June 2003 Archive
- Front Page
- About this site
- Freelance bulletin board
- Site audio files
- Radio Stations
- Other links
- Story Archives Index
- Personalities Archive Index
- Organisations Archive Index
- Comment Index
- Your feedback
- Browsers and players
Prime
Radio Stations
Streams are
Real Audio in
all cases: Some have Windows
as well.
ABC,
Australia
Streams
list:
Radio
Australia
News
stream
ABC, Anerica
(Links to audio)
BBC:
World
Service:
Live
stream:
World Service bulletins
World
Service
Business Reports:
UK -Radio
1:
UK -Radio 2 :
UK Radio 3:
UK--Radio 4:
UK Radio Five Live:
Radio
1 stream:
Radio
2 Stream:
Radio
3 stream:
Radio 4 stream:
Radio
5 stream:
CBC,Canada
Links
to audio streams:
Hourly
newscast:
US National Public Radio:
News
Voice of America:
Audio
News reports:
WORLD
NEWS RADIO
(on-demand audio reports)
ZDTV Radio
Technical news -home page
Music
Streams
(Classical):
King (US)
RTE
Lyric FM (Ireland):
WQXR (links to stream):
E-Mail
us
May 2003 - July
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 June comment - our view of new US media regulations introduced this month.
RNW May comment - Public v Private Interests- considers whether current regulation, copyright and patents has become skewed in favour of the private rather than public interest and whether all should be subjected to regular re-evaluation, as US media regations now are by law.
RNW April comment - War, business, freedoms and responsibilities.
2003-06-30: Although issues of media regulation remain high on the agenda in the US and Australia, where the government's attempt to loosen regulation were defeated when the Senate supported an amendment from Independent Brian Harradine to bar cross-ownership of television stations and newspapers (See RNW June 28), we opted this week to look for other articles relating to radio.
First, from the UK, the story that made headlines in most papers, was the court case lost - along with quite a few millions - by former Virgin breakfast host Chris Evans (See RNW June 27)
His defeat spurred profiles in most English national newspapers and we opted for the UK Independent version by Thomas Sutcliffe of what the paper called "a spectacular fall from grace" by Evans.
"With a neatness that will probably satisfy those irritated by Evans's prodigious successes as a broadcaster and media star," wrote Sutcliffe, "he's reached that point in his career when the very qualities that elevated him have left him with a serious headache."
"The last few months have been crapulous ones for Evans - with two failed television shows and one underperforming in the schedules, and now an expensive courtroom defeat. And, in nearly every case, this is the story of a man bought low by his strengths."
"That Evans has a talent for popular entertainment isn't really in question. That he knows how to control it and prevent it turning toxic is another matter altogether."
…." Take his most conspicuous quality - the mischievous scampishness that made his GLR radio show a cult listen and that underpinned his huge success on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. On both shows Evans was having fun, often at the expense of the done thing. Running orders would be jettisoned and the illusion of seamless fluency was simply abandoned."
"The audience at home looked on him as one of them, an outsider who had somehow got past the security guards and in front of the cameras. He broadcast as if he'd got lucky and wasn't going to go quietly. But as seductive as this virtue is in a presenter, it's nitro-glycerine - a highly unstable compound that can easily blow up in your face."
"Radio 1 eventually heard the bang and so did Virgin - both of them partial victims of Evans's failure to find a way for the enfant terrible to grow up a little. The recklessness always seeped from his on-air performance to his off-air professional relationships - and the result was inevitable. Evans simply doesn't have access to the winning self-deprecation that his hero and model Terry Wogan uses to cut the ubiquity of his presence."
…" Then there's the in-crowd conviviality that is the other hallmark of Evans's broadcasting. He was never alone when he seized control of the microphone, being always accompanied by a gang of accomplices, and the result was a raucous sense of celebration. His disciples and sidekicks both provoked his invention and instantly rewarded it - and since they were having such a good time it seemed almost churlish for you not to join them."
"This intimacy wasn't simply a confection, either: Evans met his first wife, Carol McGiffin, on air at GLR, and memorably conducted some salient parts of the courtship while the microphone was open. But, like the scampishness, cronyism is dangerously volatile stuff. It can corrode your sense of judgement and entirely clog your self-critical mechanisms."
Sutcliffe then runs through more of Evans' history but the two comments above are the guts of the article, amplified later by Trevor Dann, a senior executive at GLR in Evans' time there.
"He was - and is - a bit like a medieval monarch," commented Dann. "He has to set up a court. When he was at GLR he had a circle of acolytes and admirers, who formed his court. But he is a terribly attractive bloke and very generous with people who are part of his team. I remember at GLR, even when he didn't have a lot of money, he once bought a colleague a car. He is both a bully and a charmer. You get one or the other from him. To my mind, he is a dysfunctional boy."
Dann adds that Evans alienated his fans because "his appeal was that he was one of us, an ordinary, cheeky bloke getting access to those stars, but then he suddenly became one of them. He joined precisely the class he had risen to fame taking the piss out of. He plays golf with the stars; he holidays on Mustique. And he has become irrelevant."
And from an individual who has problems to a format that hasn't had the best of times in Canada. In the Toronto Globe and Mail, William Houston looked at how successful all-sports radio has been in the country.
It began with The Fan in Vancouver followed by other stations and eventually the ill-fated launch by CHUM of its sports radio network that was folded in summer last year.
"Sports radio is a niche product that appeals to 50 per cent of the potential radio audience," comments Houston. "Women don't tune in, and, therefore, the stations rank near or at the bottom in radio ratings."
He quotes Rick Dhaliwal, the program director for Team1040 in Vancouver as saying, "It's a male-driven format. We don't have females, at least not many. We don't have elderly people. And the kids don't listen. When you break it down, it's a small piece of the pie."
Houston notes that even the original, The Fan, nearly folded under the burden of rights fees in the mid-1990s and adds of current sports radio in Canada -- CHUM's remaining stations in Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal (it re-formatted its flagship Toronto station and other stations in Winnipeg, Halifax and the Ontario), Rogers Communications the Fan stations in Toronto and Calgary, and Standard Broadcasting's The Team in Edmonton - that it's "unlikely that any of them are making money, except the Fan in Toronto, which turns a buck but isn't a big earner for Rogers."
"In terms of big numbers, no one's going to hit the jackpot," commented Lee Hambleton, vice-president and general manager of Montreal's Team990. "It's a genre product, like a specialty channel in television."
However, it may be a question not of the width but the quality and Houston says the all-sports operators say advertisers are keen to buy time, because the product appeals to a dedicated audience of relatively young men who have money to spend. The target is male, aged 25 to 54, with the bull's-eye in the 35-to-44 range.
Advertisers, he adds, also like the fact that the price is right and stations at the low end of the ratings scale cannot command top advertising dollars.
Houston then comments that sports executives dispute the reliability of the ratings, noting that the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement's diary system requires respondents to record their listening routine over a week and then mail in the results. That's a tall order for a guy with a job and family.
"Men 25 to 54 don't take a week out of their lives to fill out a diary," said a source with the Edmonton station.
"It's a pretty sad way to do it," Dhaliwal said. "But even if the audience numbers are not there, the sales are. I golfed with a guy last week, one of our advertisers, who said he gets more response from his ads on the Team than any other station in Vancouver."
He says the key seems to be broadcasting the local teams' games and concludes saying that there is a consensus seems to be sports radio can survive, even in smaller markets, if given enough time and if programming costs can be kept down.
"Besides," he asks, " what is the alternative for these AM stations? In the music formats, they cannot compete with the sound quality of FM."
"There are very few stations making a go of it on AM," said Chris Gordon, program director for the Ottawa station. "Compelling talk, whether it's sport talk or political or issues of the day, that's the way to go."
Finally from the UK, two items, starting with Paul Donovan's Radio Waves column in the Sunday Times that looks at BBC Radio Four's team of newsreaders - none of the four main ones being journalists.
Peter Donaldson is to step down as the channel's chief announcer in autumn (fall) after 15 years at the age of 57 although he will still remain on air, Harriet Cass has bee ill and off the air, New Zealand-born Brian Perkins is to retire in September after clocking up 25 years with the Corporation, leaving only Charlotte Green seemingly unscathed by change.
David Anderson, Radio 4's presentation editor, reports Donovan, says he hopes Perkins will return as a freelance the day after he is forced to retire from the staff at 60.
Donaldson's move he is reluctant to talk about: "It's still under discussion. It's not common knowledge among the rest of the announcers yet. I do think one person is needed to lead the team, but we have bureaucratic procedures to sort out.
"We take an evolutionary approach to things here. We now live in a less formal age, and Radio 4 presentation has to reflect that, but without junking the heritage."
