The Flying Eye in the Sky

In 1974, LBC's Helicopter 417 took to the skies above the capital with reporter Bob Holness onboard keeping an eye on rush hour traffic conditions and providing live updates for listeners on their commute. Two years later, the iconic Capital Radio Flying Eye followed suit.

Analysing data from INRIX (or ROMANSE as we also used in Hampshire) is one thing, but to articulate news of a tailback you're looking at from several thousand feet above is quite the job.

Capital used twin-engined fixed wing planes which are faster and cheaper to run. G-FLYI, used first, is now based at Biggin Hill Airport and G-FLII is no longer in service.

Power and Ocean FM's Flying Eye was G-BSAW which is still operational and based at Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset.

Clyde was the last station in Scotland to offer "bird's-eye view" travel news. The chopper used, G-BUXS, is also believed to still be operational having been used as an Air Ambulance in various regions over the last decade, including temporarily by Hampshire & Isle of Wight.

The most recent example of Eye in the Sky travel that springs to mind was JACK fm Berkshire (now The Breeze) which used a helicopter for reports into the breakfast show.

Radio doesn't come cheap

On this day in 1993 (according to David Lloyd's Radio Moments, obviously), GWR acquired Wolverhampton's Beacon Radio for £3.7m as well as Mercia FM, Leicester Sound and Trent FM for £4.8m.

Kieran McGeary notes Beacon's smaller local competitor, The Wolf, was purchased for £5.2m in 2000 by Forever Broadcasting.

With inflation, GWR's acquisition of Beacon would’ve equalled £6.8m in 2015 - the year Global acquired Liverpool's Juice FM from UTV for a whopping £10m.

Is this big money for a local or regional commercial radio station?

A business is often worth its price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) - in other words, a multiple of its profit which varies by industry and economic environment.

Other methods to value a company include:

• its balance sheet (tangible assets minus liabilities)
• calculate projected cash flow at today's rate of inflation
• compare how much it would cost to start a similar business from scratch
• factors that cannot be measured (location, reputation, trust, patents, trademarks)

For a loss-making startup, its valuation would be based on future prospects and/or turnover. Some industries have a "rule of thumb" or standard ways of calculating valuations (e.g. retail looks at number of outlets and customers).

Ultimately - and I know it sounds cliché - a business is worth what a potential buyer is willing to pay for it.

If there are synergies, the strategic benefit of an acquisition will be important in determining that figure or the buyer may have a vision to make the business more cost-effective.

In purchasing Juice, Global was able to fill a major gap in its FM coverage and saw the value in a CHR station with an established audience whose profile matched that of Capital's.

The only other way to have got that would've been to acquire Radio City, which Bauer would never have sold, so a strong and profitable Juice was Global's only option.

Election night live

Is it just me - a self-confessed political geek - or is there nothing quite like the buzz of the night after polls close in a general election?

The exit poll that may or may not prove accurate, the mad rush of collecting North East ballot boxes in a bid to be the first constituency to declare, the high-profile wins and losses, the swingometer... I could go on.

Work commitments have never allowed me to experience an election night unfolding in real-time - until last night, when I had a great time covering the local count from the press gallery for Winchester Radio.

Having watched the shock exit poll result at 10pm, I travelled to River Park Leisure Centre where counting was taking place for the Winchester and Meon Valley constituencies.

• While Meon Valley is a Tory stronghold, the BBC were forecasting a 63% chance of a Liberal Democrat gain in remain-voting Winchester.

• The incumbent, Conservative MP Steve Brine, held on at the last general election two years ago with a 52% share of the vote, down from 55% in 2015. His majority also decreased from 16,914 to 9,999.

• The Lib Dems increased their share of the vote by just over 10 percentage points last time around - up from 24.4% (13,511) to 34.5% (19,730) and they took control of the City Council from the Tories in May.

• The Green Party didn’t field a candidate in Winchester supporting Paula Ferguson (Lib Dems) as part of the 'Remain Alliance' pact between the two pro-EU parties.

Winchester Radio had its own table overlooking the count from the balcony viewing gallery and we were in esteemed company alongside colleagues from the BBC, ITV, Newsquest and the University of Winchester amongst others.

We kept listeners up-to-date throughout the night with as-live links and the result came in pretty much on schedule shortly after 5am (FYI the Tories hung on with a majority of just 985 - down by more than 9k - with the Lib Dems closing the gap by adding 7,715 votes).

Us radio people have all recorded, edited and/or uploaded things in a plethora of random places over the course of our careers. I polished our post-declaration interviews in Audition and uploaded them to Winchester Radio's Myriad playout system from the comfort of the balcony at River Park Leisure Centre.

Arriving home just before 8am, after a long and busy but thoroughly enjoyable (and fascinating) night, that horrible combination of needing to sleep immediately but also needing to eat immediately struck!

A few Birdseye waffles later, I was soundo! See you in 2024...?

Does Spotify pose a threat to radio?

How many times have you heard "radio is dead, everyone listens to Spotify now" or words to that effect?

It's not true, of course, with the latest MIDAS survey showing live radio accounts for 73% of UK 15+ ear-time while on-demand music streaming (OMS) is miles behind on just 11%.

Live radio also reaches 93% of the 15+ population with OMS on 28%, so radio remains solid - and that's why big tech has long been keen to bounce the ball in its court.

Fortunately for us, the likes of Spotify and Apple don't seem to have any real understanding of radio from the inside - as a medium, it's appeal and how listeners interact with it - because their people are merely listeners and not industry experts.

