AM/FM #11 — May 1993

News from the UK Radio Industry. Edited by Stephen Hebditch.

'Privatise Radio One' Call

The Radio Authority is to commission research which will look into the economic feasibility of privatising Radio One. The Authority announced its plans as part of its response to the Government's Green Paper on the future of the BBC. It estimates that to be commercially viable, Radio One would need to bring in 30 million pounds a year of advertising revenue. This could be a difficult task given that revenue for the entire Independent Radio industry was only 56 million pounds last year.

The Authority also wanted to see a fairer allocation of the VHF band between BBC and independent services — currently the BBC occupy 80 percent of the space. It also recommended that a single Authority should regulate all radio in the UK, including BBC services. The BBC would then have to submit licence applications for new services and keep to promises of performance for its existing services.

Awards Win For Radio Wrinklies

Two deejays from the original line-up on Radio One both won awards at the 1993 Sony Radio Awards. John Peel was named National Broadcaster of the Year and Tony Blackburn, now with Capital Gold, won the ward for Best Contemporary Breakfast Show. After the award John Peel said "This award just goes to show that radio is a wonderful medium for short, fat Liverpool supporters". 11 of the 32 awards were won by Radio Four with eight going to Independent Radio.

National broadcaster of the year: John Peel (BBC Radio 1).
Local broadcaster of the year: David Dunseith (BBC Radio Ulster).
Radio Academy creative award: David Hatch (BBC).
Special award for dispatches from the former Yugoslavia: Misha Glenny (BBC).
News reporter of the year: Malcolm Brabant (BBC Radio 4).
Sports reporter of the year: Jonathan Agnew (BBC Radio 3/5).
Best actress: Miriam Margolyes, for The Queen and I (BBC Radio 4).
Best actor: Keith Clifford, for Randle's Scandals (BBC Radio 4).
Newcomer: Tom Bright (Radio Wave 96.5, Blackpool).
Best national station: Classic FM.
Metropolitan station of the year: Clyde 2, Glasgow.
Best local station: Fox FM, Oxford.
Outstanding sports broadcast award: BBC Radio 5.
Arts programme: Larks Ascending (Radio 4).
Best breakfast show, contemporary music: Tony Blackburn (Capital Gold).
Breakfast show, non-contemporary music: Nick Bailey (Classic FM).
Breakfast show, speech-based: Mike Carlton's Morning Report (LBC Newstalk).
Comedy: Knowing Me, Knowing You (BBC Radio 4).
Documentary soundtrack: Jason and the Thunderbirds (BBC Radio 4).
Drama production: The Master and Margarita (BBC World Service and Radio 4).
News and current affairs sequence: Good Morning Ulster (BBC Radio Ulster).
News and current affairs: File on 4 on Feltham Remand Centre (BBC Radio 4).
Phone-in show: Hayes Over Britain with Brian Hayes (BBC Radio 2).
Popular music propramme: Unsung Heroes (Unique Broadcasting for BBC Radio 1).
Specialist music programme: Scotland's Music (BBC Radio Scotland).
Music programming: Friel's Fancy (BBC Radio Ulster).
Magazine of special interest: Punters (Radio 4).
Response to a news event: Ayodhya / Asian Newshour (BBC Radio Leicester).
Outstanding service to community: Year Of Action (BBC Radio Nottingham).
Outstanding special event: Coca Cola National Music Day (MCM Networking for Independent Radio).
Society of Authors' award for dramatisation: Weir Of Hermiston (BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 4).
Best original script: A Matter Of Sex (BBC Radio 4).

More Londonwide Licence Applications

More applicants for the eight London-wide licences currently on offer have been coming forward. David Lee is to put in a bid to start a new jazz station in competition with Jazz FM, the station he originally founded. LBC is another station facing competition from former staff, with with a bid from ex Finance Editor Douglas Moffat and ex Managing Director Peter Thornton.

