Tradition Is The Future

Michael Hedges July 16, 2010 Follow on Twitter

Public and private sector broadcasters live in different worlds, or so they profess. The mandate is different. The money is different. But when ratings day arrives it’s all the same: who wins and who doesn’t. It's traditional.

German public radio channels, on aggregate, increased daily reach to 38.7 million folks according to the recently released AG.MA (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse) Radio 2010/II (July 13) audience survey. That’s about 650,000 more than the previous compatible survey. Private sector radio broadcasters reached 32.3 million people each day, unchanged from the previous survey. Overall listening ticked up slightly to 78.9% of the German population (58.1 million) from 78.6%. And, too, time spent listening rose among all categories.

Last year public and private sector broadcasters agreed to changes in the survey sample, including non-German nationals. With but two surveys using the same methodology, reasonably reliable trends are impossible to divine. Radio listening in Germany is surveyed more or less continuously, except the summer quarter, with results released twice per year. The Radio 2010/II survey was fielded September through December 2009 and January through April 2010, two weeks off for holidays. Radio listening being highly seasonal the survey released next March – MA Radio 2011/I – will be a better trend indicator.

With all this considered, the highly competitive German radio broadcasters have a few trends to watch. Public radio channels – particularly the biggest – benefited in the new survey. A few legacy private broadcasters were stunned by losses. Traditionally competitive markets – like Berlin-Brandenburg – saw significant ranking changes. And, too, there were a few contradictions.

Without surprise, the NRW network remains the most listened to in Germany. NRW is made up of virtually all private sector broadcasters in Nordrhein-Westfalen making it – for ratings purposes, at least – the sole competitor for public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). NRW increased its gross daily reach 4.5% over the previous survey to more than 1.6 million listeners.

This was not a headache for WDR. Three of its channels gained – WDR 2, EinsLive and WDR 4 – ranking 5th, 6th and 7th, respectively, in total daily reach in the national tally. Pop/adult WDR 2 joined the exclusive million listeners club. Schlager music channel WDR 4 saw its daily reach jump 13.6%.

Perhaps most attention getting was a change in market leader in Bavaria, from Antenne Bayern to public channel Bayern 1. Notwithstanding the top ranking nationally of the NRW network, Antenne Bayern has been the top ranked private channel in Germany. It now moves to 3rd place, dropping 5.9% in daily reach, to 26.9% market share from 29.3% in the previous survey.

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) Bayern 1 gained 10.8% in daily reach over the previous survey, 30.0% market share from 28.4%. Other BR radio channels gained: Bayern 3 – 12.8%, BR-Klassik – 11.1%. Bayern 1 has revised its music programming toward more schlager (German oldies) targeting an older audience. Bayern 3 is BR’s pop music channel and now ranks 8th nationally in daily reach.

Not to be overlooked were the gains by local Munich stations 95.5 Charivari and Radio Gong 96.3, increasing daily reach 51.5% and 9.7%, respectively. Rock Antenne, owned by Antenne Bayern, increased daily reach by 17.6% and Radio Galaxy increased 10.4%.

Another legacy private broadcaster to feel the pinch was Hit Radio FFH, dropping to 24.2% market share in Hesse from 27.3% in the previous survey and losing 14.7% in daily reach. Public broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk hr3 (pop oldies) and hr4 (schlager music) both gained in gross reach, 8.7% and 10.6%, respectively.

Yet another public broadcasting schlager music channel became a regional number 1. In Baden-Württemberg SWR 4 BW gained just enough market share to send sister Südwestrundfunk station SWR 3 down one rank. Private sector station Hit-Radio Antenne 1 increased daily reach 17.2%.  Pop music channel SWR 3 gained, however, in Rheinland-Pfalz and continued to rank 4th nationally in daily reach.

Ratings results in other parts of Germany were totally different. Public pop music channel from Radio Berlin Brandenburg (RBB) RadioEins fell off its perch in the Berlin market, falling from 1st in the previous survey to 4th. On top in Berlin is now 104.6 RTL, followed by 105’5 Spreeradio, also owned by RTL. In Brandenburg, private pop music channel BB Radio knocked off Antenne Brandenburg, switching the top two positions. Antenne Brandenburg is the news-heavy pop music channel from RBB.

Yet another legacy private radio channel - Radio Schleswig-Holstein – fell to second place in its target market, swapping positions with public radio channel NDR 1 Welle Nord. But in Hamburg, Radio Hamburg, also owned by RTL, strengthened its hold on number one, increasing market share to 25.0% from 22.3%.

Of course, we’ll wait another nine months for the news MA radio survey to more clearly decipher trends. The current survey seems to show public channels with traditional programming gaining strength. Once dominant adult contemporary stations – largely in the private sector  - might be losing their luster as populations age and tastes change. As for young people, we’ll know sometime in the future.

See also in ftmKnowledge

Media in Germany

Home to Europe's biggest broadcasters and publishers, Germany is a highly competitive media market. Transition to digital television was easy, other media not so simple, unsuprising with Germany's complex regulation and business structures. This Knowledge file reports on media leaders and followers. Includes Resources 143 pages PDF (April 2011)

Order here

Europe's Radio - Western Europe

Opportunity meets tradition in Western Europe's radio broadcasting. Change has come fast and yet oh, so slowly. This ftm Knowledge file contains material and resources on public and private radio broadcasting in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland. 107 pages. PDF (June 2010)

Order here