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MEDIAWATCH
Increased audiences for advertisers will assist in the maintenance of
‘
existing revenue levels with more modest annual growth forecasted’
Stations cashing in
grouping and, in the past year, has managed to stem further ero-
With the medium turning in a spectacular revenue growth per-
sion of its audience levels. Radio 1’s market share grew by just
formance and most established licences now renewed for ano-
under a point to 20.1pc overall and to 22.5pc among its core
ther 10-year period, it is perhaps not surprising that some
audiences of housekeepers and 25.7pc among ABC1s. The
investors have used the opportunity to ‘cash in’ at what some
Drivetime show on Radio 1 was one of the few successes of the
may regard as the top of the cycle for analogue radio. As we go
high-profile schedule changes introduced by new radio boss Ana
to press, five stations are apparently for sale with the total value
Leddy in 2006. It reclaimed early-evening leadership in the 4.30-
being sought put at more than €50m. These include KFM in
7pm segment, with 223,000 adults, compared to Today FM’s
Kildare, Tipp FM, Ocean FM in Sligo/Donegal, KCLR in
The Last Word at 220,000.
Kilkenny/Carlow and Mid West Radio in Mayo. NewWave Media,
Newstalk, which went almost nationwide in September 2006,
a Scottish venture owned by former Scottish Radio Holdings
had a positive 12 months, with daily reach now at 216,000 and
chief executive Richard Finlay, is mooted as being the likely
all-day market share at just under 4pc. While the bulk of its lis-
buyer.
teners are still in its original market of Dublin, the latest JNLR
In 2007, there were significant transfers of ownership. Denis
shows that almost 30pc of its audience is now in the rest of
O’Brien’s Communicorp acquired Today FM, FM104 and
Leinster and another 20pc in Munster.
Highland Radio in Donegal for €200m from Emap and then had
2FM’s audience grew by 1pc in the period but the station is still
to offload FM104 to UTV for competition reasons. Securing
very dependent on the Gerry Ryan Show each weekday for over
Today FM is a major coup for the group though, as it potentially
55pc of its daily audience. The show saw its audience levels
opens up opportunities alongside its Newstalk franchise, both in
restore to 342,000 in the latest report. Overall, 2FM continued to
terms of news-gathering resources and advertising sales.
record losses among under-35s nationally (10,000 fewer per
UTV may appear to have paid a hefty premium for FM104 at
day). The station’s recruitment of FM104’s Colm Hayes and Jim
€52m but it is the leading station in terms of market share for 15-
Jim Nugent for its breakfast slot appears to have boosted listen-
34 year olds in Dublin and fits neatly with the plc’s ambition to
ing levels by 9,000 listeners, giving them 183,000 daily adults
offer advertisers the leading stations in the major urban markets.
compared to Marty Whelan’s show, which finished up at 174,000
TCH, meanwhile, bought 75pc of WLR in Waterford and Beat
in 2007.
FM, signalling its intention to be a player in regional radio as well
Today FM celebrated 10 years on air with growth in audience
as newspapers.
numbers right across its key shows, and it pushed ahead of 2FM
These moves by Irish-owned operators are positive develop-
in the 20-44 age category by 20,000 listeners (425,000 v
ments for the radio sector here as these companies are likely to
405,000). It is expected to widen this gap in the year ahead,
be in for the long haul and willing to invest to help their station
although its younger audience, like that of 2FM, is under
brands to grow.
increased pressure from the new regional youth stations.
Within Dublin, the competition for market leadership among
Audiences
the music stations is as vigorous as ever, with millions of euro
All adult daily reach dropped by one point to 84pc in the most
being spent on advertising and promotions to gain supremacy.
recent JNLR survey (April 07-March 08), compared to the equiv-
FM104 currently remains ahead of 98FM (12.6pc share v
alent period in 2006/07, but 15-24 audience levels moved up
11.2pc). The arrival of Phantom has not unduly affected market
one point to 83pc. Time spent listening also remained relatively
shares in the capital but the encouraging sign overall is that
high at 4.1 hours per day overall and 3.6 hours for under-35s.
youth audience levels are on the rise again. Audience fragmen-
In terms of the performance of individual stations, RTÉ still
tation is likely to continue as the BCI has recently tendered for a
commands the overall leading market share of any station
new classic rock station for the greater Dublin area, although this
is unlikely to emerge until mid-2009 at the earliest.
68 Marketing Age May/June ‘08
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