbell notes that Restricted Service Licensees are also governed by the same regulations and that there were two cases involving them, one where tapes were incomplete and another where recordings were said to have been lost in a burglary.
"Whatever the circumstances," he writes, " there are no exemptions for RSLs and they, too, face fines, if unable to produce tapes."
He then deals with the issue of behind the requirement, that of providing evidence in case of a complaint or even an enquiry as to whether there had been a breach.
The review also deals with an issue loosely linked with logging, that of the issues relating to the reporting of conflicts. Advice on such a situation, particularly when it comes to making significant changes to a station's output is given based on past experience of similar events.
"Clearly, " says the review, "if a situation escalates, stations will use their formats as a base on which to build the most useful coverage possible, within the spirit rather than the letter of that which is demanded by the Promise of Performance or Station Format."
"This is what the Authority would expect, and there is no need for a station to seek permission to change output to that extent. "
"…In such times, when sensitivities are high and worry at a peak, it becomes even more important that on-air staff are fully aware of their responsibilities, particularly with regard to:
a) Speculation
b) Political comment
c) Sourcing information"
"We have received enquiries regarding the actual amount of programming and programme change expected in times of conflict and emergency."
"Clearly much depends on the nature of the conflict at any particular stage, but in the event of war we would remind each station of the Broadcasting Act (1990)'s requirement to strive for accuracy."
"Stations will of course want to have in place clear plans to allow for whatever extra coverage is required. Such plans need not involve staffing alone, but also arrangements to adapt or drop order to react adequately to changing circumstances."
"A number of licensees have told us of their contingency plans in case of emergencies directly involving stations. These plans have included the possibility of switching transmitters, taking or sharing programming or studios to keep output on air during any emergency and so on."
"It is obviously a wise precaution both to review contingency plans and make relevant staff aware."
Previous Campbell:
Previous Radio Authority:
Previous UK Radio Authority Quarterly Programming and Advertising Review:
UK Radio Authority Quarterly Programming and Advertising Review (403 kb PDF):
2003-04-24: Clear Channel and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have announced agreement on their dispute involving on-air hosts at New York stations WLTW-FM, WKTU-FM, WAXQ-FM and WWPR-FM but have given no details.
Announcers at the stations had been working under expired contracts because of a dispute centred on Clear Channel's intention to introduce voice tracking and replace some announcers with pre-recorded links and talk. They had recently been granted AFTRA authorization to take strike action.
AFTRA refused comment as to whether the agreement included voice tracking but in a statement its New York AFTRA Assistant Executive Director Peter Fuster said, "AFTRA and its members are pleased that we have reached an agreement with Clear Channel …[The] announcement demonstrates our commitment to our members and to listeners of New York."
Clear Channel Radio's New York Market Manager Andy Rosen commented, "Clear Channel attributes the success of its New York stations to the talent and hard work of all its employees in the market."
"We are happy with today's agreement and remain committed to preserving the localized focus of radio while providing our listeners with the highest quality programming."
Previous AFTRA:
Previous Clear Channel:
2003-04-24: The latest Complaints Bulletin, running to the end of March this year, issued by the UK Radio Authority shows that the Authority considered fewer complaints than in the first quarter of 2002 but upheld more, including three that were upheld automatically because the stations involved did not have recordings of output as required.
In all it considered 142 complaints compared to 200 a year earlier, upholding 35 compared to 27.
Of the total 60 were programming compared to 67 a year earlier, nine being upheld compared to eight, and the remaining 82 were advertising related compared to 133, 26 being upheld compared to 19.
Of the programming complaints upheld, six concerned taste and decency, one related to balance, bias and fairness, and two concerned other matters.
The Complaints Bulletin shows a breakdown (Q1, 2002 figures in brackets) of programming complaints as follows:
* Accuracy - Two (10) of which none (Two) was upheld;
*Balance/Bias and Fairness - Nine (Six), of which One (None) was upheld;
*Taste and decency - 29 (37) of which six (three) were upheld, one partially;
*Promise of performance or format - Six- two on one matter (Two) of which None (None) was upheld and
* Other 14 - four on one matter (12) of which two (three) were upheld.
These total 60 complaints (67) of which nine (eight) were upheld.