However, that's not to say we should underestimate the streaming giants as we don't know what their plans are. The international radio industry cannot afford to be a victim of its own success.

iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman is confident in FM radio and says he does not view Spotify as a competitor.

Clearly FM is not the future, whichever way you slice it, but Pittman is right to suggest it's becoming increasingly important for radio's primary purpose to be companionship and human connection rather than just music.

There is no long-term future for jukeboxes interspersed by twelve minutes of spot ads per hour - in fact, on American radio, that's about the duration of a single commercial break.

While there's generally some acceptance among heritage audiences, if commercial radio launched in today's climate it would never have ended up with such a heavy ad-load and would've been more keen to explore innovative, creative revenue streams like branded content.

What purpose do tight music rotations serve?

One of the most common criticisms of commercial radio is it plays "the same few songs all the time" - so why do it?

The logic is simple - the most frequently-played tracks are likely to have proven most popular in that station's music research, and someone is statistically likely to hear one of those tried and tested favourites whenever they tune in.

A common methodology for conducting this research is the auditorium test whereby existing listeners and target listeners are brought together in a room, listen to a load of songs and score each one based on how much they like it.

While likability is the most important data overall, programmers are also interested in familiarity (knowing the song) and burn (sick of hearing the song). These two are particularly relevant to current tracks and determining if a newer song has cut through or been overplayed.

Auditorium testing isn't exactly cheap so doing it more frequently would be costly and if you test too many songs in one session, by keeping people sitting there for too long, productivity sharply decreases thus affecting the accuracy of results towards the end.

However, what you could do is gamble excluding a certain number of huge songs that consistently score well to make way for a few extras - at least for a while.

While technological advancements in recent years make online music testing possible - which some smaller stations have done - this is less reliable as it's conducted unsupervised and unrealistic to think every person who makes a start in their own time will complete the survey and do so correctly.

BBC radio may seem less music-intensive than commercial radio but then you factor out the ad breaks it doesn't have to contend with. This is also the reason BBC stations are better placed to risk playing more songs that maybe aren't as popular or familiar.

Global saves local radio - yes, really!

Capital gains six new FM transmitters from Monday as the brand replaces Touch FM, Banbury Sound and Rugby FM.

It comes after Quidem, which had been operating at a financial loss, entered a brand licencing agreement with Global in September and its format change requests were approved by Ofcom.

The usual suspects will bemoan the "death" of local radio through consolidation into national networks when, in fact, this move safeguards the future of these stations.

What's the alternative? The company winding up and handing back the licences to Ofcom would be in no-one's interests leading to:

• a reduction in choice (at least in the short term)

• a reduction in local journalism at a time when it's never been more important 

• a lengthy process whereby the licences are re-advertised likely leading to another small operator coming in and having a go shortly before also declaring itself unprofitable

A takeover of Quidem by Global could've been subject to a CMA investigation with a "hold separate" order to prevent integration - as we're seeing with Bauer's acquisitions earlier this year - and given the financial pressures in this case that could be detrimental to its operations.

The current ownership structure means Quidem will have to provide its own three-hour regional show despite being in the same approved area as Global-owned Capital Birmingham.

The Radioplayer boom and speaking with one voice

UK Radioplayer celebrates its ninth birthday next year.

First announced in 2009, as a partnership between the BBC and commercial radio, it was initially a Flash-based web console before developing iOS and Android apps. 

Its key aim was to improve the online experience for listeners by delivering an attractive and interactive solution for client stations, but it was also a bid to speed up digital growth with the internet accounting for a mere 3% share of all listening according to RAJAR.

In Radioplayer's first few months, having started with around 150 stations, it attracted 5.7m unique users. Today, that figure stands at 7.6m with more than 400 radio stations and listening via online and apps has increased by 10 percentage points (still impressive considering internet growth has been slower in the UK owing to the strength of our DAB market).

Fast-forward to 2019 and Spain has just become the 12th country to adopt the Radioplayer platform. It's one of the UK radio industry's biggest success stories.

Despite the BBC and the main players in commercial radio no longer directing listeners to Radioplayer, their stations are still available on the app and, as stakeholders, they remain committed to supporting the organisation's current primary focus on striking deals with the automotive sector to secure radio's in-car future as the prominence of connected vehicles grows.

Radioplayer and Radiocentre demonstrate the benefits of working together to achieve everyone's best interests. The commercial case for building one's own listening platform is strong and I don't blame an established group with the scale of Global or Bauer for doing so.

The wider point to make is that, as radio competition intensifies, it may seem as though the industry is becoming increasingly fragmented - but, for a sector faced with powerful new digital rivals, speaking with one voice has never been more important.

Magic 100% Christmas returns

Bauer has announced Magic will play 100% Christmas music again for 2019 starting at 9am tomorrow.

While the festive format flip is commonplace in the lesser-regulated US market, with hundreds of stations making the temporary switch each year, a flagship UK radio outlet had never made this bold move before Magic twelve months ago.

It's a proven audience winner in the States and in the UK we've seen a sprinkling of all-Christmas stations over the last decade at both a local and national level.

Magic is synonymous today with a more upbeat and positive feel than its former easy-listening self making the festive theme a perfect fit. It's a strong brand with a loyal listenership and brand extensions to cross-promote too, reducing the risk of post-Christmas churn.

Social media may not be the most accurate representation of anything but the response from followers is largely positive which does offer a flavour of the wider audience reaction.

We can’t tell from RAJAR how Magic performed in December alone as each set of data is recorded over a three-month period, but given it added 45k listeners in London and a whopping 227k listeners nationally in 2018 Q4, I don’t think Bauer will be too worried.

