I
imagine there's a somewhat polarized response that is developing to the
news that commercial radio formats are to go in terms of regulation
from OFCOM.
Those who are closest to the front line on this will be mostly celebrating the deregulation. Those who are most passionate about radio will probably be bemoaning the loss of the localness requirement.
None the less, what we have here truly is a mixed bag of deregulation. There are some bits that are very good, and there are some others that are truly very, very bad.
So lets start with the best change of the lot. The removal of requirements to play a perticular genre of music. In practice, these were pretty much nonsense anyway, as the format could be written in such a loose way that you could often play almost anything popular and not contravene your format requirements.
Community radio stations have also over the past 10 years highlighted the problem with music formats. Because community radio didn't have this requirement to play a certain music format, it can and very often does, play almost anything and almost everything, within acceptable standards, such as definitely not having songs with losts of swear words in it during times when children would be listening.
Stations like Source FM actually make a point of playing local music from local musicians, music that, until now, gets zero airplay on commercial radio, despite the fact that many songs are indistinguishable in quality terms, from the material submitted by the big music companies. The only actual difference in the sound of the music will sometimes be the instruments used.
If anything, the elimination of music formats as a regulatory requirement, might actually free up commercial stations to take more risks at least musically. If you value localness in anyway, consider scheduling a locally originated track in one music slot per hour during your locally originated programming.
Or, how about an hour long weekly programme, where you only play locally originated music. BBC has already done something similar with their "BBC Introducing..." shows that air for one or two hours per week on the BBC Local Radio stations.
With Ofcom no longer required to approve music format changes, it should allow stations to be more free to add different genres music to their mix as needed. I'd argue that having classical music on a Sunday morning would be more popular than having the same normal music mix.
I'm also reassured by the assurances that there will be strong requirements to provide national and local news, weather and travel.
Local information is one of the key reasons that people tune into local radio as whole, be it BBC, commercial radio or community radio. It is especially important during times of severe weather, when information about school closures, power interruptions, disruption to public transport and many other things, goes from being merely a nicety, to being absolutely essential.
Local television and local radio in other countries understand that providing much more specific and localised information in times where it is required, is much more beneficial to the station, as well as being beneficial to the listeners.
The biggest problem with the deregulation is the removal of localness requirments. Now, stations will be able to share programming 24/7/365, rather than having to provide breakfast and drivetime programming on weekdays, and honestly, that is a big mistake.
I just said that during times of severe weather, local information is more important, and just because the technology is available to enable centralised hubbing of multiple stations with the ability to provide local links on those different stations, doesn't mean that localness should not be a requirement.
How do you build rapport with an audience in a local area, if your presenters and station staff aren't out and about in that area? It's difficult. The Breeze right now has network programming based in Bristol & Southampton. It's difficult for those presenters to build good rapport with audiences in Torbay, which is the most south westerly version of The Breeze.
Heart's Network programming is produced in London. Now how are they meant to be a presence from Scotland to Cornwall, when they're in London?
Local stations that have local presenters going out and about meeting local audiences at local events build much better rapport and have a much stronger connection with the audience, than a network presenter who might occasionally appear at an event in your local area, but mostly is never seen.
Yes, social media helps that process, but nowhere near as much as people think. Being out and about, representing the stations at local events, is at least 10 times more effective than anything social media can achieve.
So, overall, this has the potential to be far more positive for commercial radio, but radio needs to be careful not to do things that alienate the audience, because despite what commercial radio seems to think, the advertisers will not stay if the audiences decide to leave the station.
You can't make a station appealing to advertisers, you have to make it appeal to listeners, and then, the advertisers will come aboard, because you have the listeners. Reducing locally originated programme below the current minimum level, is likely to alienate the audience.
Those who are closest to the front line on this will be mostly celebrating the deregulation. Those who are most passionate about radio will probably be bemoaning the loss of the localness requirement.
None the less, what we have here truly is a mixed bag of deregulation. There are some bits that are very good, and there are some others that are truly very, very bad.
So lets start with the best change of the lot. The removal of requirements to play a perticular genre of music. In practice, these were pretty much nonsense anyway, as the format could be written in such a loose way that you could often play almost anything popular and not contravene your format requirements.
Community radio stations have also over the past 10 years highlighted the problem with music formats. Because community radio didn't have this requirement to play a certain music format, it can and very often does, play almost anything and almost everything, within acceptable standards, such as definitely not having songs with losts of swear words in it during times when children would be listening.
Stations like Source FM actually make a point of playing local music from local musicians, music that, until now, gets zero airplay on commercial radio, despite the fact that many songs are indistinguishable in quality terms, from the material submitted by the big music companies. The only actual difference in the sound of the music will sometimes be the instruments used.
If anything, the elimination of music formats as a regulatory requirement, might actually free up commercial stations to take more risks at least musically. If you value localness in anyway, consider scheduling a locally originated track in one music slot per hour during your locally originated programming.
Or, how about an hour long weekly programme, where you only play locally originated music. BBC has already done something similar with their "BBC Introducing..." shows that air for one or two hours per week on the BBC Local Radio stations.
With Ofcom no longer required to approve music format changes, it should allow stations to be more free to add different genres music to their mix as needed. I'd argue that having classical music on a Sunday morning would be more popular than having the same normal music mix.
I'm also reassured by the assurances that there will be strong requirements to provide national and local news, weather and travel.
Local information is one of the key reasons that people tune into local radio as whole, be it BBC, commercial radio or community radio. It is especially important during times of severe weather, when information about school closures, power interruptions, disruption to public transport and many other things, goes from being merely a nicety, to being absolutely essential.
Local television and local radio in other countries understand that providing much more specific and localised information in times where it is required, is much more beneficial to the station, as well as being beneficial to the listeners.
The biggest problem with the deregulation is the removal of localness requirments. Now, stations will be able to share programming 24/7/365, rather than having to provide breakfast and drivetime programming on weekdays, and honestly, that is a big mistake.
I just said that during times of severe weather, local information is more important, and just because the technology is available to enable centralised hubbing of multiple stations with the ability to provide local links on those different stations, doesn't mean that localness should not be a requirement.
How do you build rapport with an audience in a local area, if your presenters and station staff aren't out and about in that area? It's difficult. The Breeze right now has network programming based in Bristol & Southampton. It's difficult for those presenters to build good rapport with audiences in Torbay, which is the most south westerly version of The Breeze.
Heart's Network programming is produced in London. Now how are they meant to be a presence from Scotland to Cornwall, when they're in London?
Local stations that have local presenters going out and about meeting local audiences at local events build much better rapport and have a much stronger connection with the audience, than a network presenter who might occasionally appear at an event in your local area, but mostly is never seen.
Yes, social media helps that process, but nowhere near as much as people think. Being out and about, representing the stations at local events, is at least 10 times more effective than anything social media can achieve.
So, overall, this has the potential to be far more positive for commercial radio, but radio needs to be careful not to do things that alienate the audience, because despite what commercial radio seems to think, the advertisers will not stay if the audiences decide to leave the station.
You can't make a station appealing to advertisers, you have to make it appeal to listeners, and then, the advertisers will come aboard, because you have the listeners. Reducing locally originated programme below the current minimum level, is likely to alienate the audience.