The advertising complaints breakdown (again with 2002 figures in brackets) was:
* Harmful - four - two on one matter (16), of which one (None) was upheld;
* Misleading 41 (23) of which 12 (None) were upheld - four of these were on one matter, three on another and two each on four matters;
* Offensive 33 (90) of which 13 (17) were upheld - ten of these were on one matter, and two each on three matters; and
* Other - four - two on one matter (four), of which none (two) was upheld. These total 82 complaints (133) of which 26 (19) were upheld.
Of the programming complaints, the Balance/Bias and Fairness complaint upheld was against Chiltern FM and related to a listener complaint that the station was supporting the UK firefighters' strike. Chiltern had been unable to provide programme tapes and was fined GBP5, 000 (USD USD 7,900 ) for this (See RNW Feb 11); in addition the complaint was automatically upheld.
The Taste and decency complaints upheld involved:
* A complaint against Capital FM over the playing on an Eminem record that included the word 'motherfucking'
*A complaint against Vibe FM (East of England) over the playing an uncensored version of a recording in an urban/R&B show.
*A complaint against TalkSport by a listener who thought that a presenter was unnecessarily rude to two female callers whom he had called "cows" and who had then pretended to be the complaints department when a further caller phoned to object to his treatment of previous callers.
*A complaint against Sunrise Radio, Greater London, in which a presenter decided not to use the "dump" button when a caller referred to some American politicians as "Jewish hogs" and did not challenge the comment although the call was wound up speedily.
A complaint against LBC News, London, in which a presenter sympathized with a caller who used the term "bloody foreigners" and later made "unnecessary derogatory comments that negated the legitimate concerns he had expressed earlier about immigration policy and bogus asylum seekers.
*A complaint against Q103 FM (Cambridge & Newmarket) that was partially upheld. It involved comments by the breakfast presenter who encouraged listeners to "breath deeply" to smell the smoke from the cremation of Moors murderess Myra Hindley's cremation. The complainant also alleged that another listener who had taken issue with these comments had received a threatening response. The latter complaint was not upheld but the comments were ruled to be in poor taste.
Three other complaints were considered resolved because of action taken by the station involved.
They were: *A breakfast presenter's use of the phrase "I couldn't be arsed" on Southern FM (Brighton/Eastbourne & Hastings): The station has already told the presenter the phrase was not suitable at a time when children might be listening.
* A complaint against Beacon FM (Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury & Telford) whose breakfast presenter had made comments that the complainant felt condoned cruelty to cats. Beacon had already apologized to the complainant by letter and rebuked the presenters for comments he felt were extreme although intended to be humourous.
*A complaint against FM 103 Horizon (Milton Keynes) over use of what the complainant felt was offensive language on the breakfast show. The station had arranged to meet the complainant to discuss the matter.
The "Other" category complaints upheld involved:
*Viking FM (Humberside), which had broadcast a wind-up phone call live without informing the victim or his employer or asking permission.
*A phone- in competition on Galaxy 102 where an entrant had made a large number of calls but then found that charges on the line were at what he termed a "premium" rate. Galaxy argued that the rate was a forced-release rate of 30p a minute, below the 50 p a minute at which premium rate call charges have to be given.
The Authority said it "believed that listeners were likely to have been misled by the station's output concerning the competition, which had only included pricing information 'from time to time' " and upheld the complaint. It had also been asked by the complainant for reassurance that the calls would not be charged for but the authority said that this matter was outside its and told the complainant to contact Galaxy 102 if he wished to pursue the matter.
Another complaint, in the "Promise of performance " category was considered resolved by the Authority. It involved Star 106.6 (Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead), which had been using an "automated" sequence in its 10 am to 2 pm slot and which the station said that it felt was within rules limiting automation since there was always a presenter on hand in the 10 am to 11.45 am period and live news and weather junctions in the second sequence. The station aid it would bring things into line if the Authority felt that guidelines were not being adhered to. The Authority so felt and the station took appropriate action.
Advertising complaints upheld included the following:
Harmful:
*An advert that included the repeated sounding of car horns before a voiceover started. The Authority ordered the advert to be withdrawn and only re-broadcast after amendments that would ensure such sounds were, in accordance with codes, "brief, muted, under accompanying voice-overs…"
Misleading:
*An advert that gave the impression that pictures could be sent from a mobile phone on one network to one on another network. This was partially upheld.
*An advert that implied that an advance payment would be made almost immediately for damages after an accident when this was only so when the claim was uncontested.
*A broadband advert whose claims of online movie service were exaggerated; this was partially upheld.