What's more, Sky Cinema obviously see commercial benefits having returned for 2019 as the headline sponsor of Magic 100% Christmas.

Petition to save the good old-fashioned "best of..."

Here's a question: why does no UK talk radio station do a packaged show looking back at the best calls of the week?

I ask because, in any debate, only a small percentage of calls are "radio gold" so a tightly-packaged highlights show, drawing output from across the entire station, would be a good listen (as is LBC's Callers of the Year at Christmas).

Many individual shows have "best of" compilations available either on-air or as a podcast but I'm surprised there's nothing that showcases a whole station as a shop window.

Some would argue it's the "kind of thing you do as a podcast these days" rather than broadcast but the two don't have to be mutually exclusive. At the end of the day, while there's more than one way of preparing and/or delivering it, it's all audio made by creative people going into ears.

Live has unique benefits, primarily instant listener interaction and reactivity, but if not being used to its advantage a well-produced pre-recorded show might be preferable. Both have their place.

I'm not of the view that radio's success is largely down to liveness. People love radio because it's helpful in some way. That could mean interesting, thought-provoking, educating or entertaining - and when playing your best bits, you can be sure you're ticking one or more of those boxes.

Ofcom study: live radio leads smart-speaker usage

Back in May, Ofcom's Online Nation report revealed the following data on smart-speaker usage:

• 20% of UK homes now have a smart-speaker compared with 13% two years ago
• 56% use theirs to listen to live radio
• 47% search for information
• 46% ask about the weather
• 36% set alarms and schedule reminders
• 34% get news reports

If one thing's for sure, it's that linear radio is not dying. We know reach has long remained static, hovering around the 90% mark, and digital now accounts for 56.8% of all listening. The device is changing but the overall number is not.

RAJAR's latest MIDAS survey also found that 75% of listening on smart-speakers is to live radio, vs 23% for podcasts/listen again, having grown its share of all radio listening to 7% (sounds small in the grand scheme of things but it's early days and DAB & FM still dominate - smart-speakers are now level with PCs which have been mainstream for a lot longer and just six percentage points behind smartphones).

With many homes being wireless-less, smart speakers are effectively reinstating the good old-fashioned radio which is something to celebrate.

Of course, going forward as online sees further growth, competition from both more radio stations and new skills/services will only increase as it becomes more and more of a level playing field.

The never-ending CHR evolution

In the early 90s, CHR in the US was undergoing an identity crisis due to the rise of alt-rock, hip-hop and country music.

Z100 infamously transitioned from Top 40 to AC and then to alt-rock interspersed with the day's big hits from core pop artists. Its audience and market share tanked.

The current music scene has and will always change - and in 2019, far from the "homogenisation" described to many of us by our grandparents (albeit not mine), we are witnessing the rise of some properly distinctive artists - from Billie Eilish to Post Malone, and many more.

In fact, there is such diversity that CHR programmers are faced with a real challenge in maintaining a station sound (which is vital for all music radio) while reflecting different mainstream tastes, and they are having to take more risks.

The switch to DAB+ - rescan and retune

Radio X has just made the switch from DAB to DAB+ prompting some listeners to vent their frustration saying they are having to change station as their device or car radio is incompatible.

For the uninitiated, DAB+ is essentially just upgraded technology that makes more efficient use of the available spectrum allowing more stations to broadcast. DAB+ services can transmit up to three times more data meaning higher quality audio and a more reliable signal.

DAB+ is already standard in Australia and parts of Europe but despite the roaring success of digital radio in the UK we're still behind on this front. That said, any device bought new since 2013 is compatible so a simple rescan will be sufficient in these cases.

Cars are a different kettle of fish and present a risk for stations but they would say the benefits outweigh the risk. There'll be people driving incompatible old bangers for at least another decade.

I think any retune campaign needs significant time. Frankly, normal people have more important things to worry about even if it's merely the touch of a button. There are people who still think my local Heart is 2-Ten FM for heaven's sake.

RAJAR Q3 2019 - Brexit boost for commercial talk and more

I'll leave the hard-hitting analysis to Matt and Adam, as ever, but there are some interesting headlines from Q3:

• LBC adds 113k to make its highest ever reach and talkRADIO adds 23k listeners - you'd think they have benefitted from some sort of political turmoil! However, 5 Live and Radio 4 are both down.

• 105.4 loses to 95.8 in London by literally one RAJAR diary - with 5,000 more listeners, Magic would've beaten Capital as the city's number one.

• Hits Radio is up 29k nationally, despite the station formerly known as Key 103 still struggling (although it was seeing decline pre-Hits). Meanwhile its ten-month-old sister brand, Greatest Hits Radio, is up a whopping 103k.

• It's still too soon but the introduction of national breakfast shows hasn't noticeably harmed or benefitted Global this quarter as Capital, Heart and Smooth remain fairly static. For Capital's youth audience, it's all about the hits and showbiz gossip so if anything you’d expect national content and star guests to be more appealing.

Treat EVERY mic as a live mic

It's one of the most basic golden rules of radio: treat EVERY mic as a live mic.

A clip of Julia Hartley-Brewer's talkRADIO show from College Green this afternoon has been doing the rounds on Twitter in which the outspoken presenter cues the newsreader before a promo begins to play in error.

Hartley-Brewer is then heard questioning:

"So there is that weird little jingle thing - who the hell put that in because it's shit!"

Don't get me wrong, I know all too well that a live outside broadcast environment can be stressful. Of course, this never excuses being abusive or bullying and I wouldn't for one minute suggest such a widely respected, friendly and compassionate individual would behave in that way towards their team.

