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![]() 2000-07-23: Licence news this week. All fairly quiet although the Low Power Fm battle seems to be hotting up in the US. In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority has announced details of public hearings it will hold in connection with the allocation of its three new Sydney-wide community licences. In all there will be 11 days of hearings in August and members of the public are invited to make submissions by August 4th. The Authority has listed details of hearings relating to 18 applications from organisations as diverse as Christian and Islamic organisations through to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Broadcasters Incorporated. There are also minority applications including competing Chinese community applicants, a Lebanese immigrants group and an aboriginal group. In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, has renewed the licences for a number of native radio programming undertakings and networks for one year from the period from September 1 this year. It has also called for comments on proposed changes to licence conditions for these undertakings. In the UK, the Radio Authority has now published details of its timetable for new analogue licences, the pre-advertisement and re-advertisement of existing analogue local licences and for digital multiplex licences. It has also published assessments of its awards earlier this month of the Coventry digital multiplex to GWR company Now Digital Ltd and of the Burgess Hill & Haywards Heath licence award to Central Sussex Radio and re-advertised the local radio licence forthe town of High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, and the surrounding area. This licence is currently held by Radio Wye Ltd., broadcasting as Eleven Seventy broadcasting on AM but the re-advertisement offers the options of either an AM or an FM licence and will run for eight years from 31 December 2001, following the expiry of the present licence. The FM licence would be for two frequencies on the FM waveband focusing upon the towns of High Wycombe and Amersham but reaching a small audience than the FM option. Next week the authority will invite applications for a digital multiplex licence to serve the South Wales/Severn Estuary region. In the US, the main controversy is still the Low Power Fm issue (see RNW July 18 and July 22 ). Previous licence news ABA website; CRTC Website; UK Radio authority website 2000-07-22: The issue of Low Power FM radio is continuing to get cover in US newspapers. Generally they feature the little guys who want the chance to their niche or community interests on air and the conflict of interest with the big broadcasters who say they fear interference but seem widely perceived as more worried about anything which could eat into the size of their audiences. Around half of the applications have come from church groups most of who would use the frequencies for proselytising but the other half is very wide ranging. Among the would-be broadcasters featured are the residents of the tiny Alaskan Eskimo village of Savoonga, population 650, who want to broadcast programs in their native dialect, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, helping to keep it alive. They also plan to provide an important public service on such local potential hazards as polar bear sightings to warn residents of the village located in the Bering Strait just 40 miles from Siberia. Currently the community's radio comes mainly from religious broadcasts, beamed in from two commercial FM stations in Nome, Alaska, some 170 miles (approximately 270km) away. Those stations are poles apart from church applicants for LPFM who also vary widely as with the Church of the Open Door on the Chicago's Southwest Side. There co-pastor the Rev. Alma Crawford says, "Even explorations of communities of colour, low-income communities and so forth, are always through the lens of a perspective outside our community." The church intends to apply for a license to provide people in its Chicago Lawn neighbourhood "relatively unmediated access to one another." The pastor says the church would use the station as a way to bring together the neighbourhood's African-Americans and growing number of Mexican immigrants by broadcasting programs that explore the common ground between immigrants from rural Mexico and blacks whose families hail from the rural South. A similar perspective is cited by the Association for Community Reform Now in Louisiana where community activist Beth Butler says, "Currently, with the mergers between the radio stations across the country, a lot of the news and programs that come through are just canned, and they don't respond to the issues of low-income people at all." Her group plans services which would inform listeners of low-interest loans, legal services and affordable offerings by phone companies and other utilities." And finally a by-the-by mention here of Radio Free Berkeley and Stephen Dunifer who featured in our previous LPFM report. A federal appeals court ruled that as a pirate who did not apply for a licence he had no grounds to challenge an order from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shut down his low power station. After the judgement, Dunifer's lawyer, Louis Hiken, said,"We don't know whether to declare victory or defeat. Everything we asked for, the FCC has done, but now the (National Association of Broadcasters), through the Congress, may overturn it." Dunifer, whose station was closed in 1998, says he will continue his fight against broadcast conglomerates which, he says, drown out the voices of American citizens. ``As far as I'm concerned, all avenues of any equitable redress in this country have been cut off to the average person,'' said. Dunifer ``We've exhausted every legal remedy available to us, so therefore the only route that seems effective in achieving our goals will always be direct action and electronic civil disobedience.'' He wants activists to set up a whole string of Low Power stations to begin broadcasting together on September 20th then the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) meeting opens in San Francisco. Previous Dunifer ; Previous LPFM report; Recent LPFM articles in US:-- Chicago Tribune July 20 ; New York Time/AP July 20 : San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle have reports on Dunifer case: 2000-07-22: More bad news for BBC staff. Britain's Culture Secretary Chris Smith has said that plans for 1100 job losses announced this month (RNW July 11) do not go far enough. He told the British New Statesman magazine that the jobs cuts, which are expected to produce a £750 million saving over six years were a long way of the 1 billion ($1.5 billion) savings he was looking for in return for agreeing to above-inflation increases in the licence fee. He also expressed concern over plans to transform BBC Television into "genre" channels along the lines of current radio output. (RNW July 11). Similar concerns were expressed in the magazine by former BBC World Service head, John Tusa, who said that the change would "ghettoise" arts programming . And more criticism of the BBC from the Foreign Office, but this time in an internal document which has just been made public under the "30 years secrecy" rule. In it senior diplomat Sir James Johnston said BBC journalists represented "a larger collection of prima donnas than has ever graced Covent Garden(RNW note - Covent Garden is London's premier Opera House)." The Foreign Office also lamented the fact that BBC journalists were subject "to no restraint equivalent to the Official Secrets Act" and that they were "not being amenable to regular direction". RNW note: Which in the absence of a British Freedom of Information Act worthy of the name or more American attitudes to official secrecy, we consider a very good thing too! Previous BBC; Previous Chris Smith; 2000-07-22: The US Department of Justice has now formally cleared the Clear Channel takeover of AMFM, requiring the company to divest itself of 99 stations as a condition of the approval. The department says that the $23.5 billion deal is the largest radio deal it has reviewed and the divestitures in 27 markets total around $3.4 billion. When the deal is completed Clear Channel will own or operate 898 station, barring that is, further acquisitions in the meantime. Clear Channel has one in hand already, the $57 million purchase of 13 stations from Suburst Media . The stations involved are KGBX-FM, KGMY-FM, KXUS-FM, KTOZ-FM and KGMY-AM in Springfield, Montana; KKYS-FM and KAGG-FM in Bryan/College Station, Texas; and KEAN-FM, KULL-FM, KEYJ-FM, KBBA-AM, KEAN-AM and KHYS-FM (formerly KORQ-FM) in Abilene, Texas. The deal is subject to regulatory approval but Bryan-College Station is the only one of the three locations where Clear Channel already has stations, one FM of its own and an AM/FM combo it is gaining from AMFM. Previous Clear Channel deals; US DOJ news release; 2000-07-21: Chicago's media columnists have been adding more detail on who is to switch to WBBM-AM when CBS-Infinity closes down WMAQ-AM at the end of this month (RNW July 12) . And according to Sun-Times columnist Robert Feder there's not that much trust around the station. He reports that the fired staffers are fuming at a memo from Georgeann Herbert, operations manager of WMAQ and WBBM on new security measures being instituted because in other station shutdowns there have been incidents of "theft and vandalism." Under the new measures staffers at the station outside normal business hours have to sign in and out with a Pinkerton security guard. In addition the station is planning a property pass system for the removal of personal items. His Tribune colleague Jim Kirk reports that of the 54 staff at WMAQ, Chicago's oldest call letters, some 30 are being fired and of those remaining many are on the sales side. Only one reporter and one writer/editor will move to WBBM along with WMAQ morning anchor Pat Cassidy and sports anchor Jeff Joniak whilst on the management side WMAQ news director Mike Krauser (RNW July 7) will take the vacant news director spot at WBBM and Sue Sentowski, promotions manager for WMAQ, will take on a similar role at WBBM. Among those out on the street will be WMAQ political editor Bill Cameron who'd been with the station for 31 years. Previous WMAQ; Previous Cassidy; Previous Feder; Previous Kirk; Previous Krauser; Feder column; Kirk column; 2000-07-21: Chicago's media columnists have been adding more detail on who is to switch to WBBM-AM when CBS-Infinity closes down WMAQ-AM at the end of this month (RNW July 12) . And according to Sun-Times columnist Robert Feder there's not that much trust around the station. He reports that the fired staffers are fuming at a memo from Georgeann Herbert, operations manager of WMAQ and WBBM on new security measures being instituted because in other station shutdowns there have been incidents of "theft and vandalism." Under the new measures staffers at the station outside normal business hours have to sign in and out with a Pinkerton security guard. In addition the station is planning a property pass system for the removal of personal items. His Tribune colleague Jim Kirk reports that of the 54 staff at WMAQ, Chicago's oldest call letters, some 30 are being fired and of those remaining many are on the sales side. Only one reporter and one writer/editor will move to WBBM along with WMAQ morning anchor Pat Cassidy and sports anchor Jeff Joniak whilst on the management side WMAQ news director Mike Krauser (RNW July 7) will take the vacant news director spot at WBBM and Sue Sentowski, promotions manager for WMAQ, will take on a similar role at WBBM. Among those out on the street will be WMAQ political editor Bill Cameron who'd been with the station for 31 years. Previous WMAQ; Previous Cassidy; Previous Feder; Previous Kirk; Previous Krauser; Feder column; Kirk column; 2000-07-21: Yet more comprehensive reporting in the Irish Times on the Flood Tribunal into cash contributions to Irish politicians from Century radio. The paper reports that the tribunal has been told by Century director Oliver Barry that a 1989 cash payment of Irish £35,000 to then Communications Minister Ray Burke was not a personal contribution from him but was rather in the nature of a company contribution since the payment went through the company's books and co-founder, James Stafford, and a hidden investor, John Mulhern, knew in advance about the payment. Stafford and Mulhern have told the tribunal they only learned of the payment some time after it was made. Barry managed to get back the money he paid to Mr Burke from Century before the company folded in 1991. Tribunal counsel Pat Hanratty SC said in his opening statement that Barry was denying Stafford's allegation that radio licences could be bought from Burke and former Fianna Fáil press secretary P.J. Mara at a rate of £90,000 for a national one, £75,000 for a Dublin franchise and £25,000 (not £50,000 as Mr Hanratty had said the day before) for a local licence. Barry also alleged that Mara was looking for a consultancy, as well as stock options but at the time Century was in financial crisis and taking advice on shedding staff so was in no position to take anybody on. Hanratty also revealed new information from Bank of Ireland, which showed that, to provide re-assurance over Century's competitive position, at a meeting in December 1989, he promised bank officials he would eliminate RTÉ's "excesses" by capping its advertising revenue. Burke's lawyer, Aidan Walsh SC, told the tribunal RTÉ was abusing its position in the advertising market and Mr Burke capped its income in the public interest. Mr Walsh said what occurred was a recitation of evidence and a running commentary as if Mr Hanratty was making the case for the prosecution in the case of RTÉ versus Mr Burke, RTÉ versus Century, RTÉ versus Oliver Barry and RTÉ versus James Stafford. In his evidence Stafford attacked RTÉ and said that because Mulhern held no shares in the company he had not broken any Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) rules by failing to reveal Mulhern's involvement in Century. The tribunal is expected to continue sitting for up to ten weeks. Previous Flood Tribunal; Previous Barry; Previous Burke; Previous Hanratty; Previous Mara; Previous Mulhern ; Previous Stafford; Irish Times search page (search for Radio and July) 2000-07-21: The Sydney Morning Herald reports on a row between Internet radio venture Bigfatradio.com and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation over mentions of ABC websites by BigfatRadio. The ABC, says the paper, claims that audiences may take the mentions as an endorsement of Bigfatradio.com. The latter's marketing director says the practice is similar to a radio commentator quoting references to newspapers. He said he had received a phone call objecting to presenter and former ABC broadcaster Angela Catters referring to an ABC news site on her show. He added that another announcer, Helen Razer, also ex -ABC, had taken audiences on a tour of ABC children's sites and that they thought the mentions drove traffic to ABC's site. ABC Online's marketing manager Michael Buffham said the corporation was very concerned about protecting the ABC brand. Sydney Morning Herald item. Bigfaatradio website. 