NEWS: LAUNCH OF 'UK MUSIC WEEK' IGNITES DEBATE ABOUT NETWORKED PROGRAMMES ON LOCAL COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS by GRANT

GODDARD

www.grantgoddard.co.uk April 2006

The launch later this month of 'UK Music Week', a week-long promotion of British artists on 270 UK commercial radio stations, has precipitated a debate as to whether networked programming is an appropriate solution to the commercial sectors declining audiences. Despite failing to attract a sponsor, UK Music Week is heralded by the radio industry as the first in a new series of networked programme initiatives. Project director Jonathan Gillespie said that the main benefits to the industry would be feedback from listeners to influence future projects, and evidence of how a nationally co-ordinated brand can be implemented locally. Chrysalis Radio chief executive Phil Riley said that the aim was to engender more collaboration between local stations: "Network programming would run during the afternoons, evenings and weekends when localness is less important. There would be a trade-off of localness for things that are more interesting to advertisers. We wouldn't sacrifice morning slots." Dirk Anthony, GCap Media plc group programme director, agreed: "It would be fantastic for advertisers to have a national commercial platform, which is why 'Classic FM' is successful. We won't do network breakfast shows it's not right for listeners and the audiences don't want us to." Simon Cole, CEO of UBC Media plc, said he would like to see networked shows that have strong content and brands that featured name personalities. Although some in the industry want more networked shows on local commercial radio, market research published by Ofcom last November highlighted the importance of 'localness' to radio audiences. Ofcom said the results showed that local radio in particular plays a role both serving communities and giving communities a sense of identity. In the focus groups, radio was singled out as the medium that communities most strongly identify with. It was seen as more local, and therefore more relevant from a community perspective, than television, yet still a large scale broadcast medium with more perceived impact than local press, for example. In the research, the word 'local' appeared in two of the top four reasons that people listen to the radio (all radio, not just local radio) across the UK. These results were consistent across different regions and amongst different age groups. When participants were offered the option of more local radio stations or more national stations, twice as many opted for 'local' over 'national'. Ofcoms research found that listeners actively wanted local radio stations to sound genuinely unique and different, rather than the same as national networks. Ofcom noted that there is a strong perception, particularly amongst younger respondents, that many local radio stations essentially play the same sort of music constantly, and there is little variety. These participants are, perhaps understandably, less likely to be well-disposed to the idea of local radio seeing little point in a local station indistinguishable from numerous others around the country.

News: Launch Of 'UK Music Week' Ignites Debate About Networked Programmes On Local Commercial Radio Stations Page 2 2006 Grant Goddard

The need to maintain local programmes is viewed by some radio companies as paramount to their success. Richard Wheatley, CEO of The Local Radio Company plc, said: "We are doing everything to resist any standardisation of local formats." Jon Hewson, managing director of CN Radio Limited , added: "Commercial radio can't fight the BBC doing what it does, as we have to run radio as a business. We could lose localness and we need a local perspective." Mark Storey, EMAP Radio managing director of programming, agreed: "Our strength is in localness and that is what people care about, rather than trying to directly compete with 'Radio Two.'" While some local commercial radio stations want to broadcast more networked shows, newly licensed community radio stations are required by their licences to focus their programmes on the local communities they serve with their lowpower signals. Steve Saville, co-founder of 'Forest FM', explained: "We are passionate about radio and its potential to help foster community spirit. Community stations can provide a service unconstrained by the need for profit, which means we can do something much more personal. The problem is that some community stations are denied the possibility of selling advertising airtime because of regulatory restrictions if a small-scale commercial station exists in the same area. Kevin Stewart, chief executive of Tindle Radio Limited, feels that such controls are necessary to protect smaller commercial stations: "Most of them just about make a little profit and, in many cases, make a loss supported by a group like ours. Every station I have is community-focused. You are talking school closures and what the local council is doing. I think it's only fair that they should be protected." But many community radio proponents disagree, including Phil Korbel, director of Radio Regen: Commercial operators may well bleat and indeed do seek to maximise their return on the little local coverage that they offer. Others, such as 'Star' in Cheltenham, did its best to leave the town it is licensed to serve. But this misses the point. This argument is rather more basic do you allow the non-profit sector to deliver 'social gain' through community radio as it is charged to do by legislation, or do you allow the commercial imperative to rule at the expense of community interest?

[First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'UK Music Week Ignites Localism Debate', #732, 19 April 2006]

Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk
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