50 years of UK commercial radio

At just before 6am on 8 October 1973, LBC hit the London airwaves becoming the UK's first licenced Independent Local Radio station to launch. It was followed by Capital Radio a week later.

The gradual rollout of ILR followed years of political opposition from all sides which believed only the BBC should be entrusted with the privilege of providing radio services.

In the 70s & 80s, broadcasting really was a privilege because radio & TV were the only form of instant entertainment media and spectrum was so limited with generally one commercial station per city or county (except London).

Because of this, the early years of ILR were driven by a need to serve everyone and stations were providing a very eclectic music and content mix including anything from pop to classical music, news to religious programming and radio plays.

With little to no competition, it didn’t matter what crap you put out - listeners and advertisers were always going to lap it up because they had nowhere else to spend their time and money… if only it were that simple today!

The late 80s/early 90s brought about a seismic shift in the commercial radio landscape as the IBA (forerunner to The Radio Authority and now Ofcom) allowed licencees simulcasting on FM & AM to split and create two separate services.

County Sound became the first to do so in June 1988 with the launch of County Sound Gold on 1476 - a classic hits format that would later be replicated on medium-wave in most areas.

In the early 90s, more licences started to be awarded in areas already served by at least one other ILR station in a bid to increase listener choice. These tended to be different formats or in smaller communities / bigger regions than the existing service.

Three national commercial radio licences were eventually advertised in 1992 - one of which had to be a non-pop music station, another predominantly speech and another open to all formats. Each would be awarded to the highest bidder.

These ended up as Talk Radio UK (now talkSPORT), Virgin 1215 (now Absolute but no longer MW) and Classic FM (after plans for a musical theatre station fell through as it didn’t have sufficient financial backing).

DAB

The arrival of DAB in the late 90s/early 00s, thanks largely to Quentin Howard and GWR, was met with scepticism from much of the industry - even once the initial hurdle of ridiculously expensive receivers had been cleared.

The expansion of DAB faced many challenges over the following years with numerous operators threatening to withdraw their support or pulling out of the platform altogether at various points.

Fast-forward two decades and DAB, together with enhanced DAB+ technology, is now home to more than 500 radio stations on either one of two national commercial, one of many regional or one of a rapidly increasing number of small-scale multiplexes across the UK. 

DAB also enjoys the greatest market share of any listening device and has enabled a whole host of new radio formats that may otherwise struggle to gain momentum and be financially viable as online-only projects.

The UK is undoubtedly the world’s most successful DAB market - something we owe to a thriving and innovating commercial sector and the power of working together over many years.

Deregulation

Much of the regulatory burden on commercial radio dates back to the aforementioned early days with barely any rivals and stations were guaranteed to benefit purely from holding a scarcely available licence to broadcast in their respective communities.

Nowadays, not only is there more radio you're up against, digital media and online advertising is available at our fingertips so continuing to tie one platform down to rules that stem from those established some forty years ago despite so much lesser regulated competition would be a death wish.

The first wave of deregulation came after the Digital Economy Act 2010 when Ofcom allowed co-location and content sharing (effectively stations merging) within approved areas as well as a reduction in the minimum number of locally-produced weekday hours from 10 to 7 in return for more local news in daytime.

The second wave came following a consultation in 2017 whereby Ofcom scrapped the need for local breakfast shows, slashed the number and increased the size of approved areas (essentially mirroring TV regions) and further reduced the minimum amount of programming that had to be produced from within them from 7 to 3, again, in return for hourly local news bulletins throughout the day and at peak times on weekends.

Theresa May's government intended to go further in its response to the 2017 consulation with a plan to abolish all localness requirements and music formats set out in commercial radio licences.

Successive Tory governments have reaffirmed their commitment to these proposals with last year's Broadcasting White Paper stating it would happen "as soon as parliamentary time allows". (I appreciate they've been a bit busy down there at Westminister - especially when you factor in the long holidays and party conferences).

Of all the subjects I've covered in my blog and debated with passionate anoraks, the loss of local brands and programming is the ultimate greatest hit (no pun intended).

On a personal level, I have fond memories of listening to Kestrel and Eagle in North Hampshire (the latter being an inspired example of traditional proud local radio). My earliest days in a radio studio were at Power and Ocean in Segensworth and I was involved in small local commercial radio from a young age. Words cannot express how much I miss it.

It is a harsh truth that commercial radio was only historically local because of a regulatory framework that said it had to be.

