A full copy of the Review of BBC local radio can be downloaded here
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/reports/pdf/bbclocalradio_myers.pdf
From Radio Today Site
Touch FM Awards recognised in Parliament
The Touch FM Pride of Stratford Awards have been recognised by an MP for their role in celebrating community heroes and local business.
The Leader of the House of Commons also suggested they should be replicated elsewhere in the country.
Touch FM Awards recognised in Parliament
Rock FM says sorry for Tx interruptions
Rock FM has issued a statement saying sorry for illegal offensive interception of its radio signal.
Staff at the Bauer Media station say they are aware of the problems, and apologises to anyone that may have been offended.
Rock FM says sorry for Tx interruptions
Absolute joins Digital Radio UK board
Absolute Radio has joined the three largest commercial radio operators and the BBC by taking a seat at the board of Digital Radio UK.
The group, which has one of the three national analogue commercial radio licences, has launched six digital-only stations in the last two years.
Absolute joins Digital Radio UK board
From the Media Today Site
Eight directors quit radio station board
From Radio Today. Posted February 27 2012, 7.51am
Mass exit from Vibe 107.6′s board including former Tindle director David Rees.UK regulator plans public consultation on 648 kHz
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 11.28am
UK media regulator Ofcom is hopeful that it will soon be in a position to draft a consultation document regarding any possible future use for 648 kHz. Until last year the frequency was used to transmit the programmes of the BBC World Service – and for about six weeks carried Dutch Radio 1 on a [...Report to urge BBC to ditch controversial local radio cuts
From Media Guardian. Posted February 27 2012, 8.53am
BBC-commissioned review to recommend axing senior management, which could save corporation up to £2m a year.Myers calls for BBC Local management cuts
From Radio Today. Posted February 27 2012, 11.00am
Report proposes halving Managing Editor posts but backs evening programme sharing.Myers Report on BBC Local Radio published
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 3.02pm
A review into how BBC Local Radio can maximise productivity and deliver efficiency savings conducted by the independent media consultant, John Myers, has been published today by the BBC.BBC told to cut half its senior managers
From Media Guardian. Posted February 27 2012, 10.59am
Report says BBC could save £2m a year by axing 50% of senior managers instead of cutting local radio programmes.Myers: BBC stations can save costs by 'sharing' managing editors
From journalism.co.uk. Posted February 27 2012, 1.14pm
A review of BBC local radio by Radio Academy CEO John Myers recommends cutting the number of managing editors and sharing the role across stations to save costsMyers Report recommends reduction to DQF savings target for BBC Local Radio
From BBC Media Centre. Posted February 27 2012, 11.00am
A review into how BBC Local Radio can maximise productivity and deliver efficiency savings conducted by the independent media consultant, John Myers, has been published today by the BBC.Ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith joins LBC
From Radio Today. Posted February 27 2012, 10.07am
Politician replaces Ken Livingstone to join David Mellor on Saturdays. (more)Urban music acts join star studded line-up for Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend 2012
From BBC Media Centre. Posted February 27 2012, 9.17am
B (more)Ship’s anchor slows down East African web connection
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 3.53pm
East Africa’s high-speed internet access has been severely disrupted after a ship dropped its anchor onto fibre-optic cables off Kenya’s coast. The ship was waiting to enter Mombasa - one of Africa’s busiest ports - when it anchored in a restricted area.Call for relaunch of RFE Hungarian
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 11.47am
An opinion piece in the Washington Post calls for the re-start of Radio Free Europe’s Hungarian service.Dutch-based KBC Radio to broadcast daily in April
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 2.55pm
Dutch-based KBC Radio says on its website: “The Mighty 6095 will soon broadcast daily for a couple of hours in April”. Currently the station is on the air every Sat/Sun at 0900-1600 UTC on 6095 kHz. (Source: kbcradio.eu) iBeginShare.Official Facebook page of Mosaique FM Radio hacked
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 4.00pm
The official Facebook page of Mosaique FM, Tunisia’s most popular radio station, was hacked yesterday night by a group calling themselves “Fallega.Tickets for the National Student Radio Conference are now on sale!
From Student Radio Association. Posted February 28 2012, 12.29am
Find out how to buy tickets here!RIP Stanley Leinwoll
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 27 2012, 2.45pm
Dan Elyea of WYFR informs us that renowned shortwave engineer and frequency planner Stanley Leinwoll passed away on 21 February, 2012, aged 85 years.From Radio Netherlands Media Network Blog
Radio Australia to resume FM services in Fiji
February 28th, 2012 - 11:43 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.