Donovan then continues, "Anderson accepts that the four main newsreaders - and the nine less familiar continuity announcers, who do news, links and the Shipping Forecast - exemplify, in the main, Received Pronunciation, but says: "Accent is not an issue for me: clarity and authority are." Of his rising talents, he mentions Rory Morrison, Corrie Corfield and Carolyn Brown: "You note her regional accent, which is Crewe, but it does not impair the clarity or authority of her delivery."
Noting that Donaldson and Perkins were last year voted by Radio Times readers the second and third most attractive male voices on the air, with Green the most attractive female voice, Donovan concludes that "however their manager appoints in the coming shake-up, it will be impossible for him to retain that extra- ordinary level of quality."
The key to this? The non-journalistic background! "Their backgrounds lie elsewhere - acting and music, for example," writes Donovan. "They have to read the words of journalists, but they do not practise that rough trade themselves. An old-fashioned tradition, but on Radio 4 it still works superbly well."
And from the UK Guardian, a review of an outstanding BBC Radio 3 drama "Packet of Seeds" that aired on Sunday a week ago, just too late to pick it up online before a repeat.
As Elisabeth Mahoney writes, " The team behind this epic, innovative play about creativity sent a packet of seeds to a number of artists worldwide, inviting them to ponder how a creative thought takes root. "
After giving some more detail, she concluded, "Like a secret garden suddenly discovered, Packet of Seeds was full of precious surprises and sensual treats. Intensely visual, and with music that lingered long after the stories were told, it made you ponder the hefty questions it posed about the creative process, but most importantly, it made you feel."
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
Previous Mahoney:
Toronto Globe and Mail - Houston:
UK Independent - Sutcliffe:
UK Guardian - Mahoney
UK Sunday Times - Donovan:
2003-06-30: Veteran Canadian broadcaster Shelagh Rogers who has been off the air for medical reasons since January (see RNW Jan 26) is back on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) airwaves on Canada Day (Tuesday, July 1).
In a profile in the Toronto Globe and Mail, she tells Sarah Hampson of the stresses that led her to check her blood pressure - she had a reading of 220 over 135, well above a normal rate of 120 over 60- and subsequently a break from broadcasting on doctor's orders.
Rogers now has a reading of 130 over 80, has lost nearly 12 pounds (5.5 kg) and has cut out as much salt as possible and reduced alcohol: "My diet is bland beyond belief and I drink moderate alcohol -- a glass of wine a day," Rogers commented.
Rogers began in radio on the campus station at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where she majored in art history and started her professional career working on a CBC music programme in Ottawa in 1980.
Four years later she moved to Toronto to host a local CBC drive time show, later switched to Metro Morning, and in 1986 started the arts programme that became The Arts Tonight.
Ten years on she was given the chance to deputise for Peter Gzwoski on Morningside but did not get the host's job when Gzwoski retired.
It went instead to Michael Enright, co-hosting with Avril Benoît, but later after Benoît had been dropped and Enright decided to cut back Rogers did become host of the programme, now This Morning.
There was a sting immediately though, as the CBC revamped Radio One and dropped This Morning in favour of a combination of a new 90 minutes news show and a two-hour Canadian lifestyles "Sounds Like Canada" show hosted by Rogers (See RNW July 27, 2002).
There were suggestions that he medical problem was the result of frustrations with the new show but Rogers denied this, saying, "The stories that I 'suffered' were exaggerated. I wasn't unhappy. It's not fair to say I was unhappy. It was challenging because I was dealing with a new program style. We were experimenting. It just so happens that my hypertension happened at the same time."
…."We tried everything all at once, and it was confusing for the listeners," she says, adding that the newly formatted Sounds Like Canada in the fall will build on her "strengths,"
Rogers, who is moving from Toronto to Vancouver to host the show from the fall says her brush with a potentially fatal medical condition made her re-evaluate her work and life.
"At the beginning of Sounds Like Canada, I was holding myself back. My laugh was an issue, and I'd think, 'Am I laughing too long?' But that's not an issue any more. If something requires joy, what's wrong with that?"
Previous CBC:
Previous Rogers:
Toronto Globe and Mail profile:
2003-06-29: Last week was one of the quietest we have seen for actions by the regulators with nothing worthy of note concerning radio from Canada, Ireland and the UK.
In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has decided to stick to its schedule for issuing new commercial licences (See RNW June 24); it has also announced that in Queensland it is planning to make FM channels available at Hinchinbrook and Murray Falls for Innsifail commercial service 4KZ and at Hinchinbrook and East Palmerston for Innsifail commercial service 4ZKZ.
In the US, the story of media regulation is not yet over with political moves, as we have reported, continuing to get some of the new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules reversed. The final version of the rules is expected to be released on Monday (See RNW June 27).
It has also confirmed a USD 10, 000 penalty on a Florida pirate operator (See RNW June 27).
Previous ABA:
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
ABA web site :
FCC web site :
2003-06-29: BBC Radio One has revealed a revamped weekend schedule to start in September that includes a new Sunday morning show for Colin Murray and Edith Bowman, who already have the 10 am to 1 pm local time Saturday show; Spoony, from The Dreem Teem, will gain his first Radio One solo show when he takes over the breakfast show on both days.
Radio One is also to relaunch its Sunday afternoon show Backstage to include news and tittle-tattle from the entertainment world n place of just music when its current host Rajesh Mirchandani leaves the channel. The new show is to be hosted by a number of guest personalities as Radio One looks for a replacement for Mirchandani.
Previous BBC:
Previous Bowman and Murray:
2003-06-28: The Australian government says it is determined to continue its push to ease media ownership laws despite failing to gain the support from independent Senators that it needed to pass its plans (see RNW June 23).
The Senate passed an amendment from Independent Senator Brian Harradine that would bar newspaper owners from purchasing a broadcaster but according to Communications Minister Richard Alston the government is likely to try and revive its legislation that would allow a company to own more than one TV station, newspaper or radio station in the same market.
Alston said that the result of the rejection of its plans would be to limit Australian media companies' ability to grow and leave them little option apart from cuts to costs and services.
Previous Alston:
2003-06-28: Actor Stephen Fry has won the UK Commercial Radio Award for his Incomplete & Utter History of Classical Music on Classic FM, Nick Ferrari of LBC the Commercial Radio presenter of the Year award, and Saffron of Galaxy 105-106 the newcomer of the year in the 2003 NTL awards, which marked the 30th year of the UK commercial radio industry.
Station awards went to Liverpool Juice FM as commercial radio station of the year award for stations with a potential audience of more than 1 million listeners, Belfast City Beat for stations with a potential audience from 300, 000 to 1 million and Grimsby station Compass FM for stations with a potential audience up to 300, 000; Oneword, the speech-based comedy and drama channel was named commercial digital station of the year.
A special award went to Douglas Cameron, who was with LBC at its launch in 1973, and is still a mainstay at the re-launched station 30 years later and Emap's Big City Network took the commercial radio gold award.
2003-06-28: Chicago AC WLIT-FM morning co-host Bill Leff is likely to end up as a competitor to his partner Melissa Forman according to Robert Feder in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Feder says that Leff, whose contract at the Clear Channel station expired on Sunday, is expected to finalize a deal for his own morning show at a rival.
Chicago-born Leff made his name as a stand-up comic before moving into radio and teaming up with Wendy Snyder, first at WLUP-FM and then at WKQX-FM, where they hosted mornings until Mancow Muller replaced them in 1998.
Leff has been with Forman on WLIT for two years, and Feder says the station bosses made a less than wholehearted effort to renew his contract.
Previous Feder:
Chicago Sun-Times column:
2003-06-28: MUSICMATCH retained its top station spot and AOL retained the top network ranking Arbitron-MeasureCast's latest Internet ratings just released; at the top end classical music and jazz did well, although overall listening was down.
For the week to June 15, 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 445,658 (445,466); CP 156,732 (160,393). Same rank with slightly higher listening but lower reach.
2: Classical format WQXR-FM- TTSL 222,870 (230,966); CP 31,030 (32,019). Same rank with lower listening and reach.
3 Smooth Jazz format AOL Smooth Jazz - TTSL 209,691 (193,838); CP 33,783 (49,352). Up from sixth with significantly higher listening but lower reach.
4: Hot Adult Contemporary Virgin AM & FM - TTSL 207,999 (219,809); CP 48,277 (57,351). Down from third with lower listening and reach.
5: Jazz format Jazz FM - TTSL 198,372 (169,924); CP 27,633 (26,373). Up from eleventh with higher listening and reach.
*AOL Top Pop (Internet-only) Top 40 dropped from fourth to seventh with TTSL of 195,324, down from 203,124, and CP of 68,697, down from 136,610 and AOL Top Country (Internet-only) Country dropped from fifth to eighth with TTSL of 189,529, down from 194,468 and CP of 41,585, down from 81,734.