In order to lessen the BBC's initial national pop radio monopoly, before DAB had gained the strength to deliver viable audiences, consolidation of FM transmitters was essential. The result was radio, finally, being viewed as a serious and credible advertising medium on a national scale embraced by major agencies.

We could produce a list of the stations that did "the local thing" really well and the presenters who truly embraced walking down the same High Street, eating in the same cafes and knowing the same shortcuts as the people who chose to be in their company each day. Or a list of unconvential ways to deliver more cost-effective but equally powerful local radio that could have been more widely adopted.

Local still matters, of course, which is what makes the BBC's ill-judged regionalisation strategy so devastating - I won't ramble on about that here, but it's an important point… where the market has decided to leave a gap (which, in a free market economy, it should be allowed to do - hence deregulation) is where a public service broadcaster with a guaranteed budget of £117m should really step up.

Today and the future

I truly believe the structure of our radio industry is far healthier now than ever.

We have such a wide variety of well-resourced national BBC and commercial multi-platform powerhouse brands peppered with community (and a few commercial) stations, many of which are not-for-profit with minimal running costs, and small enough to be genuinely close to their listeners.

While I’d like to see an even more united radio industry, the continuous work of Radiocentre and Radioplayer for example, backed by the main players to speak with one voice, has been crucial and is something to cherish.

Commercial radio may not be predominantly delivered locally anymore, but this never guaranteed outstanding quality in itself. Good radio is good radio, regardless of where it is made or the platform it's on. Localness might be something that makes it particularly good but, then again, it might not in which case something relevant from further afield is better. Whether a football match is any good has nothing to do with where the ball was made.

I, for one, am delighted that radio continues to reach 88% of the UK population in 2023 - a figure that has remained virtually static since the surveys began - despite constant predictions of its demise.

Commercial radio alone now reaches 70%, represents more than half of all listening and, just in the last year, reported a record £740m in revenues.

Let's keep reinventing ourselves while continuing to do what radio will always do best with friendly humans who make people smile and laugh or stop and think.

Happy 50th birthday commercial radio - and to all, both at a local and a national level, who have contributed enormously to its success over the last five decades. Long may it continue!

I've been quiet, but I really haven't...

First blog in more than three months - "why?" asked nobody... well, sod it, I'm telling you anyway...

As announced in June, I started a new job at a much longer established radio station than my previous one which, as it happens, is only 20 minutes down the A3!

My first few months at Express FM have been extremely busy, but in the best possible way.

It all began with a “summer social” at the end of my first week where I attempted to get to know as many of my new colleagues as possible - and I have really enjoyed continuing to do so ever since.

The immediate focus was our coverage of Victorious Festival - the biggest event in Express FM’s calendar - with a primary aim to reflect the local community and a secondary aim to bring our listeners closer to the stars visiting Portsmouth to perform. 

Our live programming from the seafront site began at midday on Friday and, with the exception of Pompey's League One kick-off at Stevenage on the Saturday afternoon, continued throughout all three days of the festival with double-headed shows, each presented on a walkabout.

As a bonus, backstage interviews with Blossoms, McFly, Ricky Wilson, Kate Nash, Dylan and Gabriella Cilmi amongst others generated a real buzz and delivered record engagement on socials.

Express at Victorious 2023 was a rip-roaring success... even if it did begin with an amusing walkie-talkie exchange:

*is told to use a specific (reportedly spare) channel on the radios*

Me: “Jon, can you hear me mate?”

Person: ”Hi, who’s speaking?”

Me: *thinking out loud into the walkie-talkie* “Who’s that?”

Person: “…hi, can I ask who’s speaking please?”

Me: “oh sorry, yes it’s Harrison from (station) - I was told this is a spare channel; over.”

Person: “It is a spare channel but it’s also being used for transport so please just make sure to say who you are.”

Me: *totally out of character* “Roger.”

Jon: “Jon here from (station) - Harrison, I can hear you mate.”

Following on from a delightful and productive August bank holiday weekend, we announced a refreshed schedule for autumn 2023 - including the return of a few much-loved Express presenters.

This is only the beginning of an exciting future for Express FM, and for Portsmouth, as we strengthen our position as a trusted local brand and a nurturer of new talent.

As other broadcasters move further away with regional programming, Express FM is proud of its roots and our mission will only ever be to give local people a voice and provide informative, engaging and entertaining radio for the city we are proud to call home.

An opinionated shock jock is not a journalist

The TRIC Awards (Television and Radio Industries Club) was held at London's Grosvenor House last night.

