followthemedia.com
a knowledge base for media professionals 		ftm Radio Page
ftm Home Page

ftm Radio Page - week ending September 13, 2019

Market leaders leap in summer audience survey
hits at the beach

There is always a temptation to pass over - if not ignore - radio audience estimates from summer months. Listeners have their minds on sunshine and holidays, assumed to be away from the usual usual routines. Perhaps that’s true.

The Radio Track Kantar June-August Polish national audience estimates were released this week. It was a period of jumps and dumps for leading radio channels. All but two in the top ten posted significant year-on-year gains or losses. (See Poland national radio audience trend chart here)

Perennial market leader RMF FM stole the show, leaping to 29.2% audience share from 25.4% one year on. It is the biggest audience share ever for Poland’s first private commercial radio channel, originally launched in Krakow in January 1990. RMF FM is a hit music channel owned by Bauer Media Group.

Second place, again, went to Radio Zet with 12.3% audience share, up from 11.8% year on year. It is a legacy contemporary music channel. It was acquired by publisher Agora Group and a Czech investment fund earlier this year after French media house Lagardère Active exited its Eastern European radio holdings. (See more about media in Poland here)

Radio Eska placed third, yet again; 7.9% audience share, up slightly from 7.8% one year on. It is a network of local stations covering the entire country with hit music. The owner is ZPR Media Group.

Polish state broadcaster Polskie Radio suffered as main general interest channel Radio Jedynka dropped to 5.7% audience share from 7.1% year on year. The channel maintained 4th place. Radio Trojka, branded as an alternative music channel targeting young people, continued its long decent; 4.8% audience share from 5.6%, remaining in 5th place nationally. Radio Trojka has undergone several programming changes in recent years.

Showing marked improvement was RMF Maxx, dance/hip-hop channel owned by Bauer Media Group. Its June-August audience share rose to 4.0% from 3.5% one year on, moving into 6th place. Dropping to 7th was Vox FM, dance music channel owned by ZPR Media Group. It slid to 3.3% audience share from 3.9%. Also lower was adult-contemporary channel Zlote Przeboje, 3.0% audience share from 3.5%. It is operated by Agora Group.

The remaining channels in the national survey of persons 15 to 75 years were little changed. The exception was religious channel Radio Maryja, 1.3% audience share from 1.7%, lowest in several years.

In the digital trade war, there is a price
"it always depends on the question"

It’s another Digital Radio Day, this time in Berlin at the IFA. German broadcasters - public and private - are still arguing about who controls the negotiating table with, of course, manufacturers and patent holders swirling about. Timing is, obviously, of the essence.

German private media association Vaunet came out the day before (September 8) with its opening position, not all that different from the position held for several years. "FM broadcasting is the basis for the private radio business and will remain so for a long time to come,” said a statement from Vaunet radio chairperson Klaus Schunk. “Nevertheless, the relevance of DAB+ also increases as a digital transmission path and has politically exceeded the 'point of no return’.” (See Vaunet statement here - in German)

The private-sector broadcasters appear ready to accept the inevitability - more or less - of digital radio “migration,” shutting down analogue FM transmission. But they want a few things agreed first. On their list is a cap on channels operated by public broadcasters and a guarantee that existing private-sector radio channels will receive authorizations. Then they want €500 million for their trouble. (See more about media in Germany here)

Even as important as the money is the timetable. “A shutdown date… may not exist until the actual analogue usage falls below 10%.” And don’t give us that hocus-pocus about receiver ownership, which DAB supporters have long touted. After that 10% barrier is reached, only using measured listening, “then the three year transitional phase will begin.”

From the other side of the negotiating table, figuratively, came public radio broadcaster Deutschlandradio chief executive Stefan Raue in an interview with Tagesspiegel (September 8). He noted the upward “trend” in DAB+ receiver ownership, particularly in automobiles, which the European Commission mandated by 2021. (See more about digital radio here)

“There is a dynamic that has not been seen in recent years,” he explained. “There are three bearings in the evaluation of DAB+: some consider this technique to be a total waste of money, others see it as the solution to all problems. And then there is a third group, the skeptics, who do not pursue the issue without sympathy, but have not believed in the great growth. So far, this group has said that market saturation has almost been reached. Now, however, the figures show that this red line has been broken.”