* A London congestion charge advert that was held to be misleading.
* A store advert that did mot make clear the restrictions on the redemption of discount vouchers being issued.
* A phone directory service advert that did not make it clear who was offering the service.
*A newspaper advert that did not make clear restrictions on cinema vouchers being offered.
*An advert for international phone calls that did not make clear weekend restrictions.
Offensive:
*A soup advert that complainants felt was racist. It spoke of a whole tribe taking strongly to the soup except on Sundays when they ate monkeys and included background comments in a Bantu family language, but suggested the setting was Amazonian rain forest. The Authority, partially upholding the complaint, said "Although on the one hand, we thought that most listeners would not recognize the language or make the connection and would take the advertisement on face value as a joke, on the other we acknowledged that Africans and others who understood the linguistic/anthropological context might be offended.
*An advert for the Essex FM Wedding Fayre that used the phrase " sweet baby Jesus" as a statement of exasperation.
*A clinic advert mentioning premature ejaculation that was held unacceptable for broadcast at a time when children were likely to be listening.
In addition two complaints against restricted service licence holders were upheld. They were:
*A balance/bias/fairness complaint, involving Radio Nankana (South Birmingham), a caller to which was alleged to have made derogatory comments about a satellite radio service. Radio Nankana had been unable to produce tapes of the programme.
*An "other " category complaint against Radio Ramadan (Bradford) concerning charity adverts/announcements where the station had only been able to produce recordings of part of its output. This part suggested the complaints were unfounded but because other material could not be checked the complaint was upheld.
Previous Radio Authority:
Previous Radio Authority Quarterly Complaints Bulletin:
UK Radio Authority complaints bulletin (0.99Mb PDF)
2003-04-24: Salem Communications has announced a write-off of USD1.3 million following a decision by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to refuse its request to relocate the towers for Salem's San Diego news/talk KCBQ- AM, towers to Muth Valley.
The company says that excluding this it expected to remain in line with previous guidance of a loss per share between USD 0.20 and USD0.22 per share for the first quarter of this year.
In other US radio business, Mapleton Communications has completed its purchase California News/Talk stations KUHL-AM, Santa Maria, and KTME-AM, Lompoc, from Black Hawk Communications for USD 1.3 million.
Also in California, Midvalley Radio Partners LLC has now completed its USD 3.8 million purchase of KUBA-AM and KXCL-FM, licensed to Yuba City, from Harlan Family Trust and in Texas Liberman Broadcasting has closed on its USD 5.7 million acquisition of KEYH-AM from El Dorado Communications.
Previous Liberman:
Previous Mapleton:
Previous Salem:
2003-04-24: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has upheld penalties totalling USD 39,000 on Maria L. Salazar, licensee of KTCM-FM, Kingman, Kansas, and its antenna, for failing to light the tower, operation from an unauthorised location, failure to install and maintain Emergency Alert System (" EAS") equipment, failing to maintain a main studio at an authorized location; and failing to maintain a public inspection file.
Notice of the penalties was originally given in July last year (see Licence News, RNW July 21, 2002) but no response was received.
Previous FCC:
2003-04-23: There have been further strong media results from North America with Viacom in the US turning a first quarter loss of USD 1.11 billion (USD 0.63 per share) a year ago into a profit of USD 443 million (USD0.25 per share) in the first quarter to the end of March of this year and Astral Media in Canada reporting a 42-per-cent increase in its second-quarter earnings, which ran to the end of February.
Viacom's profits came mainly as a result of its cable networks group and Blockbuster video operations; TV also performed well but Infinity disappointed, leading President and COO Mel Karmazin to refer to "the absence of significant contributions from our Radio and Outdoor businesses."
The results contrasted with forecasts of weakness against the background of the Iraq war and Karmazin commented that Viacom "managed to hit these numbers in spite of what a lot of people are telling you they missed the numbers for,''
Viacom's revenues were up 7% on a year ago to a record USD 6.05 billion and EBITDA was up 12% to USD1.23 billion: Cable Networks revenues were up 13% and its Video income was up 14%.
Chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone commented, "Viacom is off to a strong start in 2003, with high single-digit revenue increases, double-digit gains in operating income and a 26% increase in net earnings in the first quarter. Additionally, we continue to generate strong levels of free cash flow, in line with our goal to convert a significant amount of our earnings into free cash flow."