It does, however, demonstrate why it's so important never to lose sight of the live broadcast environment you're in. Anything can happen when you're least expecting it.

Similarly, speaking of open faders, KISS mistakenly aired a conversation between a presenter and a caller today, following an on-air comp, in which a personal email address was broadcast - a serious GDPR breach.

In a statement, the station said a full investigation is underway and the relevant steps will be taken once complete.

Where's the Parliament DAB channel when you need it?

It's Super Saturday in Parliament as an emergency debate and vote seeks to "break the Brexit deadlock" - either by backing any deal agreed or forcing an election/second referendum.

It's an historic day for democracy and could mark a significant turning point for future UK-EU relations. I drove to Salisbury today and wanted to listen on my commute - so, which station did I choose?

LBC was the best I heard with quality commentary and analysis, the approach you'd expect from this station, but it wasn't a rolling feed from the House of Commons floor. Similarly, talkRADIO was doing its own adaptation of this format.

5 Live becomes more of a sport station at the weekend and this didn't change, although coverage from Westminster resumed at lunchtime inbetween rugby and football.

I saw some asking where Radio 4 was in all of this, but it's hardly the natural home for such a schedule change.

This is not a criticism of any programming decisions, but it is significant to note that in order to listen to today's important proceedings - whether in the car or just in the background to soundtrack whatever it is you're doing - your only option was to use the "Audio Only" option on the Parliament Live website.

It is disappointing that radio, especially the BBC, was unable to be helpful by providing a platform for the Commons live and uninterrupted at such an important time.

For the avoidance of doubt, in 2019, it isn't essential for "radio" to beam from a transmitter (see last week's blog about the plethora of Boxing Day commentaries that will be available via the talkSPORT app) - but today in Parliament was so crucial that it should've been easily accessible on a radio device.

talkSPORT's Boxing Day and the definition of "radio"

The rise of new listening platforms, from DAB to online, has made radio more of a versatile medium than merely a device - in that an internet station is considered radio just as its analogue counterparts are.

In a recent blog, the legendary David Lloyd went a step further in questioning why some believe audio content cannot be called "radio" if it's a podcast. David observes that broadcast operations are evolving to expand reach and increase relevance and argues the art of "radio" is one, whether linear or on-demand.

Personally, I'm torn on this. There are obvious differences between both means of delivery as well as pros and cons to each. While linear radio can connect in ways a podcast cannot and vice-versa, the two can and often do serve the same purpose. It's true that, overall, a great podcaster and a great broadcaster share the same qualities.

A good example of progression is News UK's announcement today that the talkSPORT app will carry exclusive coverage of all nine Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day with users being able to choose between the commentaries.

A solid move, and I'd love to be the person running those numbers afterwards - I can't even begin to imagine the audience and app traffic this will drive for the brand.

Should a radio station invest in branded vehicles?

LA's KIIS FM have branded Chevys that put every other to shame.

The @1027KIISFM branded Chevys are quite something 🤩 pic.twitter.com/85LrXpSKAP

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) October 12, 2019

The main reason for vehicle wrapping is, of course, visibility - but I've always thought stations could take it a step further by showing off an impressive high-end "whip" (as the youth would say).

Why not a branded classic car? Now there's a way to attract attention!

Britain's Got More Talent and understanding your programming

ITV has axed Britain's Got Talent's spin-off show after 12 years.

Hosted by Stephen Mulhern and broadcast on ITV2 immediately after the main show, it had always been popular - far from the presenter's tongue-in-cheek claim to have only one viewer.

Bosses say it's "the right time to move on" and point to young audiences migrating online, just as they said when bringing the curtain down on The Xtra Factor two years ago.

Anyway, why am I writing on a predominantly radio-themed blog about TV? Because, in this instance, I feel there's a overarching point about truly understanding your programming and the purpose it serves.

I'll declare a vested interest here - the Britain's Got More Talent live shows were always one of a few TV shows that had me belly laughing.

While the pre-rec'd episodes focused heavily on unseen auditions and the silly banter we've also seen in Mulhern's "In For a Penny" game earlier this year, the live shows with celebrity guests and a shouty production crew were an entirely different beast - more resembling of The Big Breakfast.

Certainly for the last few years, I've been starting to fall out of love with Britain's Got Talent. It still gets huge audiences and clearly valued by ITV but the reality is I'm only still watching so I can make sense of the unbelievably hilarious BGMT.

The Xtra Factor - in all its different guises - never came close. It really didn't matter who the presenter was and I couldn't tell you who was doing it at the end.

Conversely, Stephen Mulhern took ownership of Britain's Got More Talent and it was his answer to a late-night entertainment show that could've worked without any connection to the main show whatsoever. Behind-the-scenes/exclusive content will be popular but not for the same reasons.

If the same live format with the same presenter moved to the primary ITV on, say, a Friday or Saturday night - with strong marketing - I could see it doing really well for them.

This is like saying you're going to axe a late-night radio show because it's all about social media clips these days. The latter may be a big part of the game nowadays, but if you think it can replace the former you clearly don't understand radio. The same goes for TV.

Information vs entertainment

Fred Jacobs' latest TechSurvey studies Americans' main reasons for tuning in to analogue radio.

The US market may not be quite up to speed with Europe when it comes to digital, but it still offers an interesting insight into the feelings of a typical listener. Let's pick apart some of the key findings:

• 71% say radio is the easiest thing to listen to in the car. It's certainly a lot easier just to press a button or two on the stereo than connect another device each time you're about to drive. The future challenge for radio will be connected cars that put other media on an equal footing. Radioplayer continues to be the industry's voice in the fight to secure radio's position on tomorrow's dashboards.