The top five networks for the week to June 15 (Previous week's figures in brackets) were:
1: AOL Radio@ Network - TTSL 4,529,786 (4,564,783); CP -680,495 (1,245,771) . Same rank with lower listening and reach.
2: Launch - TTSL 2,957,618 (3,058,818); CP - 638,919 (646,330). Same rank with lower listening and reach.
3: Live365.com - TTSL 2,574,425 (2,595,564); CP - 473,177 (482,758). Same rank with lower listening and reach.
4: MUSICMATCH Inc. TTSL 1,523,068 (1,556,402); CP 381,114 (397,296). Same rank with lower listening and reach.
5: The Adsertion Network TTSL 1,219,036 (1,160,801); CP 125,518 (128,028) - Same rank with higher listening but lower reach.
Previous Arbitron-MeasureCast weekly ratings:
2003-06-27: The US Senate Commerce Committee has proposed doubling to four years the current requirement on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review its regulations biennially; it made the proposal in an amendment to Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain's FCC-reauthorization bill that would have required a review every five years.
McCain's bill, which would also increase ten-fold the fines that could be levied by the FCC, would be the first re-authorisation of the FCC since 1991.
As well as the review amendment, from New Hampshire Republican Sen. John Sununu, South Carolina Democrat Ernest "Fritz" Hollings attached an amendment that could potentially increase penalties even further by allowing the FCC to treat each individual utterance of indecent language as an offence rather than the current practice of considering only entire exchanges.
FCC chairman Michael K Powell has said that the Commission will probably release on Monday final versions of its rules governing media ownership and local phone competition.
Both sets of rules have created dissention in the commission; the media rules were passed by a 3-2 party-line vote with the two Democrats opposed. The phone rules, which would keep regulations that allow rivals to the "Baby Bells" more competition in providing local services, formerly a monopoly of the "Baby Bells", were opposed by Powell but a Republican split allowed them through on a 3-2 vote with Republican Kevin Martin voting with the two Democrats.
Previous FCC:
Previous Martin:
Previous McCain:
Previous Powell:
2003-06-27: British former DJ and media tycoon Chris Evans has lost his GBP 8.6 million (USD 14.2 million) claim against his former employer, SMG's Virgin Radio.
Evans has also been ordered to pay costs, estimated at up to GBP 4 million (USD 6.6 million) plus damages to SMG; he was branded a "petulant prima donna" by High Court Judge Mr Justice Lightman who also commented, "… where it suited his purposes, he had resort to lies."
Evans, who was fired in June 2001 by Virgin from his GBP 1.7 million (USD 2.8 million) a year breakfast job after failing to turn up for work and going on a drinking binge, had claimed that he was owed a final instalment of 4.9 million, worth GBP 8.6 million (USD 14.2 million); they were the third instalment, due in January 2002, of 15.8 million SMG shares that he was to have received under the GBP225 million (USD 370 million) sale of his Ginger Media Group, which owned Virgin, to SMG in January 2000.
The incident that led to him being fired was the last of a series of clashes with his former employers including the BBC - he also walked out on the BBC Radio One breakfast show; He had also failed to turn up to host his Virgin Breakfast show at the start of May 2001.
In his judgement, Mr Justice Lightman, who is to rule later on the damages owed to SMG - they counter sued for GBP 20 million (USD 33 million, was scathing in his comments about Evans.
Although he described him as a "talented radio performer" and paid tribute to Evans' "spontaneity, inventiveness and irreverence", Mr Justice Lightman said Evans was "manipulative and has resort to any means, fair or foul, to achieve his ends."
He also termed him "any management's nightmare" and rejected Evans claims that illness had led him to take time off work.
After the verdict, Evans' solicitor, Amanda Phillips, delivered a statement saying, "All will come out right at last, have we such faith in the goodness of providence."
SMG in a statement said, "Virgin Radio is delighted with today's judgement and was always confident that the court would support its position."
"It was clear to everyone at the time Chris Evans walked out that Virgin Radio was put in an impossible situation and had no option but to take action. Virgin Radio is saddened that it has taken so long, and a needless court case, for it to be clear that his actions were totally unacceptable."
Virgin Radio chief executive John Pearson commented, "We're obviously delighted with today's judgment but we were always confident that the court would support us, given the overwhelming strength of our case. We had a duty and responsibility to SMG's shareholders to defend our position."
Previous Evans:
Previous Pearson:
Previous SMG:
2003-06-27: US radio revenues were flat in May according to the latest figures from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).
Compared to May 2002, overall revenues were unchanged as were local sales but national advertising showed a 4% rise. Year to date figures showed overall revenues up 2%, national up 5% and local revenues up 1%.
RAB's index, which sets pre-dot com boom 1998 as a base of 100, was 133.5 for May with the local index at 132.9 and the national index was 138.7; For the year to date the figures were 135.9, 134.8 and 139.2 respectively.
RAB President and CEO Gary Fries commented, "Radio has managed to tread the waters of a challenged economy that was further muddied by world events."
"We see a strong, consistent recovery in Radio starting in 3rd Quarter. Business activity has stabilized and is accelerating as we move forward through the year."
Previous Fries:
Previous RAB:
2003-06-27: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has confirmed a USD10, 000 penalty on Florida pirate Brian N. Bloom of Altamonte Springs; a Notice of Apparent Liability was issued in February but no response was received.
Previous FCC:
2003-06-27: Toronto-based CHUM Ltd has announced two deals to sell non-voting Class B shares, one of which will raise around CAD 86 million (USD 63 million) to be reduce debt and enhance its "flexibility to finance strategic opportunities as they arise" and the other a separate sale of CAD 3 million's (USD 2.2million) worth of class B shares being divested by Allan Waters Enterprises Ltd. (AWEL), a private corporation owned by the company's founding Waters family.
The shares are priced at CAD 50.50 per share with 1.7 million shares from CHUM and of 59,400 shares from AWEL, and are being bought by a syndicate of underwriters, led by TD Securities Inc.
AWEL says it intends to distribute the net proceeds from the offering to Sheryl Bourne, a shareholder of AWEL and a director of CHUM Limited.
CHUM also announced estimates of preliminary results for the quarter to the end of May this year; it says it expects revenues in the range CAD140-142 million (USD 103.2 to 104.7 million) compared to CAD 131 million (USD 96.5 million) for the same period of 2002; EBITDA is estimated to end up in the range CAD 26-27 million (USD19.2 to 19.9 million) compared to CAD 22 million (USD 16.2 million) a year ago.
The EBITDA estimate, adds CHUM, " includes an anticipated increase in pension costs of $1.0 million to $1.1 million related in part to a funding shortfall, on a solvency basis, in the CHUM employees pension plan and in part to a change in certain actuarial assumptions underlying the plan."
CHUM's board has also approved the submission of a special resolution to be put to an annual and special meeting in December giving it authority to implement a split of outstanding Class B shares in the period up to the end of January next year.
Previous CHUM:
2003-06-26: The latest public debate on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to ease US media regulation is being held today in New York City during the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' 21st Annual Convention.
The "Town Hall Meeting", titled, "The Changing Media Landscape: Boom or Threat to Diversity and Democracy?" will include media executives, industry representatives and journalists and will discuss the effect the changes would produce on "democratic discourse", with particular relation to the 38 million Hispanics in the US.
Panellists are Democrat Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, Seattle Times publisher Frank Blethen, Tribune Broadcasting president Patrick Mullen, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters executive director James Winston, Belo Capital Bureau (DC) vice president George Rodrigue, NAHJ president Juan González, and el diario/LA PRENSA editor- in-chief Gerson Borrero.
The debate comes as momentum continues to develop amongst politicians opposed to the new rules to reverse them, although most analysts seem to think that Congress will defeat any success in this in the Senate.A number of approaches are being suggested to effect the reveral, some of them through amendments to legislation or not providing a budget for implementation of the changesand others through a revesal of the rules.
Two of the Senators opposing the changes, North Dakota Democrat Sen. Byron Dorgan, and Wisconsin Democrat Russell Feingold, outlined their attitude in an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune this week. They say they are proposing that Congress should "abolish these new rules and require the FCC to re-draft them in the public interest" by invoking the Congressional Review Act and say they know that the new rules do a "disservice to the American public" because of the experience of radio after the 1996 Telecommunications Act eased ownership restrictions.
"The rules just recently approved by the FCC," they write, "threaten to undermine the diversity of voices in the television and newspaper industries, just as diversity in the radio industry has been diminished. Under the new rules, television will begin to look more like radio, with absentee owners, standardized and homogenized programming, less local news, and less community involvement and knowledge. The five giant media conglomerates that already dominate the airwaves will expand their reach and further stifle localism and diversity."