2000-07-20: A busy time in Chicago as the Arbitron ratings are issued and AMFM announces changes in light of the takeover by Clear Channel. On the ratings front, the news was good for CBS-Infinity which tends to give local managers more autonomy and not so good for AMFM which is more centralised and has just announced changes which reduce its Chicago area general managers from five to three. Looking for other jobs are Don Moore, until recently General Manager of WVAZ and Ralph Sherman, until recently General Manager of WNUA. Up the greasy pole are Marv Dyson, currently Vice President and General Manager of top rated urban-contemporary WGCI-FM/AM, who will take on additional General Manager responsibilities at former rival WVAZ-FM and Terry Hardin, currently Vice President and General Manager of adult-contemporary WLIT, who will add General Manager duties at smooth-jazz WNUA-FM. Kathy Stinehour, market executive vice president for AMFM Inc. in Chicago will continue as general manager of rhythmic oldies WUBT-FM. On the ratings front, the top slots remained unaltered with WGC-FM hanging in at number 1 but with audience share falling to 6.4% compared to the winter 7.5%, News-Talks station WGN-AM holding fairly steady with a 6.2% share compared to 6.4% in winter and third-placed WBBM-FM jumping up in audience to a 6% share from 5.3%, its highest figure in its top-40 format. Sister Infinity station country-format WUSN-FM also had a strong showing, leaping up to umber four slot with a share jumping to 4.3% from 2.9% and pushing WLS-AM, which dropped from a 4.5% to a 4.2% down into fifth position. In the morning drive slot, Spike O'Dell who took over the slot from the late Bob Collins who died in a light plane crash in February (RNW Feb 9), edged up from 9.5% to 9.6% with Felicia Middlebrooks and Ken Herrera at WBBM-AM up in ranking but slipping slightly in share as they took the number 2 position with a 5.6% share as opposed to 5.8% in the winter ratings. "Crazy" Howard McGee & Tony Sculfield at WGCI-FM dropped back to shared third place with 4.9% compared to 6.3% for winter. Ed Volkman & Joe Bohannon for WBBM-FM moved up from 4.8% to 4.9%. In the midday battle the top three were (winter ratings in brackets) Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura Schlessinger on WLS-AM with.4% (5.6%), Judy Markey/Kathy O'Malleyand Steve Cochran on WGN-AM with 5.1% (5.5%) and Irene Mojica, WGCI-FM with 4.9% (down from 5.9%). Afternoon drive top honours went to Roxanne Steele, WBBM-FM with 7% (5.9%), Rick Party, WGCI-FM with 6.7% (down from 7.9%) and John Williams, WGN-AM with 4.8% (down from 5%). Interest now is centred on the changes at CBS-Infinity which has to dispose of a frequency because of the Viacom takeover of CBS and is reorganising an putting its weakest signal up for sale (RNW July 12). From the beginning of August , when WMAQ's news format dies and the frequency goes to sports format WSCR-AM, current WMAQ-AM morning anchor Pat Cassidy will team up with Felicia Middlebrooks on WBBM whilst Ken Herrera moves from his morning slot to middays. However this is expected to be an interim move with him likely to be paired with a new co-anchor and move to afternoon drive whilst WBBM's current afternoon team of Sherman Kaplan and Kris Kridel eventually move to middays. Previous Clear Channel; Previous Bob Collins; Previous Terry Hardin ; Previous Ken Herrera; Previous Felicia Middlebrooks; Previous Spike O'Dell 2000-07-20: The Irish Times reports comprehensively on the Flood Tribunal hearings into allegations that senior Fianna Fáil figures sought bribes in return for awarding commercial radio licences. Giving evidence was James Stafford, co-founder of Century Radio, who has alleged that former Fianna Fáil minister for communications , Ray Burke, and the party press secretary during the Haughey era, P.J. Mara, sought payments of £90,000 for a national licence, £75,000 for one of the two Dublin franchises or £50,000 for a local radio licence. Both men deny the charges. Pat Hanratty SC, for the tribunal, has also revealed that Stafford and fellow Century director Oliver Barry had failed to reveal to the Independent Radio and Television Commission that Mr John Mulhern, the son-in law of the then taoiseach(Prime Minister) , Charles Haughey had a 17% stake in the company. They had also failed to reveal their involvement in a bid for another radio licence, again in contravention of ICRC regulations. Stafford, when asked about this omission, told the tribunal that he felt Mulhern should not be involved because his relationship to the taoiseach could have prejudiced the IRTC when it considered the licence application. He added that Mulhern did not invest in Century but provided a loan for Stafford to buy shares in the company; under a verbal "arrangement between friends" Mr Mulhern had a share option, but no controlling interest in the company. Four months after Century was awarded Ireland's first national commercial licence in January 1989(RNW note- it later collapesed in 1991) , Barry paid Burke Irish £35,000 in cash (RNW Feb 11) and two months before the payment Burke intervened in a row between Century and state broadcaster RTÉ over transmission fees. Burke told RTÉ to charge about £150,000 for allowing Century to use its network of transmission facilities, a quarter of the £614,000 RTÉ agreed with Department of Communications officials, and less than half the £375,000 Century had offered to pay.(*RNW note: RTÉ's transmission netowrk is now to be sold off - RNW July 10) In 1990 Burke reacted to please from Barry and Stafford by introducing a cap on RTE's revenue, in spite of widespread opposition. When this matter was brought up at the tribunal, Stafford said he met Ray Burke February 1989 to protest at RTE's actions which he felt were an abuse of RTE's dominant position. He said Burke said he could not assist him unless the matter was brought to his attention by the IRTC. Stafford said he also brought the matter up with Charles Haughey but found him unsympathetic. Previous Barry ; Previous Burke; Previous Flood Tribunal ; Previous RTE Irish Times search page (search for Radio and July) 2000-07-20: The BBC has published its fifth annual Statement of Promises which it flags as putting "creativity and openness" at the front of its endeavours. It lists four main commitments -- to spend more of the licence fee on programmes, to provide a richer mix of TV and radio programmes for everyone, more on BBC Online and more on BBC Online. BBC News Release; Statement of Promises 2000-07-19: Some good news for BBC World Service in the British government's spending review. The service, which is funded by a grant from the Foreign Office, is to get an extra £64 million over the next three years . The increase was described by World Service director Mark Byford as "very good" and representing significant growth. The extra funds are to be used to develop online services in various languages including Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish as well as improving short wave services to the Middle East and South and East Asia. 2000-07-19: US Ceridian Corporation, which has just reported stronger than expected second quarter earnings, is to spin off its Arbitron radio ratings company. Under the reverse-spin (Arbitron would spin off Ceridian) plan, which depends on the Inland revenue giving the split tax free status, Arbitron and Ceridian will become separately traded public companies by the end of the year with current shareholders retaining full ownership of both. Ceridian will retain its Human Resources and Comdata business. The new Arbitron Company will be headed by Stephen B. Morris, president of Ceridian's Arbitron business, who will be named president and chief executive officer of the Arbitron Company. Arbitron headquarters will remain in New York, with a research and operations centre in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron's 1999 revenues were $215 million, primarily derived from the radio market and the new Arbitron will assume about $250M of Ceridian's $550M in outstanding debt. Ronald L. Turner, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ceridian said," We believe the separation of Arbitron and Ceridian will create two sharply focused companies well-positioned to pursue and realize their potential as independent companies in the distinctly different markets they serve. Both businesses are leaders in their respective industries, with strong existing businesses and attractive future prospects. As separate companies, they can better pursue attractive growth opportunities for the benefit of the employees and customers of both businesses while optimising the value of each individual company. " Previous Arbitron; Ceridian website 2000-07-19: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation which, under new President Robert Rabinovitch's plans to redirect resources into programming, launched a new property division earlier this month has now announced that it is looking for a buyer for its transmission network. On offer are its 608 transmission towers, 750 transmission sites and 2500 transmitters together an on-going business of providing broadcasting delivery and other voice/data transmission services to broadcasters and other businesses. Any buyer would have to maintain the CBC's transmission services. Rabinovitch, commenting on the plan said, "Selling this large infrastructure should free up more resources for programming. We'll also gain greater flexibility that will allow us to explore different methods of program delivery, such as satellites and the Internet. We must continue to focus on our primary objective - programming. Signal delivery may be more efficiently delivered through other vehicles in conjunction with the private sector." The only indication of the price expected was a reference to the assets being "valued at hundreds of millions of dollars." Previous Rabinovitch; CBC News releases 2000-07-18: The battle over Low Power FM (LPFM ) in the US continues and seems to be hotting up with Congressional pressure to kill the idea before any licences are granted and as evidence grows that many of the applications for licences are from religious groups traditionally associated with the Republican Party which has been seeking to block the plans. The Republican leadership has lined up with the big broadcasters in opposition but this may now exacerbate divisions over the issue within the party. Federal Communications Commission chairman William E. Kennard, who championed the idea of up to a thousand small stations with a range of a few miles as a way to bring local voices and diversity to the airwaves, increasingly dominated by big corporations, has been attacked as being arrogant. LPFM's opponents, who include National Association of Broadcasters, National Public Radio and the National Religious Broadcasters Association. say that the new stations would cause interference with existing stations. All these organizations own and operate established stations and Kennard has accused them of creating a smokescreen because they are afraid of competition. There were more than 700 applications for the 200 stations on offer in the first tranche for filings in ten states (RNW June 23) and of these around a half were from churches, mostly from groups active in conservative politics, and a further tenth were from schools. Many of these applicants feel that their interests are not now represented on air particularly as the consolidation in commercial radio in the US since ownership rules were relaxed in 1996 has seen more than half the stations in the US change hands and the hands that own them go down by around a thousand. In particular there has been a massive consolidation at the top with the Clear Channel-AMFM takeover creating a giant owning around 800 stations and annual advertising revenues of some $3 billion, nearly twice that of nearest rival CBS Infinity, ten times that of fifth placed Cox and twenty-times that of tenth-ranked Susquehanna(RNW June 21). The rules about advertising have also loosened and many stations have a third of their time devoted to adverts, some nearly a half. Allied with this has been a lessening of airtime devoted to politics or local issues which many organizations and individuals see as detracting from democracy in the US. (See RNW June 23) To some of those who hold this viewpoint, the technical arguments about interference are only part of the story but to Representative Mike Oxley (Rep.Ohio), who has spearheaded the drive against LPFM which has already led to Congress curtailing the number of stations they are central. LPFM's supporters may prove to be physically active as well as vociferous according to a recent report in the San Francisco Examiner. It quoted Stephen Dunifer of Berkeley, who pioneered "pirate radio" in the Bay Area and is a leader in the free radio movement (his 50-watt Free Radio Berkeley station was founded in 1993 and finally closed in 1998; he was fined $10,000 but has not been pursued for payment) as saying the opposition to LPFM was, " pure greed and avariciousness on the part of the NAB." Dunifer went on say in reference to NAB's radio convention scheduled to be held in San Francisco in September, "We're planning a Seattle-style welcome for them" referring to protests in Seattle last November and December during a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Less aggressively, Philip Tymon, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild Committee on Democratic Communications told the Examiner, "What you had here was something the public really wants, the FCC approves it, and the NAB uses its muscle to kill it. It's disgusting. It's pure influence peddling - no way to sugar coat it." Amongst those applying for some of the licences are "pirate" station operators who have been offered an amnesty if they apply for a licence. Some of them think their existence was in part responsible for the LPFM plan and say that the opposition on the basis of interference has been proven to be unjustified on the evidence of their operations. Paul Griffin of Berkeley Liberation Radio said, "When we scanned the dial, we found several quiet spots.The fact is we've been on the air for a year as Berkeley Liberation Radio (the successor to Free Radio Berkeley on the same frequency - also illegal) and haven't interfered with KFOG or KKSF," the two stations closest on the broadcast spectrum." Previous Kennard; Previous LPFM: Previous Oxley; Recent LPFM articles in US newspapers:-- New York Times July 18 San Francisco Examiner July 11 New York Times July 11 2000-07-17: A variety in topics from the columnists this week. In the UK Sunday Times Paul Donovan comments on the question of regulation, in general, of advertisements and by whom. He takes up the question of bars on adverts of the occult, high-risk futures investments, bookmakers and so on which the Radio Authority wants to lift, as does the commercial radio industry. He also comments on the latter's wider strategy to have the same regulator for commercial broadcasters and the BBC. Donovan says the signs are that the industry will succeed on both fronts partly because of the way the industry has lobbied the government. Two key figures in the Commercial Radio Companies Association are Labour Activists, he points out, also noting that the new Radio Authority chairman Richard Hooper and chief executives Tony Stoller both attended the ruling Labour Party's gala fundraising dinner in April as guests of Chrysalis Radio which paid £5,000 for a table. This money says Phil Riley Chrysalis radio chief executive will have to be declared as a political donation although it was done not to give money to the party but to talk to key decision makers about future regulation. Amongst others, broadcasting minister Janet Anderson was on the same table. (RNW note- Pork barrel politics? Or might this not be called "corruption" in it were to occur in the third world or former Soviet bloc??). In the Chicago papers comments on a little history which was marked on Friday by WGN. Both Robert Feder in the Sun Times and Jim Kirk in the Tribune (which owns WGN) note that the station marked the 75th anniversary of the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 in Tennessee when WGN spent $1000 a day on telephone lines to broadcast the proceedings live. It was the first time legal proceedings had been so broadcast and WGN marked the occasion on Friday by broadcasting its afternoon show from outside the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton. Later it had a re-enactment of the trial which features a historic clash between counsel Clarence Darrow for the defence and William Jennings Bryan. The original trial ended with teacher John Scopes being fined $100 and costs for violating Tennessee law in teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. Back to the UK and comment on more modern technology, this time by Sue Arnold in the UK Observer this time as a sideswipe over reception problems and the comment that a reduction in price of portable digital receivers is the only way of tuning into One Word, a new digital station devoted to books unless you want to listen on the Internet or from the Sky satellite, both of which tie you down to listening from an immobile location. She moves on to criticise current book readings on UK analogue radio apart from repeats. In the UK Times, Peter Barnard "warms to the idea of a "webmic", the aural equivalent of a "Web cam", an idea which came from the Sunday morning BBC Radio 4 programme Broadcasting House" Presenter Eddie Mair, asked listeners for ideas about where the programme should place such a device. He got the idea from dolphinear.com, a site where you can buy a hydrophone for about £100, connect it to headphones, drop it in the sea and listen to humpback whales, snapping shrimps and diesel boat engines. Barnard goes on to speculate where such a microphone could be placed, coming up with suggestions such as, "the office of Feedback, the Radio 4 complaints programme, where I know that staff enjoy reading out the latest missive from Nutter of Cheltenham", other BBC sites such as the boardroom and director-general's office, or on the homes of carefully chosen listeners to be a high-tech and more entertaining version of the ratings. "We would get," says