Viacom says it is "on track to deliver mid-single digit revenue growth resulting in double-digit EBITDA growth and mid-teen growth in operating income and earnings per share for the full year 2003."
Radio revenues for the quarter were down 2% to USD 443.8 million and radio operating income was almost flat at USD190.6 million compared to USD189.7 million a year before.
Viacom said "While revenues grew 6% in its other 30 markets in the quarter, Radio's results were impacted by softness in its top 10 markets where revenues were flat. Excluding transactions with Westwood One, an affiliated company, radio revenues would have increased 2% for the quarter."
In a separate announcement, Viacom has said that it is to pay USD 1.23 billion for AOL Time Warner Inc.'s 50% stake in Comedy Central, giving it full control of the network.
In Canada, Montreal-bases Astral has reported revenues for its fiscal second quarter up 21% on a year earlier to CAD 113.1 million (USD 77.4 million).
EBITDA for the half year was up 42% to CAD55.7 million (USD 38.1 million) and up 39% for the quarter to CAD26.7 million (18.3 million). The company said the increases reflected " the particularly solid performance of Astral's Television and Radio groups over the course of the first half of Fiscal 2003."
Net earnings for the half-year were up 53% to CAD 30 million (USD 20.5 million) excluding a non-recurring after-tax gain of CAD 13.0 million (USD 8.9 million) recorded last fiscal year on the sale of the company's holding in The Comedy Network.
President and CEO Ian Greenberg said, "We are very pleased with our solid results this quarter, particularly with the strong contribution of the radio stations acquired from Telemedia over the full three-month period."
"As a result of this first half's performance, we are very well positioned to reach our overall financial targets for Fiscal 2003."
Astral radio revenues (excluding assets held for disposal -these include the Québec AM assets and CFOM-FM) nearly tripled for the quarter to CAD 20.42 million (USD 13.97 million) from CAD 7.84 million (USD 5.36 million) and for the half- year were up 110% to CAD 35.77 million (USD 24.47 million).
Radio EBITDA (excluding assets held for disposal) went up more than five-fold to CAD 5.5 million (USD 3.78 million) for the quarter and nearly three-fold for the half-year to CAD 9.18 million (USD 6.28 million).
Previous Astral:
Previous Greenberg:
Previous Karmazin:
Previous Redstone:
Previous Viacom-CBS-Infinity:
2003-04-23: Emmis WQHT-FM (Hot 97) morning host Star, suspended earlier this month over what was rumoured to be a matter of comments concerning advertisers (see RNW April 10) is now back on the air.
Neither Star nor Emmis has said why Star was suspended but the host tried to counter the idea in a New York Daily News interview in which eh said, "My show is very advertiser-friendly. I ran my own magazine for seven years, so I understand advertisers and I'm very respectful of them. When I got to Hot-97, they couldn't give away advertising on the morning show. I've made them millions."
Previous Emmis:
Previous Troi Torain (Star):
New York Daily News report:
2003-04-23: Free radios are now a "primary weapon" for US troops in Baghdad according to a report in the Chicago Tribune; the radios, worth just under USD3 are being given away by the Army's Psychological Operations Unit, which next week is to begin distributing soccer balls and baseball equipment to children.
The tactics worked well in Eastern Europe and for many in Baghdad, where the only broadcasts are now those of the US military, the radios will allow them to get information on where to find food, drinking water, medical care and other necessities.
Chicago Tribune report:
2003-04-22: XM Satellite Radio, whose shares were up around 12% last week following its announcement that it now had 500,000 subscribers, powered ahead again on Monday.
In the four days of trading last week it rose from around USD6.50 to end at USD7.10; On Monday it opened at USD 7.41 and then gained 6.2% to end at USD 7.54
In comparison, rival Sirius had a comparatively thin time; its shares started last week around USD0.65, rose steeply on Thursday to end at USD 0.73, opened on Monday morning at USD0.75 but then fell back to end the day 2% down at USD 0.715/
Sirius may have lost and XM gained from a report in Barrons that Ford, which has an exclusivity deal with Sirius, could be interested in factory installing XM in its vehicles.
XM president and CEO Hugh Panero was featured in a New York Times report on Monday that says that in recent months, "growing numbers of investors and analysts have concluded he just might succeed" in turning the company into a successful business.
When Panero in 1998 joined what was then American Mobile Satellite Radio, a privately held company with 12 employees and licenses to launch two satellites, says the report, it lacked broadcasting technology, support from automakers, consumer radios that could receive its digital programming and the several billion dollars it needed from investors to deliver on the dream.