Comedy producer John Lloyd is putting in a bid to run a 24-hour comedy station, with a host of famous comedy names backing the station. West London Asian station Sunrise Radio wants to go Londonwide, with a bid opposite multi-cultural Spectrum Radio. Sunrise made an unsuccessful bid to take over Spectrum last year.

Pirate Raids Up

Officers from the DTI's Radio Investigation Service carried out 165 raids on 45 pirate stations in the first 3 months of 1993. This compared with 151 raids on 54 stations in the same period in 1992. 90 of the raids were on 25 stations operating in London, down from 92 raids on 27 stations the previous year. Despite the new laws available to them, over 20 unlicensed stations are regularly on the air in the Capital.

Kiss Cuts Chat

Kiss FM have cut the amount of the speech on the station following audience research showing that it was a turn-off for listeners. The station has also made alterations to its programme schedule following the departure of breakfast show host Craig Charles. Former afternoon drivetime host Dave Pearce has moved to breakfasts at the dance station, David Rodigan moves into afternoon drivetimes and former breakfast co-host Peter Wardman to early afternoons. Some minor changes to evening and weekend shows are also planned.

Local Licences

West Yorkshire Broadcasting has retained both its licences for Leeds, Yorkshire, which operate under the names Aire FM and Magic 828.

Scotland's West Sound Radio has retained both its licences in an unopposed bid.

Mercia Sound was the only applicant for its re-advertised licence covering Coventry in the West Midlands.

Radio Tay was the only applicant for its re-advertised licence for Dundee and Perth.

Just one group has applied for the Derry licence in Northern Ireland: Maiden City FM.

The Radio Authority has advertised a new licence for Dunfermline, serving an audience of 320,000 adults.

Border Television is to apply for the new regional licence to cover the North East of England. It plans a speech-based station with a large phone-in content.

Bits

Tests are going out on one of the Astra satellites for a new digital radio system. This will allow eight CD-quality services to operate alongside each TV channel.

The Western Isles Council is calling on the BBC to include more Gaelic radio and television programmes in its local output.

Television and radio services in Central Scotland were taken off the air on April 13th when backup systems failed to kick in following a power cut.

Capital Gold deejay Kenny Everett has announced that he is HIV positive.

The Royal Mail won the draw to be the first advertiser on Virgin 1215. Twelve national advertisers entered the draw, guaranteeing an hour each of just their commercials together with additional promotion from the presenters.

BBC Director General John Birt is to meet all the Corporation's 23,000 staff to discuss its future. A series of meetings are to be held in the former headquarters of the Radio Times which are to be renovated to provide a new location for staff training.

Fans of Radio Four on Long Wave are pressing for the BBC to be allowed to use a second, spare, Long Wave frequency for the station.

National Transcommunications have announced that they will be providing transmission facilities for new ILR stations Colchester FM, Bay Radio, CFM, Tristar Broadcasting and Ten17.

All Edinburgh Radio ran a 28-day special event station from 5th April, carrying local news, music and community information.

Network News has signed a three year contract to supply Virgin 1215 with a 24-hour national and international news service together with weather and travel news. The company, owned by the Chiltern Radio Group, will also supply a special service to Chiltern-owned Galaxy Radio when it moves to regional broadcasting in Autumn 1994.

Kiss FM have signed a quarter of a million pound sponsorship deal with Sony for their Paul 'Trouble' Anderson Original Mix Show. Promos for the show will "emphasise the link between its listeners and their use of cassettes while trying to encourage people not to tape the programme"...

LBC staff are to be offered shares in the London talk station as an incentive to defend the it against losing its licence when it comes up for renewal this summer.

Gallup have lost the contract to supply the chart used by Radio One, Music Week and music industry trade body the BPI.

Jazz FM breakfast show host Bob Stewart is leaving the station to return to the USA.

Capital Radio has been cleared to buy Midlands Radio by the Office of Fair Trading.

British Rail are testing out making radio stations available on headphones on Intercity trains. First Class passengers will get a choice of Radio Four, Classic FM or light classical CDs. Those travelling second class get Radio One, Radio Four or pop CDs.