Barnard, "a very good sense from such a device about how much radio people actually hear, as opposed to what they say they hear, and what they think of it: little radio research at present includes qualitative judgments." For other suggestions follow the link to the column. Previous Arnold; Previous Barnard; Previous Columnists; Previous Donovan; Previous Feder; Previous Hooper; Previous Kirk; Arnold column; Barnard column; Donovan column; 2000-07-17: Frank Ahrens in the Washington Post reports on the Internet-only debut of www.worldclassrock.com. , formerly KACD, Los Angeles, which was left with staff but no frequency when owners Clear Channel sold the signal to Entravision for $85 million. Last month staff at KACD put out an appeal on the station website for pressure to push Clear Channel into giving it a new lease on life as an Internet-only station (RNW June 29th ). KACD when on air as an Adult Album Alternative format had only a small audience share of around 1% and was an obvious candidate for a sell-off when Clear Channel had to dispose of an LA channel as part of its AMFM takeover. But the audience were in a segment valued by advertisers hence the chance for the whole station to move over to the Internet and also a useful way for Clear Channel to test the webcasting waters. Program Director Nicole Sandler comments, "If this works, it could open the floodgates. If it doesn't, worldclassrock.com will be just one more cybercorpse in the dot-com dead pool. The trick is getting listeners to follow the station from the airwaves to the computer. It's a gamble, and the game is too new to lay odds." The gamble seems to depend on more than just listener loyalty as there are also the technological problems. As KACD the station had been streaming its signal on its website but could only handle 60 listeners at any time; now it's working with a company which claims it will be able to multicast to a million. It's also slashing advert rates to around a quarter of its previous charge and being sold as an "at-work" station since it can't attract the lucrative morning and afternoon drive-time audiences. Charlie Rahilly, Clear Channel's vice president of sales for Los Angeles says the station will be deemed a success if it can bring over a tenth of its audience and move out of the red within a year. To do that probably needs technological change as developments continue in Internet radios, satellite radio and mobile communications, which could open up the driving audience. In the meantime staff are having to adjust to concepts new to them -such as time zones which have long been a factor for staff of multinational companies who have to adjust the hour, if not the time past it, and indeed the date to operate globally. RNW note: An interesting experiment but latest Arbitron figures (RNW July ) mean things don't look all that promising unless Internet, satellite and mobile communications technology really does move speedily into the mass market. Previous Ahrens; Previous KACD; Previous Sandler; worldclassic.rock site Washington Post report 2000-07-16: Former BBC Radio 1 disc-jockey Andy Kershaw, whose Thursday night show was axed by the channel in May (RNW May 26) to protests from columnists and fans alike is now back with the BBC but on Radio 3, its mainly classical-music channel. The UK Guardian reports that the hiring by Radio 3 controller Roger Wright is part of his policy of broadening Radio 3's appeal. Kershaw will travel round the world and broadcast regular reports and recordings has has made on the road in the channel's World Routes programme which is presented by Lucy Duran. Kershaw told the paper that he was asked by Wright months ago if Kershaw was interested in doing things for him and he wanted Radio 3 to be more than a classical music station. Kershaw added that he was convinced when Wright said the thing he most liked about Kershaw's Radio 1 programme was, "that I never know what's coming next". "That was exactly what the Radio 1 controller hated about my programme," said Kershaw. In another move which may upset its traditional audience, Radio 3 has given UK Daily Telegraph music critic Norman Lebrecht a fortnightly show "Lebrecht Live" looking at controversial issues in the arts. Lebrecht, who was voted critic of the year in the British Press Awards has regularly challenged accepted mores and upset some of the arts establishment. UK Guardian Report 2000-07-16: Licence news this week. And a very quiet week pretty well everywhere. In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority has issued a temporary community broadcasting licence during the Sydney Olympic period to Gadigal Information Service Aboriginal Corporation (Koori Radio) which will use it for Olympic broadcasts targeted at the Aboriginal community. It is on the 94.5 MHz band, the only Sydney-wide channel available during the period for community broadcasting. Koori Radio is one of 18 applicants for three Sydney-wide community licences being made available and the ABA will be holding public hearings from August concerning their allocation. In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has issued notices calling for comments on increasing the availability of minority official language specialty services to cable subscribers and on proposed amendments to implement its Ethnic Broadcasting Policy. It has also renewed the licence for the University of Toronto Community Radio Inc, CIUT-FM Toronto and denied applications for licences for two English-language low power FM stations at New Liskeard and North Bay in Ontario by Joel Virtanen and another application for an English-language LPFM station in Timmins, Ontario from Tri-Tel Communications Inc. It has approved a change of ownership of CJRN 710 Inc, the licensee of CJRN Niagara Falls and CKEY-FM Fort Erie/Niagara Falls, including its rebroadcasting transmitter CKEY-FM-1 St. Catharines and a change of effective control of Centario Communications Inc., licensee of radio station CKLY-FM Lindsay. In the UK, the Radio Authority, apart from reminding commercial stations of rules concerning political impartiality (RNW July 13), has officially confirmed the Coventry digital multiplex award to GWR subsidiary Now Digital Ltd. Previous licence news ABA website; CRTC Website; UK Radio authority website 2000-07-15: More US and UK radio deals. Cox Radio has announced the closure of its $125 million purchase of Marlin Broadcasting (RNW May 4), Salem Communications is selling its 1390Khz signal in Los Angeles for around $30 million to Hi-Favour Broadcasting which is headed by a member of Salem's board, Roland Hinz, First Media Radio is buying WZWW-FM, State College, Pennsylvania for around $6 million, the AAA group is buying WBAZ-FM & WBSQ-FM, Long Island. for around $2.7million and Chaparral Broadcasting is paying $1.1million for KZJH-FM in Jackson, Wyoming. In the UK GWR Group has taken a 20% shareholding in the Wrexham-based Marcher Radio Group which owns five stations and which recently gave notice to its national sales representative and asked GWR to take over the representation. GWR cannot take a larger stake under UK regulations because it is already over the limit allowed following its acquisition of DMG Radio (RWN June 15). And on the satellite radio front, Sirius Satellite Radio has announced a marketing and programming partnership with New York City nightclub and entertainment venue Webster Hall. The agreement includes provision for a weekly four-hour dance party to be broadcast live- and advertisement free - on Sirius's Dance Music channel from the Webster Hall Grand Ballroom. Previous Cox Broadcasting; Previous GWR Group; Previous Salem; Previous Sirius; Cox Website; Sirius website. 2000-07-15: A tribute to Internet radio magazine RAIN for its initiative in doing some calculations on the Arbitron Internet audience figures which certainly seem to indicate that it will be a long while before they are a threat to broadcasters. Taking the ATH measurement (RNW July 14) used by Arbitron and dividing it by the hours in February, RAIN arrives at a total of 339 listeners average at any one time for the top ranked station. Comparisons are then drawn with the AQH (Average Quarter Hour) measurement used by broadcasters to indicate how many people are listening on average at any moment with top ranked stations in cities like New York averaging some 150,000. National broadcasters like the BBC in the UK are way above that. RNW comment-There's life in the old technology yet it would seem. RAIN website 2000-07-15: The Los Angeles Times gives a well earned mention to KIEV-AM host George Putnam who has just celebrated his 86th birthday and 25 years of continuous broadcasting of the station's "Talk Back" opinion show, making it the longest running radio show in Los Angeles. Putnam started broadcasting in Minnesota in 1934 at the age of 20 and has worked in radio and television as a reporter and commentator for the 66 years since then. Los Angeles Times report. 2000-07-14: The UK Independent uses the existence of pirate radio stations broadcasting just one type of music and the absence of narrowcasting licences which drives them to broadcast without a licence to lead in to an article on the optimism surrounding Internet radio in the UK. Examples cited are Capital Radio which announced new Internet plans this week (RNW July 13) and Storm Radio. This UK Internet-only music station founded by ex BBC Radio 1 Disc jockey Bruno Brookes only cost £1 million to set up and sees the potential for Internet radio in the UK is seen as enormous. Recent figures show more than a fifth of British internet users, and nearly a third of those in America, listening to Internet radio at some time. However, as always, it's not just the programmes that count but the spondulicks as well. Because there is no theoretical limit to the number of Internet stations it creates "inventory" and thus removes the limits on advertising which apply to traditional broadcasts. There are still doubters, however, including the UK radio audience organisation RAJAR which points out that the listeners to Internet radio would not significantly increase broadcasters' figures. Bruno Brookes argues that as portable access to the internet develops he thinks it will speedily overtake digital radio. Storm will not however reveal audience figures, although it does make capital of the possibilities of associated e-commerce. Arbitron Info-Stream figures on Internet radio seem to be getting later but their February figures released this week show Minneapolis-based Netradio, which is an Internet-only streaming audio site, took five out of the top six slots with UK Virgin breaking their run to take third slot. The figures are based on a new system of "Aggregate Tuning Hours" which is the sum total of the hours that listeners tune into the channel during the month, combining elements of the cumulative audience and the time they spend listening. The top six slots were(ATH hours in brackets)- Net Radio's Hits Channel (227,600) and 80's Hits (215,500) followed by Virgin Radio (hot adult contemporary- 186,200) and then Net Radio's "X Channel (alternative - 169,900), Vintage Rock Channel (169,300) and Smooth Jazz channel (157,500) . Top non-music ranking went to ABC Radio's Tom Joyner Morning Show (93,800) then WABC-AM, New York at 13 with its news show (70,500). Ranked 15 was religious station KLTY-FM (65,900). Former winner Texas Rebel Radio was down at 32 with an ATH of 32,800 and KPIG-FM, Monterey, which was also up in the top five has dropped to 15 with an ATH of 63,800 RNW comment: Overall then an outlet for the music industry but not that much sign of the much-touted flowering of of new choices. Indeed in many ways less choice in real options than just the BBC. Previous Bruno Brookes; Previous Capital Radio; Previous Storm Radio; Arbitron report Independent report 2000-07-14: Australian internet company Spike Networks has agreed to a US$750,000 (Australian $1.2million) payout in settlement of a sexual harassment claim relating to its Los-Angeles based SpikeRadio Internet radio station according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The paper says that Spike will pay US $250,000 to former SpikeRadio disc jockey Stephanie King and the company's former chief executive and co-founder Chris O'Hanlon will pay the remaining US $500000 in two instalment by the end of the year. In June the Herald reported that O'Hanlon had been sacked by the company's board as a result of the incident last year. O'Hanlon and his wife hold 29% of Spike's shares, worth an estimated Aus$27.5 million but these are held in escrow for another year. Since O'Hanlon's departure the company has switched emphasis from his global youth brand to becoming a supplier of online corporate services. Sydney Morning Herald report Next column |
![]() 2000-07-13: Yet more takeover news, this time with the UK 's Capital Radio group paying £33.5 million for Central Scottish rock and dance station Beat 106 Limited. The deal will be made via the issue of 22.5 million new Capital Radio ordinary shares, some 1.85 million of which will be placed with institutions at £15 per share and approximately 400,000 will go to Beat's shareholders. In addition Capital will issue a further 2 million ordinary shares for cash to raise £30 million. Beat's regional licence covers 2.6 million adults and will increase the group's potential audience by 10% and give it the potential to reach nearly 60% of the UK's adult population. It will also give Capital a Scottish base for the operation of its new digital Xfm stations which will go on air this year and Capital will also try to get Beat on the Central Scotland regional digital multiplex licence to be issued in November. Capital already has a network of 22 digital licences which within two years will be able to reach 82% of the UK adult population. Capital also sees Beat as enhancing its Internet operations and it has also announced its online music entertainment strategy for new media division Capital Interactive. This includes launching three narrowcast web stations by this Autumn (Fall) and creation of a new online music brand which will appear on all Capital sites including key sites: 95.8 Capital FM, Capital Gold, and Xfm. Capital has agreed deals with record companies including Universal and EMI-Chrysalis-Virgin and signed various technology deals as well as partnership deals with other websites. Capital Radio website 2000-07-13: The two leading US digital radio technology companies, Lucent Digital Radio and USA Digital Radio have announced that they are to merge in order to speed up the development and introduction of digital radio in the US. The merger will create a new company Ibiquity Digital Corporation which will continue operations at both Lucent's headquarters in Warren, New Jersey, and USA Digital's headquarters in Columbia, Maryland. The new company will work with the US Federal Communications Commission, and consumer and brooadcast equipment manufacturers to develop a standard for digital radio. Following the merger, Suren Pai, president & chief executive officer of Lucent Digital Radio, and Robert Struble, president & chief executive officer of USA Digital Radio will become co-chairmen of the Board; Struble will lead iBiquity Digital as its president and chief executive officer. Both Lucent and USA Digital Radio had been working on AM and FM In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) digital radio which enables digital signals can be transmitted at the same time as AM or FM services. This means that existing frequencies could continue to be used and traditional radios would not become obsolete but could continue to work at the same time as those with digital receivers took the same or augmented services including data as well as audio signals. Robert Struble, president of USA Digital Radio said that they believed that the combined company would be able to achieve what they both wanted much more quickly than if they remained independent. The merger has been approved by the boards and shareholders of both companies and the combined business has investor backing the top nine US broadcasters by revenue (RNW June 21 ) and three quarters of the top 20 led by Clear Channel, Infinity and ABC Radio. The merger has been welcomed by radio industry executives including Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association and Mel Karmazin, President and Chief Operating Officer, Viacom, Inc. and Chairman and CEO of Infinity Broadcasting. Previous Karmazin Previous USA Digital Radio; Ibiquity website Lucent website USA Digital radio website (all have links to the announcement) 2000-07-13: The UK Radio Authority has warned British commercial radio companies that they must take greater care to avoid undue partiality in political matters, particularly close to election times. The