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Are Radio Audiences Choosing to Reject Greater Choice?

Are Radio Audiences Choosing to Reject Greater Choice?. Guy Starkey, University of Sunderland. Greater Choice for Radio Audiences. BBC monopoly until 1972 Act Monopoly-busting from continent & sea Licensed: from 27 in 1972 to 300+ in 2001 New methods of delivery: Astra/DAB/web

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Are Radio Audiences Choosing to Reject Greater Choice?

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  1. Are Radio Audiences Choosing to Reject Greater Choice? Guy Starkey, University of Sunderland

  2. Greater Choice for Radio Audiences • BBC monopoly until 1972 Act • Monopoly-busting from continent & sea • Licensed: from 27 in 1972 to 300+ in 2001 • New methods of delivery: Astra/DAB/web • 1991: AIRC optimism over ILR 37.1% share • Increased choice may be of limited appeal – at least in its present form

  3. In Q1 All commercial All BBC (national/ regional/ local) 1982 40 4/3/22 1991 115 5/4/39 1996 172 5/5/41 1997 183 5/5/41 1998 201 5/6/41 1999 225 5/6/41 2000 246 5/6/40 2001 255 5/6/41 Growth of Licensed AM & FM Radio

  4. Share of All Radio Listening(Source: RAJAR/*JICRAR 1982 Excluding BBC regionals and Radio Luxembourg)

  5. Reasons to Reject Greater Choice? • Commercial audiences being fragmented • Geographical near-saturation achieved • Incremental and small-scale licences awarded • eg Star TSA also targeted by more stations per head than would be the case in NY or LA • Relaxation of rules on ownership • Loss of local identity • 50.58% of ‘all commercial’ stations in 6 groups

  6. Concentration of Ownership GroupStations licensed by the Radio AuthorityMarch 2001 GWR 47 Capital 20 EMAP 18 Scottish Radio Holdings 16 The Wireless Radio Group 16 UKRD 12

  7. Reasons to Reject Greater Choice? • Dilution of locally-originated speech content • The death of ‘meaningful speech’ • Quasi-national AM services created • Presenters reduced to reading from cue cards • New technology • Music scheduling more formulaic? • Automation and the ‘empty chair’ • Music formats: diversity or anarchy?

  8. Top 10 Commercial Formats (by Frequency) FormatStations classic & contemporary hits 31 contemporary hits 19 classic hits 18 adult contemporary 17 60s to today 14 Today’s Better Music Mix 14 (specified gold) 11 (ethnic minority) 9 chart & adult contemporary 8 (specified gold & today) 8 • NB (unspecified) 45

  9. Other Specified Music Formats classic hits/AC (3); rock & AC (1); rock & pop (2); alternative rock (1); soft AC (4); soft AC/gold (2); easy favourites & soft AC (1); soft (1); easy listening & soft AC (1); soft melodic (1); easy listening (3); classic hits and easy listening favourites (1); melodic popular (1); quality popular (1); popular contemporary (1); melodic AC (1); easy favourites 60s-90s (1); adult popular (2); dance (2); dance & soul (1); classic & contemporary dance (1); chart/AOR/dance (1); dance & indie (2); soul/dance/R&B/reggae (2); jazz/soul/blues/R&B (2); classic soul/soft rock (1); Christian (1); mainstream chart (1); chart & contemporary (2); mainstream chart/AOR (1); rhythmic contemporary (1); contemporary & Scottish (1); Scots originated (1); classical (1); youth (1); black (1); country (1); for females (1); personality radio with hits & oldies (1)

  10. Reasons to Reject Greater Choice? • The repositioning of BBC Radios One & Two • 10% and 13.6% share of all listening in Q4 2000 • All four national commercial networks: only 8% • Less formulaic • Personality-led • Led to calls for a regulatory ‘level playing field’ • Radio is for the many, not the few!

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