August 2007 Archive
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- July 2007
-
Sep 2007 -
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 previous relevant story. Regarding external links see note at end of page.
RNW August comment - Could technological development kill off broadcast media as we know them? Recent surveys on demographic and listening changes make us gloomier than 18 months ago.
RNW July comment -Looks at regulation in other countries in the light of attacks on the idea of reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine in the US and concludes that other factors are much more important in affecting effective freedom of speech.
RNW June comment - Boycotts and pork or a business approach. We suggest that a single royalty rate for digital - or analogue - audio is nonsense and that the system should be changed to provide tiered charges and a choice of collection agencies.
2007-08-31: US Internet advertising expenditure is expected to surpass that of radio for the first time this year according to a report in Forbes: This has already happened in some other countries including Australia (See RNW Jul 30) and the UK (See RNW Jan 23, 2006) and had been forecast for some time for the US.
The report says US radio ad spending is expected to inch up 1.5% in 2007, to USD 20.4 billion compared to online advertising expenditures up 22% year-on-year to USD 21.7 billion according to eMarketer senior analyst Ben Macklin.
Macklin adds that he expects radio station Web sites and online audio advertising to be " the principal drivers for radio advertising growth'' over the next few years although he doesn't expect much growth in radio - he estimates it as likely to rise to USD 22.6 billion in 2011 by which time online advertising will have risen to USD 44 billion.
Macklin noted that studies had shown that a combination of online and terrestrial radio advertisers can be far more effective than online ads alone and said, "There are many synergies between radio and the Internet and, for the most part, they complement rather than compete with each other. Advertisers should not abandon radio in favour of the Web but combine the two media to take advantage of the unique attributes of each."
Forbes report:
2007-08-31: UTV has reported turnover in the six months to the end of June broadly flat at GBP 57.2 million (USD 115.1 million) - up just GBP 100,000 (USD 201,000) on a year earlier - as was TV operating profit of GBP 5.6 million (USD 11.3 million) but its radio operating profit - after deduction of start-up losses of GBP 1.3 million (USD 2.6 million) for Talk 107 in Edinburgh and U105 in Belfast, which in the previous year had loses of GBP 1.4 million ( USD 2.8 million) - was a bright spot as it increased 7% to GBP 6.8 million (USD 13.7 million), along with a new media operating profit up 25% to GBP 600,000 (USD 1.2 million), and helped push overall operating profit before exceptional items up 4% to GBP 13.0 million ( USD 26.1 million).
UTV noted that on a like-for-like basis radio advertising in Ireland and Great Britain was flat whilst TV advertising revenue was down 1% and Group Chief Executive John McCann said that the company had "again performed strongly in a challenging period for the media industry."
"I am particularly pleased," he added, "with the performance of the television and UK radio divisions which have once again outpaced their peers. While the performance of Irish radio in Q2 was disappointing, we have taken steps to address this and are confident of an improvement in the second half of this year…Radio is becoming increasingly important to the group, and now contributes 55% of group revenues. We are pleased with the progress being made by talkSPORT, and delighted to have been part of the C4 consortium which won the licence to operate the UK's second national commercial DAB multiplex."
McCann said the third quarter outlook was positive and while the company expected market conditions to remain "challenging" UTV anticipated "growth in UK and Irish radio advertising markets" whilst TV "should start to benefit from better programming."
Chairman John B McGuckian said of the radio performance, "Our radio division in G.B. performed particularly well in the first half of 2007. In a U.K. radio advertising market down by 1%, talkSPORT was marginally up and our local radio stations were flat giving rise to an overall flat position on a like for like basis. The modest increase in talkSPORT was against a comparative which included significant revenue in respect of the 2006 football World Cup. With the additional costs associated with our coverage of the World Cup also dropping out, our radio operating profit in G.B. increased by 16% to GBP 4.7 million (USD 9.5 million) after accounting for start-up losses of GBP 900,000 (USD 1.81 million) at our Edinburgh station talk 107.
In Ireland, he added, "Our Irish radio stations got off to a good start in 2007 but short term weakness in local advertising revenue in Q2 undermined this promise. The economic fundamentals remained positive, as evidenced by the 9% increase in our national advertising revenue, but an 11% decrease in local advertising revenue resulted in an overall increase of 1.5% in local currency, giving a flat revenue performance in the first half due to currency fluctuation. After accounting for start-up losses of GBP 400,000 (USD 805,000) at our Belfast station, U105, Irish radio operating profits were down at GBP 2.2 million (USD 4.4 million). UTV shares ended the day up 2.6% at 417 pence.
Also ending up on the day was Emap, up 5.8% to 885 pence: It had announced that following the announcement last month of a review of its structure and assets (See RNW Jul 28), it had received further interest for all parts of the Group and would providing information to interested parties on a confidential basis over the next few weeks.
In a statement Emap said, "The Board is encouraged with the progress of the review to date and will provide an update at the time of the announcement of the interim results, scheduled for 13 November. The search for a new chief executive continues to run in parallel with the review process" and added, "Trading since the last update has been encouraging. The B2B division continues to deliver strong underlying revenue growth; Radio is performing well in what appears to be a more positive market; and, while revenue growth remains challenging in our consumer magazine markets, there is increasing confidence that the operational efficiency initiatives commenced last year will deliver benefits earlier than anticipated."
Previous Emap:
Previous McCann:
Previous McGuckian:
Previous UTV:
2007-08-31: Pacifica KPFK-FM general manager Eva Georgia, who is facing two lawsuits for sexual harassment and racial discrimination and who was the subject of a recent petition signed by 18 current program hosts and staff members is to leave the station from the end of October according to a statement from Greg Guma, executive director of the Berkeley-based Pacifica Foundation.
The station has already posted a note on its website saying that it is "seeking an Interim General Manager, effective November 1, 2007, to serve for approximately three months, or until the permanent position is filled" and giving a deadline for applications of September 14 and the first posting on the station's listener's forum welcomes the departure with a sarcastic posting," Its been a real treat. The past few years have seen some of the most bizarre and discriminating (not in the good sense) programming changes ever visited upon this station -- which I've been a listener of for 35 years.
Guma's memo re-affirmed earlier statements of support for Georgia by the Pacifica national board and the Los Angeles Times notes that it gave no reason for Georgia to step down.
The paper describes South African-born Georgia, who was appointed in June 2002 (See RNW Jun 10, 2002) following an acrimonious dispute that put the network under severe financial pressure (See RNW Feb 17, 2002) as a self-described "out-gay black woman and adds that her tenure was marked from the beginning by charges of a heavy-handed management style and abusive behaviour, along with questions about inappropriate personal spending.
"Critics, it reports, "decried her use of limousines to travel on business for a station dependent on listener contributions and the fact that she took a five-month paid vacation last year to return to South Africa."
It notes that when the Pacifica national board met in Los Angeles at the end of July, a group of 18 program hosts and staff, including Ian Masters, Roy Tuckman, Lila Garrett and Don Bustany, calling themselves the Committee to Strengthen KPFK, read aloud a petition asking for a "change in management," citing, among other issues, declining audience numbers, lack of maintenance of the KPFK signal and "mismanagement and unaccountability."
Georgia's supporters, says the paper, disputed the suggestion that audiences were declining and backed Georgia with Pacifica National Board Chairman Dave Adelson referring in an interview with the paper to Georgia as "far and away the strongest manager in the network."
Lydia Brazon, a director of the local KPFK board, said, "All the directors were hoping she would stay, but she needs to be free to clear her name. She has long preferred that we go to court in the lawsuits "and not settle."
Scepticism about the official Pacifica line backing Georgia was expressed by Garrett, who hosts KPFK's "Connect the Dots," and who commented, "When Greg Guma rhapsodizes about the GM's accomplishment, we are impressed by his imagination but bewildered by his lack of information. And if she's so great, why are they letting her leave?"
Previous Pacifica:
Los Angeles Times report:
Pacifica KPFK-FM website:
2007-08-30: Macquarie Media Group (MMG)has reported net profit for the 2006-07 financial year of AUD 37.8 million ( USD 31.1 million), boosted by the inclusion of a year's results from its 60% stake in Taiwan Broadband Communications and five months results from US newspaper business, American Consolidated Media.
The figures compares to AUD 2.8 million (USD 2.3 million) a year earlier: Excluding minority interests profits were up 58% to AUD 22.1 million (USD 18.1 million) and like-for-like earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were up 6.7% on revenues up 4.6%.
Managing director Alex Harvey singled out a strong start to the current financial year for the fund's radio division, saying the first half looked "very good" although he noted that this included some election spending and that he would expect the second half to be softer.
Macquarie Regional Radioworks revenues were up 7.2% in the year to AUD 160.1 million (USD 131.7 million) with EBITDA up 8.7% to AUD 60.1 million (USD 49.4 million) and it noted a 6.3% growth in national advertising revenue compared to an Australian average of 3.7%.