The article runs through the subsequent history of XM, which initially suffered from a satellite launch delay but then moved ahead of its rival, which had launched successfully but had other technical problems. XM's commercial launch was then hit - its first major marketing campaign to herald the inauguration of service was scheduled for Sept. 12, 2001and was scrapped because of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The article notes that the shares are still below the initial 1999 offer price of USD12.00 but adds that XM is predicting break-even late next year.
XM's success, says the article, has been of benefit to both satellite radio companies, and encouraged Wall Street backing for Sirius's USD1.2 billion refinancing package.
"Sirius did a good job of raising money and getting satellites launched first," said Joseph P. Clayton, Sirius president and CEO.
"Hugh and his team did a better job of commercializing the technology and getting to the marketplace first. We've had to play catch-up since."
Jimmy Schaeffler, who follows subscription-based entertainment businesses for the Carmel Group, a California-based consulting firm told the paper 2003 will be `the year that satellite radio answers the question of whether or not it will be successful, and the likelihood the answer will be yes is very high."
Previous Clayton:
Previous Panero:
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
New York Times report:
2003-04-22: Clear Channel has promoted Lisa Dollinger, previously senior vice president for marketing and communications at its company's radio division, to the post of senior vice president for worldwide corporate communications.
The new role covers corporate communications across all Clear Channel divisions and Clear Channel president and COO Mark Mays commented, "In her brief time with the company, Lisa has demonstrated a deep understanding of the responsibilities of leadership and complete comfort with the nuances of the radio industry. It is clear that all Clear Channel divisions will be well served with Lisa in this newly-created position."
Dollinger was vice president for corporate communications at Capstar Broadcasting Corporation, where she was instrumental in building and promoting the company through its merger with Chancellor Media Corporation in 2000, creating AMFM, Inc., which was subsequently taken over by Clear Channel.
Previous Clear Channel:
Previous Mark Mays:
2003-04-22: Northeast Broadcasting is to buy Citadel's WCAT-AM and WAHL-FM, Athol, Massachusetts.
No figure has been released for the deal, which was described by Northeast Broadcasting COO Ed Flanagan as "provides an outstanding opportunity to extend the company's goal of providing community oriented radio in a decentralized structure."
Northeast is headed by Steven Silberberg who also owns WXRV-FM, Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Previous Forstmann-Little(Citadel owner):
2003-04-21: Normally we have eschewed columns based on reviews when looking at print comment on radio since so often they are but a reminder of what has been missed or could not be heard in much of the world but some UK columns over the past week have led us to break the rule, particularly since the BBC has started making programmes available online for a week after their broadcast.
First up then, a UK Observer column by Sue Arnold that began, "Media bashing has become so commonplace, and journalism especially so maligned, it was a relief to hear a programme that reminded me why I ever wanted to join the profession."
"Thanks to a last-minute schedule change on Monday night, Radio 4 listeners were able to hear a programme originally intended only for the World Service. This immediately quickened my interest because the World Service is far and away the best news network around. "
The programme that impressed Arnold, The World After the War was a discussion between correspondents Alan Little, Steven Sackur and Rob Watson for the Western overview and the heads of the Arabic, Bengali and African services for the Muslim viewpoint, as well as the BBC's diplomatic and economic correspondents James Robbins and Peter Day, combined with e-mails from round the world.
It was significantly more impressive than anything we have heard from the American and British administrations over the past week but over to Arnold for her comment: "It's at times like this that I wonder why anyone bothers with PPE lectures at university - this was philosophy, politics and economics on the hoof from men (why no women?) who, as reporters, had been there and done that at the front line."
"They compared the Americans in Baghdad with the British in Mesopotamia; they pondered the rise of the euro against the dollar, the likelihood of an alliance between Russia, Germany and France, the need for China to get its hands on Iraqi oil, and, possibly most important, the immediate consequences of the overriding feeling of humiliation reverberating through the Arab world." Worth a listen, and, should it disappear from the BBC web site before you get to it, a few e-mails to the BBC to get a repeat -it will probably still be valuable a year hence when we suspect the US optimism of today will have been well and truly tempered by events.
The programme also got a positive response from Elisabeth Mahoney in her review in the Observer's sister paper, The Guardian.
Mahoney led the review with "A military invasion, regarded as a civil