• 62% say it's because radio is free. In the UK, internet listening is still a relatively small slice of the pie with a key factor being the strength of DAB. Going forward, online will unleash new opportunities and stations are likely to experiment with alternative funding models. We may have become accustomed to it being free but if someone's happy to pay for their favourite TV or podcast, I don't see why they wouldn't pay for their favourite radio if it's incentivising enough.

• 59% say jocks/shows and 57% say their favourite songs/artists. There's not a lot in it, but personality and content is becoming more important as it's something music streaming doesn't currently offer in the same way. I'm a passionate believer in the power of a nice surprise, but "music surprises" are way down on 23%. I would suggest it's a result of radio not doing enough of them, but also the fact people just want to hear their favourite songs (hence tight rotations).

Radio 2 Beatles can't be streamed online?

Radio 2 Beatles is a pop-up brand extension to celebrate 50 years since the release of Abbey Road.

The curveball is you can only listen live on DAB with fans being encouraged to listen on-demand via BBC Sounds. I can't think of any other station, in 2019, that is only accessible via a physical radio "set".

I totally understand the concept of driving Sounds traffic - and this is a solid way to do that - but why wouldn't you also make the linear stream available on there?

It's not necessarily a criticism, I'm just genuinely intrigued by this puzzling decision and would love an explanation from the BBC as to its motivation here.

You can't be impartial on racism and bigotry

I'm often quick to defend the BBC against unjustified accusations of bias from both sides of the political spectrum.

It may not get everything right and licence fee payers have a right to hold it to account but, overall, it is a proud British institution.

One thing the BBC often hasn't got right is its rulings on what it believes to be matters of impartiality that are, in fact, not.

The corporation's Executive Complaints Unit ruled that Naga Munchetty breached guidelines by criticising Trump's "go back" to the "places from which they came" tweet by sharing her own experience of racism.

You cannot be impartial on a crime. You cannot be impartial on something that is disgusting and universally condemned. You cannot be impartial on racism.

I'm reminded of the brilliant Iain Lee's sacking from BBC Three Counties Radio four years ago after he stood up for the LGBT community against a homophobic Christian fundamentalist.

I fully support the need for BBC journalists to maintain political impartiality - for the sake of the BBC's credibility and so as not to frustrate licence fee payers - but that does not mean BBC presenters should be perceived to have hearts of stone and banned from using their platform to make a positive impact.

Partnerships enable community radio to thrive

BBC Somerset and the nine community radio stations in its area are coming together for a new content-sharing and training arrangement.

With the commercial sector changing direction resulting in fewer local independent stations, coupled with a general decline in hyperlocal press, the opportunity for community radio has been significantly enlarged - but many don't have the resources or skill to carry the torch by themselves, especially volunteer projects.

Partnering with the BBC and other organisations, be it media or businesses in any relevant field, to deliver engaging local content and train community radio teams should result in a better offering.

Audio deepfakes - be afraid, be very afraid

The audio and video production platform Descript has launched a private beta test of Overdub, a new feature that uses samples of a person's voice to generate new words and phrases.

On the face of it, this is a clever technological advancement - but the opportunities opened up are only as great, if not less great, than the cause for concern.

When we get to a stage where speech generated by AI is indistinguishable from actual spoken words, all kinds of people (including radio and podcast presenters/guests) will start being accused of saying things they never said and the courts will be overrun with defamation cases that may be difficult to conclude.

Full service in a crowded market - how we did it

On Friday, Hampshire Hit Radio colleagues - past and present - gathered in Southampton to bid an emotional farewell to our little radio brand after eleven remarkable years.

I had the honour of presenting the station's final show before new beginnings and I wish the team in Segensworth all the best with the big launch on Monday.

Some history...

Initially Hampshire Sound with the legendary Mike on breakfast, a very young and not yet matured Harrison RB would take the reigns as Programme Director (later Content Director) in January 2012 and was tasked with rebranding the radio station.

Despite the constraints of "full service" and a ridiculously crowded market, reach and share were holding steady. While the relaunch stimulated nerves, I was adamant we could use it as an opportunity to grow.

We looked at the market in great detail:

• Hampshire Sound: AC inc local talent, full service, 35-54 demo

• Wave 105.2: AC, regional, 30+ demo - 397k reach & 10.8% share - primary competitor

• Heart South Coast: Hot AC, local breakfast & drive, 25-44 demo - 311k reach & 5.5% share - primary competitor

• BBC Radio Solent: speech-heavy, regional, 50+ demo - 277k reach & 8.1% share - fair competitor (no sales)

• Capital South Coast: CHR, local breakfast & drive, 15-24 demo - 202k reach & 3.9% share - serving a different audience

• JACK fm: classic rock, regional, 35-59 demo - 103k reach & 2.1% share - serving a different audience

• The Breeze: Soft AC, local breakfast & drive, 40+ demo - 43k reach & 1.2% share - fair competitor

• Skyline Gold: oldies, community, 50+ demo - not in RAJAR - potential competitor

• Forest FM: AC inc local talent, community, 40+ demo - not in RAJAR - slight overlap

• 103.9 Voice FM: CHR inc local talent, community, students - not in RAJAR - serving a different audience

• Unity 101: multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic, local Asian community - not in RAJAR - serving a different audience

How did we settle on the name "Hampshire Hit Radio"? Well, we live in Hampshire, we play hits and we're primarily a radio station - so that helped!

