ftm Radio Page - week ending June 3, 2022

Big broadcaster closes on another radio acquisition
"our new colleagues"

Bauer Media Audio closed its acquisition this week (May 31) of Portuguese broadcaster Media Capital Radios. The new Bauer Media subsidiary has been renamed Bauer Media Audio Portugal, noted Portuguese media news portal Meios & Publicidad (May 31). The transaction values the new subsidiary at €69.6 million. The acquisition was first announced in February.

Included are national pop/rock music channel Rádio Comercial, regional oldies music channel M80 plus local stations Smooth FM, Cidade FM and Vodafone FM. In the most recent Marktest Bareme Radio audience estimates, the aggregate national audience share was 30.6%, up from 27.1% one year on. Rádio Comercial rose to 20.9% audience share, highest ever. (See more about media in Portugal here)

Media Capital Radios (MCR) was a subsidiary of Media Capital, operator of television channel TVI and TV production house Plural. MCR chief executive Salvador Bourbon Ribeiro has transitioned to the new owner. “Media Capital Radios (MCR) is a solid business area, with consolidated results and indisputable leadership,” said Media Capital president Mário Ferreira in a statement. “The sale of MCR is aligned with the Group's strategy to accelerate the development of audiovisual and digital production areas, and also to consolidate the recovery trajectory in the television segment.” In 2020 Media Capital acquired the Portuguese radio assets from Spanish media house Prisa, which exited the market. (See more about mergers and acquistions here)

“We are now very excited to meet and learn from our new colleagues, gaining a deeper understanding of the market and the needs of our listeners and advertisers,” said Bauer Media Audio group president Richard Dawkins in a statement. Last year Bauer Media Audio completed radio acquisitions in Finland, Ireland and Slovakia adding to radio assets in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Poland, Norway and Denmark. Bauer Media Audio is a subsidiary of German publisher H Bauer.

Broadcaster, ad people fuel displeasure with big media merger
"no room"

DPG Media, owner of Dutch radio channel Qmusic, expressed its displeasure with the impending takeover by RTL Nederland of Talpa Media. The company complained to the Dutch Consumers and Markets Authority (ACM) that the mostly television transaction will adversely affect the radio advertising market, reported Dutch media news portal Villamedia (May 30). “Advertisers like to buy in bulk, which is why the purchase of advertising space on radio and television is often linked,” said a DPG Media spokesperson. “If the merger between RTL and Talpa goes through, there is no room.”

DPG Media is a Belgian company, operating radio, TV and newspapers in Flanders plus radio and newspapers in the Netherlands. It had expressed “interest” in acquiring RTL Nederland when parent RTL Group indicated strategic change was afoot. A deal didn’t happen. The proposed transaction with Talpa was announced in June 2021, with RTL Nederland holding a 70% stake and Talpa 30%. (See more about mergers and acquisitions here)

Qmusic was once been operated by Talpa Radio, principally owned by Big Brother creator John de Mol. Publisher De Persgroep acquired the radio channel in 2005. In recent GfK radio audience estimates (2021) Qmusic leads the national market. It regularly wins the local Marconi Award radio prize. On acquiring Medialaan, De Persgroep changed its name to DPG Media in 2019. (See more about media in the Netherlands here)

The ACM opened an investigation earlier this year into the RTL Nederland/Talpa deal, concluding merger might just “have negative consequences for Dutch media.” Being good public servants, it is conducting a follow-up inquiry looking into the advertising and TV production sectors. This will likely draw heat, said business publication Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) reporter Jeroen Piersma, who broke the story. “(Advertisers) are not happy about this. You can assume they have complained.”

RTL Group announced (June 1) the closing of the transaction exiting RTL Croatia in favor of Central European Media Enterprises (CME). For Bertelsmann Group, parent of RTL Group), the grand strategic plan is to build “national champion” media companies in markets where it can, exiting the rest.

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Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (April 2022)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (January-March 2022, published April 2022)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• France - National Radio Audience (November-December 2021, published January 2022)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• France - National Radio Summer Audience (September 2021)
  national channels, summer period 2016-2021 trend
• Spain - National Radio Audience (July 2021)
  national and regional channels, reach share, trend
• Romania - Radio Audience (May 2021)
  national and Bucharest surveys, market share, trend
• Belgium - Flemish region, Radio Audience (April 2021)
  market share, Jan-Apr 2019 to Sep 2020-Feb 2021 trend
• Belgium - French region, Radio Audience (April 2021)
  market share, Jan-Apr 2019 to Sep 2020-Feb 2021 trend
• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (April 2021)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• Austria - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (February 2021)
  public and private broadcasters, owners, management, audience trend

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