warning follows three cases where radio stations breached broadcasting rules in the May UK local elections and London Mayoral Elections. At its July meeting the authority imposed a £2000 fine on Asian Sound Radio (East Lancashire)for its failure to provide the Authority with a recording of its output, and for allowing one party undue prominence in a series of election interviews. The station,admitted giving twice as many interviews to the Labour Party as to either of the other main parties. In June the authority sent a written warning over an interview on the United Christian Broadcasters (Europe) satellite service with the Christian People's Alliance candidate in the mayoral elections but with no other candidates and earlier it fined Virgin Radio a record £75,000 following comments about Ken Livingstone's mayoral campaign (RNW May 17). Radio Authority news release 2000-07-12: Chicago's oldest set of radio call letters will be consigned to oblivion on August 1st when Chicago news/, talk and sport format station WMAQ-AM closes down. Its frequency is being taken over by sports station WSCR-AM, The Score, as had been widely rumoured for some time (RNW May 1). WMAQ had higher ratings than WSCR but owner CBS- Infinity felt it would do better in the long term by boosting the latter with its more targeted audience and lower costs than by retaining two news-format stations in the city. CBS/Infinity has to divest itself of one station signal in Chicago as a condition of Federal Communications Commission approval of the Viacom takeover of CBS. The switch affects the sports scene in the city as Bears football broadcasts will be moved from WMAQ to its all-news sister station WBBM-AM . The Bears contract gave them the right to move stations if the all-sports format was switched to WMAQ although the Score will keep Blackhawks hockey on its new 670-Am frequency. Negotiations are under way for the sale of WSCR's old 1160 frequency which has to be sold by November 1st to meet the FCC divestiture deadline. WMAQ -We Must Ask Questions - will mark its final hours on air at the end of this month by airing audio from the station's past. It began broadcasts on April 13, 1922, when it was owned by the old Chicago Daily News. It was acquired by NBC nine-years later and run by them for 57 years. Its all-news format was launched in 1988 when Group W owned it. Around 40 of WMAQ's 60 staff are expected to lose their jobs as a result of the move . No details have yet been released as to which personalities will be retained although the Bear's radio team is expected to move with them to WBBM-AM. Discussions over severance payments for those losing their jobs are to be held next week. The timing of the announcement was dictated by the start of the football season and speculation about The Score according to Rod Zimmerman, vice president and general manager of WMAQ and WBBM. He will stay on as general manager of WBBM. Previous Zimmerman; Previous WMAQ 2000-07-12: Yet more US radio takeovers. Infinity Broadcasting is to take over Raycom Media's two radio stations, WMC-AM and FM in Memphis, Tennessee, for $75.5 million. And in New York State, Saga Communications is buying four stations in Ithica for $13 million from Eagle Broadcasting. They are WHCU-AM and WYXL-FM , being bought from Eagle Broadcasting Co. and WTKO-AM and WQNY-FM being bought from Eagle II Broadcasting. Saga has also sold its interest in 6 FM radio stations in Reykjavik, Iceland, where there were suggestions of cultural conflicts with the local partners. And some possible tough competition for Emmis Corporation in Argentine where their new stations has performed very strongly (RNW June 23). Corporacion Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE) of Mexico , which already owns two stations in the country is acquiring five more for $60 million. And in the UK, Forever Broadcasting, which is reportedly preparing for a flotation (RNW July 10) has bought Bolton and Bury station Tower FM for around £3.5 million. The deal involves the Wireless Group exchanging its 42% stake in Tower for an 18% stake in Forever. Previous CBS-Infinity; Previous Emmis; Previous Forever Previous US radio deals 2000-07-12: Those of you have strong reactions about annoying advertisements may find it worth a dip into Frank Ahrens' Listener column in the Washington Post where he gives the results of feedback in the first week of his search for the worst commercials on radio. (See RNW July 3). It appears that listeners "really, really hate most adverts on radio" to quote Ahrens. Top ranked in Ahrens' feedback was a Jiffy -Lube oil-change chain advert for a series in which an actor monotones lyrics to bits of classical music some of which Ahrens says he himself he rather likes and which show that at least the company is trying. Second spot went to a software company advert featuring real interview" with Fortune 500 Company executives who apparently sound incoherent and dopey. Ahrens Column 2000-07-11: XM Satellite Radio has announced that it has commitments for another $235 million of funding which will see it through to the commercial launch of its satellite radio service. The new funds come from a group including American Honda Motor Company and private equity investment firms AEA Investors Inc. and Madison Dearborn Partners. The group will purchase newly issued preference stock in XM which has now raised more than a billion dollars and which already numbered General Motors and Clear Channel Communications amongst its investors. XM has also opened its new 150,000 square foot (approx 15000 square metres) headquarters in Washington, DC. The centre includes a fully digital programming centre with studios up to 2300 square foot ( 230 square metres) in size, large enough to hold a full orchestra. Staff will move into the new headquarters in stages until September and the company's first satellite is due to be launched in November. Its rival, Sirius Satellite Radio, has already successfully launched its first satellite. (RNW July 3). Previous XM satellite radio: Previous Sirius satellite radio; XM site - links to news release 2000-07-11: The British Broadcasting Corporation is to shed some 900 jobs over the next three years following the One BBC Review set in progress by Director General Greg Dyke (RNW Mar 17). The cuts are part of a package aimed at making savings of some £130 million a year and will come mainly from support services. As part of the plan the Corporation is to introduce four genre commissioners in television; its radio services are already organised on a genre basis. Radio is now to be renamed Radio and Music reflecting changes already announced and TV classical music and the live events team are to join the Proms (annual Henry Wood Promenade Concerts ) team. The BBC Orchestras and singers now come under the controller of Radio 3 Previous BBC Previous Greg Dyke; BBC News Release; : 2000-07-11: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has "categorically denied" claims by broadcaster Phillip Adams that he is to be fired from his Radio National job as host of Late Night Live because his political views are opposed to those of the country's government according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Adams, who has nicknamed Australian Prime Minister John Howard on air as "Mr Magoo" used his column in the Australian newspaper last weekend to raise the issue of ABC managing director Jonathon Shier's connections with the ruling Liberal Party and said senior ABC management had approached him about his fate last week following an ABC board decision made weeks ago. Shier's spokesman denied both that Adams was about to be sacked and also that the board had considered the matter. Previous ABC, Australia Previous Shier; 2000-07-11: US radio host Don Imus has returned to the airwaves from his New Mexico ranch where he was injured after his fall from a horse (RNW June 20 ). Imus is only doing the 7-9 am part of his show with the hours before and after being filled wilt best of Imus" segments. Although he said at one point he didn't yet feel strong enough to do the full hours, in the time he was on air he joked about the fall, say he will mount the horse that threw him just one more time after recuperating. He also questioned the sincerity of get-well notes he had received from US Vice President Al Gore and First Lady Hillary Clinton whom he has frequently held up to ridicule on his show in the past. Previous Imus 2000-07-10: The columnists this week have tended more to reviews than issues but the story of the crow which took BBC radio off the air forms the basis for some wider thought from Paul Donovan in the UK Sunday Times. The ex-crow in question flew into a BBC radio transmitter fed by an 11,000 volt supply and a bang later took with it the power supply plus BBC Radios 1, 2, 3 and Radio 4 FM broadcasts to London and the South East of England for some 45 minutes. The back-up system also failed and , says Donovan, the incident highlighted the problems of radio reception as well as losses of transmission. AM transmission, he points out, has various defects particularly the inability to handle stereo, whilst FM is affected by "multipath interference" caused when the signal bounces of various objects thus providing the receiver with a reflected as well as a main signal. Donovan says the answer is digital radio but goes on to point out the death of receivers available, the high cost of all of them, and the absence of portable versions unless you have £800 for the Roberts version. It will be something to crow about, he concludes, when prices fall enough for the technology to become widely available. Previous Columnists; Previous Donovan; 2000-07-10: Two radio-linked flotations are reported under preparation in the UK. One is Forever Broadcasting which runs two radio stations in the north-west of England and also has a 15% stake in XY Network which is developing radio and video services for the third generation of mobile phones. Forever hops to raise some £15 million from the flotation for use in marketing its existing stations and purchasing other stations or licences. The Wireless Group, which recently went public(RNW May 19), owns around a fifth of Forever. The other company reported to be planning a flotation is Cambridge Silicon Radio(CSR) which is involved with "bluetooth" technology which enables electronic equipment in the same room to communicate by radio rather than needing to be connected by cable. CSR has developed a range of radio devices which fit onto a single silicon chip and can be manufactured for around $10 each. It expects to be valued at around £1 billion ($1.5 billion). Previous UK Wireless Group 2000-07-10: Irish State Broadcaster RTÉ now seems unlikely to get an increase in its licence fee following a government decision to sell off its transmission network which is valued at some (Irish) £100 million. Under the plans a new company would be formed with RTÉ holding a 28% stake, possibly being reduced by some sixth of this being put into an employee share option scheme, and 72% being sold by public tender. RTÉ is expecting a deficit of some £13 million this year and has been seeking job cuts.(RNW June 15). Previous RTÉ 2000-07-09: Licence news this week. And, aside from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) approval of the country's largest ever broadcasting takeover (RNW July 8), all was fairly quiet apart from local and community stations. In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), has invited applications for a community radio licence in Narrabri, New South Wales. It had started the process last year but held back over concerns of the then two applicants to satisfy its mandatory criteria. The applicants have now taken steps to satisfy the criteria and resolve a dispute between them. In Canada, apart from approving the WIC takeover, the CRTC approved an English-language AM licence for Tri-Co Broadcasting Limited in Cornwall, Ontario and a low-power FM licence to Fabrique de la Paroisse de Saint-Paul de Scotstown for religious broadcasting in Scotstown, Quebec. In the UK shares in GWR rose on news, not yet announced formally by the radio authority, that it had been awarded the Coventry area digital multiplex licence: GWR already holds the Bristol licence (Last week's licence news). In addition, the Radio Authority has made its submission to the government about the future of radio in Britain (RNW June 5). It has also updated its local licence advertisement timetable, confirming that it will advertise a small-scale licence for Warminster in Wiltshire in August and a new regional licence for West and South Yorkshire in September. It also currently plans to advertise a licence for Omagh and Enniskellin in Northern Ireland in October and a small-scale licence for Rugby in Warwickshire in November. The authority announced that only one application was received for the local licence in Scarborough commencing in November of next year. This was from the existing holder, Yorkshire Coast Radio Ltd and will now be handled under the authority's fast track procedure. And in the Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath area of Sussex, the new local FM licence has been awarded to Central Sussex Radio (Media Sound Ltd.). Finally it has given notice that it will next week re-advertise the FM licence for Aylesbury for an 8-year period to commence when the current licence held by Bucks Broadcasting Ltd expires in April 2002. In the US, one story of note in legal action being taken by the Radio and Television News Directors' Association (RTNDA) in conjunction with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over 20 year old rules concerning on-air personal attacks and political editorialising. NAB and RTNDA contend that the rules are a breach of US First Amendment rights and have been taking action to have them voided. In August last year a Federal court found no "explanation why the rules should survive" and that ruled that the FCC should "expeditiously" reconsider them. The current action says that the FCC has taken no action and again asks that the rules be vacated immediately or that the FCC be given a 3-month deadline to act with automatic ending of the rules if they fail to do so. The rules themselves are among the remaining elements associated with the Fairness Doctrine which the FCC ceased to enforce in 1987 and RTNDA President Barbara Cochran says they , "….continue to unduly burden broadcasters, serving to stifle rather than facilitate discussion of issues that are important to the public. Their perverse effects are particularly acute as electronic journalists strive to amplify debate surrounding our national election." NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts said, "These rules have made a mockery of the First Amendment for too long…….. If the Commission is going to continue to dodge the issue, the court must finish the job before another national election passes." Previous Licence News Previous Fritts; ABA website; CRTC Website; RTNDA News release; UK Radio authority website 2000-07-09: More bad news for US radio talk show host, Dr Laura Schlessinger. Automobile insurance group GEICO has decided to stop running its advertisements on her show because of the negative feedback it had received. It said this was mainly from the gay and lesbian community who found remarks made by Schlessinger to be offensive and prejudicial. The company is following others in pulling advertisements, prominently Proctor and Gamble who decided earlier this year to drop them from her radio show and not advertise on her television show which is to debut in the fall. And in a move which should probably be of concern to broadcasters in general, Proctor and Gamble is to look at focussing its advertising more specifically through direct mail and the Internet although broadcasting, both television and radio, will remain a large part of its advertising budget. It sees more specific targeting as likely to be more effective spending. Previous Dr Laura: RNW note: Do you have any feedback on the Dr Laura issue? Whatever you think of her views she does have some 20 million listeners and if campaigns against her are effective, what about the pressures on those less popular who might even be pressing a minority rights issue which arouses strong opposition. E-mail us. 2000-07-08: Canada now seems to be facing the kind of consolidation in broadcasting which has been sweeping the US and may happen in Britain if proposals for lighter regulation are accepted.