As well as sponsoring the Best Radio Programme category, which ended up going to arch-rival TalkTV (discussed later), GB News had nominations in Best Multichannel News Programme (GB News Breakfast) and Best News Presenter (Eamonn Holmes, Nigel Farage and Stephen Dixon).

Yes, you read that right... Nigel Farage was nominated for Best NEWS Presenter - and the former UKIP leader went on to win the award by a public vote. A tragic sign of the times if you ask me.

Past nominees include Clive Myrie and Victoria Derbyshire. Lumping together widely-respected, credible, impartial journalists and opinionated shock jocks sets a dangerous precedent.

It's hardly surprising with both Farage's and GB News' populist/cultist following that they were able to rally the most troops and scoop the awards.

Other established broadcasters are credible and probably weren't pushing as hard for votes. GB News is hungry for the clout because that's all it can get.

Accepting the award, Farage attacked the wider industry and claimed a panel of judges from within wouldn't have shortlisted GB News. To be fair, he's not wrong as that would've meant a genuine quality battle rather than a "who can shout the loudest" contest.

Hitting out at BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) - which is jointly-owned by the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, the IPA, ITV, Sky and UKTV - Farage said "you should be frightened, because you will lose your jobs" accusing the mainstream broadcasters of "marking (their) own homework".

This curious tirade against the body responsible for measuring TV audiences is comparable to fellow right-winger Kanye West’s outburst at the 2009 VMAs when Beyoncé lost out to Taylor Swift - only, this time, the victor was the one raging.

Any suggestion that BARB is rigged in favour of its shareholders is laughable and typical of Trumpesque/Johnsonesque "cry witch-hunt" politics.

For a start, if Channel 4 was involved in manipulating the figures, Steph's Packed Lunch would never have recorded zero viewers - or, if ITV was, the Britain's Got Talent Final wouldn't have lost 13.2 million viewers since 2009.

GBN has no involvement in BARB and doesn't come close to the likes of the BBC and Sky when current affairs coverage is in high demand. Bitter much?

Despite this extraordinary claim by the broadcaster's flagship presenter, we'll still see the tweets - inflicted upon us by Elon Musk's purported haven of free speech - from GBN presenters and execs unable to contain their excitement about a BARB triumph against rolling news channels on a slow news evening.

A) you're primarily an opinion channel, not rolling news, and B) I thought the data was rigged? Or is that only when it's not in your favour?

A quick word on "Best Radio Programme"

The nominees in this category were:

• Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp (Capital)
• James O’Brien (LBC)
• Kate Garraway (Smooth)
• The Julia Hartley-Brewer Breakfast Show (TalkRadio)

Julia Hartley-Brewer took home the gong - again, voted for by the public - but it was also nominated for Best Multichannel News Programme as a TV show. Am I being pedantic or does that seem unfair?

Which is it primarily? A radio show because it's in a radio studio (which is obviously not how ordinary people would define radio), or because it has a bigger radio audience, or because sound is more important than visuals? Or a TV show because that medium enables it to be seen as well as heard?

Fascinating dilemma, eh?!

Wave 105 at 25

Wave 105 marks its 25th birthday today - and despite competing throughout my entire radio life, it has always been a radio station I've held in high esteem.

Founded by The Radio Partnership in 1998, its early years would see Wave 105 part of The Wireless Group which sold it to Scottish Radio Holdings in 2001 for £18m which Kelvin MacKenzie's company used to clear its debts. EMAP Radio (now Bauer Media) acquired SRH in 2005.

Wave 105 always had character, embraced personality and surprise and never allowed these qualities to dissipate as it reinvented itself to become a masterclass in “tight & bright” modern commercial radio. It gave, and still gives, all its South Coast rivals a run for their money.

It's hard for a regional station with such a wide TSA - from Winchester across to Chichester and, until last autumn, as far south as Wareham - to deliver local content that's relevant to every listener.

It's one of a number of reasons the BBC is facing fierce opposition to its ongoing process of further regionalising its local radio network, many of which already cover huge patches. If you're nowhere near your listeners, and therefore unable to keep up with life in their community, you might as well be national.

It always comes down to execution.

Despite being regional, serving multiple counties, cities and towns that wouldn't ordinarily look to each other, I've always found Wave 105 gives a strong sense of place because the radio station itself creates a shared experience/community and manages to make a big area feel like home.

This is a rare quality that isn't easily achievable.

It never seems to alienate large swathes of its audience through the presentation technique - there's always something interesting to say, wherever it's happening and wherever you're listening.