MMG, is currently involved with Fairfax Media in an AUD 1.35 billion (USD 1.11 billion) takeover of Southern Cross Broadcasting in which it already holds 13.8% (See RNW Jul 4) and that would add regional TV to its offerings - Fairfax would purchase the Southern Cross radio operations - and Chief executive Mark Dorney said this would allow MMG to boost revenues by offering combined television and radio advertising deals.
Previous Harvey:
Previous Macquarie Media Group:
2007-08-30: Hungarian radio station Lanchid Radio has fired two staff after a doctored picture showing a gay senior government official with a pink triangle on his suit in front of the gates of Auschwitz was put on its Web site: It also removed the picture.
In a statement on its website the right-wing station said it had fired the two including the editor in chief of its site for the "impermissible and offensive" picture and added that its owners and managers "condemn what happened and apologize to State Secretary Gabor Szetey and to everyone who was offended by the picture in question."
Szetey came out as gay last month and the incident is seen by many in Hungary, including Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and other ministers who also condemned the photograph, as another example of the rise of the far right in various formerly communist-ruled countries.
Szetey himself was quoted in an Associated Press report as saying, "I have one message for those who did this and those who agree with it - I cannot be intimidated."
During the Second World War Hungary was occupied by the Nazis who rounded up homosexuals under Paragraph 175 of the German penal code, which banned sexual intimacy between members of the same sex: They were sent to concentration camps where they were forced to wear pink triangles to identify them and many were subjected to medical experiments or sent to the gas chambers.
International Herald Tribune/AP report:
Lanchid Radio website:
2007-08-30: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has welcomed an announcement by the country's Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan that the government is to allocate AUD 1.32 (USD 1.1 million to the ABC for it to purchase portable transmitters and Scott commented, install satellite downlink equipment in some remote West Australian and Queensland communities.
ABC Managing Director Mark Scott said in a news release that the decision meant the corporation would be able to provide a backup of ABC local radio programming to transmission sites in Carnarvon, Derby, Geraldton, Karratha, Kununurra and Thursday Island.
"ABC Local Radio in particular, is a lifeline for many regional communities," he added, noting that the "ABC has continued to play a strong part in the regions, employing additional staff and opening more regional stations."
The funding will also provide two portable transmitters for Queensland and Western Australia, to act as back up in the event of local equipment being down as a result of bad weather or other circumstance and Scott commented of this provision, "No other media outlet is trusted more by local communities in times of severe crises and these transmitters will ensure local radio can be re-established as that important lifeline in times of emergency."
Previous ABC, Australia:
Previous Scott:
2007-08-29: Washington Post Radio - call letters "WTWP" -is to go off the air and will be replaced on September 20 by "Talk Radio 3WT - WWWT" that according to a news release from Bonneville International, which owns the frequencies, "will feature a line-up of personalities currently heard on the station - David Burd, Jessica Doyle, "The Tony Kornheiser Show," and Pat Goss - along with established, nationally-recognized personalities Neal Boortz, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Stephanie Miller, as well as play-by-play sports."
Bonneville D.C. Sr. VP Joel Oxley comments in the release, "Washington Post Radio was a tremendous experiment in broadcasting, and it was wonderful working with The Washington Post, a world-class newspaper."
He continued, "While many advertisers were satisfied with the results the station generated, we just did not garner the Arbitron ratings we had hoped for. When we launched the 'Tony Kornheiser Show,' it was met with such success that we realized we needed to take the station in the direction of personality-driven talk with more opinion and less hard news. Since this did not meet the original vision of Washington Post Radio, The Washington Post and Bonneville mutually agreed to end the broadcast alliance."
"We'll continue to work together as media professionals as we always have," Oxley added. "The Washington Post has a huge array of talented people that we've featured for years on our radio stations in many capacities, and we will continue to do so. We're fortunate to have a great relationship with, and access to, one of the finest organizations with some of the best professionals in the world."
WTWP was launched in March last year following a January decision by Bonneville International to re-jig its frequencies in the area (See RNW Jan 5, 2006) but has failed to attract enough listeners to make it commercially viable according to a report in the newspaper.
It notes that in its first year the service didn't even attract 1% of listeners in the region and, although ratings have improved in recent months, the gains were insufficient to convince Bonneville that it could become profitable in the foreseeable future.
The Post report says losses had been around USD 2 million a year but there was tension between the paper and Bonneville over the use of syndicated programming that was much cheaper but aroused concern by the Post about being "associated with the kind of one-sided and inflammatory rhetoric that often distinguishes successful syndicated talk hosts."
Leonard Downie, The Post's executive editor, declined comment on the demise of WTWP but said it had been "a good experiment during which we learned about radio as one of the platforms on which we can put Washington Post journalists and journalism."
A blog about why the service died posted by the paper quoted Caryn Mathes, general manager of public broadcaster WAMU-FM as saying that despite the slogan "There's always more to the story" that was used to launch the service there just wasn't more, adding, "People felt the station didn't deliver on deeper, more insider kind of stuff from the reporters who were on the air."
It also says there was a clash between print editors who wanted a more serious news menu and radio producers who argued for a "more populist and lowbrow selection of stories."
Competitors were said to consider the basic concept flawed and the program director of an FM music station who asked not to be named because he might work with people at Bonneville in the future, was quoted as saying "It sounded like a bad college seminar where neither the professors nor the students knew how to keep anyone listening."
Previous Bonneville:
Washington Post report:
Washington Post blog:
2007-08-29: GMG Radio, whose operations include the Century FM, Real Radio, and Smooth networks, is reviewing its annual multi-million pound media planning and buying business ahead of the launch of two new stations - Smooth-branded station for the north-east and a Rock Radio station for Manchester - according to the UK Guardian, which is owned by the same parent.
The paper says GMG radio is to draw up a shortlist of media agencies to pitch alongside primary incumbent Brilliant Media, which has handled the bulk of GMG Radio's business for the last four years, although Feather Brooksbank has been responsible for the media account for Scotland.
The review, it reports, will be led by John Myers, the chief executive of GMG Radio, and the group marketing manager, Helen Dickinson, and is expected to be concluded by the autumn.
Myers commented, "We've been very happy with the service that Brilliant, and a number of other agencies have provided for us but after four successful years, its time to review our options to ensure we have the right agency for our future plans. This is normal procedure within our division."
Previous GMG:
Previous Myers:
UK Guardian report:
2007-08-29: In reply comments filed to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning the applications by Sirius and XM to be allowed to merge, the US National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) again challenges the contention by the satellite companies that the prohibition of their merger in the original grant of their licences is not binging but a "policy statement reflecting the
[Commission's] understanding of competition in 1997."
The NAB says no substantive comments were filed by others in support of this view but to the contrary the overwhelming view was that the prohibition was a "binding rule that should not be waived, modified or repealed."
The NAB also reiterates its arguments about the public interest being better served by competing services and noted that the applicants have stressed their financial viability, even if the merger is prohibited.
And in yet another dig at the behaviour of the satellite companies NAB refers to their "history of pervasive violations of Commission rules and authorizations," that it says means the applicants "simply cannot be relied on to keep their promises and comply with any regulatory conditions that might be imposed… Indeed, it appears that Applicants cannot even be relied upon to describe accurately their proposed new offerings."
Previous FCC:
Previous NAB:
Previous Sirius:
Previous XM:
2007-08-28: Premiere Radio Networks and GCap Media have announced that starting on September 15 GCap's One Network and Capital Radio are to air a syndicated show by Ryan Seacrest.
The show, "The Entertainment Edge with Ryan Seacrest", will air on Capital Radio on Saturdays from 11:00 to 13:00 and on the regional One Network on Sundays from 10:00 to noon and will feature interviews with celebrities together with chart topping songs. It will also include two E! News updates of celebrity news sponsored by Los Angeles -based E! Entertainment Television
Seacrest commented in a release, "Launching in the U.K. is a major milestone and, as GCap is an industry leader, they are the perfect partner for this venture. I am looking forward to connecting the audience with the most popular hits and talked about stars each week."
Previous GCap Media:
Previous Premiere Networks:
2007-08-28: Despite earlier statements from WABC-AM general manager that nobody at WABC, Citadel or ABC has been talking to fired former CBS host Don Imus (See RNW Aug 15), the New York Daily Post is reporting that Citadel Communications' CEO Farid Suleman is the "front-runner to land the radio raconteur."
The paper says that Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin - who was previously Viacom President and COO and former Chairman and CEO of Infinity Broadcasting. had taught Suleman well in terms of handling controversial talent and quoted an unnamed "radio industry analysts" as saying, "Mel always understood the plusses and minuses of working with people like Howard Stern and Imus, and Farid does as well."
It adds that in an interview with the Post, Suleman said only that he thinks Imus' availability represents an opportunity and that he would consider hiring him only if he could make the numbers work but then adds that it would be a "can't lose" deal for Suleman to hire Imus.
