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!

Chris Evans goes spot ad-free at Virgin Radio

In a first for UK commercial radio, The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio won't carry spot ads.

Evans explained the groundbreaking move in an appearance on The One Show last night:

Sky have come in as a commercial partner. As we do on Radio 2, talk about BBC content, we'll have Sky's content and use that as part of our programme material. We'll go to Formula 1 venues with listeners and we'll go to the set of Game of Thrones.

(We're turning our) commercial partner into a storyteller.

Sky say their sponsorship will provide investment to create branded content, competitions and events:

The partnership between Virgin Radio UK and Sky means listeners will have the same uninterrupted audio experience they’ve come to expect from Chris Evans’s award-winning BBC Radio 2 show.

This is a bold move and makes a lot of sense when your primary objective is to take a BBC audience. It removes a key barrier for potential listeners deciding whether or not to switch from Radio 2 - and Virgin, as a relatively small player currently, has much more to gain just from having Evans than lose.

However, whilst News UK can afford this, selling a brand built around its new big star to advertisers that won't have access to his audience will be a challenge.

Breakfast or any other flagship show usually comes as part of a wider package. Virgin will be banking on Evans (and perhaps further big-name signings) driving audience for the whole station so there's still an incentive to buy spots in other dayparts.

Is the model here to stay or only a short-term audience-grabbing strategy? Who knows - but as an industry we must embrace innovation, especially with digital rivals monetising in new ways and consumers enjoying fewer or no ads interrupting alternative media.

I wish News UK and Virgin Radio the best of luck and genuinely hope they can make a success of this.

The Audio Content Fund - freeing radio to dream bigger

Today's announcement of a new Audio Content Fund feels like one of the most exciting steps forward for UK radio in years.

With £3 million set aside over three years to support new public-service audio, commercial radio suddenly has a way to broadcast the sort of ambitious, high-quality programmes it couldn’t afford to make on its own.

Commercial radio is built on commercial viability. Stations need shows that bring in large audiences and deliver consistent advertising revenue - hit music, familiar formats, and reliable personalities. That’s the engine that keeps the business running.

But it also means content like documentaries, drama, or children’s programming is left behind, not because it wouldn’t be valued by listeners, but because it would be too costly to produce without obvious commercial return. This is why the Fund matters: independent producers get the resources to make bold programmes, and stations get the chance to air them without shouldering the cost.

The structure is smart. Funding goes to independent producers, but with the condition that the content must be broadcast on commercial radio.

That way, listeners benefit from fresh ideas and ambitious production values, stations benefit from being able to air programming they could never have justified from their own budgets, and the independent sector gets real opportunities to flourish. It brings new voices, new perspectives, and new formats to the airwaves in a way that feels genuinely additional, not just more of the same.

Of course, there is a challenge. Stations still have to give up airtime for these programmes, and every slot is precious when schedules are designed to deliver maximum audience and advertising. But with the cost of production covered, the risk for stations is greatly reduced. 

The only gamble is whether audiences will embrace the content - and I think that’s the kind of risk commercial radio should be taking more often.

This allows commercial radio to sound richer, braver, and more diverse without crippling itself financially. For years, only the BBC has been able to commission the sort of content that doesn’t chase ratings first and foremost. Now, commercial radio has the chance to be part of that world too, and listeners everywhere stand to gain.

Expensive, ambitious, programmes will find a home on stations that might otherwise never have been able to carry them. Independent producers will get the space to push boundaries. And audiences will hear radio that feels broader, fresher, and more representative. 

That’s public value, and it’s something worth celebrating.

The Not-So-Big Top 40

Global has informed all stations currently taking the Big Top 40 that the chart will be withdrawn from syndication at the conclusion of its contract later this year.

The show will be solely on Capital and Heart come January after Bauer confirmed The Hits Radio Network is pulling out in favour of its own programming.

Both moves have been a long time coming.

The scale of today's industry has made commercial radio an attractive proposition for national advertisers so a network chart is no longer required to serve that purpose.

Furthermore, in practice, the days of a two-horse race between the BBC and commercial radio as a whole are gone.

Stations are now multi-platform brands and competing not just with each other but also new digital media.

This is an opportunity to develop three more hours of original, targeted, programming - and greater choice is always something to be celebrated.

The Big Top 40 has a weekly audience of 2.2m, the overwhelming majority of whom tune in on either Capital or Heart with Bauer equating to the next biggest share of listening.

For Global, there's no benefit in continuing to offer the show to a bunch of independent local stations which make up such a small percentage of its reach and TSL.

This is no mid 00s "chart wars" - when EMAP briefly introduced their own Smash Hits countdown and other short-lived syndicated shows tailored by format arrived (The A List for AC and Fresh40 for Urban) but everyone returned to the fold soon after.

This time, it's truly the end of an era for commercial radio.

The charts - does anyone still care?

Around the time I fell in love with radio as a child, iTunes was beginning to take off with some 90% of sales in the UK Official Chart coming from downloads.

Hit40UK became The Big Top 40 Show which was described by Global's Richard Park as the "first ever totally interactive chart where the listener decides" as it used real-time iTunes data meaning the top ten could change during the show.

In recent years, even this seemed old-fashioned with streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer now accounting for more than half of music consumption - and that's excluding video platforms.

We can debate different methodologies and accuracy until the cows come home. Above all, people still love a radio countdown (e.g. bank holiday specials or retro charts).