If that doesn't demonstrate the excellence of Wave 105 - and what has made Bauer tread very carefully around it so far, despite the group's national (and international) focus - then I don't know what will!

P.S. I wish the station would sponsor the Bournemouth Balloon again - although, with the 105.8 East Dorset relay now carrying Greatest Hits Radio, I really can't see it happening!

"Radio 2 Extra" and the goings on at BBC Local

Why has it taken me until June to write about the BBC's death-wish strategy for its Local Radio network that has been ruffling feathers and leaving staff in distress for months now?

In November, shortly after plans for further regionalisation were announced, I outlined my frustrations that it is always programming that bears the brunt of changes as opposed to other inefficiencies such as multiple layers of handsomely paid managers.

Since then, David Lloyd, Liam McCarthy and Nicky Horne have been covering the painful process which has included veteran presenters reportedly being given "sixty seconds to save (their) job" among other questionable practices.

I've been closely following their informed commentary and I recommend reading the many David Lloyd blogposts on this subject - a man who gets truly radio like few others and knows exactly what BBC Local should be doing to serve its loyal older audience.

Let's cut to the chase: if the BBC cannot sustain its full Local Radio service with a guaranteed £117m content budget, it should redistribute these public finances to another operator who can.

If a local commercial station - or any business looking to grow - had access to £3m, the current average cost of delivering a single BBC LR service, think of the consumer benefit.

Mismanagement and inefficiency isn't exclusive to the broadcaster - while I deplore government cuts and the chronic underfunding of healthcare, as with the BBC, what investment there is in the NHS can land in the wrong areas through a bureaucracy. You have managers on big salaries while patients are being let down and the average public sector worker is not getting the sufficient pay rise they deserve.

Under the plans being implemented, it will cost £2.7m per annum to provide local news & sport and 20 hours of local programming per week yet a saving of just £300k loses 55 hours of local programming - which doesn't stack up at all.

Another factor in all of this is the BBC's internal marketplace, similar to what goes on with NHS trusts, which is not fit for purpose. "You work in radio and I work in digital" is backward and inefficient. One major staff complaint is the ineffectiveness of Local Radio online.

It all needs to be joined up and integrating these divisions would be a gamechanger, resulting in a strong multi-platform operation - fit for the digital age - with authentic, warm and friendly local radio stations targeted at older audiences as part of that overall package.

There is an argument to say "the licence fee is for broadcasting" but if the BBC - or any broadcaster - is to remain relevant long-term it must be able to embrace digital. That said, it shouldn't be an either/or.

Radio is valued for being the voice of a helpful friend and a comfort blanket - more so than it is as a news source. It's in good health, continuing to reach 88% of the 15+ population and more than 90% of over 50s.

Any decent programmer is constantly looking to grow audience and takes responsibility for any declines, but the mindset of BBC Local management seems to be "we're losing listeners and there's no way back" - inspiring stuff.

"Radio 2 Extra"

BBC Local Radio presenter Mark Punter reportedly met with Radio 2’s Head of Music, Jeff Smith, to pitch his vision for a brand extension targeted at disenfranchised older listeners.

However, especially a time where the corporation is having to make savings, it's not clear where the money would come from - and it would not be a good look for the BBC to launch a new service that A) the commercial sector is providing and B) targets a demographic that an existing one, BBC Local Radio, should already be serving.

Frankly, with what the BBC is sadly whittling the local network down to, it would make more sense than the current strategy for a national service of this ilk to get the investment and occupy the spectrum instead.

Is it possible, as has been suggested, that the BBC is deliberately decimating Local Radio to the point where audiences are so low they can justify axing it altogether?

It's devastating and annoying when I can think of countless professionals, many within the BBC, who understand local radio and the qualities aside from news - connection, friendship, entertainment and reassurance - which are the main reasons for tuning in.

I have a new job!

I’m super excited to be joining the team at Portsmouth's Express FM as Content Manager from July!

I can’t wait to help continue and develop the great work of such an esteemed local station that has been ingrained in the culture of a thriving city for 17 years.

I can’t put into words how much I am going to miss working with my beloved Petersfield's Shine Radio colleagues every day after three and a half incredible years beyond my wildest dreams upon joining in 2019. From a daily lockdown podcast, to launching a multi-award-winning full-service station.

I’m a sucker for innovation and the on-demand first hyperlocal model in Petersfield established in 2018 by Steve Martin, Dave Bowers and Richard Gaisford was too intriguing. I can’t thank them enough for the trust they put in me to help Shine Radio grow into what it is today.