(RNW June 5). This follows a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecomunications Commission (CRTC) which has given the go-ahead for th epurchase of WIC Western International Communications Corp. by CanWest Global Communications Corp. and of WIC Premium Corporation by Corus Entertainment Inc. The deal follows approval by the CRTC of Shaw Communications' purchase of Canadian Satellite Communications Inc. (Cancom). Although most of the impact is in television and cable interests, it gives Corus a go-ahead acquire 12 more radio stations from WIC radio. In its ruling, the CRTC says that, "In today's decisions, the CRTC has recognized the importance of consolidating the Canadian radio and television industries, while at the same time promoting the diversity of voices and choices." Commenting on the Corus takeover it says, "In acquiring full ownership of the WIC Premium Corporation, Corus Entertainment Inc. becomes, with its 44 stations, a major owner in the Canadian radio industry, with an enviable position in television. " Commission chairperson Madame Françoise Bertrand added ,"The consolidation of its position will provide Corus with the strength it needs to increase the diversity of radio programs on its stations, in all the markets it serves, and to give each a distinct voice that reflects its daily realities." Corus's stations now include CKIK-FM and CHQR-AM in Calgary, CFMI-FM, CFOX-FM , CKNG-FM and CHED-AM in Edmonton, CJXY-FM and CHML-AM in Hamilton, CILQ-FM and CYFI-AM in Toronto ,CKLG-AM and CKNW-AM in Vancouver, and CJKR-FM and CJOB-AM in Winnipeg CRTC Website CRTC News Release. 2000-07-08: US radio giant Clear Channel has gobbled up ten more stations subject to regulatory approval. It's paying $46 million for six North Dakota stations in Fargo and $6.5 million for the APEX group which has four stations in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Fargo stations being bought from companies owned by Tom and Jim Ingstad are KFGO-AM, WDAY-FM, KFGO-FM, KVOX-AM, KULW-FM, and KRVI-FM. The Wichita Falls stations are KNIN-FM, KWFS-FM, KTLT-FM, and KWFS-AM. Previous US Radio Deals 2000-07-07: Veteran BBC Radio 2 presenter Terry Wogan has termed the Corporation's nationwide talent search on which some £5 million is being spent as "window-dressing." Speaking at the UK Radio Academy's annual festival being held in Glasgow, he said that the BBC did not have to trawl for talent because it was inundated with approaches from people looking for work . Wogan said that instead of finding BBC stars the Corporation should be developing behind the scenes creative talent. The BBC says that the initiative was designed to foster a wide range of talent and said that it has already auditioned more than 16000 people for Radio 1 traineeships, and 9000 people for 8 TV presenting jobs. It has also received more than 5000 comedy scripts and more than a thousand musical compositions. Previous BBC 2000-07-07: Yet more inroads by the Internet into what has in the past been broadcast radio territory. This time it's in the form of cricket commentary where BBC radio is now facing competition from live Internet commentary on the Cricinfo website. Internet audio rights were sold to Cricinfo over other bidders by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as part of a 3-month deal which includes Cricinfo running the ECB's website for the rest of the current season. The website began its broadcasts at the start of Thursday's one day international series with the next game due on Saturday. Crickinfo bills itself as cricket's home on the Internet and flags servers in six countries as gateways to its services. Authorities in a number of other sports have also instituted the practice of separating Internet and broadcast. Previous Internet radio cricinfo website 2000-07-07: Changes in the Chicago radio map as the impact of the Viacom-CBS and Clear Channel - AMFM deals begins to increase. One, reported in the Chicago Tribune, is the departure of WBBM-AM news director Andy Friedman who is to join Clear Channel where he will be overseeing websites for the channel's news radio stations. There has been uncertainty for a while at WBBM and WMAQ, the two CBS-Infinity owned news channels in Chicago. Infinity has to sell one of its 8 Chicago channels as part of regulatory approval for the Viacom-CBS deal and it' s been rumoured for some time that Infinity would sell off its weakest frequency, currently occupied by Sports channel WSCR-AM, and move the sports format to WMAQ's current frequency (RNW May 19 ). Jim Kirk in the Tribune suggests that Friedman's move will clear the way for WMAQ news director Mike Krauser to move to WBBM when WMAQ changes format. Word is expected soon on changes at AMFM where senior level jobs losses are expected in the wake of the Clear Channel deal. Previous Kirk: Kirk Chicago Tribune article 2000-07-06: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has confirmed that Shelagh Rogers is to take over as host of its "This Morning" show from Michael Enright who signed off the show last week. Rogers who currently hosts CBC midday classical music show "Take Five" will win up there this week and move into her new post on September 4. Previous Enright Previous Rogers 2000-07-06: In yet another sign of the growing influence of the Internet on radio, the New York Times carries an AP report on veteran DJ Vin Scelsa's move of his WNEW-FM show to the Internet. Sclesa, says the report, "has seen the future of rock 'n' roll radio and it ain't on the radio." RNW note: The report highlights an interesting contrast in radio habits in the US and UK. Recent Arbitron audience figures in the US, it says, show people listening to the radio for less hours per week than they used to -down from 23 hours a week in 1993 to 21 hours a week. In contrast UK RAJAR figures have shown an increase in audiences (RNW May 13). The Internet does have an importance difference in both areas because of the lack of regulation. Where shows are being created for the Internet rather than being streamed versions of broadcast shows, DJ's play music -and indeed make comments - which would not get through on broadcast to air channels. So far though the audiences remain minuscule compared to broadcasters. New York Times/AP report Feedback note: We would welcome feedback on how far you think lack of regulation is an advantage for broadcasters after a large audience. Indeed, since listeners have to choose to log in to an Internet station, how reasonable do you think it is to have regard the two media as different? 2000-07-06: The British Broadcasting Corporation in its submission to the UK government's forthcoming Communications Review has called for future regulation to guarantee public access to the widest range of high quality digital services. In a report which concentrates on TV, it notes that digital TV revenue has been devoted more to acquiring premium rights not creating new high quality programmes. On this basis it concludes that there is a case for rationalising regulation but at the same time distinct public interest questions in setting a structure which ensures a balance between commercial interests and public service broadcasting. Quality, choice and diversity, it says, cannot be guaranteed by a deregulated marketplace or just by economic regulation of market dominance and it adds that "it is difficult to see " how regulation of commercial broadcasters and the BBC could adequately be combined within a single regulatory body. Previous submissions to UK government BBC News release 2000-07-05: The UK could be in for US-style consolidation in the radio industry, with substantial gains for existing UK radio groups, if submissions made by the UK regulator to the British government are accepted. The Radio Authority has said its his submissions to the UK Communications Reform White Paper on "Radio Regulations for the 21st century" that it favours the idea of being replaced with a radio industry regulator within an overall regulator for communications and broadcasting which would be similar to the radio division of the US Federal Communications Commission. It has also proposed that all licences be issued for 12 years with a much lighter regulatory system which would scrap format regulation for national commercial stations and lift the ban on stations being owned by religious bodies. It suggests that humanitarian, as distinct from political advertising, be allowed. The Authority says it sees no role for itself as a regulator of internet radio or other telephony-based radio services.and suggests that cable and satellite radio operate unlicensed. It also wants a relaxation of ownership rules with a single company being allowed to own up to four licences in areas where there are ten Independent local radio (ILR) stations , up to three where there are 6-9 ILR licences, two in an area where there are less than 5 licences. On cross-media ownership the Authority proposes that no national newspaper should be able to own a national analogue or digital licence and that no newspaper which has more than half a local market in circulation should be allowed to own a local digital multiplex nor an analogue station unless there are at least two other stations in the market. It wants a similar ban on regional Independent Television owners being allowed to own an ILR station in the same area. In addition it suggests that local licences should not be allowed to change hands within a year of their award. In another move reminiscent of the US, the authority wants to see a new tier of non commercial access radio, similar to US Low Power FM (LPFM) proposals (See RNW June 9 re possible London stations), which would not be allowed funding from sponsorship or advertising so as not to harm the finances of existing commercial services. To fund these stations, the Authority is suggesting a Radio Fund be set up. The authority also wants a spectrum review to ensure efficient use of the available airwaves. UK Radio Authority site (has links to 550k Acrobat PDF of full submission) UK GWR submission to Government Previous UK Radio Authority Previous UK LPFM Previous US LPFM 2000-07-5: US radio talk host Don Imus has now been released from hospital following injuries he received when thrown from his horse at his New Mexico ranch (RNW June 20 ). It's still now been announced when he will return to the airwaves. Previous Imus: 2000-07-5: Yet more consolidation in the US where Colorado-based NextMedia Group is spending $66million on 11 stations in the Chicago area. Nine of them are being bought from Pride Communications including nostalgia station WAIT-AM. Around $57 million is being paid to Pride which in effect found the price an offer it couldn't refuse to end its Chixcago area operations after some ten years. The other two stations are WXLC-FM and WKRS-AM in Waukegan which NextMedia bought in June from Chicago-based Marathon Media. When the deals are compelted NextMedia will own and operate 55 stations in 11 US markets. Previous US radio deals 2000-07-04: A radio output with a real difference features in a UK Guardian report from Martin Hodgson in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. There, he reports, the sound of Heartbreak Hour, the late-night show on Memories Radio is the usual mix of cowboy music and romantic ballads interspersed with calls from listeners; the difference is that all the songs and messages are dedicated to victims of what he terms, "the country's multi?million dollar kidnapping industry." According to presenter Libardo Bedoya, "It happened by accident. The programme was just meant to be a bit of fun, but gradually it was taken over by relatives of the kidnap victims." Heartbreak Hour is only one of a number of similar programmes which Hodgson says have become a lifeline for families of those kidnapped, a total of more than a thousand so far this year alone from almost all stations in life. UK Guardian report 2000-07-04: US Public Broadcasting magazine Current reports that World Radio Network (WRN) is to drop government-controlled Chinese Radio International from its feed to National Public Radio(NPR). The decision has been made at the behest of NPR which says that it was concerned that some of the stories involved were not meeting Western standards of journalistic balance, accuracy and fairness as set down in its contract with WRN. London-based WRN which was founded in 1992 takes in news from radio services in nearly 30 countries and then repackages it for an international audio feed which goes out via various routes including the internet (See our World News Radio link). Its service now air on 26 US public radio stations and its view is that US listeners should be given the chance to hear Beijing's output and compare it with what they hear from other sources, a view shared by a number of station personnel quoted in the Current report. Current Magazine item: World Radio Network site: 2000-07-03: A successful launch for Virginia-based Sirius Satellite Radio whose first satellite was successfully launched from the Baikonur Space Centre in Kazakhstan. Sirius-1 is the first satellite specifically designed for satellite radio broadcasts to the US. Two further launches are scheduled from Baikonur by November. RNW note: We wonder when the first submarine radio station will start. Only a week ago the US navy sent their first E-mail from a submarine from some 400ft (130 metres) below the Pacific ocean off California!: Previous Sirius Satellite radio Sirius website (has video of launch) 2000-07-03: A mixed bag in last week's columnists ranging from an inauguration by Frank Ahrens in the Washington Post of a fortnightly "worst radio advert" competition through Peter Barnard in the UK Times asking about why certain types of programme are thought not to work on radio to Eric Zorn in the Chicago Tribune taking Laura Schlessinger to task. And the Ahren's worst adverts? In his column his inaugural winner as the advert most worthy of extermination went to a Nikon camera advert which begins wih a father photographing his son's baseball game and talking in a voice which Ahrens describes as, "more annoying than the over-amplified shrieks of an angry dolphin." Ahrens goes on from this to comment on a far more widespread annoyance factor with advertisements --their sheer quantity whatever the quality. Ahrens says that at the moment it seems listeners can put up with 28 minutes or so of adverts each hour before they switch a station off for good although most stations hover around 20 minutes, sometimes dispersed through the programme and sometimes bunched together up to around 8 minutes in one run. The reason is of course business pressures to increase profits, if only to pay for stations bought at top dollar, and Ahrens says that it won't be long before stations up their income by running shorter advertisements of 15 to 20 seconds priced not that much lower than the current 30 second ones. And of course there's always the "Cash" machine (RNW Jan 6) If you come across any real pearls drop a line to ahrensf@washpost.com. Or of course for talk radio at least you could log onto the Internet and go for BBC WorldService or Radio 4 and by-pass the adverts although there are still the promos and jingles but a mighty lot less of them. In the UK Times Peter Barnard in a column entitled "Curry and cars can work on radio" brings up some intelligent thoughts on why UK radio has a plenty of programmes about food but very little on cooking itself and very little on home 'improvements'and do-it-yourself, which seem to breed overnight on television. The reason he cites is that things that are essentially visual don't come over on radio -before noting that sports in which invisible players do invisible things to invisible balls on invisible ground seems rather popular. "It's a oddity of radio," writes Barnard , "that it is a medium in which the imagination is paramount and yet those who run radio are timid about the extent to which our imaginations can be engaged." He illustrates his point by commenting about the UK Radio 4 farming soap, "The Archers" and recent controversy over a storyline concerning breast cancer. Radio is a tremendously intimate medium, says Barnard, adding that he can therefore understand complaints from a woman cancer sufferer about it in the context although more factual treatments do not arouse the same passion. He concludes, "Our imaginations are vivid, and delicate. That is why sport works so well on radio, that is why sensitive storylines in The Archers need careful handling." And finally to Eric Zorn in the Chiicago Tribune whose opening on Dr Laura deserves a full quotation," Dear Ms. Schlessinger: There, there. Have a hanky. Now, of course, you didn't actually write to me seeking counsel--I'm probably one of the last people in America you'd ever ask for advice, which makes us even." Zorn goes on the tear many of her points to shreds in practical terms, with comments on the finer distinctions she makes such as, "Forgive them. They are unable to wrap their minds around the distinction you make. It's their sexual acts you label as deviant, not their essence. It's the difference between the adjective