"If the shock jock flames out in his return," it comments, "Suleman can point to Imus' comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team as having tarnished him forever. If the public embraces Imus' second act, Suleman will earn kudos for giving him another chance."
It concludes by saying that both Suleman and Imus would love to have a deal in place in time to make a big splash at the National Association of Broadcasters' Radio Show in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 26.
Previous Citadel:
Previous Imus:
Previous Suleman:
Previous Karmazin:
NY Daily Post report:
2007-08-28: Austereo has announced full-year profits up 11.7% to AUD 46.5 million (USD 38.6 million) on revenues up 7.9% to AUD 255.1 million (USD 211.9 million) with EBITDA up 14.6 % to AUD 88.3 million (USD 73.4 million): It put the increase down to ratings success and says it expects advertising revenues to grow by 5% - in line with revenue growth for Australian commercial radio - in the first half of this year and says it is "currently well-placed to deliver improved earnings for the half."
Chairman Peter Harvie said of the results, "The group completed a strong year, with number one FM stations in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, number two in Brisbane and three in Adelaide.
Further, the joint venture stations in Canberra and Newcastle also held number one positions. The ratings results were characterised by consistency throughout the period and major new programmes were launched, providing a strong basis for continued growth. "
He added that the launch of major new programmes provided a "strong basis for continued growth" and added, "There are opportunities to achieve even greater growth from the core radio business and there is new growth potential from the range of emerging digital and online platforms. Radio and new digital sectors are perfectly aligned… "Looking to the first half `08, we believe that the current strengthening of the media market should drive improvement in capital city radio sales."
Regarding ratings, he added, "Already a strong result in the first survey of the new financial year has ensured a positive commencement to the year, coupled with over-budget sales outcomes for both July and August."
Harvie also said offshore operations generally performed well, with the company's Malaysian venture the leader in the country with 48.1 per cent of all audiences.
CEO Michael Anderson said the company had "increased investment in people skills, in programming and in sales training" with the result that the company "has become an employer of preference, partly because of our focus on personal development."
He also noted an increase in EBITDA margin from 34.6% from 32.6% because of a focus on cost management and the importance of online activities, saying upgrading of Austereo's online operations had lifter it to sixth place overall in the Australian online entertainment category - it is first in the online radio category measured by unique browsers.
Anderson said the company believes streaming of its stations was "emerging as an important audience source" and noted that the company was "well advanced in our planning for the launch of Digital Radio in January 2009"
In contrast to Austereo and also to Southern Cross Broadcasting, which operates its Sydney commercial talk rival 2UE and reported increased revenues and profits last week (See RNW Aug 25), Macquarie Radio Network (MRN), whose flagship is Sydney 2GB, has reported after-tax profits down 6.1% to AUD 5.4 million (USD 4.5 million) for the year although revenues were up 3.3% to AUD 43.2 million (USD 35.9 million).
It noted that during the year it had invested AUD 2 million (USD 1.66 million) in new media activities with a net loss after tax of AUD 500,000 (USD 415,000) and had also reduced its borrowings by AUD 2.6 million (USD 2.16 million).
MRN gave no specifics concerning its profit fall although chairman Max Donnelly did refer in a statement to a "tough Sydney radio advertising market" in which revenues were down 0.34% for the year, adding that despite this, "2GB performed strongly, enabling MRN to increase both market share and revenue."
Regarding online investment he said, "The Board is confident that our investment in new media will position the company for growth. This is a significant, long-term commitment. The company has adopted an integrated sales strategy, leveraging the existing sales team and complemented by dedicated digital sales resources. This investment has already begun to generate incremental revenue."
CEO Angela Clark also referred to MRN's online investments and the launch just announced of its national news site, www.LIVENEWS.com.au, saying they were "extremely pleased with initial feedback and expect this asset to deliver national audience and advertising reach for MRN."
She added, "Earlier this year MRN re-launched www.2GB.com and four more content sites are scheduled for release this financial year…MRN has also built on the ratings success of MRN's exclusive rugby league coverage and the Continuous Call Team, with the launch of www.rugbyleaguelive.com and following the success of this experiment will invest in an expanded rugby league offering for the 2008 season."
Regarding LiveNews, she said this took the company "into new territory, taking its breaking news expertise and in community feedback format, into the digital age. We have been working on this project for over 12 months and in this time have developed considerable depth in audio and video content that will enable us to enliven breaking news stories with rich media. Over the past two weeks we have already broken a number of stories on-line and we hope to continue to offer Australians an alternative and independent news perspective."
Previous Anderson:
Previous Austereo:
Previous Clark:
Previous Donnelly:
Previous Harvie:
Previous Macquarie Radio Network:
2007-08-27: In a number of changes announced by the BBC, Six Music hosts George Lamb and Gideon Coe switch over with the former moving from his evening slot to the mid-morning (10:00-13:00 slot) presents late evenings and Coe switching to evenings (Monday to Thursday, 10pm-1am).
Lamb, who said he had "really enjoyed" his spell at 6-Music, which he joined in April this year, is moving because the morning slot clashes with his TV "Homes under the Hammer" commitments.
Coe said of his move, "I'm looking forward to doing basically the same things - playing good records, keeping it brief and side-splittingly hilarious in-between and, most importantly, interacting with listeners. I'm looking forward to doing all that but 12 hours later than I'm used to. By my reckoning that's 12 more hours in bed though that might be a false economy."
Radio 2 and Six Music Controller Lesley Douglas praised Lamb as having a "rare combination of wit, warmth and passion for music" and said of Coe that he had "been one of the pioneers of digital radio presentation, and remains one of the most influential on-air talents on 6 Music…. There is a big potential to attract audience to digital radio at that time of night, and I believe that giving Gideon this new opportunity to put music into context will provide a compelling listen for the audience."
On the local radio front, BBC Merseyside is changing its programming as Liverpool's Capital of Culture year approaches whilst in a more national frame the corporation last Thursday launched a new weekly podcast "UK Black", 20 minutes of talk show highlights from African and Caribbean programmes on BBC Local Radio.
Commenting on the podcast, Herdle White, whose reggae, Caribbean and African-Caribbean music show on BBC Radio Leicester has been running for almost 40 years, said, "You don't hear many older black voices on the radio and television. But we've got experiences to share and wisdom to pass on. The BBC UK Black podcast will mean more people get to hear about who's who, and what's happening, and not just in London."
Another contributor Karen Gabay, whose show, The People, on BBC Radio Manchester, features celebrity interviews as well as local African-Caribbean news, music and entertainment said the programmed offered "a platform for African and Caribbean achievers and future leaders and now BBC UK Black will bring a sample of that to a wider audience."
In Liverpool, Radio Merseyside is to give more prominence to celebrating the diverse cultural activities that will be taking place throughout the city next year and Claire Hamilton, who currently hosts a Sunday arts and culture show, will get a new daily 2-hour drive time show from 17:00 to 19:00 that will highlight events taking place across the region as well as bringing all the latest stories from the world of art and culture.
Current drive time presenter Linda McDermott will launch a new late night lifestyle and entertainment programme from 10pm to 1am each week night from Monday 1 October 2007 and amongst other changes the station's News Editor, Andy Ball, takes over as the permanent host of the Saturday morning breakfast programme from 1 September and Tony Snell and Sean Styles kick off their respective breakfast show and mid-morning show from 28 August.
Also announcing a new schedule has been BBC Radio 3 whose "Drama on 3" autumn line-up has now been posted.
It includes a new play by Mike Walker, "Babel's Tower", inspired by the writings of Russian journalist and playwright Isaac Babel and recently released KGB files detailing his imprisonment, plus a new production of Christopher Marlowe's "Dr Faustus."
Babel's Tower tells of the last days of Isaac Babel, the Russian war correspondent and screenwriter who fell foul of the KGB and Walker's play imagines Babel being interrogated after his arrest in 1939. It features Sir Antony Sher, Robert Glenister and Stephen Noonan.
The new Dr Faustus production has been made in association with the Open University and features Toby Jones, Paterson Joseph and Ray Fearon.
Other productions include "After The Quake", a Simon McBurney adaptation of Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's poetic stories -inspired by the Kobe earthquake - about people caught up in the aftershock of a natural disaster and "Seven Wonders Of The Divided World" in which seven international writers living near political barriers - such as Cyprus and Korea contribute short plays to create a global picture of life around the world's borders.
Previous BBC:
Previous Douglas:
UK Black web site:
2007-08-28: Supporters of the progressive talk radio format currently being aired by Clear Channel's KLSD-AM, San Diego, which airs Air America programming, held a protest outside the company's San Diego Headquarters on Monday to voice their opposition to it being switched to a sports format.
Some supporters of the current format fear that the format is to be changed for political motives but local KLSD talk show host Stacy Taylor told listeners to his morning program that he does not believe this.
"They could have shut us off before the 2006 election," he said, suggesting that weak advertising revenues were the most likely reason and mentioning that one advertiser had pulled out because of fears that advertising on a progressive station could hurt his business.