"What makes the FCC's ruling all the more frustrating is that Americans had so little chance to evaluate it. The FCC held only one public hearing on loosening the ownership restrictions before the commissioners ruled on June 2. The FCC's media ownership proceeding has been open for a long time, but only in mid-May did the outlines of what the commission actually planned to do begin to come out through news reports. In a very real sense, the hundreds of thousands of public comments the FCC received were just concerned citizens taking shots in the dark."
"There was never any formal, detailed proposal available for the public, or, for that matter, members of Congress, to analyze."
"The FCC's new rules don't have to have be the final word in the media consolidation debate. Congress can use the Congressional Review Act to right the wrong done by the new media ownership rules. If we don't, the range of voices that Americans have come to expect, whether we open the newspaper, turn on the television or tune into the radio, will continue to fade away."
RNW comment: While we doubt that in the current US political environment any significant changes are likely to be forced on the FCC, we are increasingly coming to share the concerns expressed about the lack of public debate.
We continue to accept many of the points made by FCC chairman Michael K Powell about the Congressional mandate on the FCC in terms of justifying its regulations - and hence that the ultimate decision is political - but feel that the absence of cover of the issue in advance combined with Powell's opposition form a strong case for any future changes to be made almost solely with concern for the public interest and virtually none for the financial impact upon big media owners.
Previous Adelstein:
Previous FCC:
Previous Powell:
Chicago Tribune op-ed:
2003-06-26: BBC Radio 2 is to stage an evening of programmes on the crisis in the British music industry, which is faced with a major drop of 13% in sales in the first quarter of this year and a near halving of the sales of singles.
On the evening of Wednesday,July 2, the channel will run three hours of programmes on the issue starting at 1800 GMT, hosted by Stuart Maconie and including a live debate chaired by Jeremy Vine; the station is already asking on its web site for questions to be sent to it.
Among the contributors in the first three hours will be Steve Lamacq, who looks at the rise and decline of A&R; Kate Thornton, who examines the music industry's secret ways to get a number one; Tom Robinson, who investigates music piracy; Paul Gambaccini, who takes the lid off the music business; and Simon Mayo, who looks at the fate of the single.
Their contributions will be followed by the debate, commencing at 1950 GMT and running to 2100 GMY after which Janice Long will host a half-hour Live And Exclusive showcase featuring five new acts. Listeners are also being invited to vote in a poll on the future of the single with the results being revealed on the Richard Allinson Show that runs from 2130-2300GMT
Previous BBC:
2003-06-26: Arbitron's latest report on radio listening in Puerto Rico shows some very significant differences between the sexes in listening terms and more of the population listening as they get older.
Overall some 95% of Puerto Ricans listen to radio each week, with the lowest listening amongst the 12-17 demographic (85.3% of girls and 92.5% of boys) and the highest in the 25-34 (98.5% of women) and 35-44 demographic (97.7% of men).
The top five formats are Spanish Tropical/Regional with a 38.4 share, followed by Adult Contemporary with 34.2, Contemporary Hit Radio with 33.1, News/Talk/Information with 28.1 and Southern Gospel/Contemporary Christian with 13.1.
These ranks change significantly, however, if differentiated in terms of the sex of the listeners.
For men the top five are Spanish Tropical/Regional (23.9), News/Talk/Information (20.5), Adult Contemporary (9.9), Contemporary Hit Radio (9.8) and Southern Gospel/Contemporary Christian (4.7) whilst for women they are Adult Contemporary (16.3), News/Talk/Information (15.4), Contemporary Hit Radio (13.1), Spanish Tropical/Regional (11.9) and Southern Gospel/Contemporary Christian (8.6).
When it comes to time spent listening, men in the 55-64 demographic listen most (30:00 hours) with women in the same demographic and also aged 65 plus listening 28 hours a week; Working women listen from an hour to ninety minutes a week more than their non-working compatriots.
Lowest listening is in the 12-17 demographic (13 hours for boys and 18 hours 30 mins for girls).
Overnight listening increases with age during working life, peaking at 35 hours a week for males from 35-64 and 24.8 hours for females in the same demographic.
In format terms, News/Talk/Information is the most-listened to (15 hours a week), followed by Southern Gospel/Contemporary Christian (12 hours 30 minutes a week), Religious (11 hours 30 minutes a week), Spanish Tropical/Regional (11 hours a week) and Adult Contemporary (9 hours 30 minutes a week).
In time of day terms, the breakfast period has most home listening (80.7% of men and 78.5% of women) with a weekday audience peak at 7 am and a Saturday and Sunday peak around noon.
The proportions listening to FM is way above those listening to AM, particularly among the young -only 5.2% of the 12-17 demographic listen to AM - but AM listening then rises until at age 45 plus the proportions are reversed with AM taking 70.3% of male listening and 59.7% of female listening.
Overall, AM listening in Puerto Rico is higher than in other similar-size markets.
Previous Arbitron:
Arbitron report (1.18 Mb PDF):
2003-06-25: Latest Australian ratings from the AC Nielsen McNair survey show no change in the top Sydney rankings but the three leaders all increased their share of listening whilst fourth-placed 2UE lost share.
DMG's Nova, maintained its lead with the 18-25 demographic but its share fell from 38.2 to 34.4; Austereo's 2-Day, second placed with this demographic, also lost share- down from 18.2 to 15.2.
Alan Jones retained the top breakfast slot for Macquarie Radio Network's 2GB and took his share up from 15.7 % to 16, with Steve Price at talk rival Southern Cross's 2UE losing share in the time-down from 8.9 to 8.6.
In the morning slot John Laws retained top ranking talk crown for 2UE but his share fell from 12.3 to 10.8 whilst 2GB's share fell far less - from 9.9 to 9.7.
City by city, the top three were (previous % share in brackets):
*Adelaide: SAFM - Same rank with 23.9 (24.1); 5MMM 14.6 (14.7) - up from third; 5AA 14.3 (16.7) - down from second:
*Brisbane - B105FM - Same rank with 17.8 (18.4); Triple M 14.1 (13) - up from third; NEW 97.3 FM - down from second 13.9 (14):
*Melbourne -3AW 15.9 (16.3); Fox FM 12 (11.9); Nova 10.8 (10.3) - -No change in rankings:
*Perth - MIX 94.5FM with 22.2 (22.4All New 92.9 with 11.1 (10.3)- up from third; ABC 720 with 10.6 (11.3)- down from second:
*Sydney - 2-Day with 11.4 (10.7); 2GB 10.9 (10.2); Nova 10.5 (10.1) -No change in rankings; *2UE remained fourth with share down from 9.2 to 8.5.
Previous Austereo:
Previous Australian ratings:
Previous DMG:
Previous Jones:
Previous Laws:
Previous Macquarie:
Previous Price:
Previous Southern Cross:
2003-06-25: The US National Public Radio programme "Fresh Air", hosted by Terry Gross, is now back on Boston public station WBUR-FM after a hiatus during which it was replaced in its 1pm local slot by BBC World Service news (See RNW June 7).
It is being broadcast at 3p.m., allowing WBUR to keep the BBC bulletin.
Despite protests at the loss of the programme, WBUR remains adamant that its decision was correct at the time of the war against Iraq with its spokesperson defending the strength of the BBC news team as being able to provide "the very best coverage of the complex events as they developed."
Previous Gross:
Previous NPR:
Previous WBUR:
2003-06-25: Judgement is expected tomorrow in the court case involving former Virgin breakfast DJ and owner Chris Evans and the stations current owner SMG.
Evans is claiming GBP 8.6 million (USD 14.2 million) for share options withheld and unfair dismissal and SMG, the former Scottish Media Group, is counterclaiming some GBP 20 million (USD 33 million) for damage it says was caused to its business by Evans behaviour that culminated in a five-day drinking binge after which Evans was dismissed.
Previous Evans:
Previous SMG:
2003-06-24: Sirius has announced that it has now has more than 100, 000 subscribers, described by President and CEO Joseph P Clayton as, "an important milestone for SIRIUS, which underscores the growing interest in our service as the premium provider of nationwide satellite radio entertainment."
The total compares with 600, 000 plus for rival XM, and Sirius is stressing its programming quality.
Citing a review from Sound & Vision magazine in which two out of three of its music critics preferred Sirius, and another review by Fortune magazine that also preferred Sirius to XM.
Sirius added that the reviews of the service combined with the introduction of new "Plug & Play" products were enhancing its future.
"We reached our subscriber milestone without the benefit of these new products in the market place," said Clayton. "With the introduction of the "Plug & Play" units this summer, home products this fall, and the roll-out of the balance of our OEM automotive programs this year with Ford, Mercedes, Audi and Infiniti, we believe that momentum will continue to build."
Previous Clayton:
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
2003-06-24: Both UK UBC Media and Scottish Radio Holdings (SRH) have reported strong results; for SRH turnover from continuing operations for the six months to the end of March was up 28% to GBP41.5 million (USD 68.3 million) and Group operating profit from continuing operations was up 41% to GBPP 9.6million (USD 15.8 million) and for UBC turnover for the full year to the end of March increased 12.3% to GBP 10.3 million (USD 17 million) and gross profit increased 8.4% to GBP 3.2 million (USD 5.3 million).
