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French broadcasters sign on to digital
The other digital radio
Yes, digital radio is DAB, DAB+, HD Radio and T-DMB. There is yet another, less spoken of but quite real – DRM Digital Radio Mondial. Two French stations – Radio Littoral and C2RM, both in Brittany – have signed all the appropriate forms and agreements to broadcast in DRM. (Read DR France release here – in French)
T-DMB is the anointed digital radio standard for France. These broadcasters are taking advantage of DRM because T-DMB networks aren’t covering rural areas. (More on digital radio strategies here) T-DMB won’t be available in cities under 50,000 population for three of four more years, says DR France, the association of digital radio operators in France. Why wait? (JMH)
Earth Hour is upon us
What are you doing?
On March 28th at 2030 local time around the world the lights will go out for the 3rd WWF sponsored Earth Hour. The idea originated in Australia in 2007. That year Leo Burnett Sydney won a Cannes Titanium Lion for an ad campaign promoting the event.
Modern Times Group radio stations in Sweden will do their part this year, reports Dagens Media (February 5), by shutting down for the full hour.
Last year US broadcaster Cox Radio’s Richmond, Virginia WKHK radio station shut off all the lights, broadcasting by candlelight. What are you doing? (JMH)
Arbitron tackles compliance with feet
don't fail me now
Everybody in the audience research world struggles with recruiting and compliance. US radio audience measurement firm Arbitron isn't alone. They've put "charming" new trainers on the street to improve compliance.
(See Arbitron release and Thom Mocarsky statement here) (JMH)
The Hell that is Somalia
Another broadcaster murdered
Radio station Horn Afrik director Said Tahlil Ahmed suffered death (February 4). Like so many, too many broadcasting colleagues in the lawless hell of Somalia he was murdered by gun. He was killed near Mogadishu’s Bakara market district, reported both BBC and AFP.
A witness told Reuters “two masked armed with pistols” shot him several times. The national Union of Somali Journalists reported that he was shot by three men after being called to a meeting with other Mogadishu radio directors by the Al-Shabaab Islamic group.
Somalia has been without effective government for nearly two decades. Media workers are regularly targeted. In January a journalist for Radio Shabelle was murdered. (See more here and here)
“This is the collapse of freedom of speech,” said Said Tahlil Ahmed in 2007 on the day two broadcasters were murdered. Horn Afrik broadcasts Voice of America programming in Mogadishu. (Read BBG/VOA statement here) (JMH)
EU says Belarus making media freedom progress
Small steps mean a lot
Belarus is making “certain” progress on critical media freedom issues said representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the Czech European Union (EU) Presidency. Czech Foreign Ministry official Betr Burianek noted minor loosening of state control of media, reported Ceske Noviny (February 4)
"Having seen progress in five areas in Belarus, including the media, the European Commission decided to reappraise Belarus' steps on April 13," said Aizsalnieks quoted in the Kyiv Post (February 4) the European Commission meets in mid-April to evaluate Belarus’ “Eastern Partner” status that was suspended in 2008.
A new Law on Mass Media takes effect February 8th in Belarus requiring re-registration of all media outlets and journalists. The law also includes several open information provisions. (Read more about media repressive countries on Russia’s borders.)
Belarus’ officials remain rather hostile to some foreign media organizations. In January two unidentified journalists from Poland-based Radio Racyja were denied press accreditation. (JMH)
Now Moodys Is Going After Broadcasters With Downgrades
It’s not bad enough that the ratings companies have just about decimated newspaper debt ratings (even mighty Gannett is now just one step above junk basis) but now Moodys warns it has broadcasters within its sights.
Moodys says that US broadcasters may have their ratings cut “as the global economic downturn sends television advertising revenues into a tailspin." It expects TV advertising this year to decline some 15-20%, especially since there are no Olympics or any political campaigns.
Well, the ratings on newspaper debt has just about scuppered sales of many properties; anyone care to buy a TV station now?