Taylor noted that KLSD listeners in fact earn more money than listeners of other Clear Channel stations locally and some of those opposed to the closure are arguing that the most promising action they could take would by to support Stacey's sponsors allied with a boycott of advertisers who sponsor a replacement format.
Previous Air America Radio:
Previous Clear Channel:
Bradblog re KLSD:
2007-08-27: This week in our look at print comment on radio, we focus on US articles about the future of the medium and also reports from the US and Poland concerning bigotry by hosts.
Regarding the first we lead off with a Baltimore Sun report by Nick Madigan headed "Radio may survive this, too" but with the rather less confident sub-heading "Broadcasters hope MP3s and satellite radio won't kill terrestrial market."
In it Madigan notes that some theorise that the affluent are moving to new audio sources leaving terrestrial radio for those who can't afford such goods as MP3 players and satellite radio, a theory that gets limited support from Bob Pettit, general manager of Baltimore talk station WCBM-AM.
Pettit commented: "Because of satellite radio, more affluent people are going to use that service, so we have a smaller piece of the pie to slice up with the people remaining, who are not so affluent. The younger people are going to the new technologies. Radio used to be a very effective way to reach people aged 18 to 34. Now, not so much" and added that this meant national advertisers were using radio less leaving the field for local adverts an also meaning stations could not charge as much because their demographic was worse for the advertisers.
Madigan also cites a Bridge Ratings study that found satellite radio listeners - who have chosen to pay for their listening - to be 10 times more passionate about their experience than their terrestrial radio counterparts.
He also quoted radio consultant Fred Jacobs, who is sceptical about the findings, as saying, "It's not about affluence; it's about choice" and noting that radio is "fighting back in a number of ways -- beefing up and improving Web sites, moving to podcasts to better leverage the strength of their personality shows and, of course, the fledgling HD radio."
He also cited Arbitron figures that show the number of people tuning into radio as remaining "rock solid" but the hours they listen down from 23-4 hours a week a decade ago to around 19 hours.
Less optimistic about terrestrial radio was Holland Cooke, a news and talk-radio specialist at radio management and consulting firm McVay Media, who in a recent interview posted on MarketWatch.com commented that terrestrial radio companies had damaged themselves by "deregulating, consolidating, automating, and in the view of many, dumbing down their programming" and added, "It's an indictment of AM-FM radio that people will pay 13 dollars a month not to listen to it."
Cooke suggested that terrestrial radio, which cannot provide as many channels as satellite, "should be doing what only it can do, that which non-local media cannot: local content, the silver bullet against iPod and satellite."
In this he was backed by Edward C. Kiernan, general manager of Baltimore's top-rated talk-radio station WBAL-AM, and WIYY-FM, who commented, "Our feeling is that satellite radio can never be as local as WBAL radio can be."
"I've been in the radio biz for over 35 years -- radio was supposed to be dead by now," he continued, ascribing its supposed demise to the advent of television, to the fact that cigarette advertising was removed from the airwaves, to record players, cassette tape recorders, eight-track tapes and, more recently, compact discs. If none of these things killed radio, he suggested, then iPods and satellite radio won't either.
The article did not take up the issues that the idea of localness raises for music radio - if you can get either more niche channels targeted at your tastes on satellite or make up your own play lists on a portable player the value placed on advertising-funded radio as a source will be less - nor indeed the issue of adverts - one of the main reasons for subscribing to satellite is the absence of commercial breaks.
A far more positive note for the medium as such, if not the financial future for today's companies, came from an article by Linda Rush in the Southern Illinoisan on Carbondale community station WDBX-FM, a station not subject to the same number-cruncher pressures as are commercial stations.
She says that for Brian R. Powell, the only paid employee of the station "playlist" is a dirty word adding that rules are pretty simple: If it doesn't violate FCC regulations, it's OK.
"If people are working for free, you can tell them what they can't do, but don't tell them what to do," Powell reasoned. Once he picks DJs, he'll leave them alone. "That way, they have a stake in the organization," he said.
The stations was founded by Carbondale businessman Tom Egert who with attorney Gene Turk and accountant Ron Manis in 1993 created the Heterodyne Broadcasting Co., and applied to the FCC to operate a 700-watt, community-based, non-profit educational radio station.
The station went on air in 1996 and initially broadcast only from 16:00 to 22:00 but as the number of volunteers has grown the broadcasts hours have increased - it now and usually goes on air around 04:00 and runs to between 02:00 and 04:00
The station, of course, falls very squarely into the "local" category as do low-power FMs, stations that are perceived as a threat by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which has lobbied hard - and so far successfully - to keep in place third-adjacent channel restrictions that severely limit the number of LPFM stations that can be licensed.
On that issue, we note in passing, an article in the Tennessean by Bud Walters, founder and president of the 22-radio-station Cromwell Group - it operates in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee - concerning LPFM.
Walters in our view can be either ignorant or a liar but not knowledgeable and honest in the way he puts forward propaganda against LPFM in terms of opposition to moves to ease third adjacent channel protection.
"Full-power broadcasters do not oppose licensing low-power stations," he writes. "In fact, I fully support the idea. Our BUZZ 102.9 and V-102.5 recently assisted St. Andrew-Sewanee School in getting a low-power FM station. It is a great opportunity for students to learn more about radio broadcasting. But what we, and many listeners, do oppose is stripping away the safety net that prevents interference on stations currently broadcasting at full power. Instead of risking interference to the 232 million weekly listeners of local radio, the FCC should more aggressively process the hundreds of pending license applications of low-power stations that will comply with the interference protections."
The case he makes is very much that made by NAB and it completely ignores the fact that the FCC proposals as originally made - on the basis of tests that showed fears of interference to be greatly overblown - included provisions that would close down an LPFM if it were in fact found to be causing interference.
As one of the responders commented, "It is a shame to see this multiple radio station owner bash Low Power FM stations. He either is ignorant about LPFM, or more likely is deliberately misleading the readers of his article. His radio stations also have the ability to own and operate Low Power FM's known as translators. They repeat the programming of an FM station somewhere else but operate with far different rules than those true LPFMs have the possibility of providing great local content and niche programming. Translator rules allow higher power, closer frequency spacing. So, obviously this person does not want small local station."
On however to issues of bias and bigotry and first two articles concerning shrinking giant Clear Channel, albeit its attempts to shrink by selling of stations has run into a legal dispute with the potential purchaser of 187 of those stations who now wants to pay around USD 350 million rather than the USD 452 million agreed (RNW question: Could this be a result of the tightening of credit as a result of US sub-prime mortgage market problems?).
In one case it is being attacked by a lobby group and in another for actions it has taken getting some tepid welcome from a different group: We chose the two instances because we suspect the two groups concerned might well be at loggerheads over what should and should not be aired.
The positive comment for Clear Channel came from the US Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which had called on Clear Channel to withdraw its sponsorship of Reggae Carifest, in light of the fact that two of its featured performers Buju Banton and Bounty Killer publicly advocate and promote anti-gay violence in their songs.
Clear Channel subsequently dropped its sponsorship and GLAAD in a statement commented, "Following publication of that alert, Clear Channel quietly but quickly dropped its sponsorship of the event. The decision, reported today by Newsday, means that Clear Channel joins other companies and venues worldwide that refuse to support these performers' dangerous messages of violence and hatred. GLAAD hopes that in the future, Clear Channel will be more forthright in condemning violence and hatred in the music and performers they sponsor."
Negative for Clear Channel was a report by Will Youmans in The Arab American News concerning anti-Muslim rhetoric aired in the US and the identification by "Colorado Media Matters, and others around the nation" of the company as a significant "source for hate speech on the radio."
The report singled out a broadcast of "The Peter Boyles Show" in which guest host Lou Pate was said to have joined a caller in denigrating Muslims and the Islamic faith, commenting that Muslims "don't respect women at all" and adding sarcastically, "they're a peaceful, benevolent, kind people, the Muslims are ... [I]f they like you, they'll cut your head off with one swing instead of a jagged edge that takes seven or eight."
The report also says that when a caller referred to the Muslim people as a "sick race," Pate agreed and called them "a violent community." He also railed on about the "honour killings ... that they condone. They will kill ... their own wives; they will kill their own daughters."
RNW comment: The broadening of specifics into all-encompassing generalities by Pate is inaccurate and obviously unfair but unfortunately there is far too much truth behind the comments for complacency by Muslims about treatment of women in Muslim countries as a quick glance at many wire stories will reveal. The latest we noted -early found through any major search engine concerned the family of a 7-year-old Afghan girl raped by two men who are defying social customs to demand justice whereas the normal practice is apparently to view such attacks as a stain on the victim's honour. The case does not justify attacks on Islam but it and too many like it seem to pass without widespread condemnation in the Moslem world - as did the recent brutal attack that killed hundreds of members of the Yazdi sect in Iraq (a sect also hardly to be defended for its actions in stoning to death a girl who had married a Moslem) - in marked contrast to the justified outrage over Abu Ghraib.