Within the SRH results, radio revenues - including acquisitions - from continuing operations were up 335 compared to an increase of 21% for its press interests. SRH also noted that it now has five digital multiplexes in operation - the Score Digital radio multiplexes for Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ayr, Dundee and Northern Ireland. It has also been awarded the Inverness digital licence.
SRH chairman, Lord Gordon of Strathblane, commented, "The strong first half growth in revenues and operating profits in both radio and publishing is extremely encouraging."
"SRH is well placed for continued growth with its market leading radio companies in recognised geographical marketing areas and well-established local press titles."
"Trading in the second half has also started strongly, underpinning the Board's expectation of a good result for the year as a whole"
SRH said radio, its largest operating division, "performed well in the six months with like-for-like local and national advertising revenues rising 3% and 8% respectively against the previous half year."
SRH said like-for-like radio revenues for the six months were up 5% on last year, including an increase of 3% in sponsorship and promotions income, adding, "This was in spite of increased competitive efforts by other radio and television operators in SRH's key markets and the well reported difficulties in the market place, especially the general weakness in national advertising experienced across the UK."
In the Republic of Ireland, Today FM listenership was up 6% on a year ago in the latest figures to 995,000 and overall SRH's radio stations in the Republic saw audiences up 2% to 4,123,000 a week.
UBC said it had now broken into an operating profit before development but overall, after amortisation and development is still had a loss of GBP 1.5 million (2.5 million), compared to GBP 2.3 million (USD 3.8 million) a year earlier.
Chairman Michael Peacock commented, "UBC Media has moved into operating profit before development, while investing in a portfolio of strategically important digital radio assets."
"Our radio production business had a successful year, despite a difficult environment for the industry, and stands ready to benefit both from the increased commitment of BBC Radio to the independent production sector and from any advertising recovery. Our digital radio assets are very well placed to generate substantial revenues as DAB digital radio becomes a mass market product".
He added that all parts of the group had performed well over the year in a difficult environment, stressing digital developments and commenting, "With the launch of new digital radios in the market and the prospect of the number of digital radios in use doubling again over the next 12 months, the all important question of 'when digital radio takes off' is fast being addressed by consumers."
"At the same time," he continued, " UBC's heritage businesses have continued to perform well; demonstrating the strength and resilience of the Group's range of activities, and the management team's ability to deliver both strong organic growth and to manage and extend the business in the face of harsh trading conditions.
Chief Executive Simon Cole commented, "Our vision of an integrated production and broadcasting business well positioned for the radio industry's transition to digital has taken shape this year."
"The development of our core production business, with the addition of the AA Roadwatch network, and the strong growth at Classic Gold Digital has meant we have taken the significant step of returning to operating profit earlier than had originally been anticipated."
"This has been achieved in a year when digital radio has stepped up a gear, consumer demand for receivers is strong and the value of the digital portfolio we have established through careful investment is becoming apparent."
For the year, UBC's radio production revenues were stable at GBP 1.97 million (USD 3.24 million);
its airtime commercial revenues, aided by the launch of the AA Roadwatch traffic and travel news service had revenues up 12.1% to GB 2.59 million (USD 4.27 million); Classic Gold Digital had a strong year with revenues up 21.6% to GBP4.5 million (USD 7.4 million, partly reflecting the acquisition of six stations in the preceding year; and its radio services division, Unique Facilities, increased revenues by 8.5% to GBP 1.3 million (USD 2.1 million).
UBC has also announced the appointment to its board as a non-executive director of Kelvin Harrison, CEO of Azur Group, a company providing enterprise software solutions and services to the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
Previous Cole:
Previous Lord Gordon:
Previous Peacock:
Previous SRH:
Previous UBC:
2003-06-24: Arbitron's RADAR 77 (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) Radio Network Audience Report just released covering the year to March 26 this year shows no changes in rankings at the top with ABC Daytime Direction Network again retaining the top spot followed by Westwood CNN Max Radio Network and Premiere Pulse Network in third place.
The ABC Daytime network lost some 440,000 listeners a week to end up with a weekly audience of 8.75 million, down from 9.2 million in the RADAR 76 survey; its AQH rating dropped from 3.8 to 3.7.
CNN Max increased its reach by some 59,000 ending with a reach of just over 7.4 and the same 3.1 AQH rating.
In third place, Premiere Pulse Network lost some 19,000 listeners to end up with a weekly reach of 5.4 million and the same 2.3 AQH.
ABC Morning News Radio Network in fourth place lost some 139,000 listeners a week to end up with 5.2 million and the same 2.2 AQH and fifth placed Premiere Morning Drive AM Network lost 214, 000 listeners a week to end up with just under 5 million and an AQH of 2.1, down from 2.2.
As already indicated in preliminary reports (See RNW June 18), radio listening remains higher amongst wealthier and better-educated Americans.
Previous Arbitron:
Previous Disney/ABC, America:
Previous RADAR (RADAR 76):
Previous Premiere Networks:
Previous Westwood One:
2003-06-24: The US Senate Commerce Committee hearing on new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) radio ownership limits has been postponed from tomorrow to allow Committee chairman Sen. John McCain (Republican, Arizona) and other senators to attend a memorial service for former Arizona Congressman Bob Stump, who died last Friday aged 76. The hearing is to be rescheduled but no date has yet been announced.
The hearing on McCain's FCC reauthorization is currently still scheduled to go ahead on Thursday, June 26.
Previous FCC:
Previous McCain:
2003-06-24: The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) is to go ahead with its scheduled allocation of further commercial FM licences in Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne as with the commencement of the Adelaide price-based allocation to be announced shortly.
The ABA had received seven submissions in relation to deferring the availability of spectrum for further commercial radio licences in the four markets - from
Austereo, APN News & Media, DMG Radio (Australia), Star Broadcasting Network, Clemenger Communications Ltd, and two individuals Phil Dobbie and Brian Chew.
Austereo and APN argued that there has been a severe change in economic conditions and no improvement in program diversity since the determination of the relevant licence area plans and opposed the allocation of the licences. Austereo wanted a minimum two-year deferral and APN asked for deferral in favour of an industry review.
DMG, on the other hand, wanted the allocations to go ahead and argued that radio revenue markets have grown and there had been an increase in program diversity since the release of the licence area plans.
Clemenger Communications supported the deferral in all four markets and Star Broadcasting Network Pty Ltd supported the deferral in the Brisbane market whilst Dobbie supported all of the planned allocations and Chew supported the planned allocation of the Brisbane licence.
The ABA said that the crucial question for it was whether circumstances in the market (or similar markets) have changed in some significant way since the release of the licence area plans such that proceeding with the allocation now would fail to promote the objects of Australia's Broadcasting Act and the economic and efficient use of spectrum.
In relation to this it held the diversity issue was not relevant; in relation to economic factors it noted that the overall trend in capital city FM had remained positive since the determination of the relevant licence area plans although it noted that revenue levels fell in 2000-01 and 2001-02 from a base in an increase in 1999-2000 that was above the long-term trend rate. In real terms, it said, radio advertising grew at an average 2.6% a year between 1993 and 2002.
On this basis, the ABA concluded there had not been significant change in the circumstances of any of the relevant market and said it would go ahead with its allocation plans.
DMG, which wants to expand its Nova youth network, is said to be firmly interested in Adelaide and Brisbane frequencies to complete the network and could also be interested in gaining additional Melbourne and Sydney licences but would be cost-conscious in making its decision. The bids for the licences are not expected to be anywhere near the levels of past bids when DMG was setting up the network - it bid a record AUD 155 million for the Sydney licence (See RNW May 25, 2000).
Previous ABA:
2003-06-24: The UK Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB), which was set up by the BBC and UK commercial radio companies to promote digital audio broadcasting (DAB), says that there could be up to half-a- million receivers sold in Britain by the end of this year, adding that growth has been driven by purchasers wanting to listen to new digital-only stations.
So far some 175,000 receivers have now been sold in the UK - nearly half of these over the 2002 Christmas period -and the DRDB has set a year-end target of between 350,000 and 500,000; in addition to listening on digital radio receivers, digital radio in the UK is also widely listened to via digital satellite from SKY TV's system and on the Freeview terrestrial TV system.
The DRDB launched a new advertising campaign for digital radio on Monday, running to July 26 and coinciding with the BBC's summer campaign for DAB over its radio and TV networks.
DRDB Chief Executive, Ian Dickens commented, "DAB Digital Radio will be hot this summer! Alongside BBC TV and radio, and commercial radio campaigns, there will be on-air competitions in the regions, some local print promotions, and a lot of new products coming through to attract consumers."