No comments yetFiji’s military government has agreed to allow Radio Australia to resume its FM services inside the country. In 2009, the Fiji Ministry of Information shut down Radio Australia’s two transmitters, one in Nadi, the other in Suva. Ministry officials and soldiers escorted local technicians to the transmitters and ordered them to be switched off.
At the time, the director of the ABC’s international operations, Murray Green, said the shutdown removed one of the few remaining uncensored sources of information in Fiji. But now the government has agreed that the services can resume and they’ll be on new frequencies, which are still to be announced.
(Source: Radio Australia)
SES and GlobeCast sign capacity deal for UK market
February 28th, 2012 - 10:55 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.
1 commentSES announced today that it has signed a new long-term multiple transponder contract with GlobeCast. The capacity on Astra’s future replacement fleet at the 28.2 degrees East neighbourhood will be used by GlobeCast to serve its wide range of television and radio clients seeking to address the UK and Ireland.
With its fleet of Astra satellites co-positioned at the orbital slot 28.2 degrees East and a very attractive neighbourhood at that slot, SES served more than 12 million satellite households in the UK and Ireland at year-end 2011, according to the annual SES Satellite Monitor. The detailed reach figures will be published by SES on 27 March.
Francis Rolland, CEO of GlobeCast UK, said: “Providing broadcasters across the world with access to the best platforms is one of GlobeCast’s key missions. This new capacity with SES allows us to do just that in the UK and Ireland, ensuring that GlobeCast will be able to provide prime distribution, including to the Sky and Freesat platforms, for years to come.”
(Source: SES)
Official Facebook page of Mosaique FM Radio hacked
February 27th, 2012 - 16:00 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.
No comments yetThe official Facebook page of Mosaique FM, Tunisia’s most popular radio station, was hacked yesterday night by a group calling themselves “Fallega.” According to Eya Frioui, a reporter at Mosaique FM, the page, boasting nearly five hundred thousand fans, was hacked yesterday at 8:00 pm.
According to Ms Frioui, this is not the group’s first attempt to disrupt the site. “They tried to hack our website before but they failed. The hackers do not agree with our ideas and orientations, that’s why they hacked us,” she stated.
Ms Frioui further accused the hackers of using the page to spread fallacious information with Islamist bias. “They started a poll about using Shariaa as a source of law for the constitution. They forged the results, saying that people are for it.”
The hackers however have denied these allegations, stating that Mosaique FM had conducted the poll regarding Shariaa as a source of law for the constitution independently, and had intended to manipulate the results. Accordingly, they stated that they issued their own poll on the site to expose the truth concerning the Tunisian people’s position vis-à-vis Shariaa law.
Mosaique FM is the first private radio station in Tunisia. The radio station was launched on November 7, 2003.
(Source: Tunisia Live)
February 27th, 2012 - 14:45 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.
1 commentDan Elyea of WYFR informs us that renowned shortwave engineer and frequency planner Stanley Leinwoll passed away on 21 February, 2012, aged 85 years.
During his long career in international broadcasting, Stanley worked as Frequency Manager for Radio Free Europe for 27 years, and was a consultant to WYFR Family Radio for 37 years.
He wrote seven books, probably the most well-known being “From Spark to Satellite: A History of Radio Communication.” Stanley was a strong supporter of the idea of holding an HFCC (High Frequency Coordination Conference) in the United States - a goal that was finally realized by the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters (NASB) in 2011.
(Source: NASB Facebook Page/New York Times)
February 27th, 2012 - 11:47 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.
No comments yetAn opinion piece in the Washington Post calls for the re-start of Radio Free Europe’s Hungarian service. The article is jointly written by Mark Palmer (US ambassador to Hungary 1986-1990), author Miklos Haraszti (OCSE representative on freedom of the media 2004-2010) and Charles Gati (professorial lecturer in Russian & Eurasian studies at Johns Hopkins University’s Nitze School of Advanced International Studies).
According to the three, “With the fall of Hungary’s Western-style, pluralistic democracy, the time is right for the United States to reinstate Radio Free Europe’s Hungarian-language broadcasts.” They go on to argue that “While Hungary is a member of both NATO and the European Union, it is at risk of becoming a constitutional dictatorship and a pariah in the West.”
UK regulator plans public consultation on 648 kHz
February 27th, 2012 - 11:28 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.