Finally before moving on the listening suggestions another story of aired bigotry this time from a "Catholic" station in Poland where prosecutors have refused to take action against Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, boss of the Radio Maryja media empire, that has gained a reputation for anti-Semitism for his comments attacking the Polish President Lech Kaczynski for giving in to Jewish demands for compensation for property lost after the Holocaust and for suggesting Jews wanted to strip Poland of billions of dollars; Rydzyk also attacked Maria Kaczynska, Poland's first lady, calling her a "witch" for opposing a failed attempt by hard-line Catholic lawmakers to ban abortion, which is already highly restricted in Poland, and suggesting she should kill herself rather than unborn children.
These comments were published by the weekly magazine Wprost leading to complaints but no widespread public reaction: Rydzyk did not deny making the comments but accused Wprost of "provocation".
Last year the Pope reprimanded Rydzyk about broadcasts by Radio Maryja and told Poland's bishops to set up a watchdog body for the station (See RNW Apr 10, 2006) but according to a report in the European Jewish Press this has had little effect. The report also notes that three weeks ago, Rydzyk was among a group of Polish pilgrims granted an audience by Pope Benedict XVI at his summer residence in Castelgandolfo, which sparked anger among Jewish groups and led the Vatican to issue an uncommon explanatory note saying the meeting "implies no change in the well-known position of the Holy See on relations between Catholics and Jews".
RNW comment: This, of course, as there is a supreme voice for the Catholic Church, unlike the situation for Islam, and it seems difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Vatican's competence in checking groups of pilgrims is poor or the Papal commitment to action over the station is lukewarm (or both). Of course it all, like so many things, isn't so different from the "my gang" v "your gang" attitude that has existed in societies over the centuries, but that doesn't say much for the various religious leaders and religions involved.
And after that our first listening suggestion has to be today's "Flatlanders" on Radio Netherlands. This looks at how when one problem is solved, another - and far too often larger one - is frequently created. The programme suggests that the answer may well be stupidity and features as its guest Dutch philosopher and writer Matthijs van Boxsel who is devoting scholarly research to the study of stupidity and publishing his findings in 'The Encyclopaedia of Stupidity'. Perhaps this should be a birthday present for most world leaders, never mind talk-hosts.
We then suggest one of our regulars, "On the Media" from WNYC: Last week's edition began with "Word Watch: Sanctuary City", a look at the latest perversion of language by American politicians in search of ways to attack opponents to their advantage.
Also worthy of a listen in this context is the August 19 issue of "Media Matters with Bob McChesney" on WILL-AM: This featured as its guest John Stauber, founder of founded the non-profit, non-partisan [???] Center for Media & Democracy
Then to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the two latest editions of "Street Stories" - on "Being Deaf": The first dealt with issues when a deaf baby is born to hearing parents and the second with people who have grown up in the "deaf community", many of whom do not want their condition "fixed."
After this a complete change with a suggestion for those who have a few hours to spare of a run of programming from BBC Radio 2 today: It starts - albeit for those in the UK only as copyright means that the programme is not transmitted live on the Internet and the Listen-Again version is only available to UK listens - at 15:00 GMT with "Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour" from XM Satellite Radio - an edition on "Sleep."
Following that the station has two one-hour programmes on "Sgt Peppers 40th Anniversary" followed by "The Record Producers", one of a series exploring the work of legendary record producers. Today's programme is about the legendary song writing and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland- Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Edward Holland, who pioneered the use of multi-track recording techniques.
Later in the evening, at 21:00 GMT, in "Earth, Wind for Hire" comedian and musician Bill Bailey presents the second in a 4-series tribute to tribute bands: Tonight's programme features "The Bootleg Beatles."
Also from Radio 2, next Saturday we suggest the lunchtime comedy hour (12:00 GMT ) that features the second in a six-part series "Alexei Sayle's Alternative Take" followed by "Alan Carr and Friends", the second and last of a two programmes. In the evening (19:00 GMT) in "Blood and Fire: Roots, Reggae and Rastafari", Don Letts looks at the Rastafari religious movement.
After that drama and BBC Radio 3 with "The Wire" from last Saturday: This was "Quarantine" by Jeff Young - the story of leafleter Milton who lives in fear, but while everyone else is scared of terrorists and bird flu, Milton is terrified of envelopes, of germs in mayonnaise, of letterboxes and pizza delivery bikes.
Also with drama we suggest last week's "World Drama" from BBC World Service - "Sad Girl" by Sue Teddern, the story about the search for a painting "Sad Girl" that was taken along with family members from a Jewish home in Berlin by the Nazis. Next week the slot (19:45 GMT) has a black comedy, "Kitty Elizabeth Must Die "by Louise Ironside.
Also from Radio 3 last Saturday we suggest "Hear and Now, a report from the EMS Network conference of electro acoustic music in Leicester. We'd also note that this year's "Proms" continue on the station.
Finally a few suggestions from BBC Radio 4 starting with "Grasping the Nettle" from Sunday, a programme in which Tanzanian journalist Adam Lusekelo tries to get to grips with the attraction of the World Nettle Eating Championships at the Bottle Inn in Dorset; Thursday's (08:00 GMT) "The Clinton Years" in which Gavin Esler tells the story of Bill Clinton (Also the BBC World Service "Monday Documentary"), and last Saturday's "For One Night Only" - part of a series in which Paul Gambaccini recalls classic concerts. This programme was about the 1972 performances by Neil Diamond at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles: Next Saturday's programme (09:30 GMT) is "The Prom of Peace", the 1968 Proms debut by the Soviet State Symphony Orchestra with a programme featuring Czech composer Antonin Dvorak's Cello Concerto - a concert on the same day - August 21 - that Russian tanks went into Czechoslovakia to put an end to Alexander Dubcek's Prague Spring.
And throughout this week in the "Women's Hour" drama slot (09:45 GMT with an evening repeat) we suggest "Ladies of Letters Say No" by Lou Wakefield and Carole Hayman.
Previous Columnists:
Arab American News- Youmans:
Baltimore Sun - Madigan:
European Jewish Press re Radio Maryja:
GLAAD re Clear Channel:
Southern Illinoisan -Rush:
The Tennessean - Walters:
2007-08-26: Last week was in general a routine one for the regulators although in the UK Ofcom published its latest annual Communications Market Report, a 330-page report on the current market in the UK, that notes radio listening increasing amongst the 55 plus demographic but down amongst younger listeners: There were no radio postings from Australia and elsewhere only a steady flow of radio-related postings.
In Canada radio-related announcements posted by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) included the following (In order of province):
Alberta
* Administrative renewal of the 30 November 2007 of the licences of CKUA Radio Foundation's CKUA-FM, Edmonton and its transmitters CKUA, Edmonton; CKUA-FM-1. Calgary; CKUA-FM-2. Lethbridge; CKUA-FM-3. Medicine Hat; CKUA-FM-4, Grande Prairie; CKUA-FM-5, Peace River; CKUA-FM-6, Red Deer; CKUA-FM-7, Hinton; CKUA-FM-8, Edson; CKUA-FM-9, Whitecourt; CKUA-FM-10, Athabasca; CKUA-FM-11, Fort McMurray; CKUA-FM-12, Spirit River; CKUA-FM-13, Drumheller; CKUA-FM-14. Banff; and CKUA-FM-15, Lloydminster.
The CRTC noted that it would not be able to rule on the renewal application before the current licence expires.
*Short-term renewal until 31 August 2011 of licence of CHBW-FM, Rocky Mountain House, and CHBW-FM-1, Nordegg: The CRTC noted that the licensee may have failed to comply with the requirements regarding the contributions to Canadian talent development for the years 2001 and 2002 and that it had said it would make up the shortfall.
British Columbia:
*Approval of application by Standard Radio Inc. to revoke the licence of CKTK-AM, Kitimat, following approval of its conversion to FM and the bringing into operation of the new FM.
*Approval of application by Northern Native Broadcasting (Terrace, B.C.) to delete FM transmitter VF2119, Metlakatla, and to operate an FM transmitter at Prince Rupert (Mount Hays) for Type B Native station CFNR-FM, Terrace. Northern Native said the equipment at Metlakatla is failing regularly and that the Prince Rupert transmitter will be accessible at all times of the year and will provide better coverage of the area.
New Brunswick:
*Approval of frequency change, increase in antenna height and power increase from 50 watts to 880 watts for International Harvesters for Christ Evangelistic Association Inc.'s CITA-FM, Moncton.
The CRTC noted that it had approved an application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to convert CBA-AM, Moncton, from the AM to the FM band that was technically mutually exclusive with CITA-FM's current frequency and that as a low-power unprotected station CITA had to give up the frequency.
