AM/FM #7 — January 1993

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

Classic Hits Four Million

The first preliminary results from the new RAJAR audience research figures have been announced. The new radio ratings cover both Independent and BBC radio, instead of the previously separate ILR and BBC figures. The research suggests that Independent Local Radio has a lower audience share than previously thought — a 42 percent reach compared with 52 percent for the last JICRAR research for ILR only.

Classic FM did better than expected, with a 9 percent reach — around 4 million people — they had been expecting under 3 million to tune in. Atlantic 252 and Classic FM make up 25 percent of Independent Radio listening. Radio One's reach was down 4 percent to 34 percent. The full report will be out in January.

Luxembourg Closes

Radio Luxembourg's English service closed down at midnight on December 30th after 59 years of broadcasting. The station ran a two-hour programme covering the history of 'The Great 208' as part of its final night, put together by its longest-serving deejay, Mike Hollis. The final six hours were also broadcast on Luxembourg's previous home, the 1.2 megawatt AM transmitter now used by the company's German oldies station.

Fluff Says Goodbye To Pick Of The Pops

Alan Freeman signed off from his Sunday Pick of the Pops show on Radio One for the last time on December 27th. He first presented the programe, then on the BBC Light Service, 32 years ago. The sixty-five year old broadcaster will continue with his Saturday night rock show. The Sunday slot will be taken by The Man Ezeke, the first black deejay on daytimes at Radio One.

More Talk On One FM

The BBC are to increase the amount of talk on Radio One and Radio Two. Radio One will carry more news items in the Steve Wright show and there will be more documentaries and social action campaigns.

INR Fee Reduction Criticised

The Radio Authority has been criticised for reducing its licence fees to Classic FM and Virgin Radio. One of the applicants which failed to win an INR licence has complained that had the lower fees been present in the first place, it would have influenced their business plans submitted to the Authority as part of their application — and possibly altered the winner of the licences.

World Service Cuts Attacked

John Tusa, outgoing Managing Director of the BBC World Service, has criticised the Government's plans to cut the organisation's budget by 5 million pounds a year from 1994. The World Service, which has just celebrated its sixtieth birthday, reaches 120 million people worldwide each week.

Local Licences

The Radio Authority has advertised the regional licence for the north west of England, covers a population of 4.3 million adults.

A new local licence covering Scarborough and Filey in Yorkshire has been announced.

The licences for Luton and Bedford, currently held by Chiltern Radio, Northampton, held by Northants 96, and Ayr, held by West Sound Radio, have been re-advertised by the Radio Authority.

Four groups have applied for the High Wycombe licence: Beech Radio, South Bucks Broadcasting, South Buckinghamshire Radio and Radio Wye.

Wey Valley Radio has taken to the air in Alton, Hampshire, serving 40,000 people.

Financial News

The Glasgow-based Radio Clyde group saw its profits soar by 30 percent for the last financial year. Profits hit 1.83 million on a 12.99 million pound turnover. Its success was helped by the take-over of Edinburgh's Radio Forth the previous year. Radio Clyde has also pulled out of funding Birmingham's Buzz FM. Since its take-over of the Midlands dance music station, Clyde has managed to reduce the losses there from 90,000 to 50,000 pounds a month. However, it has now decided to write off its losses in the station, opening the way for a new backer or buyer for Buzz.

Chiltern Radio moved into the red last year. For the financial year ending in September it lost 392,000 pounds, compared to a 114,000 pound profit the previous year. This was the first time the company made a loss since its first station began broadcasting in 1981.

Pre-tax profits at the GWR Group doubled in the last year, up from 339,000 UKP to 721,000 UKP. Turnover for the year ending in September was up by 1 million pounds to 8.64 million. Great West Radio owns stations in Bristol, Bath and Swindon as well as a stake in national broadcaster Classic FM.

EMAP, owners of Liverpool's Radio City and London's Kiss FM, saw their radio profits move up to 300,000 UKP on a turnover of 3.5 million UKP.

Profits at the Metro Radio Group are up 10 percent to 1.9 million pounds on a 15.2 million pound turnover. The company had better than expected local advertising revenue. up 19 percent over the previous year compared with just a 2 percent rise for national revenue.

Capital Radio are eyeing the Midlands Radio Group. The seven-station group are in negotiations for a friendly take-over by Capital. Turnover at Midland was up 3 percent to 10.4 million UKP for the year ending in September. Profits fell by 8,000 UKP to 679,000 UKP.

Southern Radio has moved back into profit in the financial year ending in September. The station made a 774,000 UKP profit compared with a 363,000 loss for the previous year.

Westward Broadcasting Group is looking to acquire West Country Broadcasting, which operates DevonAir in Exeter and Plymouth Sound in Plymouth.

Bits

Record producer Pete Waterman is to launch a Save Radio One campaign to counter what he sees as the threat to the way the station currently operates from both BBC management and the Government.

Stewart Francis, Chairman of the Association of Independent Radio Contractors, has suggested that funding of BBC Radio should come out of general taxation, rather than the licence fee. The full response to the Green Paper by the AIRC will be issued in January.

Jazz FM have moved their national advertising sales in-house. The station believes that because it is selling a different product to the generally pop-based ILR stations and it is in London, home of the ad agencies, it would make more sense to handle national sales itself.

South East London's Radio Thamesmead have conducted their own listening survey, giving them 7 percent of the audience in their local area. This is up from 4 percent when they last surveyed in 1991.

A licence for the spare bandwidth on Classic FM's transmitters will be offered to the highest bidder early in 1993. Capital FM and LBC already carry data services piggyback on their FM transmitters.

National Transcommunications, the former IBA Engineering department, has signed an eight-year contract to distribute Virgin Radio to the station's 25 AM transmitters around the UK.

Classic FM has launched a charitable trust to raise money and carry out work to increase the appreciation of classical music in the UK.

Vatican Radio has taken a transponder on the Eutelsat 2 satellite. The station will carry 'cultural' advertising — those for pharmaceuticals or luxury goods will be banned.