Whether or not today's youth really care what's number one is a different question; and if I was looking to be properly distinctive, I'm not sure I'd simply bring another weekly chart show to the party.

Bauer are replacing a network chart show because of their “relentless drive to innovate”.

The new show is a networked chart show of their own.

That is game changing innovation. https://t.co/qJmRqMvp2A

— Scott Myers (@ProducerScott) September 19, 2018

Bauer’s got all the Hits (Radio)

Key 103 will be no more as Bauer prepares to hit reset and launch Hits Radio in June - a brand-new national station broadcasting from Manchester with Gethin Jones, Gemma Atkinson and Dave Vitty (Comedy Dave) on breakfast. It sees Bauer’s “City 1” heritage FM network merge with digital station The Hits and the slightly awkward “City 3” network (essentially a feed of the former on local DAB muxes).

It’s a gamble for sure, but the right one: local heritage only takes you so far when the real growth is in national listening. Global’s already proved that tidy networks like Heart, Capital and Smooth win big with listeners and advertisers. Agencies don’t want a bag of local logos; they want one neat brand they can understand in 30 seconds.

All other heritage brands will remain, at least for now. Clyde 1, Hallam FM, Radio City and the rest stay on air, but now tied neatly into the Hits Radio Network. That means familiar local brands survive (which keeps loyal audiences on side) while the company finally has a coherent national flagship to shout about. This lowers the churn risk, gives Bauer scale, and makes the whole portfolio a lot easier to sell.

The DAB rollout isn’t perfect yet (with little to no coverage outside of existing markets) but the direction’s clear: Manchester is leading the charge, and Bauer finally look ready to go toe-to-toe with Global.

Commercial radio deregulation - what's next?

The Commercial Radio Deregulation consultation has been published today:

There are a number of outdated and burdensome regulations in place for analogue radio which were put in place back in the late 1980s, while digital radio enjoys much more freedom in comparison. Following a number of recommendations made by Ofcom, this consultation outlines our proposals for how we intend to deregulate commercial radio.

As the radio market is changing with more people move towards digital and online audio services, and as Ofcom’s scope to make further changes is limited by the current regulatory framework, the Government believes it is the right time to consider the overall regulatory structure for commercial radio.

We welcome comments from individuals and organisations involved in the commercial radio sector, including members of the public who hold an interest in commercial radio.

Put simply, Ofcom will no longer have to "secure provision within the United Kingdom of a diversity of national services, each catering for tastes and interests different from those catered for by the others, and a range and diversity of local services" - as per section 85 of the Broadcasting Act 1990.

The proposals include a new duty on Ofcom to secure the provision of news and other core information such as travel and weather, including stations on DAB from the date following a future digital switchover.

All other format requirements that apply to local and regional analogue licences will be scrapped, allowing stations to play whatever music they wish, and operators will no longer need studios within the TSA, meaning locally-relevant content can be produced centrally as long as journalists are retained in each of the existing editorial areas to source stories.

None of this is unexpected and it seems mostly sensible to me.

DAB and online are delivering a wider range of formats than ever before without regulation and stations are finding their niches (not just in terms of music but the overall content and feel/mood) to attract audiences.

With today's tech, except for newsgathering, local content can be produced to an equally high standard from afar and where the microphone or playout PC is located doesn't determine the quality.

There are, however, a couple of things I would question.

The government agrees with Ofcom's assessment that without any requirements for the provision of news, and especially local news, this type of content would be underprovided by the commercial market and therefore there is a need to secure local news requirements on DAB-only stations. We have identified two broad approaches:

• Option (a) extend the national and local news/core information requirements to DAB-only stations. This means they will have obligations to also carry either national or local news (as the case may) or core local information. For digital only stations on local multiplexes in particular, this would be a significant departure from the current position.

• Option (b) place obligations on local multiplex operators to ensure that a proportion of stations (based broadly on current provision) carry local news services with the number set by Ofcom as part of their local news requirements.

One thing that has changed massively over the years is how well radio stations understand their audiences.

It is simply not true to suggest that stations always do the bare minimum. If research suggests something is of strong importance to listeners, why would they not provide it when doing so clearly makes business sense?

That said, if left to the market without regulation, can we honestly say that every part of the UK would enjoy a trustworthy local news service?

Sure - outside of radio, where there is consumer demand and support from organisations, online community resource hubs will emerge; but do they have the stamina and integrity to carry the torch?

Option A goes against the whole deregulation ethos and would likely be counterproductive - discouraging new services for whom news doesn't fit the format and/or would be financially unsustainable, therefore negatively impacting choice.

As for Option B, it was never intended that multiplex operators would influence programming in this way and such responsibility shouldn't be in the hands of a non-regulatory body which is merely a distributor.

As well as the issue of conflicting ownership of a number of muxes by competing radio groups, existing carriage arrangements and contractual obligations mean it is unlikely that there would be any legal basis for the imposition of news provision requirements anyway.

Is the fairest option for there to be a revenue threshold, whereby licences with bespoke local advertising have to provide relevant news/information?

It'll be interesting to see how the industry responds.

Another issue close to my heart is existing speech quotas on "full service" licences (I wonder why?!)

Presumably, if all format requirements other than key information are to be disposed of, these will be removed too?

The consultation runs until Monday 8th May at 5pm.