The power increase will change CITA-FM's status from a low-power unprotected service to a regular Class A FM service but in approving the change the CRTC noted that the application was made because the previous frequency had to be relinquished; that the change will have minimal, if any, impact on mainstream commercial radio licensees serving the Moncton market; and that there are several other protected frequencies still available in the Moncton area to accommodate future applicants.
Newfoundland and Labrador:
*Renewal until 31 August 2014 of licence of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Radio Society's community-based campus station CHMR-FM, St. John's.
The CRTC noted receipt of 11 interventions, two in support and nine general comments, mainly from former CHMR-FM volunteer personnel who expressed concerns with the governance and managerial practices at CHMR-FM. It noted that some of the concerns expressed were legal matters outside of the Commission's jurisdiction and that in response to the licensee indicated that CHMR-FM operates in compliance with its licence, the Broadcasting Act and all requirements with respect to its Board of Directors.
The CRTC in renewing the licence said it expects the licensee to take all the necessary steps to ensure that its Board of Directors includes balanced representation from among the student body, the associated college or university (for example, faculty or administration), station volunteers, and the community at large.
Ontario:
*Short-term renewal until 31 August 2011of licence of Northwest Broadcasting Inc.'s English-language, low-power commercial station CFQK-FM, Kaministiquia, and its transmitter CKED-FM, Shuniah Township.
The CRTC noted that the short-term renewal will permit the Commission to review at an earlier date the licensee's compliance with its condition of licence relating to Canadian content development: The CRTC noted the licensee's apparent non-compliance with its condition of licence relating to Canadian talent development contributions for the year 2002 albeit subsequently the licensee provided a copy of a cheque to the Ontario Country Performer and Fan Association dated 15 January 2003 in excess of the required amount relating to 2002.
*Short-term renewal until 31 August 2011 of licence of Toronto commercial ethnic radio stations CHIN-FM and CHIN-AM and its transmitter CHIN-1-FM.
The CRTC noted that the short-term renewal will permit the Commission to review at an earlier date the licensee's compliance with its condition of licence relating to Canadian content development and the licensee's apparent non-compliance with each station's condition of licence relating to Canadian talent development contributions for the years 2001 and 2003. In this case the licensee said much of the contributions for 2001 were, in fact, deferred to the 2002 fiscal year and indicated that its 2003 broadcast year shortfall would be paid in full by the end of the 2007 fiscal year.
*Approval of application by The Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc. to add a 50 watts FM transmitter in Elliot Lake to the licence of English-language CKNR-FM, Elliot Lake, to improve the station's coverage in the northern part of Elliot Lake.
Quebec:
*Short-term renewal until 31 August 2011 of licence of French-language Type B community station CIMI-FM, Charlesbourg.
The CRTC noted that the short-term renewal will permit the Commission to review at an earlier date the licensee's compliance with its condition of licence relating to Canadian content development: It also noted that some 19 hours were missing from logger tapes for the week of 7 to 13 January 2007 thus preventing it from reviewing the programming of the station.
It added that given that this represents Radio Charlesbourg's first instance of non-compliance and that Radio Charlesbourg has indicated that it has put in place measures to solve the problem brought about by its non-compliance, the Commission determines that it is appropriate to renew this licence for a short-term period of four years
*Approval of application by Communication du Versant Nord (CISM FM), licensee of French-language community-based campus station CISM-FM, Montréal, to broadcast 9% of category 3 Canadian selections rather than 12% as required under its Campus Radio Policy. The CRTC noted the preponderance of world beat music in CISM-FM's programming and the difficulty in obtaining Canadian content within this music subcategory. It also said that in any week when the majority of category 3 musical selections broadcast are not from the world beat sub-category, the 12% minimum would apply.
*Short-term renewal until 31 August 2011 of licence of French-language, low-power commercial station CJDS-FM, Saint-Pamphile.
The CRTC noted that the short-term renewal will permit the Commission to review at an earlier date the licensee's compliance with its condition of licence relating to Canadian content development: It also noted a failure to provide logger tapes when asked for the week of 3 to 9 April 2005 when asked for them, a failure the licensee put down to its data storage programme, although it said it had made changes to rectify the situation: It also noted a shortfall in Canadian talent development payments for 2002 and 2003 that the licensee had said would be made up during the current fiscal year.
There were no radio decisions from Ireland although there the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) is involved in the release of radio ratings (See RNW Aug 25) and in the UK as noted Ofcom has posted its latest annual Communications Market Report (See below)
Ofcom also posted details of a request by Now Digital (North Wales, Wirral & Cheshire) Ltd to remove from its application the 'religious' format from its proposed line-up of services in its bid for a digital multiplex for Northeast Wales and West Cheshire. The request followed a decision by United Christian Broadcasters that it no longer required capacity on the North East Wales and West Cheshire local multiplex licence. (See RNW Aug 23).
In the US the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) confirmed penalties of USD 12,000 and USD 7,000 for public file and tower offences respectively.
The larger penalty went to Wilson Broadcasting, Inc., licensee of WJJN-FM, Columbia; and WAGF-AM and FM, Dothan, all in Alabama for failure to maintain complete public inspection files for the three stations, which are co-located on one site.
Three USD 4,000 Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NALs) were issued in February this year following a January inspection during which the station's owner admitted that he had not compiled the Issues/Programs lists since March 2003, and no material for any of the lists was readily available at the co-located main studio.
Wilson had requested reduction or cancellation on the basis that the lists were prepared, but not placed in the public inspection files and the owner did not know the agent wanted to see the stations' issues/programs lists because she referred to "issues lists."
The agent said she had requested to inspect the Three Stations' public inspection files and mentioned the Broadcast Self-Inspection Checklist to Wilson's owner, for more information. Wilson's owner then produced the public inspection files that contained a folder with one issues/programs list dated March 2003 but when asked for additional lists admitted that the more recent lists had not been compiled.
The FCC commented that despite Wilson's statement that recent issues/programs lists were maintained elsewhere at the station during the inspection, it found no reason to reduce or cancel the forfeiture.
In the second case an NAL for USD 7,000 was issued to M.R.S. Ventures, Inc., licensee of WDSK-AM, in Cleveland, Mississippi, following an inspection that found that the hasp on the gate of the fence enclosing the antenna structure, which has RF potential at the base, was broken, allowing easy access. It also noted that there was no perimeter fence around the property.
MRS had requested reduction or cancellation on the basis that its violation was not wilful, because it had recently inspected the fence and that the antenna structure is located on a dead end road that is often closed. MRS also implied that the penalty would cause financial hardship, because the station is currently silent and not generating revenue but the FCC noted that it failed to attach any financial documentation of its finances and therefore confirmed the full penalty.
Previous BCI:
Previous CRTC:
Previous FCC:
Previous Licence News:
Previous Ofcom:
BCI web site:
CRTC web site:
FCC web site:
Ofcom web site:
2007-08-26: In its fourth annual Communications Market Report just released, UK media regulator Ofcom estimates that the combination of broadcasting and telecoms networks and services generated revenues of more than GBP 50 billion ( USD 100 billion) in 2006. It also included the results from new research that it commissioned into the impact of the mobile phone and the digital video recorder on traditional media and of research into the use of communications by UK
Children - three quarters of 11-year-olds it says have a TV set(s), games console(s), and mobile phone (s).
Overall it says people in the UK "consume" more than seven hours of media and communications services cumulatively per day although the tendency to "consume some media simultaneously means that the actual time spent on media is likely to be less than this."
Regarding radio it says total funding for UK radio in 2006 was down 0.6% on 2005 at GBP 1.15 billion (USD 2.31 billion) and that it estimates the BBC share of this as 55%, some GBP 637 million (USD 1.28 billion).
Within the commercial sector it says national commercial radio earned some GBP 270 million (USD 543 million) from advertising; local commercial radio some GBP 153 million (USD 308 million) and sponsorship made up the final GBP 91 million (USD 183 million).
Radio reach it notes has been stable at around 90% for the past five years but total listening hours have fallen - by 1.4% in the year to the first quarter of 2007 and by 4% on five years ago.
In demographic terms the fall is down to younger people - listening by the over-55s was up 5.5% over five years but among children it was down 8.7% and amongst 25-34 year-olds it was down 17.3%.
The fall mainly affected local stations - BBC local radio listening is down 6.7% over the year and local commercial radio by 4.1% over the year whilst national stations have reported increased listening - national commercial radio was up 1% over the year and BBC network stations by 0.5%.
In terms of the BBC-commercial divide, the BBC share of 56% in the first quarter of this year was up three percentage points on 2002 and that of commercial radio at 42% was down by four points. BBC network stations' 45.4% share of listening was above that for all commercial radio but national commercial share at 10.7% for the quarter overtook BBC local and nations listening share of 10.6% for the first time.
In commercial group terms, three main groups accounted for 67% of commercial listening by the first quarter of this year - 31% for GCap (down from 34% a year earlier); 24% for Emap |(up 1%) and 12% for Chrysalis - now Global Radio (up 0.,4%).