While BASINGSTOKE NOW was not able to reach its full potential in the short period of time before new opportunities arose, I am proud to have co-developed a new local radio format and am delighted our station’s legacy lives on in the form of a partnership with Newsquest and the Basingstoke Gazette.

Thanks also to my predecessor, the hugely talented Mason Jordan, for his support and for the work he has done during his eight years with Express FM. Global is lucky to have him.

Flying the flag for hyperlocal at radio's Oscar's

I've just about recovered from an unforgettable night in the West End - and no, not because I've finally succumbed to watch a theatre production.

At the end of March, we at Petersfield's Shine Radio were honoured to be one of six nominees for Community Station of the Year at the ARIAS (Audio & Radio Industry Awards - formerly the Sony's). It was a new category for 2023 to recognise the great work within what I believe is now a more important sector than ever before.

Having already won Gold for Digital Station of the Year at last year's Community Radio Awards, for a station that isn't even three years old serving a market town just shy of 15,000 people, we were blown away to see our name among the greats and the giants of our industry.

The day began with a First Class train journey on the 14:42 service from Petersfield to Waterloo with some wonderful friends and colleagues.

On arrival, I would bunk off from the pre-drinks in Aldwych to pay a special visit to Leicester Square and immerse myself in the goings on at the mothership of Britain's leading commercial radio operator.

Sadly, Global isn't a member of The Radio Academy having withdrawn its patronage in 2016 and has chosen not to enter the awards ever since, but it's ever the fascinating experience to see first-hand how much broadcast tech is progressing. Special shoutout to Jake who was a community radio presenter when we first crossed paths four years ago and is now doing bits as a talented Capital network producer.

Just after 17:30, after a speedy walk to Drury Lane via Covent Garden, I was reunited with the Shine Radio team on the steps of the Theatre Royal ahead of an exciting evening celebrating the best of UK radio.

As an autistic person, being among a crowd so big you're physically unable to move sounds like hell - and it would be if A) I wasn't with others I know and who share my passion and B) I didn't have something more significant playing on my mind.

Steve Martin, co-founder of the Petersfield project, and I were seated in the stalls opposite the stage with our fellow nominees from across the industry.

The ceremony was brilliantly presented by Rylan and Fleur East with a running joke about keeping acceptance speeches brief so Rylan could catch his train back to Liverpool afterwards to continue with his Eurovision work - to which the great Jon Holmes quipped:

"I don't give a shit about your train."

Other memorable highlights included Greg James, the current Radio 1 breakfast presenter, paying tribute to the legendary Tony Blackburn, the first ever Radio 1 breakfast presenter, the recipient of the Pioneer Award.

An interesting mini-doc about Tony's incredible journey was shown followed by a collection of appreciative messages from heavy hitters in radio and music. Unfortunately, due to recovering from illness, Tony was unable to attend but had recorded an acceptance speech while holding the trophy.

During the brilliantly-produced montage of Radio Times Moment of the Year nominees, there was a notable impromptu round of applause for Local BBC Radio as the infamous Liz Truss interviews of last autumn were mentioned. The industry stands with you in condemnation of grave mismanagement. Jon Holmes also highlighted the ongoing situation later to which more cheers ensued.

Rylan also delivered a touching tribute to the late Paul O'Grady, and in accepting Absolute Radio's deserved win for its Mental Health Awareness Week coverage, the station's Content Director Paul Sylvester discussed the importance of checking in with each other and how the fast-paced radio environment can affect its people.

Technologically, the sound and visuals were spot on throughout. Huge props to The Radio Academy and TBI for putting on a solid show, and to the Theatre Royal for their hospitality - even though one glass of champagne came to £16, it was worth paying a premium for!

It was lovely to speak to a wide range of industry folk at the afterparty - in particular, to catch up with the man of the moment, Ken Bruce, who was fresh from presenting the prestigious John Myers Station of the Year award to Clyde 1.

The last time Ken and I met was when filming Inside Our Autistic Minds last summer. Since then, he’s relaunched his iconic mid-morning show on Greatest Hits Radio and is sounding very much at home.

For our team, it was a late-night trek over Waterloo Bridge to catch the last train of the day back to Petersfield.

It sounds cliché, but to us this really wasn’t ever about winning.

Petersfield's Shine Radio is barely three years old, and for us to be named among the top six community radio stations in the country - and the only nominee that doesn’t yet occupy any FM or DAB spectrum - is utterly incredible.