Asked about measured DAB+ listening, Herr Raue demurred. “I am not an opinion researcher, but I know that it always depends on the question.” FM “exit” should begin “with a market share of more than 50 percent for DAB+. Last year it was 17 percent nationwide, but we now want to significantly exceed this figure.”

Radio Page week ending September 6, 2019
radio in the UK, RAJAR, BBC Radio, public broadcasting, commercial radio, Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 1, Five Live, Magic, LBC, Heart, Classic FM, Kisstory, Smooth, digital transition, smart speakers, radio in Italy, radio audience, RadioTER, RTL 102.5, Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana, RAI, Radiofreccia, Virgin Radio

Radio Page week ending August 2, 2019
radio in the UK, RAJAR, BBC Radio, public broadcasting, commercial radio, Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 1, Five Live, Magic, LBC, Heart, Classic FM, Kisstory, Smooth, digital transition, smart speakers, radio in Italy, radio audience, RadioTER, RTL 102.5, Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana, RAI, Radiofreccia, Virgin Radio

Radio Page week ending July 26, 2019
radio in France, Paris radio audience, FIP, Mediametrie, radio audience, RTL, Radio France, France Inter, NRJ, Nostalgie, RMC, Europe 1, Lagardere

Radio Page week ending July 19, 2019
radio in the Czech Republic, RRTV, Active Radio, Radio Zet, seznam.cz, Radio Expres, Radio CAS, radio in Germany, radio audience, Media-Analyse, Radio NRW, Bayern 1, WDR 2, Antenne Bayern, SWR 3, Spotify

Radio Page week ending July 12, 2019
radio in Switzerland, Mediapulse, radio audience, public radio, SRF, RTS, RSI

Radio Page week ending July 5, 2019
radio in Spain, radio audience, EGM, Cadena SER, Cadena Cope, Los 40 Principales, Los 40 Classic, RNE

Radio Page week ending June 28, 2019
radio advertising, Cannes Lions, GenZ, radio in Germany, digital transitions, DAB+, 5G

Radio Page week ending June 21, 2019
radio in Poland, Eurozet, Agora Group, mergers and acquisitions, radio in the Czech Republic, Radio Zet, Czech Media Invest, Lagardere Active Radio, Media Bohemia

Recently added radio audience figures and resources

Also see ftm Knowledge

Europe's Radio - Southern Europe

Radio broadcasting in southern Europe ranges from highly developed to developing highly. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese radio is unique, creative and very popular. Radio in Croatia, Serbia and Greece has had ups and downs. The ftm Knowledge file includes Resources. 126 pages PDF (June 2015)

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, Liechtenstein, Netherlands and Switzerland. 244 pages. Resources. PDF (September 2013)

Order here

Europe’s Radio – Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s radio writes new rules. In fact, most everything about radio in this region is new... and changes often. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine. 159 pages PDF (April 2013)

Order here

Europe’s Radio – Northern Europe

Northern Europe’s radio has a very digital sound. And change is in the air. Economic challenges abound for both public and commercial broadcasters. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the UK. 144 pages PDF includes Resources (November 2012)

Order here

Digital Radio - Possibilities and Probabilities

Digital radio has many platforms. From broadcast platforms to internet radio and rapidly emerging smartphone platforms, listeners and broadcasters have choices galore and decisions to make. Some regulators have made up their minds, others not, some hedging their bets. This ftm Knowledge file details the possibilities for digital broadcasting and the probabilities for success. Includes Resources 149 pages PDF (August 2012)

Order here

Become an ftm Individual or Corporate Member and receive Knowledge files at no charge. JOIN HERE!

ftm Knowledge files are available to Members at no additional charge.

The Six Radio Brands is about the uniquely European development of radio brands. Competition among broadcasters - and certainly between the public and commercial sectors - gives radio in Europe a rich dynamic. As consumers become more media-literate and demand more attachment broadcasters find target markets illusive.
Regulators, advertisers and broadcasters take turns trying to influence radio brands. Culture and technology makes an impact. More and more, the greatest influence comes from consumers.
The Six Radio Brands describes advantages and pit-falls of brand strategies, with illustrations from current radio practice.

100 pages. 2004

Available at no charge to ftm Members, €49 for others. Email for more information

copyright ©2004-2019 ftm partners, unless otherwise noted Contact Us • About Us