Ofcom notes that DAB digital radio will be expanded next year with the launch of a second national digital multiplex - to carry ten national digital radio services as well as text and data services - that was awarded to the 4Digital Group Limited.
It also noted that this year it is licensing more local DAB multiplexes - seven had been advertised and two awarded by July and that cumulative DAB digital radio sales passed five million during the first quarter of this year with an estimated 19.5% of UK adults now owning a DAB receiver according to RAJAR, up eight points on a year ago.
Some 58% of listeners, it adds, say they have accessed radio through one of the digital platforms (up seven percentage points on last year); 41% have listened via DTV, 24% over the internet, and 8% via mobile phone. Twenty seven per cent of UK adults now own an MP3 player, with 5% using them to listen to radio podcasts.
Regarding analogue radio it notes that FM licensing has now come to a close with the latest round of awards - 15 new commercial FMs were awarded last year and four more by May this year with 140 community radio licences awarded by July this year.
Previous Ofcom:
Ofcom Communications Market summary (Carries links to three PDFs totalling 330 pages and 5.53MB):
2007-08-25: Despite its problems with getting people to wear its Portable People Meter (PPM), particularly in the 18-34 demographic in Philadelphia but with overall shortfalls there and in Houston, Arbitron CEO Steve Morris insists that the data is both accurate and reliable, adding that apart from at major holiday times there is only a small correlation between sample size and listening recorded.
Arbitron on Thursday re-issued its PPM ratings for the first week of the Houston August survey including some records from around 200 people that were left out from the original ratings report issued on Monday because of an error.
The original ratings had listed 683 people aged 6+ and 620 for 12+ compared to 910 and 811 respectively for the previous period and the revision took the 6+ total to 880 but Arbitron showed that the results produced for both ratings was not significantly changed although it admitted that the error should have been picked up by its quality control process.
Previous Arbitron:
Previous Morris:
2007-08-25: Latest Irish radio ratings from the JNLR/TNSmrbi survey covering July 2006-June 2007 again show an unchanged 85% of the adult population as listening daily to a mix of national, regional and local radio throughout the country.
Nationally compared to figures for April 2006 to March 2007, listenership to any regional or local station was down 2% to 53% and of national stations RTÉ Radio 1's reach was unchanged at 23% as was RTÉ 2FM with 18% ; Today FM with 16%; Newstalk with 5%; and Lyric FM with 3%.
Market share figures showed RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2FM's each up 0.4% to 20.9% and 13% respectively; Today FM unchanged at 12.4%; and Lyric FM down 0.2% to 1.7%: Newstalk had a market share figure of 3.2% for the nine months from October 06 to June 07.
South-East regional station Beat 102-103 FM, increased its reach by 1% to 18% and share by 1.3% to 12.3%.
Amongst local stations, excluding Dublin and Cork, the top five stations in terms of weekday reach were Highland Radio with an unchanged 64% reach; Limerick's Live 95FM with an unchanged 59%; Shannonside/Northern Sound with 54% (-1); Mid West Radio with 51% (-2); and WLR FM with 49% (-1).
In terms of market share the top five local stations in the period were Highland Radio with 64.2% (-0.2); Mid West Radio with 56% (-1.8); Radio Kerry with 51.4% (-2.8); Tipp FM with 46.6% (+1.9) and WLR FM with 46.4% (-3.0).
In Dublin the leaders in terms of weekly reach were RTÉ Radio 1 with 40% (+1); FM104 with 32% (-1); 98FM with 28% (-1); RTÉ 2FM with 25% (+2) and Newstalk with an unchanged 19% whilst in Cork the leaders in reach were Cork 96FM/County Sound 103FM with 65% (-2); RTÉ Radio 1 with an unchanged 34%; Cork's Red FM with 29% (-1); Today FM with an unchanged 25%; and RTÉ 2FM with an unchanged 20%
Previous Irish Ratings:
Previous RTÉ:
2007-08-25: Southern Cross Broadcasting, which is the subject of a bid by Macquarie Media Group (See RNW Jul 4) has reported full year revenues to the end of June up 11.5% at AUD 514.8 million (USD 425.9 million) with EBITDA up 8% to AUD 116.6 million (USD 96.5 million) , pre-tax profit up 10.4% to AUD 88 million (USD 72.8 million) and Net profit up on continuing operations - thus excluding the Channel 9 TV station in Adelaide that it has sold and also deducting non-recurring items of AUD 4.1 million (USD 3.4 million) that included staff redundancy payments - up 9.7% to AUD 62.1 million (USD 51.4 million).
Southern Cross said the result reflected an improved broadcasting advertising market with regional TV up 5.2% and metropolitan radio up 3.6% and notes that its radio division "performed strongly and delivered robust earnings growth."
In divisional terms TV revenues were up 3.6% to AUD 237.4 million (USD 196.4 million); radio was up 3.6% to AUD 107.6 million (USD 89 million); Southern Star was up 33.9% to AUD 162.5 million (USD 134.4 million) and other revenues were up 1.4% to AUD 7.3 million (USD 6 million).
Earnings were up 3.9% to AUD 64.8 million (USD 53.6 million) for TV; up 26.3% to AUD 23.1 million (USD 19.1 million) for radio ; and up 32.3% to AUD 16.1 million (USD 13.3 million) for Southern Star whilst other operations went from an AUD 1 million (USD 830,000) loss to an AUD 3.3 million ( USD 2.7 million) loss.
Within radio the company commented on a "standout performance from 96FM and 6PR in Perth" which achieved combined double digit revenue growth and combined profit growth of more than 40% as well a market out performance from 4BC and 4BH in Brisbane; continuing strong performance from Melbourne ratings leader 3AW; and an improvement in profitability for Sydney 2UE.
Chairman John Dahlsen said of the results, "In a year of improved national advertising market conditions, we are pleased that all of our core businesses in regional television, radio and Southern Star have delivered quality earnings growth.
Managing Director Tony Bell added, "Southern Cross Broadcasting's management team has achieved high levels of success in managing a diverse range of media assets. Our controllable expenses were well contained and considering the national trends on ratings performances by our television program providers, we achieved satisfactory revenue shares. Southern Star and our radio division delivered earnings well above the previous year levels."
Southern Cross declared a final dividend of 37 cents per share, taking the full year dividend to 74 cents, an 8.8% year-on-year increase.
Regarding the Macquarie bid, which is being recommended by the Southern Cross Board "in the absence of a superior proposal and pending confirmation from an Independent Expert that the transaction is in the best interests of SCB shareholders", Southern Cross says it expects to hold a shareholders' meeting in October to vote on the offer. In all Macquarie is offering AUD 17.41 per share - AUD 17.05 in cash plus a special fully franked dividend of 36 cents.
Previous Bell:
Previous Dahlsen:
Previous Southern Cross:
2007-08-24: Veteran US radio host Bob Grant, now 78, who began his radio career in the 1940s at WBBM in Chicago, but has been mainly New York based since 1970 has returned to WABC, now owned by Citadel, to take over the 20:00-22:00 evening slot that is being vacated by Jerry Agar, who is to concentrate on his midday show in Chicago (See RNW Aug 23).
Grant began working in radio in the 1940s at the news department at WBBM in Chicago and also worked in various other cities including Los Angeles and a spell in Philadelphia before he first joined WABC in 1984.
He was known for on-air attacks on public officials, creating offensive nicknames for those he disliked.
He was fired from WABC -then owned by ABC - after comments he made, when early reports suggested there had been one survivor, about the 1996 plane crash in which Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and 32 others were killed: He had remarked to one of his regular callers Carl Limbacher "My hunch is [Brown] is the one survivor. I just have that hunch. Maybe it's because at heart I'm a pessimist", remarks that in the event were found insensitive by many.
Grant then moved to WOR-AM where he hosted a similar afternoon show - going up against Sean Hannity who took over on WABC and bested him in the ratings -until he was dropped in January last year although he returned to the station the following month with twice-daily "Straight Ahead" commentaries that aired until September.
He announced his impending return on Wednesday on Hannity's show and the New York Daily News said the return was then confirmed by WABC program director Phil Boyce who said, "We're delighted to have him back. He's done some fill-ins for us and he's the old Bob, full of fire and passion."
Grant commented that he had never thought he'd miss radio as much as he did following WOR's decision to end his show, adding, "I thought I'd retire and just do what I wanted. But it turned out what I wanted to do is what I'm going to be doing now."
Concerning the Brown controversy, Grant said, "It's in the past for me. But if some sickie wants to dredge it up, I'll deal with it."
Boyce said he thinks the issue is "yesterday's news" and won't create problems, adding, "We're actually even more careful now about what's said on the air. So we'll watch Bob, like we watch everybody. I'm not worried about him at all."
Previous Citadel:
New York Daily News report:
2007-08-24: GMG Radio has announced that it is to air Mark Goodier's morning show on London "Smooth FM" to three of its other Smooth stations - in the east Midlands, west Midlands and Glasgow from next month - although he will not be carried on the north-west Smooth station.
