AM/FM #19 — January 1994

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

Heritage Committee Reports On BBC Future

The House of Commons National Heritage Committee has published its report on the future of the BBC. It recommends the renewal of the present BBC Charter for another 10 years. However, it does not believe that the present structure of the Corporation can be sustained much beyond that point.

The report says the BBC will face a big challenge in adapting to the multimedia revolution and a world of 500 channels. It warns that if it does not do so then it will 'vanish down the technological plug-hole'. Members of the committee hoped that the 10 year extension would give the BBC sufficient time to work out a new future for itself. This could include concentrating on programme production or linking up with major international media owners to provide new services.

The committee also recommends, with what they describe as 'great reluctance', that the licence fee should be extended for another 10 years. Although they believed it could not be sustained in the long term, it currently had the fewest objections of any funding system. It recommended that the BBC should be more lenient with those unable to pay.

BBC Launches Listeners' Charter

The BBC Board of Governors has launched a viewers' and listeners' charter which it hopes will make the Corporation more accountable to the general public.

The charter brings in annual promises of performance against which BBC services can be judged. A major complaint against the BBC by Independent Radio stations has been its ability to change formats as and when it desires. Independent stations have to conform to promises of performance as part of their licence conditions.

The document, An Accountable BBC, introduces new procedures to handle serious complaints about programmes and to keep BBC staff better informed on public opinion relating to broadcasting issues. As part of this there will be ten Regional Advisory Councils in place of the current three. The role of the governors is also properly defined for the first time.

Final Regional Awarded

Central Scotland Radio has won the last of the regional licences to be awarded in the current round. It will broadcast to around 2.3 million listeners from Edinburgh to Glasgow and will be primarily talk based, but with some adult contemporary music. Studios will be based in Leith and CSR have a staff of 35. It will begin broadcasting in September.

CSR has faced criticism from one of its contenders over its backers. Grampian Television will take a 55% shareholding, Border Television 35% and the remainder will go for public subscription. Tony Currie, Managing Director of rival Radio Six says this does nothing to bring in new investment to broadcast media in Scotland, which is already concentrated in a small number of companies. The two TV stations may also be vulnerable in the current take-over battles in the ITV system.

GWR Buys Four Stations

GWR has bought three Midlands radio stations from Capital Radio in return for cash and shares, and one other station for cash. From Capital, the group is buying Radio Trent, Mercia Sound, and Leicester Sound, in return for UKP 4.8 million and 1 million ordinary shares in GWR. The three stations were acquired by Capital when it took over the Midlands Radio Group last year, primarily so it could gain control of Birmingham station BRMB. Shedding the smaller stations leaves Capital free to concentrate on its major city stations. GWR has greater expertise with small to medium sized stations.

The other new purchase for GWR is Shropshire's Beacon Radio, for which it is paying UKP 3.7 million. Beacon was the last major ILR station to be independently owned. The new acquisitions almost double the size of the GWR group, which will now own 17 stations. The expansion is to be funded by a share offer and the placing of shares with Capital Radio and the Daily Mail and General Trust, taking both up to the maximum 20% stake.

Kiss FM Faces 'Sell Out' Criticism

London dance music station Kiss FM is facing growing criticism that its programmes are becoming too geared to the mainstream. The latest spur has been the introduction of a new late-night playlist-formatted show hosted by Chris Philips. This resulted in specialist evening shows covering rap, house, techno, trance, and jazz being reduced from 3 hours to 2. Station management have also been accused of becoming too remote from the scene which spawned them and too reliant on research and charts when making programming decisions.

DAB Demoed

The BBC has demonstrated the first proper implementation of Digital Audio Broadcasting. The new technology will allow near compact disc quality sound and is much more resistant to interference than existing AM or FM broadcasting — particularly when used in vehicles. DAB also allows a larger number of channels to be squeezed in the same frequency band, opening up the possibilities of more stations. The BBC hopes that manufacturers will have DAB radios on sale within 18 months.

Local Licences

Faze FM has won the licence for Manchester previously held by Sunset FM. Sunset left the air last autumn and called in the receivers. Like Sunrise, Faze FM will broadcast with a dance music format. A second Manchester licence was awarded to Fortune AM, an easy listening station. There were a total of 17 applications for both licences.

The Radio Authority has readvertised the licences serving Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn and the surrounding Lancashire area, currently held by Red Rose Radio.

