AM/FM #20 — February 1994

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

Radio One Slumps In Latest Ratings

The latest RAJAR audience research figures covering the final quarter of 1993 show a large drop for Radio One. 2.25 million listeners have deserted the station over the past year. Last autumn's programme shake-up under new controller Matthew Bannister resulted in the largest loss of listeners. Figures covering the second major set of changes introduced on Radio One at the start of January will not be available until April. Matthew Bannister says that he expects them to show a further decline for the national pop station.

The ratings loss has sparked a debate about whether Radio One is taking the right direction. Critics accuse it of pandering too much to a white, middle-class, Hampstead-living elite and of ignoring the audience outside London. The introduction of longer speech features, such as extended news at drivetime and lunchtime political debates, have been dismissed as irrelevant to the wishes of the majority of its listeners and of being "speech for speech's sake".

Radio Five, soon to be replaced by a news and sports network, saw the biggest rise for the BBC, extending its reach by 522,000 listeners. Radio Three was also up, while Radio Two and Radio Four remained much the same year on year. BBC Local Radio, which has benefited from the BBC's investment in journalism, rose from 9.459 million to 10.288 million listeners over the past year.

In the Independent sector, Classic FM's audience increased slightly to 4.7 million, but now seems to be starting to level off in both reach and hours. Virgin performed better than expected, following its repositioning away from adult rock to more of a gold format. Year on year ILR was up in both listeners and hours, although the total number of hours for London's commercial stations was down.

Virgin Wants 105-108

The Radio Authority is to carry out a consulation exercise with the radio industry before deciding what to do with the 105-108 MHz sub-band, which becomes free for use by broadcasters at the end of 1995. A technical review by the Authority concluded that the frequencies would allow for 3 new stations in metropolitan areas or one new national station. Virgin are to campaign for the latter option and have put out a document arguing their case. Even if the Authority decides on a fourth INR licence, Virgin would still have to bid competitively for the licence.

Radio Five Live Programmes Detailed

The BBC has announced that its replacement news and sport service will be called Radio Five Live.

According to the BBC, market research suggests up to 29% of the population would be willing to try the new station — 25% of whom do not listen to existing BBC stations. It is aiming to build on Radio Five's current 3 million audience for sports programmes. Jenny Abramsky, boss of the new service, says she hopes it will attract a younger, less metropolitan audience. She has also been keen to stress that the research shows women would be attracted to the network following criticisms that it was too 'laddish'. The tone of Radio Five Live was described as "like a cross between the Daily Mail and the Guardian — authoritative yet accessible".

Alongside the core of sport and news bulletins will be programmes covering fashion, health, computers and technology, consumer and business news. Radio Four's Stop Press will be revived and there will be a late night talk show with a 'slightly dangerous edge'. Presenters announced so far for the service include Sybil Ruscoe, former newsreader on Radio One, and John Inverdale, presenter of Sport on Five who will host the mid-afternoon and afternoon drivetime sequences.

The new UKP 30.2 million network will begin broadcasting on March 28th.

Classic FM's European Ambitions

Classic FM has been awarded one of the first commercial FM licences in the Netherlands. The format will be similar to the UK and will share many programmes in English but with local advertising, news and weather. It next plans to apply for a licence in Finland, possibly with a local partner. Classic hopes to eventually build a European network for the station and will soon begin broadcasting on the Astra satellite.

INR 3 Bidders

Heritage Radio are considering applying with a Channel Four style format: acting as a publisher for a range of independently produced programmes.

CLT, Luxembourg based co-owners of Atlantic 252, are seeking partners for a possible application.

Jim Black, former Managing Director of Radio Five, is to bid to run a youth network. He has written to the BBC inviting them to move schools and Open University programmes to the new network.

Local Licences

Nine groups have applied for the two Birmingham licences on offer by the Radio Authority. Buzz FM, who currently hold the FM licence, face opposition from a consortium set up by South London black music station Choice FM, Fusion FM and Birmingham Country Radio, backed by Allied Radio. Eagle Radio applied for both AM and FM, proposing dance music on FM while AM would carry daytime talk and nighttime country music. The other four AM applicants proposed Asian services: Sunrise Radio, Birmingham News Radio, Central Band Radio and Supa AM. The winner will be announced by the end of April.

Nine groups have applied to broadcast in North London. Applications were for the licence currently held jointly by London Greek Radio and WNK, with a possible extra licence on offer on AM. Along with LGR and WNK bids were received from Greek Radio London, London Community Radio, Gold Star FM, Greek Community Radio, London Irish Radio, Turkish Radio UK and the West Indian Broadcasting Service.

South East London's RTM faced just one opponent for its re-advertised licence: The Thames Radio Group.

Sunrise Radio in Bradford have retained their licence against close competition from Rainbow FM.

Bidders for the ILR licence for Belfast include present incumbant Belfast Community Radio and Irish group Lagan Communications.

The ILR licences for Isle of Wight Radio, Essex's Mellow 1557 and Kettering's KCBC have all been retained.