and the noun, which is . . . well, not a whole lot, actually." He also comments upon the difference in what are accepted behavioural norms over different societies and at different times citing, for example, current US society which sees," polygamy as abnormal, for instance, and interracial, interfaith and intercultural marriages as normal." His conclusion is that the soundest advice he can give to her is to,"Mind your own business." RNW note -of course it could be that, judging by the financial success her show has brought her, that's exactly and maybe even solely what Dr Laura is doing! Previous Columnists report : Previous Ahrens; Previous Barnard; Previous Laura Schlessinger; Ahrens Column; Zorn column: 2000-07-02: Licence news this week. And the main news comes from Australia where the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has announced more expansion or radio services, especially in Melbourne which is to get 13 new licences (RNW June 28). In addition to thelicences for Melbourne itself, the ABA is planning licences for two new community radio services and two open narrowcasting service in Geelong and one community radio service in Colac. The second open narrowcasting service in Geelong, may be used either in Geelong or in Melbourne/Geelong. The Authority has decided against making new commercial radio licences available in Geelong or Colac. As well as the new licences, the ABA is also attempting to use the spectrum more efficiently by by changing Geelong Community radio 3YYR to a new frequency and giving it increased power which will thus enable it to reach a wider audience and release spectrum for a the second of the additional Melbourne-wide commercial licences. In addition it is moving Melbourne commercial service 3AK to a new frequency and re-allocating its former spectrum to one of the new community radio services. It is also allowing options of mixed polarisation and other technical specifications which should improve reception. In Canada the summer lull seemed to have set in completely and in the UK the Radio Authority news was limited to publication of its award already made of the Bristol and Bath local digital multiplex licence to Now Digital Ltd ( a wholly-owned subsidiary of GWR Group) and the re-award of the North Wales Coastal Licence to Marcher Radio Group which broadcasts as Coast Radio. Previous Licence News: ABA website; UK Radio authority website 2000-07-02:An interesting side benefit on being a sound engineer for a broadcaster in the UK Daily Telegraph where Stephen Lacey comments on how eight years of work for the BBC have made him aware just how noisy Britain is and, more to the point, look into how those who want a tranquil garden can keep them down. With aeroplanes not a lot except move, he says, but there are a number of features which can cut down traffic noise. The general assumption that a hedge will do this is, he says , mistaken since any barrier to noise need to be as impermeable as possible and the holes in hedges let the noise through. Unless that is you are prepared to have around 25 foot ( 8 metre) thick evergreen hedges to reduce noise by a quarter . So solid brick walls and really sturdy fences are a better bet as they cut down noise by around a half. And they need to be as high as possible starting off at around 7 feet (2 metres) and as close to the noise source as possible. And the final irony - perceived noise is worse if you can't see the traffic so maybe the answer is to get the artist Christo to wrap your estate in tall , strong clear double glazing ! 2000-07-02: London radio station Jazz FM seems to be on a roll with investors with its shares jumping up by around a third this week. The underlying reasons appear to be this week's 12-year deal to be broadcast on London's second digital multiplex, US giant Clear Channel's recent purchase of a 30% share in the company and Internet activities. Jazz Fm runs a successful site with some 85% of its listeners from outside the UK and it has also launched a record label. The second London digital multiplex, is being launched by international broadcast company Crown Castle UK, which pioneered Britain's first national digital network for the BBC four years ago and has built and installed the second London digital network, and Switchdigital in which Clear Channel International has a substantial holding (RNW April 8 ) Previous Clear Channel Jazz FM Website 2000-07-01: Yet more consolidation and takeovers in the US radio industry. First the mighty mouse. And Radio Disney is taking up options to buy all six stations in the Hibernia Communications Group. The deal will to turn them from affiliates into owned and operated AM outlets. It is being done through Disney's ABC Radio which had options on the stations when they were taken over by Hibernia. It gives ABC five small market outlets plus a Boston outlet, thus adding an O & O in the only top ten market where ABC has no current station. In Texas, Equicom is selling 14 stations from unrated markets in its Texas Eagle Radio Network to Cornerstone Radio Holdings for $7 million and taking an equity stake in Cornerstone. Being sold are KBST-AM & FM & KBTS-FM Big Spring, KHLB-AM & FM Burnet-Marble Falls, KEPS-AM & KINL-FM Eagle Pass, KKYN-AM & FM & KVOP-AM & FM Plainview and KVOU-AM, KUVA-FM & KYUF-FM Uvalde. Texas Eagle is retaining seven other stations in the rated Corpus Christi and Bryan College Station markets. In Minnesota, Midwest Radio Network is buying three more stations in the Hibbings area where it already owns WNMT-AM & WTBX-FM. It is adding WFMG-AM & FM & KMFG-FM Hibbing-Nashwauk for which it is paying $2.15 million. Another " Midwest" , Midwest Communications is buying four stations in markets adjacent to its existing four stations in Kalamazoo. It's paying $10 million for WHTC-AM in Grand Rapids, Michigan , plus WHBL-AM, WWJR-FM & WBFM-FM in the unrated Sheboygan market next to Midwest Radio Network's three FMs in the Appleton-Oshkosh market. On the North East seaboard, Nassau Broadcasting is projecting an IPO price between $16 and $19 and upping its offering from $190M to $236M. Including pending acquisitions, Nassau will own and/or operate 17 FM and 15 AM stations in nine markets in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. Previous ABC Radio 2000-07-01: More awards for WCBS-FM in New York which for the second year running has won the Radio and Records (R&R) Industry Achievement Award for Oldies Station of the Year. Success also for its Vice president of programming Joe McCoy who won his second consecutive R&R Industry Achievement Award for Oldies Program Director of the Year. And in the UK annual Commercial Radio Awards Jonathan Coleman has today been named presenter of the year for his breakfast show on London Heart FM. Red Dragon Radio, Cardiff, won the commercial radio station of the year award, in recognition of its efforts to capture the flavour of Wales's changing political climate and Liverpool-based Radio City won the radio news award . Virgin Radio won the new media award, in recognition of its use of the Internet to improve services for advertisers and listeners.and James Merritt won the presentation newcomer of the year award. 2000-07-01: Canada is to sell off more mobile phone radio frequency in November in a "third-generation" frequency auction which could raise billions although the structure differs from that in the UK where a recent auction raised more than £ 22 billion (33 billion US $)(RNW ). In the UK, one part of the spectrum was reserved for a new entrant but in Canada there is no such restriction and only Canadian companies, either new or established operators, with the resources to guarantee their deposit will be allowed to bid. In all 56 licences in 14 areas will go on the block. Last November, Canada which had until hen operated a "beauty contest" system, switched to auctions and raised C$172 million from bids plus a further C$723,000 in penalties for withdrawn bids. Links note: As far as possible we provide site links to the previous related story. Should these links not work, please advise us so we can sort out the problem. Regarding external links, we give links where we can but some newspapers and stations only keep items available for a limited period or move them to a pay-per-use archive (typically after 7 or 14 days in the USA). Thus some links become outdated or sources you would have to pay for or subscribe to access. See links page for notes regarding various sites we think of value Back to top : ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||
RNW July Comment follows up on the UK report this month on what listeners want from radio to look at the issues of standards and regulation or censorship. 2000-07-31:The columnists this week are tending to self-indulgence or local issues but some general points still arise. One of them is made in the UK Observer by Sue Arnold whose column is basically a review of four programmes. However the general point emerges in a comment on one of them, The Illusion of Information, being broadcast on BBC Radio 4, in which documentary film maker Roger Graef asks what happens, "when experiences are refracted through the lens of globalized media." Arnold refers to Mcluhan's global village and then goes on toe say, "Think global, act local is the ideal but all too often it's the other way round." Some of the answers she says were in another Radio 4 programme series "Internet Dreamers" which dealt excellently with the start of computer networking. A pity, to ride our old hobby horse, that we it isn't sitting on the BBC website in an on-demand form as it was worth listening to. Another local but also general subject is brought up by Peter Barnard in the UK Times. In this case he takes up comments by former Radio 4 presenter and columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, of the Foreign Policy Centre who asked a recent BBC seminar why there were no black presenters on BBC Radio 4. Barnard says the question is fair but the answer not simple. The BBC now has a "Head of Diversity", part of whose role is to ensure a broad ethnic range of recruits Barnard points out. He also notes that, although Radio 4's audience is nearly three quarters of mainly-white top socio-economic group ABC1, any perception that it would therefore have a higher proportion of ethnic Asians amongst its audience is incorrect. Asians may be on average wealthier but they only comprise some 4% of the Radio 4 audience compared to 13% from Afro-Caribbean roots, possibly because there are more Asian-targeted radio stations. Barnard points out past examples of ethnic minority presenters and also notes that some seemingly white middle-class programmes have black producers, that seemingly black-oriented programmes can end up attracting very few from the potential black audience and that the British prejudices on accent also make things tricky. Radio 4, he concludes, does need more good presenters who happen to be from ethnic minorities but it isn't racist. In a similar vein of expanding from the particular, his Sunday Times colleague Paul Donovan, uses the 60th anniversary of BBC Radio 2 programme "Sunday half-hour", to consider religion on radio. The programme comprises a broadcast of hymns from a different church or chapel each week, which Donovan says is a problem in that it is not clear what should predominate, the music or the religion. He then goes further to point out that whilst the BBC has been moving in the direction of programmes connected with vague faith, Britain now has large numbers of people of specific but non-Christian faiths, particularly Moslems who outnumber Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and Buddhists put together and that none of these have specific programmes. Finally yet another column which is building from a theme but whose intro at least attracted us. In the UK Guardian, Tanya Wilson, starts her Saturday Wave Riding column with, "It's raining men, hallelujah, was not my first thought at this week's radio offerings. The blighters were all over the schedules like a rash". Not content with that she then goes on to deal with comments from such as psychiatrists cheerfully saying in the Radio 4 programme "Men in Crisis" such things as, "We are already impotent, already castrated", "It's men who suffer from penis envy" and "Ahhh, this is where we get back to the penis." Which is where we'll leave her column. Previous Arnold; Previous Barnard; Previous Columnists; Previous Donovan; Arnold column; Barnard column; Donovan column; Wilson column; 2000-07-31: Chicago Veteran "superjock" Larry Lujack is reported to have plumped for a return to "Jammin' Oldies" station WUBT-FM. He was reported to have received offers from five local stations to make a permanent return following his Chicago radio comeback on in May on WUBT (RNW May 26 ). Lujack, who retired in 1987 after 20 years as Chicago's top disc jockey, had said he only wanted to return part-time> He is said to have settled with WUBT for a Saturday show which would be rebroadcast on Sundays. Other stations expressing interest were news/talk station WGN-AM and country-music WUSN-Fm who were said to have proposed weekend shows, a Monday-through-Friday Morning offer from the Score ( sports/talk WSCR-AM which is due to take over WMAQ's frequency) and oldies WJMK-FM. Previous Lujack 2000-07-31: The New York Times takes up the reactions to Dr Laura Schlessinger in an article, which says that,"not since Anita Bryant has a morality-minded woman been the target of as much vitriol." It adds that she, "has managed to offend everybody from librarians and psychologists to witches and vegetarians. In the process, she has spawned a virtual industry of Web sites devoted to mocking, reviling or simply haranguing her -- often with the same blunt mean-spiritedness they complain of regarding the good doctor." The article then carries a selection of online comments about her with links to them. The one that appealed most to us was the following spoof conversation between the good doctor and God from the "And God created Laura" site. Dr. Laura: I see. So, God, tell me how you became a parent. God: Well, it was a long time ago. In six days, I created heaven, earth, plant and animal life along with the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve. I placed them in the Garden of Eden, told them to be fruitful and multiply and never eat from the tree of knowledge. Then on the seventh day, I rested. But while I was gone, a snake convinced them to eat the forbidden fruit and when they did, they saw they were naked. When I next saw them, they were clothed in fig leaves and I was very angry. Dr. Laura: So let me see if I've got this straight. You've got kids that are only a few days old and you decide you just want to sleep all day so you drop them off unsupervised in a garden full of snakes and dangerous fruit with no clothes on and tell them to engage in incestuous free love and get pregnant! What kind of a parent are you? For the rest follow the link to the articleand go from there. Previous Dr Laura ; New York Times report; And God Created Laura site; 2000-07-30: Licence news this week. Low Power FM is again the main item on the US agenda with the FCC issuing a new filing window for ten states (RNW July 29) and expected to approve the Clear Channel takeover of AMFM by the end of the month. Elsewhere it was fairly quiet although in Australia the Australian Broadcasting Authority has now issued one of its new Sydney FM commercial licences. Successful bidder was GD Ventures Pty Ltd which bid Aus$155 million. Wollongong Radio Pty Ltd was the successful bidder for the new Campbelltown licence for which it is paying Aus$10 million. The ABA has also allocated a new non-broadcasting bands commercial licence for Sydney to 2KY Broadcasting Pty Ltd. These Australian non-broadcasting licences are designed to foster services using new technology and do not confer any spectrum rights; the licence holders have to make their own delivery arrangements. In the UK the Radio Authority, apart from its involvement in a survey on listeners' attitudes to radio (RNW July 25) invited applications for the digital multiplex licence to serve the South Wales/Severn Estuary region. This covers South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, together with an area on the English side of the Severn Estuary, including Bristol and Bath. The Authority has also said that it received one application for the Northern Ireland digital multiplex licence. This was from Score Digital Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Radio holdings. Previous licence news ABA website; FCC Website; UK Radio authority website 2000-07-30: US National Public Radio is considering spinning off its internet operations into a profit-making enterprise to help defray the costs of running its non-profit