"Recent Omnibus Tracker research conducted by the DRDB shows awareness of DAB digital radio is currently at 30% population, or 17.2 million people. By the end of the summer we expect to see this figure climb significantly."
Data from post-purchase questionnaires has shown a fifth of purchasers buying their receivers to listen to BBC 7, the BBC's comedy, drama and children's speech-based channel launched in December last year; other stations names as influencing purchases included BBC Radio 5 Live and World Service plus commercial stations Classic FM, TalkSport, Planet Rock, and Jazz FM. Around a quarter of the receivers were bought from one mass-market retailer, Argos.
DAB receiver sales were up 170% in 2002 and the DRDB says they the one million mark could be reached by December 2004.
Dickens commented, "Radio broadcasters, both public and commercial, have been committed to DAB digital radio for some years now, although at times it was a lonely place to be."
"This market data provides credible proof that consumers are buying into DAB, and that commercial opportunities exist for manufacturers, retailers, advertisers and broadcasters alike. Suddenly, the case for DAB has moved from theory to fact."
The DRDB says around four-fifths of receiver buyers bought their sets to listen to the new digital channels and adds that the success of the medium over last Christmas has encouraged more manufacturers to produce sets; the latest to be announced is the Intempo Digital PG-01 dual-band radio, a mains model featuring digital and FM bands and an alarm clock. It will be in the ships in September priced at GBP 130 (USD 215). The set automatically tunes to all available DAB stations in an area and lists them; it also has pre-set buttons for four digital and four FM frequencies.
In addition to the growth in production, more shops are also stocking DASB - up from some 600 a year ago to 3,000 now.
There is also increased investment in digital transmitters; as well as the channels on commercial digital multiplexes, the BBC is to invest some GBP 2 million (USD 3.3 million) in 47 new digital transmitters, taking its coverage of the UK population up from 65% to 85%.
Previous DRDB:
2003-06-24: Nameloc Broadcasting has filed a petition with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for reconsideration of its sale of Urban AC KYFX-FM, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Disney-owned ABC, which wants to use the station for its Radio Disney format.
The USD 2.6 million deal was announced in March but Nameloc claimed it had not formally agreed the sale and on March 10 filed a petition to deny the sale that was rejected by the FCC.
Previous Disney:
Previous FCC:
2003-06-23: Yet again last week the continuing issue of US media regulation - and regulation elsewhere (see below) - dominated print cover of radio but before moving to that a look through the eyes of UK Sunday Times columnist Paul Donovan at the influence of radio pirates in the UK seemed to us worthwhile.
Donovan pegged his Radio Waves column on a story about a 60-year-old in Wakefield, Yorkshire who "has apparently set up his own pirate radio station in Wakefield to play classic Buddy Holly tracks, using "a camouflaged 32ft mast in his back garden". (How do you disguise a 32ft mast? Make it look like a fastigiated hornbeam?)"
He then moves on to note some of the names still on air - such as Tony Blackburn, Johnnie Walker and John Peel -who started on Radio Caroline but then moves on from considering just the original pirate radio ships to commenting, "The second generation of pirate radio, black rather than white, dominated not by North Sea trawlers but 1980s council estates, is having a remarkable impact on today's arts and broadcasting."
"Two events in particular demonstrate its legacy," writes Donovan - Kiss FM, now a legal brand with nearly 2.5 million listeners a week and which grew from an illegal operation that was regularly raided, and Liverpool's winning bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008 partly because of its annual African music festival Africa Oye, which was spawned by a pirate radio station in Toxteth.
"This pirate-radio element of Liverpool's winning bid seems to have eluded the rest of the media," noted Donovan, "and I wish I could claim it as my scoop. But it is not. It is that of Radio 3, whose World Routes programme is looking at Africa Oye on Saturday."
"It is a story that cannot be told without explaining the role of TCR (Toxteth Community Radio), the pirate outfit involved. Kenny Murray, who in 1988-9 was an African music and gospel DJ on the station, explains: "We broadcast from people's bedrooms, basements and various front rooms and garages: hip-hop, early house, reggae and gospel - all long before Radio 1."
"We had dummy transmitters that protected the real transmitter. We were raided, we were fined hundreds of pounds and the records were confiscated. We were eventually closed down. "
"But many thought that the music that had proved popular on the air ought to be heard live. That was how Africa Oye was born. Five thousand people came to the first festival, in 1992, and 80,000 last year. It is free, funded by Liverpool city council and the Arts Council, and it generates a lot for the local economy. It is the only international festival Liverpool has. That was its significance in the bid."
"Pirates," concludes Donovan, "should not be romanticised - they knowingly break the law, possibly interfere with emergency services' trans- missions and withhold royalties - but their legacy, years later, can be one that helps not only pirates, but excise men, too."
Having strayed to a side plate, back to the main repast and the US Senate Committee vote that would overturn most of the new media regulations proposed by the Federal Communications Commission.
The opposition to the FCC has crossed normal political boundaries, gaining support from a wide variety of commentators and organisations including columnist William Safire, often seen to use words from his own New York Times column as "a rightwing nutcase on most issues."
He had strongly opposed the FCC moves which he said "opened the floodgates to a wave of media mergers that will further crush local diversity and concentrate the power to mold public opinion in the hands of ever-fewer giant corporations."
After comment on the strong public reaction on the issue as seen in his mailbag, and running through some of the politicians involved, he commented before the vote on Senate Commerce Committee chairman, Sen. John McCain.
"Where does Chairman McCain stand?" asked Safire. " The maverick whose hero is the trust-busting Teddy Roosevelt is uncharacteristically torn. He's against regulation in principle and admires F.C.C. Chairman Michael Powell, so he won't support Stevens's rollback to 35 percent (which McCain thinks will pass in committee, and which he won't fight) or support Dorgan's amendment on cross-ownership (which McCain thinks is doomed - "the fix is in on cross-ownership"). "
"But I can feel the Arizonan coming around. "There's already too much concentration in radio," he says, as only four companies reach almost all listeners in the U.S. in what some of us remember as a blessedly local medium. "That could be the miners' canary. We'll hold hearings on that." (He should call in artists to examine how one radio combine gained a stranglehold on popular music.)"
Safire then estimates further Stevens' chances of success with his bill and comments, "the legislative intricacy shows how a power grab engineered by a seemingly unstoppable lobby has at least a chance of being stymied by an aroused public resentful of media manipulation."
He later adds, "The effect of the media's march to amalgamation on Americans' freedom of voice is too worrisome to be left to three unelected commissioners. This far-reaching political decision should be made by Congress and the White House, after extensive hearings and fair coverage by too-shy broadcasters, no-local-news cable networks and conflicted newspapers."
In similar mood in the UK Guardian was David Teathers in a column asking if Britons should be worried at the prospect of Clear Channel acquiring UK stations under planned loosing of UK media regulation (RNW note - This is coming under some pressure here and it currently seems that the government will have to ease back on some of its proposals, mainly those concerning TV ownership.)
Commenting on laments for US radio, Teathers describes Clear Channel as little known in the UK, despite being the biggest player in outdoor advertising, as in America often being "held solely responsible for the cultural malaise that has choked the airwaves."
"The company, with 1,200 radio stations - around 10% of the market - is five times bigger than its nearest competitor," he notes. "It is also the biggest venue operator, a concert promoter for the likes of Madonna and U2, and the largest outdoor poster site owner. The business model is that the company can keep revenues within the family and cross-promote heavily."
Noting the comment made by Chairman and CEO Lowry Mays at the beginning of a long speech about why a radio company cannot sell more without great content that Clear Channel is in the business of "selling Fords, burgers and toothpaste", Teathers quotes Michael Bracy, director of government relations at the lobby group the Future of Music Coalition as saying, "People are flocking from radio in droves. So many people have become disenfranchised that they simply don't listen anymore. Smaller local artists are being freezed out by centralised programming. It's very damaging to the culture. There is a climate of fear surrounding Clear Channel. People will say in private, 'They did this or they did that,' but they won't speak out because they have to do business with them."
Clear Channel, he notes, "argues that, far from killing American radio, it has been its saviour, buying struggling stations and diversifying formats. Its supporters contend that consolidation actually forces more diverse programming to prevent overlap in a single market. "
"The bigger the radio groups, the better they can serve advertisers, and more resources are then available to invest in output for the benefit of listeners," said Mays in a lecture at Cambridge last year.
Peter Jenner, the former Pink Floyd manager who now looks after Billy Bragg, was unconvinced. "Stations used to have alternative programmes and we used to be able to go in and do interviews ahead of a gig," he said. "If you are a corporation, what do you do? You centralise things and take costs out. But central programming rips the heart out. Everything is done by research, which might mean a 30-second snatch of a song played down the phone. So people go for the familiar. You don't have a chance to get to like something new. "
"It's creative death, it's standardisation - McDonaldisation. Creativity requires diversity. If you introduce free markets without regulation, you are prescribing monopoly. The only upside to all of this is that it gets so bad that things start to develop underground on the internet or satellite radio. That's what happened with the Floyd."