One thing that was flagged is how it could be confused for CHR and Capital positioning as "the South Coast's/UK's No.1 Hit Music Station" but our research found the average target listener wouldn't necessarily associate the term "hit" in itself with the current top 40 as young people or radio folk might.

As the old cliché goes, all that changed was the name... and the breakfast show... and the mid-morning show... and the... you get the idea!

In addition to my management, musical, technical and training responsibilities, I continued to present Harrison RB at Hometime 4pm-7pm every weekday which I had taken up just before Christmas 2011.

While no presenter was bigger than the station, my vision was for individual personalities to stand out within the consistent framework. We wanted to push the boundaries like it was 1992 on a radio station built for the 21st century. We were rewarded with a loyal audience.

Was it the easiest to monetise? Not by any stretch of the imagination - even excluding FRS and the preference of national ad agencies for simple network campaigns, local advertisers are equally enticed by the scale of a brand like Smooth.

However, we did well considering and it's the risks we took that I will always be proud of.

One of our proudest achievements was our local news operation which demonstrated how the best way forward for naturally under-resourced community radio is partnerships and contra deals.

Five new stations from Global - can you figure them out?

In a clever ten-second social media clip, Global is seemingly teasing an upcoming launch of five new radio stations.

🙌🏼 Something NEW is coming… 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/5JVSgUV2lJ

— Global (@global) August 26, 2019

The colour schemes suggest brand extensions for Heart, Smooth and Capital XTRA. I've nearly sussed them:

1. Heart 90s
2. Smooth Country
3. (something to do with Capital XTRA?)
4. Heart 70s
5. (something from Smooth to rival Mellow Magic?)

The changing face of UK commercial radio - how does it look from the eyes of a young person?

It's been one of the most significant years in living memory for UK commercial radio.

Local shows are no more on licences that once broadcast from their area 24/7 with more of the same likely in the coming months.

Last October, Ofcom updated their localness guidelines to allow networked breakfast shows with the minimum amount of locally-produced daytime output reduced from seven hours to three weekdays, on the condition that hourly local news bulletins are provided, and none required at weekends, if hourly peak-time local news bulletins are provided.

Smaller approved areas were merged into 12 regions that mirror those of ITV.

What followed was Global's decision in February to launch national breakfast shows on their three FM networks resulting in over a hundred redundancies, the closure of buildings and the merger of local stations to create a smaller number of drivetime shows for each of the enlarged areas.

Around the same time, four commercial radio groups (Celador, Lincs FM Group, Wireless Local and UKRD) were acquired within the space of a few weeks by Bauer Media. At this stage, they are still being run as separate businesses while the Competition & Markets Authority investigates the takeovers.

All industries must adapt and evolve in accordance with changing consumer habits if they are to survive. Commercial radio regulations stem from an analogue-only world with limited choice.

In many industries, the rise of artificial intelligence will save businesses a fortune and the robots that replace, even the most efficient and reliable, humans will be more efficient and reliable.

Consequently, this will impact workers and capitalism overall.

It's devastating when a talented person loses their job. As X Factor’s Ariel once said:

I’m not a number, I’m a human being.

Every position going represents someone’s livelihood, and my heart goes out to you if you're affected.

And how does this all feel to someone looking for a career in radio? Is there any point in trying to get your foot in the door? Are there any opportunities left?

The answer: yes! Thanks to the growth of DAB/DAB+, there’ve never been more commercial stations - plus new digital roles in social media and podcasting.

For aspiring presenters, while the days of, quite literally, knocking on the local station waving a demo tape are becoming a thing of the past, radio still needs a talent pipeline. A new generation of stars to lead us into the future.

But we’re just one platform in a multi-media world and, today, a successful on-air personality has to be a successful off-air personality - in other words, not just a "jock" but a gifted communicator whose relationship with their audience is enhanced through social media.

They get to know you better and you get to know them.

Mastering this craft is essential, hence influencers with established followings being attractive to youth stations.

A brief history lesson

Let me take you back to 2007. Ashley Tabor-King, a man who was very gracious to me personally a few years ago, together with his father, founded Global.

The company bought four established commercial radio brands from Chrysalis: Heart, Galaxy, LBC and The Arrow.

A year later, it acquired GCap (formed by the merger of GWR & Capital Radio Group earlier in the decade) and welcomed The One Network (many local/regional stations across the country), Classic FM, XFM (now Radio X), Choice FM (now Capital XTRA), Gold and Chill (now Smooth Chill) into its portfolio.

Ocean FM (now Heart) and Power FM (now Capital) were part of this deal - two local stations on the South Coast of England where many of the first radio people I met worked.

Some networking had already been introduced prior to the formation of Global but I was too young to understand it. However, I saw the impact of redundancies in 2009 and could tell it wasn’t pretty.

Fast-forward 10 years: I'm still young, I’ve been lucky enough to get on-air and off-air experience as well as present my own show which I've put my heart and soul into for the last 8 years and had an absolute blast.

My Hampshire Hit Radio journey comes to an end in a couple of weeks and I’m proud of all the things our team achieved. I’m ready for the next chapter and can confirm that I'll be presenting a new show somewhere else come autumn.

Deregulation has long been on the horizon. Radiocentre lobbied for years so that stations could gain the freedom to make their own business decisions in accordance with changing market conditions.

By clicking on a petition, I admire your passion, but you’ll achieve nothing.

How can it be right that local FM licences are so heavily regulated with competition from DAB and big tech virtually set free by comparison?

The rules stem from a bygone era.