Another Chink In Newspaper Legal Notices
Newspapers still make tons of money from legal notices required by state law but the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has struck down a civil court judgment because the plaintiff, who had been unsuccessful in serving the defendant court papers, finally made notification via legal notices in a local weekly paper, and the court said that’s a no-no, one reason being that newspapers aren’t read so much any more. Ouch!
The court, on its Web site, said in a unanimous decision, that using legal notices in newspapers to notify defendants of lawsuits began “when newspapers were the only means of print mass communication, and when newspapers were more widely and intensely read than is now the case ... Because service by publication has become less likely to achieve actual notice of a lawsuit, it is also less likely to meet the requirements of due process."
The case was complicated by which county the defendant actually lived in and the newspaper used for the legal notice publication which, the court said, made the case unique, but it then concluded, "We are forced to conclude that service by publication was not reasonably calculated to notify the defendant of the action and, although technically compliant with the rules, did not meet the requirements of due process."
The defendant didn’t show up for the court case, he lost with a summary judgment against him for $100,000, but now it’s back to square one.
Norwegian broadcasters are angry
Not just unfair
Staff and management of Norwegian national commercial channel P4 are really, really upset with competitor Radio Norge. Letters have been written, interviews given and given. This competitors’ spat could get ugly.
P4 general director Kalle Lisberg has charged that Radio Norge has been violating its license agreement for more than five years and something must be done. The charge, specifically, is that Radio Norge isn’t fulfilling local news production stipulations.
“Radio Norge has chosen the easiest recipe in commercial radio, to play a lot of music and talk little,” said P4 editorial director Eigil Anderson, quoted in Kampaije.com. “And it would be OK if it was what they promised in the license.”
Media regulator Medietilsynet threatened Radio Norge with a NOK 500,000 (€ 55,500) fine in December if it did not increase news production by March 1st. In November the P4 editorial staff sent a letter to the Culture Ministry asking that Radio Norway be sanctioned. Norwegian broadcasters have been crowing for months after Culture Minister Trond Giske decided to hold a new license round for local radio licenses. (Read that story here)
“A half million kroner after five and a half years with a license violation is not much,” continued Andersen. “Savings they have made are much greater than the cost of paying the fine.”
Radio Norge general director Bente Klemetsdal dismissed the claim, even citing Norway’s free press laws preventing government interference.
P4 radio is owned by Modern Times Group (MTG). Radio Norge is owned by ProSiebenSat/SBS. (JMH)
First broadcast from new RFE/RL studios
moving time
RFE/RL outgrew its central Prague facilities long ago and its new studio and office complex is now ready to go. The first broadcast from the new studios took place February 3 was a news bulletin for the Radio Free Iraq service. (Read RFE/RL presser here)
Now, it's time for the 500 people working there to pack up and move to the new building. Imagine. (JMH)
Mr. Editor, Are You Going To Keep Your Job?
The Indianapolis Star’s IndyStar.com has a column where readers can ask questions and there was this exchange which deserves a wider audience:
Question: After reading of the 300 layoffs planed by the L.A. Times, I'm concerned that our own paper may soon be following suit. As much as any jobs are secure now, are you concerned about the future of the Indianapolis Star and your own job in particular? Do you feel that the long-term health of the paper is OK? (Alan, Mooresville, Ind.)
Answer: My answer to this is simple: I try to worry about the things in life that I can control, and this is not one of them. I've done many smart things financially to put myself in position for such a situation (and others), and I've always felt that if someone decides I'm not needed in this position, I'll do something else with my career. As for newspapers in general, yes, it's a very difficult period and we might actually be seeing the complete demise of the printed form. But I feel that news organizations like ours, journalists and writers will always be needed in some form. Someone still has to produce all the content for the Internet, for example. It should be noted that we're doing very well with indystar.com and overall market penetration.