The Radio Authority has readvertised the licences for Hereford and Worcester, currently held by Radio Wyvern.

Choice FM are to apply for the ILR licence for Birmingham currently held by Buzz FM. They plan a 24 hour service of soul and contemporary music, together with news and local information for Afro-Caribbean listeners.

Eurojazz, which failed in its bid to oust Jazz FM from London's airwaves last year, is to apply for a licence to run an arts and entertainment station for the capital.

People

Angus Deayton, Paul Merton, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, Alexei Sayle and Eddie Izzard are among the comedians who will be hosting a new Sunday lunchtime programme on Radio One.

Simon Bates has begun his new programme on Atlantic 252.

Gary Davies is to join Virgin 1215.

Adrian Juste is to leave Radio One after 17 years.

Jo Brand, Jan Ravens and Frances Edmonds are to host a new Radio Four programme called Women's Troubles, a humourous 'agony column of the air'.

James Whale is to join LBC, following a brief spell at GLR.

Trevor Dann, former boss of GLR, is behind an application for a new station to replace North London's WNK and London Greek Radio.

Jim Black, former Managing Editor of Radio 5, is considering bidding for third INR licence with a youth and children's service.

Financial News

The Metro Radio Group has announced pre-tax profits of UKP 2.36 million for the year to the end of September 1993, up 27% on the previous year. Turnover rose to UKP 17.7 million against UKP 15.2 million in 1992. Metro owns 7 ILR stations in the North East and Yorkshire.

Radio Clyde tripled its pre-tax profits to UKP 3.03 million for the year ending 30 September 1993. However, this included an exceptional gain of UKP 618,000 after the group disposed of half its stake in Satellite Media Services. Turnover grew 12 per cent to UKP 14.6 million. The group, which has a stake in all but two of Scotland's ILR stations, intends to change its name to Scottish Radio Holdings.

The Chiltern Radio Group returned to profitability in the second half of the year up to September 1993. However, this was not enough to overcome losses in the first half. This resulted in an overall loss of UKP 246,000 on a UKP 5.76 million turnover for the full year.

Southern Radio, owner of stations in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire, increased pre-tax profits by 24% for the year ending 30 September 1993. Profits were UKP 956,000 on a turnover of UKP 8.61 million.

Buzz FM has been sold to production studio owner Muff Murfin.

Melody Radio is to more aggressively market itself to advertisers. Although turning over UKP 1 million a year in advertising, Melody has still been making a loss.

Bits

The Broadcasting in Scotland campaign has published a new report attacking the centralism of BBC broadcasting. It claims that while 86% of the population lives in England, over 96% of programming carried on the BBC is made there. The group is campaigning for at least 10% to be produced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It also wants the BBC governors to more representative of the UK as a whole.

The Johnnie Walker show on Radio One is to be independently produced by Wizard Radio. Station Manager Matthew Bannister is having discussions with independent producers over other programmes on the station.

The BBC is to close its Paris Studio, home for over 50 years of many of its radio comedy programmes. In future these will be recorded in the BBC Concert Hall at Broadcasting House, which is to be refurbished.

The BBC is to shed 100 administrative jobs following the restructuring of its capital projects department.

London News Radio has denied rumours that it is trying to buy out LBC in order to get on the air earlier. Other stories circulating suggest that LBC may take a stake in the new station.

Virgin 1215 has joined the Radio Advertising Bureau, which was set up by leading ILR stations to promote Independent Radio to advertisers. There had been criticism that Virgin and Classic were reaping benefits from the Bureau's work while not becoming members. Classic FM has yet to join and is in disagreement over how large its subscription should be.

Radio One's half-hour evening news show, News 94, is to be merged into the new afternoon drivetime show presented by Nicky Campbell. This will give the programme a similar style to that which station boss Matthew Bannister previously introduced for drivetime on GLR. Richard Evans, presenter of the lunchtime Newsbeat, will work on the programme alongside Campbell.

Glasgow's Radio Clyde celebrated its 20th Birthday on New Year's Day.

The Broadcasting Standards Council is to carry out research into what people consider acceptable material for radio and at what times.

Former Radio Caroline ship The Ross Revenge has moved from Dover to a new Harbour. Its operators were forced to sign an undertaking that the ship would not leave British waters or recommence unlicenced broadcasting. Meanwhile, Caroline founder Ronan O'Rahilly is reported to be involved in a plan to return the station to the air via Baltic Radio International based in Lithuania.