Take Heart South Wales and Heart North Wales still having to provide a separate local show from each other, despite being in the same approved area, because they have different owners. Listeners don't know, or care, about this.

See also: "full service" licences with speech quotas and other outdated format requirements such as music genres (removal of these was proposed by the government two years ago but is yet to be legislated).

Having been involved for almost a decade, I believe passionately in localness.

There’s still an appetite for content that lives where its listeners live - that understands and truly reflects communities.

In certain markets that could be a linear station, but in others on-demand might be more effective (certainly cheaper!)

I'd like to say to anyone who's lost their show or behind the scenes role not by their own choice: your talent and experience will lead to bigger and better things.

This was just the beginning and a bright future is ahead.

To anyone looking to kick-start their radio career: don't give up! While there are fewer roles at a local level, overall, there are more opportunities in audio today than ever before.

You'll achieve great things by putting the work in, showing your passion, having faith and making the right connections.

Social media has made it easier to get your name out there and make a good impression - in fact, it’s a key skill employers look for today.

Radio is now a multi-platform business and there's more to it than what comes through the speakers.

This year’s changes do not mark not "the end" or "the final nail in the coffin" - they mark the beginning of a new era.

Community radio as a training ground

If there's one topic I've blogged on more than any other in recent years, it's positioning community radio.

However, one aspect of the sector I've not touched on is its role in giving aspiring producers, presenters, engineers etc a chance to get experience and shine at the beginning of their careers.

There are some quality local services dedicated to social gain and serving listeners in their respective areas that also have a solid track record in developing new talent.

Good for them - first and foremost fulfilling the former while also excelling at the latter.

In my view, no pure hobbyist or 'work experience' station that isn't audience-focused should occupy valuable FM or DAB spectrum.

The reason it's such an exciting time for audio is because of the opportunities provided by digital and projects like this are best kept online-only.

Is community radio the new ILR?

As Global takes advantage of Ofcom's new localness rules by introducing national breakfast shows, I'm already noticing anoraks rubbing their hands with glee as if their community/internet stations are now guaranteed thousands of ex-Capital/Heart/Smooth listeners.

First of all, this from Keri Jones - who founded and managed Radio Pembrokeshire when it became the most successful small station in UK radio history - is a must-read for anybody in the sector.

Many respected commentators have made excellent points. Here's where I wade in with thoughts on today's radio news. I hope everyone affected finds new opportunities. Radio does offer us a range of useful skills that we may not realise we possess until we find a 'new life' pic.twitter.com/ulNzKRJh3L

— Keri jones (@Kerijonesradio) February 26, 2019

A local radio station doesn't succeed because of where the presenter is sat or where the playout PC is based. It's about truly understanding local life - the people (your listeners) and the places - with a sense of pride in your community and offering unique content that could only have been produced locally.

Think like a surviving independent business on the High Street that has had to carve out an attractive niche to take on neighbouring national/international chains. What is your elevator pitch? What sets you apart? Why should I choose you over others for entertainment?

That business would also need strong marketing and being in the primary shopping destination makes it easy for people to find - in other words, get onto as many radio aggregators as possible.

As part of that clear proposition, any station needs a target audience - to define who the product is for, serve them well and never lose focus; whether that's a particular demographic, mood, genre or more than one of these components.

I've spoken to community radio programmers who insist on serving "the whole family". Pur-lease. It’s 2019, not 1975.

When there was little to no competition, pre-internet and barely any other radio, ILR had to be all things to all people. Today, with so much choice available, media is well-targeted.

You won't get a 22 year-old AND a 72 year-old tuning in because you've segued Adam Faith into Martin Garrix. Ironically, you'll get neither.

Instead, cater for one of them. Look at your broadcast area and find your niche. Does the local population skew older or younger? What about nationality or religion? Exactly who is most likely to tune in?

Consider that localness typically matters more to older listeners who may have called the patch home for many years and are not as well-served by commercial radio anyway.

Consistency and familiarity are key

For an an AC station, playing mainstream hits with variations in era, energy, tempo and genre to avoid sounding predictable - perhaps including some forgotten "spice" tracks to add an element of pleasant surprise (minus any novelty songs or B-sides) - is the way to go.

As with so many things in life, it’s a case of quality not quantity. Most people don’t care how many songs are in the library - they just want to hear their favourites.

Why does Heart have 8 million listeners? Because each of them likes what they hear, and knows they can expect to hear what they like whenever they tune in.

After all, a tight rotation of favourable tunes will always do better than a wide range of non-hits and/or an eclectic mess. It’s not the songs a station doesn’t play that will do it harm.

While jocks could pick from the database, presenters who demand "free plays" need to remember why they're on air - to serve listeners, not themselves.

Creative freedom, yes, but everything you do should be centred on the audience. Are you being useful? Interesting? Making someone smile and laugh or stop and think?

It’s true that the fewer ads or other interruptions you have, the greater scope there is to take risks within the aforementioned format.

For example, you might want to introduce a carefully-crafted new music playlist to keep the station sounding fresh with fitting tracks that complement your "core" categories - just as Radio 2 and others do.

Selections are made based on sound and suitability; and although the same is true of good CHR programming, the charts are less relevant when picking for older audiences.

Off-peak specialist music shows are fine - they have their own audiences so it is for the presenter to understand them and bring genre expertise.

This programming needs to be scheduled at the right time. People generally have more time to listen in the evening, hence "prime time" TV, and a local station aiming to be heard in offices and shops would want to make sure it's after they've closed for the day.