Hurrah For Newspapers
We mentioned Tuesday that a group of newspaper executives are funding an ad campaign to promote newspapers, and above we print their first one, signifying how many more people read a daily newspaper in the U.S. than saw the Super Bowl game.
When one considers the Super Bowl is the most watched TV event of the year it kind of puts things in perspective. But whereas NBC made a fortune in advertising from the Game ($206 million) unfortunately not too many newspapers these days can say they are making profits from their advertising.
And that’s the real newspaper problem – it’s incoming revenues rather than the number of readers!
German broadcaster restructures
Cross-media collaboration
Public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) is restructuring its programming departments from 13 to 5, combining radio channels, television programs and on-line offerings under single structures. The new organigram takes effect May 1st.
Under the information department will be radio channels Info Radio, Antenne Brandenburg and radioBerlin 88.8 as well as three television news programs. A division called New Times will include radio channels Radioeins and Fritz plus youth-oriented TV programs Thadeusz and Dickes B. Department heads for the five divisions have not been named. Staff cuts are not expected.
RBB director Dagmar Reim said the new structure will promote cross-media collaboration. (JMH)
Czech public radio director resigns
Not pushing paper any more
The Executive Director of Czech public radio Cesky Rozhlas (Czech Radio – CRo) Josef Havel resigned (January 31) and was immediately named to the management of local Prague public channel Radio Regina.
“After fifteen years working at the headquarters he decided to concentrate on the development of radio Regina,” said a Czech Radio spokesperson. Havel had been Czech Radio’s Executive Director less than three years and earlier in his career had been a program director. (JMH)
Did You Buy A Newspaper On National Buy A Newspaper Day?
What’s that, you didn’t know Monday was National Buy A Newspaper Day? Well there’s a group on Facebook that’s concerned print newspapers might be in peril (where did they get that idea?) so they organized National Buy A Newspaper Day. Going to a newspaper web site didn’t count.
Well, nothing else with the exception of the election and inauguration of an African-American President seems to get people to extraordinarily buy newspapers these days so why not shamelessly proclaim and observe such days – like five to seven times a week, every week!
And then there’s a group of newspaper executives who have begun what they call the “Newspaper Project” and they have formed a web site – newspaperproject.org – to promote print newspapers (there’s something about a web site promoting print that doesn’t quite ring right, but, heck, any port in a storm).
The group says it is going to launch a series of ads in big papers like the New York Times and the Washington Post, and much smaller community newspapers, too, to promote the fact that newspapers are alive and well, no matter what people might hear elsewhere.
One point in particular is worth noting. “Newspapers don’t have an audience problem,” according to Donna Barrett, president of Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc., “Newspapers have a revenue problem, driven primarily by the recession.”
Better Not Hand Out Your Financial Times Web Password!
It seems the Financial Times has taken to court the huge Blackstone Group (private equity) because it has allegedly distributed to employees an FT user name and password instead of establishing separate paid for accounts for those employees. Allegedly a “senior employee authorized the initiation and repeated renewal of an individual, personal subscription to FT.com” and then distributed the login details to company employees, according to the US lawsuit.
The media in general is having huge fun with this considering the lifestyle of Blackstone owner Steve Schwarzman who is known for somewhat extravagant ways (but there is a recession on now, you know, so perhaps every economy helps!). But the principle behind the lawsuit is actually very serious.
If newspapers are to make money off the web it probably will be via some sort of subscription service just like the FT’s, but if passwords and usernames are given out by subscribers for free to employees without a license for such there goes that ball game. No doubt the FT has a multiple usage license for such cases.
The media simply cannot afford username/password cheating. So good for the FT in protecting its interests, and in this case, the media in general.