According to Roger Parry, who runs the international division of Clear Channel, fears about it buying British radio are premature.
"If the price was right - and at the moment we don't think it is - and if there was a friendly deal on the table, then we'd look at it," he says. "But it's not something that is high on our agenda. My role is to look at investment opportunities outside America, and if I had $500m sitting around, there are probably better things to do with it than buy radio stations in Britain."
And if it did invest in British radio, it would not import US management techniques and models, adds Parry, commenting, "You make money as a media owner by understanding and serving the needs of a local audience."
And finally another lament, this time about the problems and future of public broadcasting in the US from Rich Hanley, professor of e-media at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, on MSNBC. COM.
Hanley comments about the dire finances of US public broadcasting, writing, " PBS and NPR are cratering, and unless a new model of funding emerges, public broadcasting as we know it will die."
He then comes up with a suggestion as to how financing could be delivered. Noting the precedent in the creation of C-Span by the US cable TV industry, he suggests, " Each company that commands the maximum allowable reach into the American market and companies that hold multiple media properties in a single market must fund local public broadcasting news, public affairs and documentary programming totalling 10 hours a week in each market."
"National programming, however, should not be the target for this plan to save public broadcasting. Local programming is what will be lost in the consolidation game, and to save it, the National Football League's revenue-sharing arrangement stands as the blueprint."
" All funds raised from the "consolidation fee" will be channelled into a centralized fund to make sure all local public broadcasting stations stand as first among equals. That's how the NFL does it, and that's why the Green Bay Packers have won more Super Bowls than the New York Giants."
"Under the NFL model as applied to PBS and NPR, a public broadcasting station in Albuquerque will produce programming on par with that of a much larger market, as its budgets will be the same relative to the cost of living."
Henley then goes on to say that "all news and public affairs programming produced by the local public broadcaster [should] be made available to the local commercial affiliates and be applied as the public interest programming they now must produce" and "Local public broadcasting station, in turn, must agree that all funds secured through the deal go to local news, local public affairs and local documentaries."
The idea is interesting and not dissimilar to those we suggested for ensuring proper funding of news cover in our October 2002 comment.
Previous Columnists:
Previous Donovan:
MSNBC.Com - Hanley:
New York Times - Safire:
UK Guardian - Teather:
UK Sunday Times - Donovan:
Washington Post - Shales:
2003-06-23: Media regulation is on the agenda in a number of other countries as well as the US at the moment and last week the Sydney Morning Herald ran a number of articles on the situation in Australia in anticipation that the government will soon loosen cross media and foreign ownership regulations.
The current regulations date back to 1986 when Bob Hawke's Labor Government passed laws aiming to limit media concentration by separating newspaper and television owners and amendments proposed to the later Broadcasting Services Act 1992 are expected to ease regulation.
The most widely expected deal would involve a move back to owning Australian TV stations by Rupert Murdoch, who formerly owned the Ten Network, but dropped his Australian citizenship to become an American and built up his US interests.
Under current rules, a company in Australia can own only one radio or TV station or newspaper in a city, and are limited to owning one TV station or two radio stations in a market. Foreign ownership of TV licences is capped at 20% and of newspapers at 35%.
Under Australian government proposals, they would be allowed to own two of the three media (radio, TV or newspapers) in a market and foreign ownerships would be limited; commercial TV stations would be bound to broadcast a minimum level of local content.
The Australian government needs to get the country's four independent Senators to support its measures, but, reports the Herald, its plans could be thwarted at the last moment by independent Brian Harradine and it hasn't finalised agreements with any of them.
He revealed that he would seek a ban on mergers between major TV stations and newspapers in Australia's capital cities and says he will move to amend the bill when it is debated in the Senate this week.
Sen. Meg Lees, who has worked most closely with the Government to draft the amendments, has signed off on the bill, says the paper is still holding out for extra funding for ABC programming and community broadcasting.
"It is not an ambit claim, it is supported by the other independents and in fact is a small percentage of what the ABC asked for in its budget submission," she said.
But, reports the paper, Sen. Lees refrained from calling ABC content funding a deal breaker. She has already wrung a commitment from the Government to extend the transmission of News Radio to all places with more than 10,000 people.
The Herald also says that Tasmanian independent Shayne Murphy is still considering whether the proposed amendments satisfy his concerns that existing law is not strong enough to prevent mass consolidation of media ownership and One Nation senator Len Harris wants the Government to provide an extra AUD 9 million (USD 2 million) over three years to help fund an accreditation course for community broadcasters.
Sydney Morning Herald report on independent senators:
2003-06-22: Yet again the issue of US media regulation dominated regulatory news in the US as the political fight to cut back the new rules developed (See RNW June 21) with routine matters heading the file elsewhere.
There was nothing radio-related from Australia or Ireland.
In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has both issued and revoked licences as well as issuing a number of public notices.
The licence revoked, at the request of the licensee, was for a licence issued to Corey Lascelle for North Battleford, Saskatchewan.
The public notices relating to radio (in order of province) included:
British Columbia:
*Application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to add a 20 watts FM transmitter at Quesnel for CBU-FM Vancouver so as to broadcast the programming of CBC's Radio Two service to Quesnel.
The transmitter involved is at the moment licensed to North Cariboo Community FM Stereo Society as a radiocommunication distribution undertaking (RDU) and rebroadcasts the same CBC Radio Two service. If the CBC application is approved the Society has requested that its licence which expires on Aug 31, 2004, be revoked.
Newfoundland and Labrador:
*An application by NewCap Inc. to delete the transmitter CKXB at Musgravetown that transmits the service of CKXD-FM Gander. Newcap says that it has suffered numerous breakdowns and the cost of repairs to the transmitter would be prohibitive; it also notes that the transmitter's coverage area is served by three of its stations, CKVO-AM, Clarenville, CKGA-AM, Gander and, VOCM-FM-1 Clarenville.
*The Commission also noted the withdrawal by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Newfoundland and Labrador of its application to change the frequency of transmitter VOAR-1-FM, Bay Roberts, that carries the signal of VOAR, Mount Pearl (See Licence News Feb 9).
Ontario:
*Application to increase the power of CKWR-FM Waterloo, from 2,400 watts to 15,200 watts so as to improve the quality of the signal in Cambridge and Guelph as well as to reduce the level of interference caused by WKSE-FM, Niagara Falls, New York.
*Application to renew the licence of radio station CICZ-FM Midland, expiring 31 August 2003. The CRTC notes apparent failure of the licensee to comply with regulations concerning the percentage of Canadian music broadcast.
*Application to renew the licence of radio station CJTK-FM Sudbury and its transmitter CJTK-FM-1 North Bay, expiring 31 August 2003. Again the CRTC notes apparent failure of the licensee to comply with regulations concerning the percentage of Canadian music broadcast.
The CRTC has also approved two applications for deadline extensions; one was from Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc. to extend until June 5, 2004, the deadline to start operating its Aboriginal-language station to serve Vancouver; this is the second extension requested.
The other was a second request for an extension to the deadline for the addition of a transmitter at Denare Beach for CJLR-FM La Ronge, Saskatchewan; the new deadline is August 29 this year.
In the UK, the Radio Authority has fined East Lancashire radio station Asian Sound Radio GBP 3,000 (USD 4900) for breaching its rules relating to political advertisements and on the same day renewed a batch of 15 analogue licences that gained automatic renewal through providing a service on the local digital multiplex. (See RNW June 18).
It also announced that it had received two applications for the new to serve as much of the county of Carmarthenshire, in Wales, as proves to be technically feasible.
They were from Carmarthenshire Sound / Sain Sir Gâr, which is proposing a community-focussed bilingual English and Welsh service with local news and information plus hits from the 60s onwards, and Radio Carmarthenshire / Radio Sir Gâr, which is also proposing a local news and information service in English and Welsh plus a mix of popular hits.
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as well as running into a Senate Committee vote to tighten up its new regulations (See RNW June 20) has also been involved in a number of penal actions.
In Alaska, it has revoked to full-service licences of Peninsula Communications Inc. following a long-running dispute over Peninsula's continued operation of seven FM translators connected with them whose licences had already been revoked (See RNW June 20).
It also reduced from USD 11,000 to USD 8, 000 a penalty for emergency alert system offences imposed on Roser Communications Network, Inc. (See RNW June 17).
We also noted that the long-running saga of Entercom's takeover of KWOD-FM, Sacramento, from Royce International Company may not yet be finally ended as we had supposed (See RNW May 22); The FCC has now accepted a petition for re-consideration from Royce , having denied its earlier petition to stop the transfer.