No comments yetUK media regulator Ofcom is hopeful that it will soon be in a position to draft a consultation document regarding any possible future use for 648 kHz. Until last year the frequency was used to transmit the programmes of the BBC World Service - and for about six weeks carried Dutch Radio 1 on a temporary basis - but the BBC has now confirmed to Ofcom that it has no intention of using the frequency for any purpose in the future.
The regulator is now in discussion with the company that owns the transmitting infrastructure for this channel [Babcock], and whilst this process may take some time, Ofcom has confirmed that its intention is to proceed with drafting the document which will invite members of the public to make Ofcom aware of how they would wish the channel to be used.
ABC Australia MD could be the next BBC DG
February 26th, 2012 – 20:43 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.Corporate headhunters Egon Zehnder have approached senior ABC management and former board members to assess the suitability of ABC managing director Mark Scott for the BBC’s top job. It is understood the headhunters have approached individuals to assess Mr Scott’s suitability to be placed on a shortlist of candidates to be presented to the BBC by Easter, detailing replacements for BBC Director-General Mark Thompson.
Mr Thompson, who has been BBC director-general for eight years, has not announced his departure, but it is expected sometime after the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June and the Olympic Games in July. One former ABC board member “couldn’t confirm or deny” they had been approached but said, “there is no question in my mind that the BBC would look internationally and he’s got a lot of things going for him”.
(Source: European Parliament)
Radio Australia to resume FM services in Fiji
February 28th, 2012 – 11:43 UTC
by Andy Sennitt.Fiji’s military government has agreed to allow Radio Australia to resume its FM services inside the country. In 2009, the Fiji Ministry of Information shut down Radio Australia’s two transmitters, one in Nadi, the other in Suva. Ministry officials and soldiers escorted local technicians to the transmitters and ordered them to be switched off.
At the time, the director of the ABC’s international operations, Murray Green, said the shutdown removed one of the few remaining uncensored sources of information in Fiji. But now the government has agreed that the services can resume and they’ll be on new frequencies, which are still to be announced.
(Source: Radio Australia)
From the Digital Spy Site
Greg James to replace Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1 drivetime
Published Tuesday, Feb 28 2012, 15:30 GMT | By Andrew LaughlinScott Mills is to step aside from the BBC Radio 1 drivetime show after almost eight years and be replaced by Greg James.
New Radio 1 & 1Xtra Controller Ben Cooper confirmed that James will move to the 4pm to 7pm programme from April 2, while Mills will move up the schedule to take his old show from 1pm to 4pm.
T4 presenter Jameela Jamil has joined the station to host the new Radio 1 Request Show, which will be broadcast every Sunday from 7pm to 9pm.
“To say I’m excited is a major understatement – being offered the opportunity to join the Radio 1 family is literally a dream come true and I can’t wait to slip on the headphones,” said Jamil.
Gemma Cairney will move from sister station 1Xtra to take over the Radio 1 weekend breakfast show from 7am to 10am, while Edith Bowman will move to host Radio 1′s Review Show on Tuesdays from 9pm to 10pm, reviewing the latest music releases with a guest panel.
Discussing her new role, Cairney said: “I arrived at 1Xtra just over three years ago a wide-eyed puppy and soon became obsessed with all things radio. It will be really emotional, but I’m only moving downstairs to Radio 1 and I can’t wait for all the new fun it’ll bring.”
Danny Howard, the 24-year-old from Blackpool who was discovered through a Radio 1 talent search and opened the Radio 1 Ibiza Weekend in 2011, has landed a brand new show every Saturday from 4pm to 7pm, which will be called R1′s Dance Anthems with Danny Howard.
Also in the schedule rejig, specialist music strand In New DJ’s We Trust will get a refreshed lineup of DJs, including B-Traits, Mosca, Jordan and Julio Bashmore, all hosting shows on a four weekly rotation.
Jaymo and Andy George will leave In New DJs We Trust, but will remain part of the Radio 1 family, covering for DJs such as Annie Nightingale and Pete Tong.
At 1Xtra, Sarah Jane Crawford will move from weekends 1-4pm to take on the weekday show on the digital station in the same timeslot, with newcomer Adele taking over her weekend programme.
Discussing the schedule changes, Cooper said: “These are exciting times at Radio 1 & 1Xtra. The latest changes are about attracting even more young listeners by bringing in new and fresh talent to the stations.
“At the end of last year we announced changes to the specialist music lineup, so I’m really looking forward to hearing the new lineup in full when we launch in April.”
The new schedule will come into effect from April 2.