Some community radio folk are very critical of the commercial sector. Are they just spiteful nostalgists? Is it out of frustration that they're not working in it?

Whatever the reason, if they actually recognised why stations are successful and adopted some of that business thinking themselves, while marketing a strong USP, they too could thrive.

If you're a serious player, as I'm sure many are, I wish you the best of luck.

As Global and Bauer move forward with their powerhouse national brands, there is an opportunity to drive audience as a value-added local alternative - but only if you make it an opportunity.

ILR - why it's had to end like this

Since Ofcom published updated localness guidelines in October, it has been a case of when, not if, Global would further their ambition and introduce big-name national breakfast shows to take on the BBC.

At around 10am today, it was revealed that a company-wide meeting of Capital, Heart and Smooth staff would be held for an important announcement.

In summary, that announcement was as follows:

• A single Capital breakfast show will replace 14 local programmes currently airing across the network in England, Scotland and Wales. The number of regional drivetime shows covering the enlarged approved areas will be reduced to 9.

• A single Heart breakfast show will replace 22 local programmes currently airing across the network in England, Scotland and Wales. The number of regional drivetime shows covering the enlarged approved areas will be reduced from 23 to 10.

• A single Smooth breakfast show will replace 7 local programmes currently airing across the network in England, Scotland and Wales. The number of regional drivetime shows covering the enlarged approved areas will remain unchanged.

• Weekend local programming will end.

• The number of Global premises across the country will be reduced from 25 to 14.

• Hourly local news reflecting each individual licence will continue, in-line with the regulations allowing for reduced locally-produced hours.

• Stations owned by Communicorp UK operating under a brand licence are also affected by the restructuring.

• Analysis by RadioToday suggests this news could result in a reduction of more than 95 presenters.

My immediate thoughts are with everybody affected, both on and off air.

I know you've faced months of uncertainty, wondering what the future holds for you, your career and livelihood.

While it's easy for others to offer encouragement by outlining opportunities in podcasting and digital media, it doesn’t stop those anxious thoughts racing as you realistically consider what is necessary to maintain an income for you and your family.

At a local level, Global and Communicorp are home to some fine talent for whom I'm sure a bright future lies ahead, whatever that may be.

And take onboard the wise words of radio's Daniel Fox:

Remember that you have an incredible wealth of skills that are not only transferable, but will likely do more good in the wider world.

Opportunities in radio might be shrinking, but this is just the beginning of many companies’ adventure in audio.

Big businesses are recruiting people like you to help craft their sound, make their podcasts, create their flash briefings and design their sound. Help them.

You are more than a radio presenter. You’re a content producer. A social media mogul. A brilliant multi-tasker. You are eminently employable in a multitude of roles in myriad industries.

Let's go back to the beginning

In the early 70s, generally, there was one ILR (Independent Local Radio) licence in each city which was tasked with serving the whole community.

In those days, stations would attract huge audiences because there was barely any competition.

As you can imagine, regulation was off the scale - from broad music and specialist shows to an ad load cap and lengthy news bulletins. Even studios had to be built to IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) standards.

The 90s brought about a shift, with more licences advertised (smaller local, some regional and three national) and the development of DAB.

Two of the only three INR (Independent National Radio) licences to ever be awarded were on medium wave - Virgin 1215 and Talk Radio UK - with the only FM network being Classic FM, which is why consolidation of local frequencies has been necessary to build national brands.

In addition to more radio stations came the internet and new digital media, further increasing the pressure on local revenues and a need to simplify national advertising campaigns.

The harsh reality is if commercial radio was born today, it would not be delivered locally.

Don't get me wrong - as someone with a background in local radio, I've seen first-hand how powerful and effective it can be when gifted with character, pride and the trust of its audience.

While online has revolutionised news consumption, the quality journalism provided by local radio - which is now multi-platform - will forever be essential to our democracy. Ofcom recognises this, hence the requirement for an enhanced local news service in exchange for more networked programming.

As a source of information, decline for linear radio is inevitable but it's the trust of our listeners that we hold onto. As with character and pride, trust is an emotional response. We're a familiar and helpful voice that they can rely on.

People choose a station because of how it makes them feel - from informed commentary and opinion on LBC, to the warmth of Ken Bruce or entertaining guests with Steve Wright on Radio 2.

Friendly personalities who have a deep-rooted understanding of, and fly the flag for, their patch - as well as of the lives led by their listeners locally - can connect like no other when they're interesting and good company. This is what makes local radio unique and adds enormous value.

Of course, when it comes to general entertainment, where the presenter is sat doesn't come into it.

Good radio is good radio and bad radio is bad radio, regardless of where it is made.

Global have made no secret of their ambition. To be able to network big-name breakfast presenters and grow audience with A-list guests as well as run better, simpler S&P campaigns across the country is huge. In fact, it's one of the greatest opportunities commercial radio has ever had.

Some are questioning why drivetime isn't getting the same treatment when an off-peak regional show between 10am & 4pm would also be compliant.

Any business looks at income and expenditure - if the shows generate local revenues that outweigh running costs, it makes sense to keep them (although you could just split content - e.g. presenter links or maybe while most of the network is hearing a song).

Looking to the future:

• While there'll be fewer roles at a local level, new jobs will continue to be created as the industry reinvents itself and multi-platform operations evolve. See podcasting and social media.

• New talent will be given opportunities to shine and drive us forward with continued relevance. The importance of presenters owning content creation in all its different forms, not just radio, will only increase as today's multi-media landscape expands at a rapid pace.

And then there's community radio assuming it can easily pick up the slack - but let's save that for tomorrow's blogpost!