Previous CRTC:
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous UK Radio Authority:
CRTC web site:
FCC web site :
UK Radio Authority web site:
2003-06-22: Toronto radio hosts "Mad Dog and Billie" (Jay Oliver and Billie Jo Ross) tomorrow take over the CHFI-FM morning show tomorrow (June 23) having left JACK FM, the former KISS-FM that was recently re-formatted away from its former top-40 bias to a wider selection by Rogers Communications, which owns both stations (See RNW June 8).
They're taking over from Erin Davis and Bob Magee, who had hosted the CHFI show for just over three years; Davis has left the station, and Magee, who hosted the CHFI morning show on his own last week, is remaining and is currently discussing his future.
Davis had been morning co-host at CHFI since 1988, most of it with Don Daynard,who retired from the morning show in 1999 (See RNW Nov 26, 1999)
Previous Rogers:
CHFI web site:
2003-06-21: Clear Channel has reacted strongly to the Senate Commerce Committee amendment to the Stevens/Hollings bill that would force it to divest itself of some radio stations (See RNW June 20).
In a statement, its senior vice president for government affairs Andy Levin said all the stations were acquired legally and went on to add, "…by one vote, the Senate Commerce Committee decided to ignore the Constitution and the best interests of radio listeners across the country."
"This is an attempt to single out one company for being successful and punish them for playing by the rules."
"We are deeply disturbed that the Committee would attempt to force companies to divest assets simply because it decides to change the rules in the middle of the game."
" It is bad precedent and bad policy, and is precisely why the Fifth Amendment prohibits unlawful government takings. We certainly hope and expect the full Senate will reject this highly controversial and dangerous measure,"
Levin went on to note that the FCC had recognized that it could not take the stations away and had "grandfathered" them.
"The Senate's measure," concluded Clear Channel, "eliminates the grandfather provision, despite a long history of protecting property legally acquired under U.S. law. In the unlikely event this measure is enacted into law, it is virtually certain the courts would overturn it."
Clear Channel received backing from The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, whose president Tom Schatz commented, "It has been a long-standing tradition for the government to protect property legally obtained through existing laws."
…"By eliminating the grandfather clause, the committee would destroy carefully set business plans, and hurt consumers by reducing the choices and diversity of media outlets available in the local community. The number of options in these communities will most probably shrink with the absence of national news services."
"Whenever Congress gets involved in the marketplace, it usually makes the wrong decision," Schatz continued. "We urge the Senate to reject this provision of S. 1046 when the bill comes to the floor. Otherwise, companies will not take risks to grow as what may be a legal transaction one day, may become illegal the next."
"Such regulation will only hurt economic growth, federal revenue, and taxpayers who will be forced to foot the bill for these changes in the law."
(RNW comment: Schatz seems to be over-egging the cake to the extent that it's more of an omelette in his conclusions. Companies may take such matters into account in investment decisions but only as one factor of many.
We also thought that broadcasting licences were leases of spectrum from the public to companies, not outright sales and thus, although there is clearly a short-term point legitimately made by Clear Channel there seems no reason why licenses in case where current rules are breached should simply not be re-awarded.
In other words, why not accept the continuance of licences until next due for renewal and then revoke the largest over-the-limit licences in any area.
It would get over Clear Channel's objections and ultimately cost them a lot more than is being proposed - double justice!)
On the other side of the argument, Democrat Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein has now joined fellow Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps in applauding the committee decision.
Adelstein termed the Congressional action "a dramatic rebuke of a bad decision."
"This is what happens when an agency ignores an outcry from Congress and the public to slow down and tread cautiously," he said. "The FCC ran right through the warning lights and into a guardrail."
"The Senate has taken the first steps - the FCC shouldn't let these rules take effect until the public is heard through its elected representatives."
The Consumers Union, which on June 2 issued a statement condemning the FCC vote and saying," In one sweeping move, three FCC political appointees are dramatically worsening the nation's media landscape for decades to come", welcomed the Senate Committee vote as an "enormous victory for consumers."
Its Director of Advocacy and Public Policy Gene Kimmelman said the vote was a "huge blow to big media conglomerates" and "created "creates enormous momentum to block further mergers among media giants."
"It represents a victory for those who support more competition and diversity from local and national media. But the fight is not over. Now we are going to carry this momentum to the full Senate and House."
The US National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which favoured the TV cap, the original substance of the bill, opposes the amendments and has changed its stance.
Its president and CEO Eddie Fritts said in a statement, "NAB is pleased the Senate Commerce Committee voted to roll back the national television ownership cap to 35%. However, the bill also adopts provisions that reinstate the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban and require radio companies to divest legally acquired stations. Consequently, NAB will strongly oppose this legislation."
The bill is likely to face tough opposition in the House, where Louisiana Republican Rep. Billy Tauzin, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, supports the changed media rules; his spokesman said he had "no intentions of taking up that bill. This has become a political soap opera, and given the chance Chairman Tauzin intends to cancel its run."
The subject of the Senate vote was prominent amongst US radio industry executives comments during the 2003 Radio and Records Convention as to a lesser degree were the FCC rules themselves.
Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey commented to the "Radio: State of the Industry" panel that he didn't think the new FCC rules had been well thought out. He said he thought the provision in the FCC rules that would allow cluster owners only to sell intact to minority buyers or as individual stations would ultimately harm smaller stations.
He said that it was most likely that owners would spin-off their weakest stations to comply with the new rules, leaving the buyers with a hard time competing and added that in some of Cumulus's clusters the small unprofitable stations would kept on air through the performance of larger more profitable stations (RNW comment: We have a degree of scepticism here. Do the small stations concerned lose significant money when their share of group overheads, most of which would remain if they did not exist, are removed? In addition, there is the question of whether Cumulus keeps perceives a value in keeping them to stop a competitor building in the area. We are not fully convinced about the degree to which an owner is likely to keep real money losers operating out of an ideological or community commitment.).
Clear Channel CEO John Hogan said the radio industry has been slow in responding to the fervent criticism, a lot of which is focused specifically at Clear Channel. "We were slow to recognize the problem," he said, "but now we're very focused on talking about all of the great things radio does." He added that community service efforts at stations are "so ingrained, we fail to publicize it."
Also backing consolidation was Entercom President and CEO David Field who said consolidation allowed more resources for promotions and programming and added of criticism of the industry, "Polls show that 80% of listeners are still satisfied with radio, but we're still being maligned for things like corporate playlists and other sins we haven't committed."
He also opined that the Senate vote wasn't likely to lead very far: "I think there's a very good chance that as this works its way through the process on Capitol Hill," he said, "you'll end up with essentially a resolution that will be a minor nuisance, but not a disruptive event for the industry."
Previous Adelstein:
Previous Clear Channel:
Previous Copps:
Previous Cumulus:
Previous Dickey:
Previous Entercom:
Previous FCC:
Previous Field:
Previous Fritts:
Previous Hogan:
Previous Levin:
Previous NAB:
Previous Tauzin:
R&R Online web site:
2003-06-21: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which last month mysteriously removed from its web site a release announcing that former US First Lady Hillary Clinton is to read excerpts from her "Living History" memoirs on BBC Radio 4 from June 23-7 (See RNW May 25) is now trailing the readings regularly, including excerpts of readings.
The broadcasts will be at 0845 GMT daily next week with a repeat at the end of the day.
Previous BBC:
2003-06-21: According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is likely to approve Univision's USD 2.4 billion takeover of Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation this month.
The paper says a draft of the order allowing the deal through has been sent to all five commissioners and it forecasts a 3-2 vote along party lines, the same split as with new media regulations issued this month.
The Journal says the draft argues that the Spanish-language broadcast market should not be treated as separate to other broadcast markets as critics, who said it should be considered a separate market from the English-language market, had suggested.
Previous FCC:
Previous Univision/Hispanic Broadcasting:
2003-06-21: Bonneville International Corporation has added a third San Francisco station to its list of stations broadcasting a digital signal using iBiquity's HD system. Classical format KDFC-FM joins KOIT-FM and KKDV-FM, which had already made the move. Bonneville is also converting its Chicago stations WTMX-FM and WRDV-FM.
Last month the University of Southern California classical station KUSC-FM became the first non-commercial licensee of the technology (See RNW May 30) and at the start of May Clear Channel introduced it at its Chicago Smooth Jazz WNUA-FM and Urban Adult Contemporary WVAZ-FM.
Previous Bonneville:
Previous Clear Channel:
Previous iBiquity:
2003-06-20: The US Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Arizona Republican John McCain, has voted in favour of a bill to reject the national TV cap and cross ownership changes in new US media regulation passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a 3-2 party-line vote on June 2.
The bill, which is likely to face a tough time in the full Senate, would restore the 35% cap on the national viewing audience that can be