radio network according to the Los Angeles Times. The NPR Online site, which offers newscasts, commentaries and live audio events, was set up six years ago attracts 350,000 visits per week and the paper reports a source close to the network as saying NPR hopes to make money selling advertising and making merchandising deals. Los Angeles Times report; 2000-07-30: A few more US radio deals starting with those for giant Clear Channel. It is now hoping to close its $4.4 billion cash and share-swap buy of New York based SFX Entertainment on August 1 after SFX shareholders voted overwhelmingly for the deal. And it's still not giving up on radio acquisitions. Its latest deal is a $9.35 million purchase of WDAL-AM, WBLJ-AM, WQMT-FM and WYYU-FM in Dalton, Georgia, from Radio Center. It also seems to have successfully reduced some of the sell-offs necessary to get clearance of its AMFM takeover. Amongst others it is cutting back its $109million 11-stations sale to Chase Radio Partners to a £45.6million six-station deal. On the smaller companies front, Ocean Broadcasting has added a third FM station to its Wilmington operation by activating WAZO-FM. It already operates WRQR-FM and WLGX-FM plus WMFD-AM. And in the Texarkana market, Petracom is buying five stations from Basso Broadcasting for $3.25 million. Finally some more strong results, this time for the broadcasting holdings of the Fisher group. Compared to 1999, it reported broadcast cash flow (BCF) for the first half of the year up by 90% to $33.7 million and same-station cash flow up by 57.8%. Previous US Deals; Previous Clear Channel: 2000-07-29: The Flood Tribunal being held in Ireland to investigate the award of commercial radio licences has now adjourned until September. A total of 46 names is on the list of witnesses to be called regarding investigations into an Irish £35000 cash payment to then communications minister by Century radio, which was awarded the first commercial national licence in the country. Among them is broadcaster Gay Byrne who, the Tribunal was told earlier this week (RNW July 28 ) rejected a £1 million offer to join the company. The list also includes the ten members of the Independent Radio and Television Commission which awarded Century its licence in 1989. They include the chairman, Mr Justice Séamus Henchy, the then secretary of the IRTC, Seán Connolly, and the present chief executive, Michael O'Keeffe. Also being called, this time in regard to allegations that Century owed money to then Government press secretary P.J. Mara, are Mara himself, financier Dermot Desmond and John Mulhern, son-in-law of the then Taoiseach(Prime Minister) , Charles Haughey and a secret investor in Century. Evidence this week has been given by Century Co-founder James Staffford and Mr Justice Flood has ruled that Stafford may be questioned about his allegations that Burke and Mara wanted payments of up to £90,000 for awarding radio licences (RNW July 20). Stafford has denied that Burke gave confidential assurances indicated in a Bank of Ireland memo that he and co-founder Oliver Barry would be allowed to reduce their stake in Century below 51% thus enabling new investors to be found. However other evidence has been given of then Communications Minister Ray Burke's support for Century including a proposal to divert to commercial stations some of state broadcaster RTÉ's licence fee income. This proposal was dropped after a political row but his bill to cap RTÉ's advertising revenue did become law in July 1990 and Capital Radio of London invested in the company the following day. Pat Hanratty SC, for the tribunal, said the legislation was brought in for one reason only - to benefit Century at the expense of RTÉ, and, just when Century went into liquidation, it was repealed. Previous Barry; Previous Burke; Previous Byrne; Previous Flood Tribunal; Previous Hanratty; Previous Haughey; Previous Mara ; Previous Mulhern; Previous O'Keeffe; Previous Stafford; Irish Times search page (search for Radio and July). 2000-07-29: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a new filing window from August 28 to September 1 for LPFM services, which are currently under attack in Congress (RNW July 18)and may have to be cut back drastically. The window is for Low Power FM applications for transmitters in Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and Wyoming. Applicants are warned inthe FCC notice that objections to LPFM on the possible interference have been raised and that the resolution of the issues involved may affect frequency availability. It says that all applications filed must protect all FM, FM Translator, FM Booster, and TV Channel 6 authorizations. LPFM applications also must protect pending broadcast applications in these services that were filed prior to the date of the notice, along with LPFM applications filed in the previous filing window and existing vacant FM allotments. Previous LPFM 2000-07-29: The BBC has appointed Nigel Chapman, currently Director of BBC Online, Deputy Director of BBC World Service. He succeeds Caroline Thomson who was recently appointed the BBC's Director of Public Policy. Chapman, who takes up his new duties in September, was formerly Controller English Regions where radio was a significant part of his remit. 2000-07-28: BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Sara Cox has been rapped over the knuckles over comments she made on air about the size of male colleagues' penises. She said about Jamie Theakston ," Poor old Jamie's not too large apparently". She then followed up by saying to Simon Mayo as she handed over to him, "Morning Simon. How big is your penis then?" Previous Sara Cox ; 2000-07-28: Yet more strong US radio results and some more deals starting with the big one, Clear Channel, which is now getting so big it's a bit vague in its second quarter results about exactly how many stations it owns. Its financial report just says it operates "over 900 radio and 19 television Stations" in the United States and has equity interests in "over 240 radio stations "internationally. But whatever the station numbers, the financial figures are startling with a record quarter in which net revenues were up 56% compared to Q2 1999 to total $965.9 million whilst for the first half year net revenues were up 76% to $1.7 billion. On the same comparison after tax cash flow was up 53% to $271.8 million for the quarter, for the first half the increase was 33% to $464million. On a per share basis the first half figure come to $1.24 per share compared to $0.93 per share in 1999, up 33%. Net income was also up healthily to $31.2 million; in 1999 the figures was $106.5 million which would have been $18.8 million in 1999 when the sale of two stations for $87.7 million is excluded. Middle market specialist Citadel Radio also had a very strong quarter, reporting net revenues of $68.2 million, up 65% compared to Q2 1999 whilst broadcast cash flow (BCF) was $28.6 million, up 85.7% . After tax cash flow (ATCF) was $151.6 million, up a whopping 248.3% to $15.6M amounting to 41 cents per share, up from 16 cents. On a same-station basis revenues were up 14.9%. Results -or rather spending figures, have also been released by XM Satellite Radio. During the quarter it had an operating loss of $13.9 million compared to $4 million for Q2, 1999. Its net loss was $5.1 million compared to $4 million for Q2 1999. As we have already reported (RNW July 11) XM is now fully funded up to it broadcast debut. On the deals front, quite a few but all fairly small. In Kansas, Eagle radio is buying four more stations for $2.5 million from Radio Inc.; they are KJLS-FM Hays, KKQY-FM Hill City, KFIX-FM Plainville and KBGL-FM Larned. In North Carolina, GHB Broadcasting is paying $350000 to Willis Broadcasting to add WTNC-AM Thomasville to its existing Thomasville station WIST-FM. In South Carolina, Alliance Broadcasting has reinstated a deal, approved by the FCC in November last year but withdrawn in March, to buy WCTG-AM Columbia, $802000 from Lighthouse Productions. In Wisconsin, Craig Karmazin, son of Mel, is adding a sixth station to his stations in the region by paying $2.85 million for to TBK Communications for WKPO-FM Evansville-Janesville. Previous Clear Channel; Previous XM 2000-07-28: Time for another look at the Flood Tribunal in Ireland, where James Stafford co-founder and former director of the collapsed national independent radio station Century Radio has been giving evidence and facing more challenges to his story that he knew nothing in advance about an Irish £35,000 paid in cash to then Communications Minister Ray Burke. So far Century's co-founder Oliver Barry, main investor John Mulhern and accountant Tom Moore have said that he knew about the payment although Moore added in his statement that Stafford was opposed to the payment. He added that Stafford had told him after it was made that the money had not come from Century. As details have come out, it appears that Century's business plan was both wildly optimistic and that it gained a significant advantage from putting into that plan only £375000 for transmission facilities whilst two other main bidders had estimated these costs at around £1.2 million. Stafford told the Tribunal that had asked Burke to reduce RTÉ's planned £1.2 million charge even before it submitted its application for the licence. He had not approached RTÉ about the figure first because he did not feel it would be a sound business tactic and added that he did not know about the Communication department's agreement with RTÉ to reduce the sum to £692,000 until after Century had made its oral submission on January 12, 1990. Stafford has also said he was " at sea" over a £1million offer made in a last ditch effort by Barry to broadcaster Gay Byrne to join Century. Byrne had been involved in early discussions with Century but got cold feet about leaving RTÉ and Barry went to his house to try and tempt him with a bank draft for £1 million. When Century went on air it could only reach about half of its target audience of 70 per cent of the population and Stafford blamed this on RTÉ's "dirty tricks" , in particular its breaching confidentiality by telling advertisers about the low reach. Again instead of taking action against RTÉ, Mr Barry and Mr Stafford took their complaints to Mr Burke, some six months after Burke had received the £35,000 in cash. They had asked Burke to close down RTÉ's 2FM channel, the main competitor with Century for audience and advertising. A Bank of Ireland memo concerning this, read to the Tribunal by its counsel Pat Hanratty SC, continued, "If FM2 closure is not forthcoming, then it is essential that `rate-capping' is eliminated with FM2 charges [for advertising air-time] increasing by 60 to 67 per cent. Stafford maintains that once the content of the legislation is clear, it will be possible to approach the institutions for fund-raising." Previous Barry; Previous Burke; Previous Flood Tribunal; Previous Hanratty; Previous Mulhern Previous Stafford; Irish Times search page (search for Radio and July). 2000-07-27: More US radio deals and good results, headed off by Clear Channel and Cumulus. First Clear Channel which is expecting imminent approval of its takeover of AMFM from the FCC having already cleared Department of Justice hurdles (RNW July 22). And Atlanta-based Cumulus has announced further re-structuring of its deal with Clear Channel which will leave Cumulus with around $166 million in cash from its total Clear Channel transactions. The money comes in part from a re-working of an earlier deal (RNW May 6 and May 13)and in part from a new sale of 30 stations to Clear Channel. Being disposed of in the new deal are stations in Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Georgia. The re-working of earlier deals will see Cumulus dropping its acquisition of four stations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but continuing with the purchase of seven stations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Shreveport, Louisiana and Melbourne, Florida. This change will boost the cash Cumulus gets from Clear Channel by $54 million to $91 million. Funds from the combined transactions will be used to complete pending Cumulus buys including its purchase of Connoisseur Communications(RNW May 13 )and $6.5 million purchase from Muirfield Broadcasting Inc of WKQB-FM, Fayetteville, North Carolina, a classic-rock station which will be one of four FM's in the market programmed by Cumulus. When all deals are completed, Cumulus, which at one stage was on course to control more than 300 stations, will own and operate some 250 US radio stations. On a much smaller scale Commonwealth Communications, which currently has stations in California, Arizona and Colorado, is to spend $7.5 million on buying nine stations from STARadio. They're in Great Falls and Helena in Montana and in Williston, North Dakota . In New York State Vox Radio Group is building its strength by spending $790,000 to buy WMNS-AM & WMXO-FM Olean, from Magnum . It's also swapping a Georgia station for Magnum's WRLP-FM in Jamestown, New York. And some more strong radio company results. Cox Communications has reported strong results with net revenues for the first six months of the year up 23.5% on 1999 at $171.5 million , Broadcast Cash Flow(BCF) up 28.1% at £64.6million , with same station net revenues for the same period up 19.7% at $122 million and BCF up 34.5% at $44.7 million.. Cox the fourth largest radio company in the United States based on net revenues and when current transactions are closed Cox Radio will own, operate, or provide sales and marketing services for 81 stations clustered in 17 markets. Also doing well was Saga which for whom, in the second quarter of the year, after tax cash flow was up by 28% to $6 million. Broadcast cash flow was up by 18%, 15% on a same-station basis. During the period Saga absorbed a $1.3 million charge incurred in disposing of its interests in Iceland (RNW July 12). If that charge is discounted, net income for the second quarter was up 32.7% to $3.4 million; including the charge caused a net income drop by 17.5% to $2.1 million. Previous Clear Channel; Previous Cox; Previous Cumulus; Previous Saga; Previous US Deals; . 2000-07-27: US comedienne Joan Rivers, has been suspended from her talk show on New York station WOR for a week after one of her remarks made it through to the air. Commenting on her lack of taste in food she told a guest who was rambling on about Manhattan eating favourites, "I'll eat shit on a bun, so it really has to be bad for me not to like it." Programme controller David Bernstein said: "She's been here over three years and up until now we've been successful at bleeping her." 2000-07-26: XM Satellite Radio has announced a partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame under which it will broadcast a live five hour country show daily from a new digital studio to be built in the Hall of Fame's new Nashville Museum The museum is scheduled to open in May next year around the same time as XM goes on air with up to 100 digital radio channels. As well as the live show, XM will also have a variety of country shows on several of its channels. They are to include "The Country Music Hall of Fame Hour," featuring hour-long profiles of country music legends complete with rare, archival recordings; "Today in Country Music History," which will also tap the Hall of Fame's historical archives; and "Backstage at the County Music Hall of Fame," highlighting new live performances and re-broadcasts of classic concerts. XM's planned service is subscriber-based with listeners paying $9.95 per month for a wide range of children's programming comedy, music, news, sports, and talk to be provided via agreements reached with media companies including the BBC World Service, Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation Bloomberg and CNN. Previous Satellite Radio; Previous XM; Hall of Fame website; XM Website; 2000-07-26: Four leading regional radio operators in the UK have said they'll to join forces to bid for the regional digital radio multiplexes, covering the Severn Estuary/South Wales, West Midlands, North West, Yorkshire and North East. Capital Radio plc, Chrysalis Radio, Guardian Media Groupand Jazz FM are forming the MXR consortium for the bid. The four companies currently own all of the analogue licences for the areas concerned with a combined audience of more than four million listeners per week. They are offering their existing services along with additional digital-only programming exclusively to MXR. 2000-07-26: More developments resulting from CBS-Infinity's changes in its Chicago stations are reported by the city's newspaper media columnists. Both say that sports host Chet Coppock, whose WMAQ station is being folded (RNW July 12) has now found a new home outside CBS Infinity. Staff