Goodier hosted BBC Radio 1's Top 40 chart for a decade until 2002, and since then has been a regular on GCap Media's Classic FM and BBC Radio 2.
The UK Guardian, owned by the same parent, quoted John Simons, group programming director of GMG Radio, as saying of the decision, "Mark is a giant in the world of broadcasting and Smooth Radio is delighted to be able to reunite him with audiences across the country that grew up listening to him."
Previous GMG :
Previous Goodier:
UK Guardian report:
2007-08-23: Clear Channel is reported to be at legal loggerheads with the largest buyer of stations it is selling off, the USD 453 million deal with Frequency Licence LLC (aka Good Radio) for 187 stations: Frequency was headed by Dean Goodman who has been pushed out and had been attempting to renegotiate the deal with both sides reported to have filed lawsuits over the matter.
Clear Channel had put 448 radio stations up for sale and last months said it had by the end of June agreed sales of 389 in 77 markets for USD 871.5 million and had completed the sale of 29 of these for USD 75.8 million (See RNW Jul 28).
Previous Clear Channel:
2007-08-23: United Christian Broadcasters Limited has signed a deal with MXR Limited to put services on MXR's digital radio multiplexes covering the North East, North West, Yorkshire, West Midlands and Severn Estuary.
It was invited to apply for access to the multiplexes by MXR in March and MXR Limited's Managing Director Diane Wray said in a release, "We are really pleased to see UCB become a content provider on our multiplexes. UCB is a quality broadcaster and they are bringing something new and exciting to these regions."
UCB already has services on London and Stoke multiplexes and is launching two stations over the five regions it is adding - UCB UK, its flagship station that is on the two multiplexes it uses already and UCB Inspirational.
Its chief executive Ian Mackie said, "'We set our sights on providing national Christian broadcasting back in 1986 and more recently determined we needed two very different radio formats to ensure we were able to meet the needs of all our supporters, regardless of their age. This breakthrough takes us a long way to achieving both objectives."
UCB has also pulled out of a deal to provide a service on the NOWDigital bid for a new multiplex covering North East Wales and West Cheshire. This leaves the GCap Media-owned company short of a service and it has amended its application to replace the proffered religious service with an unspecified local digital sound programme service.
MuxCo, the rival bidder for the licence - it is also bidding against NOW Digital for multiplexes covering Oxford and Hereford and Worcestershire and in March lost to NOW Digital in its bid for the Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire licence (See RNW Mar 30), comments on its site about the change that "It seems quite a late change, especially as we think the licence will be awarded on September 6th! It's also not the only change, since submitting the application we've seen them change their transmitter configurations and which versions of services they'll be launching in the area. We're obviously sure that this has nothing to do with a better bid from MuxCo!"
Previous GCap Media:
Previous Muxco:
Previous MXR:
2007-08-23: According to Robert Feder in the Chicago Sun-Times, WLS-AM midday host Jerry Agar, who has also been doubling as evening host on Citadel-owned sister station WABC-AM, New York, is to give up the New York gig and concentrate on Chicago.
Feder reports that Agar's dual role left him little time for his wife and three children and quoted Agar, who had been hosting the New York show from Chicago, as saying he's eager to get home at a decent hour.
He also quoted, WABC program director Phil Boyce as saying Agar did a great job of hosting his evening show from Chicago but making it sound as local as any from New York.
Previous Citadel:
Previous Feder:
Chicago Sun-Times -Feder:
2007-08-22: Recovery is under way for UK commercial radio according to industry body The RadioCentre which reports a 3.4% year-on-year rise in national revenues to more than GBP 85 million ( USD 170 million) for the second quarter of the year.
Local revenues also grew - by 1.2% to more than GBP 40 million (USD 80 million) but Sponsorship and Promotional revenues were down by 7.8% to GBP 24 million (USD 48 million), a figure that was boosted a year ago by World Cup soccer sponsorship.
The RadioCentre also noted what it termed "an impressive set" of ratings for the quarter and also said it expected further momentum for the UK commercial radio industry from the entry of Global Radio - which recently bought Chrysalis's radio operations (See RNW Aug 1) and Channel 4 - which won the bidding for the second national commercial digital licence (See RNW Jul 6) into the market.
Simon Redican, managing director of the Radio Advertising Bureau - one of the bodies making up the RadioCentre, commented, "The results are extremely encouraging: We have already stated our optimism publicly but it is always good to get confirmation. Radio is the multiplier of the digital age and advertisers are recognising the important role it is playing as part of the media mix."
The RAB has also announced that in the coming months they will be rolling out the Advertising Effectiveness Tracker designed to demonstrate to advertisers the value of their investment in the medium, a move Redican said would "provide major advertisers with confidence in the medium's ability to build value for their brands."
Previous RadioCentre:
2007-08-22: Commenting on attempts by the recording industry to play down the amount that proposed performance royalty charges would cost US terrestrial radio, David Oxenford in his broadcastlawblog.com takes issue with industry.
He notes that a post on the Wired Listening Post blog quoted a spokesman for the Music First Coalition -the music industry coalition seeking the performance royalty- as saying the charges holders would be similar to those paid in Europe for the use of sound recordings, and similar to the amounts currently paid to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for the use of the musical compositions, in the range of 3-5% of revenues.
Oxenford then looks at SoundExchange's claims - SoundExchange is the body charged with collecting such fees - and says that it has consistently argued in connection with all of the other on-going royalty proceedings that the sound recording royalty is far more valuable than the composition royalty - asking for a royalty over 6 times the amount of the composition royalty that would amount to 30% of gross revenues.
He also notes that in making a special offer to Small Commercial Webcasters on May 23, with royalties between 10 and 12% of gross revenue SoundExchange specifically stated that it thought that the 10-12% rate was "a below-market rate to subsidize small webcasters and that for satellite radio it wanted SoundExchange specifically stated that it thought that the 10-12% rate was "a below-market rate to subsidize small webcasters whilst for cable radio, SoundExchange proposes a royalty beginning at 15% of revenue for 2008 and increasing to 30% of cable radio's gross revenue for 2013, the last year of the royalty period for those services.
RNW comment: For once NAB seems to have it about right. Our view of the recording companies is that they are, like NAB, capable o talking out of four sides of their mouth simultaneously and a just settlement in this case would be for Congress, if it allows the charges (which logically it should to level the playing filed for all comers) to accept Music First's contentions about its proposed charge - and cap it at say 4% for all comers for all time!.
Oxenford blog:
2007-08-22: Radio One, Inc. has announced a USD 3.1 million sale of its radio stations in Atlanta, Georgia, to Perry Broadcasting Company, Inc. for USD 3.1 million.
Radio One says the transaction represents a purchase price multiple of approximately 17x based on station operating income for the last twelve months' period ended June 30, 2007 and transaction is expected to close during the final quarter of this year.
Previous Radio One Inc.:
2007-08-22: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation says its digital downloads are booming with the total number of downloads of its vodcasts and podcasts nearing 5 million in July.
Within the total there were more than 3.5 million downloads of its podcasts - the monthly average for the first six months of the year was two million - and more than 1.4 million vodcast downloads -the vodcast monthly average for the first half year was 769.000.
Radio Australia downloads, which averaged 202.000 a month for the half-year, were 1.2 million in July; Radio National podcasts , which averaged just under 914,000 a month for the first half year, reached just under 1.15 million in July with the top five downloads being for All in the Mind, Late Night Live, Saturday Extra, Australia Talks and The Science Show; and downloads from triple j's Hack program jumped from 84,000 average monthly downloads in the first half of the year to 219,000 in July.
Previous ABC, Australia:
2007-08-22: UK media regulator Ofcom rapped UTV's talkSPORT on the knuckles twice in its latest Broadcast Bulletin, upholding complaints against two programmes for in one case linking homosexuality to paedophilia and in the other for referring to it as a perversion.
In the first case presenter Mike Mendoza during a live phone-in in May this year managed to link soccer fans, paedophiles and - indirectly - homosexuals in introductory remarks in which he said, "The other thing that has really got up my nose over the last couple of days…and again you might like to comment on this…are the footballers…and I'm including David Beckham on this one 'cause he's jumped on the bandwagon today, and that's exactly what they've done. Footballers yesterday jumping on the bandwagon to beg whoever it is that has taken Madeleine McCann away, whoever has grabbed her, to give her back…now you tell me, paedophiles in general are the type of people that surely would not follow football…not many gay people to the best of my knowledge are great football fans."
TalkSPORT responded to the complaint by saying that the comments had been indefensible and after speaking to Mendoza, who accepted that he had been wrong to make them, had suspended him for a week to underline the seriousness of his mistake.
Ofcom noted the "broadcaster's immediate and appropriate action" but said that to "connect homosexuality to paedophilia is highly offensive" and upheld the complaint.
In the s