Nominate Now for Special Award
Deadline February 27
Nominations are open now for the Special Award category at the OWBT’s One World Media Awards. Please consider nominating an outstanding media organization or project in the developing world. (See details here) (JMH)
A $261 Million Day For NBC
The biggest smiles in Tampa Sunday night came not from the winning Pittsburg Super Bowl fans but rather the NBC Peacock for it was a record revenue day -- $261 million, according to the network. It managed at the last minute to sell its two remaining Super Bowl spots so total revenue for the game came to $206 million -- a record and considering the economic downturn a real achievement.
Ratings won’t be in until later Monday, but the Super Bowl in recent years has been the number one rated program of the year, and given that history perhaps it is little wonder that 32 sponsors agreed to part with up to $3 million per 30-second ad for the privilege of getting an audience of more than 100 million via 67 in-game spots.
Which just goes to show that poor economy or not, give an advertiser a huge captive audience for a live event and the money will still flow.
Swiss HD TV Cuts Off Nadal
The national Swiss broadcaster showed the Australian Open final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on its HD channel Sunday with natural sound only, but on its three terrestrial networks in French, German and Italian. There is something positive to be said for covering a sporting event in natural sound, not having commentating all the time, and with the picture quality it was about as close as one is going to get to seemingly looking out your window and watching the match on court.
Federer, the Swiss, lost and when he tried to give his first acceptance speech as runner-up the emotion just got to him (he really wanted that 14th Grand Slam win) and he wept, as the crowd encouragingly cheered him on. They gave him a minute or two to compose himself and he then managed a few words, and the HD channel stayed with all of that.
Then it was Nadal’s turn. But not on the HD channel. No sooner did he stand up to the microphones than the channel cut away to some bicycle race in The Netherlands. Just how petty can one get, and don’t say it was all because of schedule overruns and the like!
The Swiss were getting their HD picture from Eurosport so one switched to Eurosport and there was the Nadal speech – and it really was a pity the Swiss cut away because Nadal did his best to say really nice things about the Swiss and it would have been nice if Swiss HD viewers had heard it.
We didn’t watch the Swiss French, German or Italian language stations to see what they did with Nadal’s speech, but what the HD channel did was just plain petty and one would think Swiss Broadcasting would be above that kind of thing.
Digital Britain not enough says LSE think tank
Economists go radical
Economics, the dismal science, may or may not be enjoying a burst of popular interest as savings, jobs, housing and consumer confidence vanish against all the best theories. There’s more on the minds of London School of Economics POLIS media think tankers. Digital Britain, in the form of an interim report by that name issued by UK Communications Minister Stephen Carter, troubles the economists. It, they say, doesn’t go far enough. (Read LSE POLIS release here)
Lord Carter’s interim report will be followed by a final report and, perhaps, government action. All things media were touched; from saving public service broadcasting to bringing broadband to all (or more) and forcing the British public to buy DAB radio receivers. This follows by a week a similar set of pronouncements by UK media and telecom regulator OFCOM.
“Digital Britain could have been more radical,” said LSE POLIS thinker Dr Damian Tambini. Focused on reorganizing television, the think tankers want “…innovative new models of delivery of public service content, rather than new models of advertising…”. (JMH)
TV is healthy
Just add sauce
Broadcasters, particularly those of the commercial variety, find themselves regular targets of consumer protection groups. Like the advertisers that support them, broadcasters are seen as contributing if not promoting every societal evil. Consumer activists, all with the very best of intentions, often get the attention of governments and regulators. Committees are formed, white papers written, green papers written... all threatening new, stronger rules.
Health, food, advertising, television and regulation all seem to converge in Brussels where the European Commission regularly inspects all the studies and most of the complaints before drafting new rules or condemning broadcasters for infracting old ones. (Read background here)
The Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT) has submitted to the European Commission a memorandum called “A Healthy Audience” drawing attention to programs in eight countries where commercial television broadcasters are raising audience awareness of health issues. (Read ACT presser here) “Television,” said ACT Director General Ross Biggam, “can be a positive tool for those wishing to communicate messages on healthy eating and lifestyle.” (JMH)
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