at WSCR-AM, the all-sports station which is taking over WMAQ's frequency have been voicing anti-Coppock feelings over any suggestion that he move to them. Instead , reports Jim Kirk of the Chicago Tribune, he's to host his own show on the One-to-One Sports Network and also do a weekly syndicated show "eSportsEdge" for Santa Monica-based eSportsEntertainment. Robert Feder at the Sun-Times says Coppock will be paid $150,000 a year to l host Saturday and Sunday sports talk shows for One-to-One. Kirk and Feder also report that the demise of WMAQ will mean the end of afternoon newscasts on sister Infinity station WXRT-FM 93.1--one of the few commercial music stations in Chicago that still runs late-afternoon news. For the past few years, WMAQ had been providing newscasts at 5 and 6 p.m. for WXRT in exchange for WXRT plugging WMAQ on its station. Apparently WXRT's budget cannot stand the cost of hiring a new newscaster nor of taking a newscast from remaining Infinity news station WBBM-AM since the latter's contract with its staff means they would have to be paid for work aired on another station. And at another Chicago station, this time AM-FM owned smooth-jazz WNUA-FM, staff have welcomed new boss Terry Hardin who now has responsibility for their station as well as adult contemporary WLIT-FM under a Chicago management slim down by AMFM (RNW July 20).. He's told staff that no changes are planned. Previous Feder; Previous Hardin; Previous Kirk; Previous WMAQ; Feder Sun-Times report; Kirk Tribune report; 2000-07-25: The Australian Broadcasting Authority has announced the allocation of new commercial radio licences for Sydney and Campbelltown which were put up for auction in May. The Sydney licence on 96.9 MHz has gone to GD Ventures PTY Ltd for Aus$155 million and the Campbelltown one went to Wollogong Radio Pty Ltd for Aus$10 million. And in an unrelated statement the Australian government has said that it does not propose to regard Internet streaming as a form of broadcasting. The comment came in response to concern expressed by the Internet industry about a change proposed to the country's Broadcasting Services Act which would require a review of whether such streaming technology should be regarded as broadcasting 2000-07-25: US radio host Dr Laura Schlessinger has lost 12 brands as advertisers on her radio show following US gay and lesbian protests at her comments according to its syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks. But Kraig T. Kitchin, its president and chief operating officer, says the show remains financially sound and he's confident that they will all return when the controversy surrounding the host, due to launch a syndicated TV show in September, dies down. Among those who have dropped the show are AT&T, Geico Insurance, General Foods, Kraft, Toys-R-Us and United Airlines. The stopdrlaura website carries notes of support for those who have dropped her show and opposition to those who haven't., details of planned protests, numbers of media officials to be called to express opposition to her and links to articles about her. On her own site the host has a letter expressing thanks to the sponsors who have remained loyal together with a promise to read on-air promotions of some of them as an expression of gratitude. She concludes, "It often takes a while for the good guys to win. But were all in this for the long haul. We will prevail." Previous Kitchin; Previous Dr Laura; Dr Laura website; StopDrLaura website ; 2000-07-25: UK radio listeners object most to racism, bad language and harsh treatment of phone-in callers according to a report, Listening 2000, just issued by the UK Radio Authority and Broadcasting Standards Council. Listeners also said they wanted more care taken over content at the times when children are likely to be listening such as at breakfast, during "the school run" and in the late afternoon to early evening. More than four fifths of respondents felt swearing on air was unacceptable at these times. The report is the result of research carried out by Birmingham station BRMB, partly because of concern fed to the regulators last year about the way phone-ins were handled. The station polled 2000 people aged 15 and over and also carried out 14 standard group discussions with radio listeners in seven locations around the country. The report follows a similar report commissioned in 1994 by the Broadcasting Standards Council which found out at that time, when there were less stations there was more loyalty to particular channels than exists now, and that even then there was some concern at presenter arrogance although radio was regarded more tolerantly than TV because listening was often felt to be a personal rather than a group activity. In this latest report more than 80% of those polled listened to the radio alone rather than in a group. The Radio Authority's Director of Programming and Advertising, Martin Campbell, said, "Some of the most interesting findings were the reasons given by respondents who took offence." " Almost half the number of people we spoke to felt offended at certain things they heard recently. Of those, a third switched off and a third switched over." He also said that listeners felt the impartiality of presenters to be important, especially when dealing with politics when listeners felt presenters should not use phone-ins as a means of airing their own views but as an opportunity for listeners to be heard. Stephen Whittle, Director of the Broadcasting Standards Commission, said, "Poor treatment of those taking part in radio 'phone-ins has clearly emerged as an area which causes offence to listeners, a concern which is also reflected in the complainants letters sent to the Commission." " Radio is indeed undergoing a renaissance of interest, and listeners are enjoying the choice of stations now before them." " This new opportunity presents an even greater challenge for broadcasters and their audiences to work together to ensure that the basic human values of respect and dignity continue to be an important part of radio output." UK Radio Authority site (has link to 200kb Acrobat PDF of report) 2000-07-24: An interesting contrasts in radio attitudes to sex and what should be radio guidelines in columnists from opposite sides of the Atlantic this week. And it's the British pushing the case for a freer approach and an American Professor arguing the case the other way, although this could be because the British scene lacks the equivalents of America's shock-jocks. In a New York Times Op-ed, Ruth Bayard Smith, Professor of journalism at Montclair State University, starts by commenting on outrage from herself and feminist friends at "female objectification" in the seventies. She then goes on to comment about stickers, the product of the popular "Opie and Anthony" show on WNEW-FM New York, which encourage women to expose their breasts. Widening the argument she comments on views on how popular culture has coarsened society and singles out shock radio, saying, "shock radio -- particularly shock radio shows like "Opie and Anthony," in which disc jockeys take an in-your-face approach to sexual and scatological banter -- deserves plenty of blame." She goes on to say, "Talk radio at its best speaks to listeners' imaginations and allows them to feel an intimacy with the hosts. But at its worst, it encourages a form of public wilding, or at least an open fraternity party where everyone can be part of what is advertised as the fun." " This is especially true in the new generation of shock radio, which is flourishing throughout the country, all in the name of luring a young, primarily male audience that is coveted by some advertisers." Prof. Smith concludes that it may be said to be in fun and women callers may take part, the shock-jocks, but "…..by reducing women to collections of body parts, and allowing them to be addressed with sexual epithets, they have helped create an atmosphere where it's acceptable -- even desirable -- to demean women." "And," she concludes,"the underlying subtext suggests all too obviously that since some women are going along with the routine, it can't be that bad. " In contrast, Peter Barnard in the UK Times picks up on points from Radio 4 called Auntie Knows Best, which was about the BBC's role in setting and reflecting sexual morality, a role which probably could not even have conceived of current US shock-jocks. "What the programme showed," writes Barnard, " was that broadcasting bureaucrats are at best hopeless and at worst dangerous as arbiters of what the nation is allowed to know about." " This prudery and caution tends to abet the forces of ignorance." He cites an edict issued by the Corporation in 1948 . "There is an absolute bar on jokes about lavatories, effeminacy in men, immorality of any kind . . . suggestive references to honeymoon couples, chamber-maids, fig leaves, prostitution, ladies underwear (for example, 'winter draws on'), animal habits (for example, rabbits), lodgers, commercial travellers . . . Extreme care should be taken in dealing with references to, or jokes about, pre- natal influences, for example 'his mother was frightened by a donkey." At the same time, he points out every use of the word "divorce" had to be referred to management in advance and, at a time when the second World War had increased levels of adultery and sexually transmitted disease, the BBC remained coy about any sexual franknes. This situation, he says, did not really change until the coming of AIDS and he concludes, "There have to be limits to the freedom of the airwaves, but Auntie Knows Best proved that it is a far, far better thing to offend the few than to delude the many." His colleague in the Sunday Times, Paul Donovan, writes in favour of BBC Radio 3 although his introductory paragraph somewhat conceals his later purpose. It's worth quoting. "A majority of the public seems to disapprove of almost everything, including the Conservative party, buggery, tripe, black pudding, smoking, immigration, Radio 3 and, very likely, the colour of your front door and indeed of mine. But if all those, and more, are to be made the subject of criminal offences, we shall all be in jail before too long." The words came from a government Minister in a debate on fox hunting and give Donovan the cue to ask why Radio 3 was on the list. He the comments that the striking thing about the channel is how little controversy it now attracts. He goes on to praise controller Roger Wright on his success over the two years since his appointment in broadening the channel's appeal without sacrificing its quality. Donovan comments favourably on changes such as bringing jazz more into the mainstream, snapping up former Radio 1 disc jockey Andy Kershaw (RNW July 16) and in particular for his plans, initially for one month, to introduce a Radio 3 afternoon series for children, the first dedicated programmes for under-15's on BBC radio since it killed off Children's Radio 4 in 1988. Previous Barnard; Previous Columnists; Previous Donovan; Previous Andy Kershaw; Previous Roger Wright; Barnard column; Donovan column; Smith in New York Times 2000-07-23: More from the Irish Times on the Flood Tribunal enquiry into Irish radio and the links between Century radio, the country's first independent national channel, and the then Communications Minister Ray Burke. The tribunal has been told by its counsel Pat Hanratty SC that the country's Independent Radio and Telvision Commission (IRTC) were never told of the charges proposed by Century and state broadcaster RTÉ for the use of transmission facilities. He has also clashed with oen of the company's co-founders over how Century arrived at its own figures. RTÉ initially proposed payment of Irish £1.14 million , later reduced it to £914,000, put down to £614,000 after talks with Department of Communications officials, matched by a Century offer of £375,000 and eventually put at £150,000 after Burke's intervention. Hanratty said no documents on figures had been seen by the tribunal and the problem centred over the charges Century could afford not what the facilities were worth. Century's co-founder James Stafford said he was fairly certain they had discussed the level of charges with the IRTC. He said the £375,000 figure was proposed by the UK Independent Broadcasting Authority(IBA) as consultants to Century. Hanratty said the December 1988 letter from the IBA concerned technical matters but ," "They don't mention a figure of £375,000, they don't address a figure of £375,000, they don't purport to produce a figure of £375,000, they don't even address the question of transmission charges." Stafford then responded , "I believe that quite clearly what you are saying is correct. There is no evidence that this is a specific signing off of £375,000, but the advice we had received in relation to transmission came from the IBA and (consultant) Ray Hills." Hanratty suggested this figure came from Century's business plan, citing a January 1989 letter from Hills which said, : "Ensure the bottom line is of the order of £375,000 which is the figure in the business plan." In a feature on the Irish radio business, the Irish Times notes that commercial radio had attracted get-rich-quick merchants and that none of the bidders had to publish their applications nor did so and that only selected print journalists were allowed to attend the hearings. They could not ask questions. "Promises," it says, "rained down like confetti. Century was no exception; it promised 250 jobs, two regional studios, education programmes, and documentaries." They also promised to get the station on air by May 1990 without any transmission network or having made arrangements for RTÉ to rebroadcast the station's signal. Things, it says, certainly moved quickly once Ray Burke got it into his head to provide a national alternative to RTÉ but even then there were rumblings of dissent in the IRTC over the way Century's offer went through. It was not the front runner after the first hearings in Dublin in January 1989, but moved ahead of the other three bidders after a meeting in Cork a week later. After Century was awarded the licence other bidders were also enmeshed in controversy including Radio 2000, 70% owned by ESAT Television. They won one of the two Dublin licences, broadcast today as 98FM. Court action was taken by one of the unsuccessful bidders for this Dublin licence over individual relationships between IRTC member Fred O'Donovan as well as his past shareholding in ESAT. The challenge failed because O'Donovan had told the IRTC chairman about his interests. Century also failed -rather more dramatically, collapsing after a year with losses of £8 million. As the paper says,it was indeed, "Irish radio like you've never heard it before". Previous Burke; Previous Flood Tribunal; Previous Hanratty; Previous Stafford; Irish Times search page (search for Radio and July). 2000-07-23: Normally we wouldn't even think of noting the death of a man 68 yeas ago but we were intrigued by the mention of inventor and radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden in the obituaries page of the Toronto Globe and Mail on Saturday. Fessenden, who was born in 1866, was a youthful prodigy who became a maths instructor at 15 and also taught classes in Greek and French as well as studying Hebrew, Arabic and Sanskrit. He had spells of employment with layoffs in between, working as a school principal in Bermuda, laying cables for Edison in New York and later becoming the company's chief chemist,then working for Westinghouse and making significant improvements to light bulb manufacturing. He also became a professor at Purdue and the University of Pittsburgh and then in 1897 laid the foundations for AM radio. Fessenden said at a scientific convention that radio waves were continuous not like a whiplash as Marconi thought. He later took a job with the US weather bureau in Cobb Island, Virginia, working with Morse code. But in his spare time he tried to broadcast voice signals and on December 23, 1900 successfully transmitted for a kilometre. This was later improved to a reach of 100km but he lost his job when the head of the US Weather bureau demanded a half-share in his inventions. Fessenden tried for funds in Canada unsuccessfully but then raised private US financing to set up the National Electric Signalling Co. In 1906 he accidentally sent a voice signal from Maine to Scotland which led him to set up a special Christmas Eve broadcast which transmitted a short speech and music reaching as far as sailors in the Caribbean. His inventions were pirated and he was also thrown out of the company but in 1928 he received $2.5 million in royalties. It was rather too late though as he had heart trouble and four years later he died of a heart attack. Globe and Mail obit. Next column |
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