British Daily Mail & General Trust has sold half of its Australian radio subsidy DMG Radio Australia to Lachlan Murdoch for a reported 110 million Australian dollars.
DMG Radio Australia will be run as a joint-venture between Murdoch's Illyria, which is based in Australia, and Daily Mail & General Trust. Lachlan Murdoch will be chairman of the company.
DMG Radio Australia runs nine radio stations across the major metropolitan markets in Australia. CHR network Nova FM – the market leader in the under 40 age group – is active in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while AC outlet Vega FM is available in Sydney and Melbourne. DMG also runs talk station FiveAA in Adelaide and rock AC-formated Star 104.5 north of Sydney.
DMG's latest investment is two digital stations on the new digital DAB+ network: dance music outlet Nova Nation and "chill" station Koffee.
"DMG Radio Australia is a strong business with talented on and off air people. Together we will explore new growth opportunities in the exisiting business and also in relatade media" Lachlan Murdoch says in a press release.
Daily Mail & General Trust made its first entry into Australian radio in 1996. Within five years, the company had gained control of 59 regional stations. In 2000, DMG switched its strategy to concentrate on the major metropolitan markets.
Lachlan Murdoch sold half of his shares in News International earlier in November and is said to also consider a bid for Nielsen Business Media.
Nielsen Business Media is the publisher of music business magazine Billboard, as well as titles such as Hollywood Reporter, Ad Week, Media Week and Editor & Publisher. Nielsen also published Radio & Records until June, when the weekly was closed down.
According to media reports, Murdoch's bid for Nielsen Business Media is made with James Finkelstein (The Hill and Who's Who), Matthew Dull (previously at Wired) and George Green (previously at the Hearst group).
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Britain gets industry-wide UK Radioplayer
The British radio industry has agreed on a common internet radio service.
UK Radioplayer will be introduced in early 2010 with the streams of more than 400 British radio stations from the BBC, commercial radio, student radio and community radio. The service will include archive material, an advanced search function and the option to save favorite station on pre-set buttons.
Radio stations will also have the option of adding material such as advertising, track listings, webcams and click-to-buy music services.
"This is a really exciting development and a result of focused, collaborative thinking within the radio industry. The aim of this service is to grow listening across the industry and help preserve radio's unique position" says Tim Davie, director of BBC Audio & Music.
UK Radioplayer will be introduced in early 2010 with the streams of more than 400 British radio stations from the BBC, commercial radio, student radio and community radio. The service will include archive material, an advanced search function and the option to save favorite station on pre-set buttons.
Radio stations will also have the option of adding material such as advertising, track listings, webcams and click-to-buy music services.
"This is a really exciting development and a result of focused, collaborative thinking within the radio industry. The aim of this service is to grow listening across the industry and help preserve radio's unique position" says Tim Davie, director of BBC Audio & Music.
VPRT wants to cut advertising on German public radio
Germany's commercial broadcasting organization VPRT wants to introduce stricter rules on advertising in public service radio. VPRT proposes a 20 minute a day limit and a total ban during radio's primetime – 6.00-10.00 am.
There is already a restriction of advertising in public service television, which isn't allowed to carry ads during TV's evening primetime.
The rules would cover the radio stations run by Germany's nine regional broadcasters – NDR, Radio Bremen, RBB, MDR, WDR, HR, SR, SWR and BR.
"Just as in television, advertising in public service radio limits our playing field and disrupts competition. Our proposal is a realistic step, which would also create a more just marketplace" says Hans-Deiter HIllmoth, chairman of VPRT's radio committe.
There is already a restriction of advertising in public service television, which isn't allowed to carry ads during TV's evening primetime.
The rules would cover the radio stations run by Germany's nine regional broadcasters – NDR, Radio Bremen, RBB, MDR, WDR, HR, SR, SWR and BR.
"Just as in television, advertising in public service radio limits our playing field and disrupts competition. Our proposal is a realistic step, which would also create a more just marketplace" says Hans-Deiter HIllmoth, chairman of VPRT's radio committe.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Clear Channel strengthens leads in NYC and LA
The Clear Channel-owned market leaders in New York City and Los Angeles gain in the October radio surveys from Arbitron.
Clear Channel's AC outlet 106.7 Lite FM increases its marketshare in NYC to 7.1%, widening the gap to CBS Radio's classic hits runner up WCBS-FM, which drops to 5.9%. Clear Channel also occupies the third and fourth spots with classic rock Q-104.3 at 4.9% and CHR service Z100 at 4.6%.
CBS Radio's WCBS-AM falls to 4.4%, but maintains its status as the number one talk radio. Sister channel 1010 WINS and competitor WABC have also seen their shares decrease.
In Los Angeles, Clear Channel's CHR KIIS-FM strengthens its lead to 5.2%, up from 4.8% in the September survey. Mirroring the NYC results, the CBS classic hits K-Earth 101 is in second place with a 4.7% share. Clear Channel's news station KFI sinks from 5% to 4.3% and AC sister KOST is flat at 4.1%. CBS Radio's new CHR Amp Radio goes from sixth to fifth place, despite dropping to a 3.7% share.
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