Big Radio Chess Game; Broadcasters Play The Listeners

Michael Hedges November 30, 2018 Follow on Twitter

There can be no questioning the appeal of news and talk radio. Many of these channels have been market leaders for decades. While most carve out specialized appeal, they combine news, talk, entertainment and sports. From morning to evening they rival television, ceding only to the draw of the living room screen in prime time.

Spain’s Cadena SER has topped national radio audience estimates for decades. In the most recent AIMC-EGM report - rolling monthly average, February through November 2018 - it led with 30.6% share. Second ranked rival Cadena COPE achieved 22.3% share. The audience share for Cadena SER has been dropping; from 32.7% year on year and 38.4% decade ago. While still as some distance, Cadena COPE has been gaining; from 21.5% share one year on and 16.1% share in the same period 2008. Spanish national radio changes but at a glacial pace.

Cadena SER is part of Prisa Radio, operator of several national and regional channels and principally owned by Grupo Prisa, which publishes national daily El Pais. Editorially, the company is considered center-left. Cadena COPE has also been around forever and is owned by Spanish Episcopal Conference, editorially considered center-right. It, too, operates several national and regional radio channels and is associated with television channel 13TV and national daily newspaper ABC.

In third place, again, is legacy pop hits music channel Los 40 Principales; 14.4% share, up from 14.0% year on year. Los 40, as it is known, has been steady recently but trending lower in share long-term. It’s part of Grupo Prisa as is pop music channel Cadena Dial, in 4th place with 13.5% share, up slightly from 13.3%.

News, talk and entertainment channel Onda Cero rose to 5th place; 13.0% share from 12.4% one year on. It has never fully recovered from the exit of superstar Carlos Herrera in 2015 to Cadena COPE where he is the runaway leader of morning radio ratings. Onda Cero is part of Atresmedia, the media joint venture principally of Planeta de Agostini and RTL Group. Like other Spanish media operators, Atresmedia is huge; two big TV channels (Antenna 3 and LaSexta) and radio channels Europa FM and Melodia FM.

Cadena 100, the national adult contemporary music channel owned by Grupo COPE, placed 6th; 12.9% share from 12.5% year on year. Rock FM, also in the Grupo COPE family, placed 10th with 6.5% share, it’s best showing ever, as pop-rock Europa FM (Atresmedia) took a big hit, falling to 7.2% share from 8.9%, worst showing in five years.

National public broadcaster RNE held on in this measurement period to what it had a year ago. News and talk channel Radio Nacional placed 7th with 9.8% share, up slightly. Alternative music Radio 3 placed 15th, slightly lower at 2.9% share. All-news channel Radio 5 scored 1.4% share with Radio Clasica at 1.1% share.

A week before the EGM release, Grupo Prisa shutdown national oldies channel M80 Radio. It has been rebranded Los 40 Classic, essentially the same music. Frequencies used by Maxima FM have also be appropriated by the new Los 40 Classic. Easy listening Maxima FM has migrated to online.

See also in ftmKnowledge

Media in Spain - Diverse and Challenged

Media in Spain is steeped in tradition. yet challenged by diversity. Publishers hold great influence, broadcasters competing. New media has been slow to rise and business models for all are under stress. Rich in language and culture, Spain's media is reaching into the future and finding more than expected. 123 pages, PDF. January 2018

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