Newcastle's Wear FM faces competition for its licence from the Wearside Broadcasting Company.

Coventry's Radio Harmony was the only applicant for its re-advertised licence.

Somethin' Else Sound Directions plans to bid for one of the proposed new London FM licences to be advertised in the Spring. The group has previously operated a special event station at the Edinburgh Festival and includes presenters previously and currently with Kiss FM and Jazz FM.

People

Brian Johnston, the voice of BBC cricket commentary, has died at the age of 81.

Brian Redhead, anchorman of Radio Four's Today programme, has died at the age of 64. He had been due to retire from the programme in March.

Chris Morris, presenter of Radio Four's On The Hour and BBC TV's The Day Today, is to host a new programme on Radio One later this year.

Apache Indian has joined Radio One to present a new weekly show.

Judi Spiers, a presenter on BBC TV's Pebble Mill, is to join Radio Two to present a new Saturday morning programme.

Michael Parkinson is to join Radio Five Live as a presenter. He was most recently heard on LBC in London.

Danny Baker is featuring in a new UKP 200,000 advertising campaign for Radio One. This follows research showing that many people outside London don't know who he is.

Phone-in host Stewart McFarlane from Newcastle's TFM has received a thank you from a caller who had taken an overdose in an suicide attempt. He kept the caller talking while the call was traced and police reached him.

BBC Director General John Birt has admitted that he broke DJ John Peel's wrist during a soccer match 18 years ago.

Financial News

GWR's profits rose by 26% for the year ending September 1993. The West Country based group made UKP 913,000 on a turnover of UKP 9.8 million. Now close to the limit on the number of stations it may own, the company wants to see ownership restrictions changed to a system based on coverage area. Meanwhile, GWR has bought a minority stake in Bulgaria's first commercial radio station, Radio FM Plus.

Bits

LBC is seeking to become part of the London News Radio consortium, which won the licence from LBC last year. It has also offered to sell the LBC name to its successor and is negotiating to provide airtime deals for advertisers which span the two stations. LNR will replace LBC on October 8th.

The BBC is conducting a feasibility study into moving Radio Two from London to Birmingham.

Liz Forgan, Managing Director of BBC Radio, has criticised Radio Three for not yet having found an accessible tone for its presentation. She says she wants to see a wider range of regional accents on the station. Work is being carried out to make the station 'less cliquey and alienating'.

Capital Radio, Classic FM and a third unnamed station have threatened to resign from the Association of Independent Radio Companies. They want advertising sales houses and major radio investors to be allowed to join the AIRC, a move which is being fought by the smaller stations.

The Radio Authority and the AIRC may ask the Department of National Heritage to change the rules which limit the number of stations which may be owned by one company.

Essex Radio has made changes to its programme format, rebranding the FM service Essex FM. This is being supported by a local poster advertising campaign.

Unions have attacked plans by the BBC to end collective bargaining across the Corporation. The BBC plans to introduce personal performance reviews and to allow individual parts of the BBC more freedom in negotiating rises. It hopes to save UKP 50 million if the proposed package goes through.

The BBC has angered campaigners to keep Radio Four on Long Wave by announcing that it plans to air more than 350 hours of cricket on the frequency during the next year.

Radio Four's My Music panel game is to be axed after 28 years.

A series of afternoon features on Radio Four are being axed to make way for a new live hour-long programme to be presested by Gerry Anderson. He currently presents the mid-morning programme on BBC Radio Ulster.

Radio One is to link up with French station Europe 2 on May 6th to celebrate the opening of the Channel Tunnel.

The BBC is planning a new service for Asian listeners in the West Midlands.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire is making major changes to its output, including an earlier start and expanded news coverage.

The Broadcasting for Scotland campaign has presented a report to the Department of National Heritage condemning the lack of Scottish input and southern bias of the BBC.

The BBC is reported to be considering downgrading its Edinburgh operation and concentrating its activities in Glasgow.

Mercury is to provide freephone lines for Virgin 1215 in return for on-air branding.

Radio One is introducing poetry readings on the station. Poems will go on a playlist drawn up by a panel chaired by Melvyn Bragg.

Ron Coles is to take over as manager of Leicester Sound following its acquisition by the GWR group.

The Government is considering lifting some advertising curbs as part of its new attack on red tape. Rules for financial advertisements are the most likely to be simplified. Some stations currently give financial advertisers free airtime so they can get in all the disclaimers required by law.

The British DX Club has published the 12th edition of its 'Radio Stations in the United Kingdom' booklet. It provides a frequency-by- frequency to BBC and Independent services in the UK, including transmitter locations and station contact details. It is available for UKP 2.50 or 6 International Reply Coupons from the British DX CLub, 54 Birkhall Road, Catford, London, SE6 1TE.

John Pearson, Sales Director of Virgin 1215, has been promoted to the main board of the station.

Inventor Trevor Baylis, a former underwater escape artist, has invented a clockwork radio for use in the third world.

Copyright 1994 TQM Communications / 2001 amfm.org.uk. All rights reserved.