Read this: Commercial radio in a pandemic - Radiocentre's Siobhan Kenny

The radiated a program with broadcast bionics working with the world's leading broadcasters and equipment suppliers to transform into a technology and workplace hello, I'm Stuart Clarkson coming up on this week's radio Today programme will hear from Radio centre on what it's been doing to support the commercial radio sector during the lockdown plans for promoting radio as the advertising medium of choice for businesses as the economic recovery gets underway radio said to see how Siobhan Kenny will be on with the slopestyle and David Lloyd radio moments was it the prospect of commercial radio what 18 members of Lord Reith there's the arrival of magic in place of melody in London and it's 100 years this week since the first live celebrity entertainment broadcast in the world was composed first radio today's founder and editor Martin is here.

I will chat with you the last couple of weeks Rye House things.

I don't know I don't know honestly is the word I know it's taking like 5 takes to get to this point already.

I'm I'm I'm not dead yet.

Which is good and I'm not making light of that all because you know it's come closer few times.

How are you doing? Yeah similar things of things have been tough so weak, so we both got a couple of kids at home which which is interested when you try to get on and do work and find ways to make money hit stuff.

It's not always easy and I'm just annoyed I'm annoyed at myself for not being being able to I mean I'm annoyed at people that living on their own in their single and they say they don't have time to do stuff when they're hollowed and I know it's mentally challenging and it's hard for everybody it's

Was it hard for people we work with it's hard for you guys listening cos we've all gone around issues through this thing and this this isn't about life.

It's about radio so we should really shut up and talk about red.

It's just something that's affecting as both isn't it and we both getting a bit down about it.

Yeah, we are but at the same time will try to get some radio stories out there and it makes things for all the people who are interested in stuff.

That's going on in the industry, but for those that don't know radiotoday basically is Roy and then I help out a little bit now.

So it's not some massive organisation with 20 staff writing stories and chasing things and find out exclusives and all kind of stuff it.

Yeah, it's just those working from home so bear with us if I don't get stuff on in a timely manner at the moment it might be that we've got you know percentages to teacher year 5 children or whatever like I've been doing today.

It's normally it's fine because

I work from home have them for a long time like you and everybody is out the wife goes to work the kids in school and it's great.

I've got 8 hours a day to work, but yeah, it's just awkward at the moment and I now feel stupid for even mentioning is there people listening to this whose lives are collapsing because they've lost their dream job on the radio and things like that.

So you know and I know what side for somebody isn't always the same as somebody else or whatever that famous wife saying is but we've all got to deal with basically yeah, and it's the things been going on this week behind the scenes where people been complaining maybe about not doing stories and yeah, we're sorry.

We've got stuff to do and we will do it's not that we don't want it's just things taken little bit longer than normal.

Yeah, but you know where were previously would have had the time to go out looking for things and finding stories and write them up ourselves.

We require a bit more on you sending.

At the moment, so if you have got something that you are your radio station are your group or whatever is doing what you got a bit of an anonymous tip off that you want to send them will follow it up and bring is an email.

It's newsradio today.co.uk on desk at the time of pickup that email address if you send it to news at radio today.co.uk whoever's looking after it, whether it's me alright with that one of the kids in front of an iMac and said here.

It's already in use some find it will do something with it.

How many imac's have you if you send an email and we will reply for a couple of days do following up.

Do you say reply to me you ignorant whatever because genuinely things do get Mr we do appreciate a follow-up don't feel bad about that.

Yeah.

I'll email inboxes are quite often flowing quite literally so there's also has been going to get on with some radio chat Bower changes.

We thought a lot about what is coming.

What's going to happen for Greatest Hits radio and the hits.

Stations but is actually started to happen this week with a few stations now taking to network programs and jingles and things like that in gently.

I think it's the best way to describe it some of the radio station that Becoming Part of the hits network are taking hits network programming but their own version of them, so it's like they're getting listeners used to the new features and the news of program names and things like that and it's only for x wireless stations at the moment as I think they have the network infrastructure in place probably better than the other groups are they sell it I did a lot of networking.

So maybe they'll come next so yeah, it's an interesting time.

What exactly has been going.

Have you got the architectural details.

Yes of course 1 and Signal 1 and the wave in Swansea taking some of these network programs now.

I think there's a new.

Late Show is it and so we can programs and I've got the new imaging to match the rest of the hits network Alex Lester started going out on the wireless x wireless going to turn into Greatest Hits radio, so that's like wish wire Tower wave and signal 107 and pulls to and those kind of things yeah, but it won't show on the on signal wave and that's the same network show if their own it's still have wireless group network, so it's not the show from Manchester it's got a different presenter doing it than Manchester if you see what I mean.

It's the same show but with a different presenter, but I guess you like I said before it's just teasing them in gently and interestingly as Swansea Sound actually kinda staying fully local it's expanded to Cardiff and it's even getting a new evening show as well, but it doesn't really have the moment.

Yes, so that is getting more local she has it going to be low.

6 until midnight at during the week.

It's even got Welsh language programs in the late hours 10 p.m.

Until midnight, but they are changing the name you think if they're doing so much local program.

Did just actually leave Swansea Sound which is a big heritage station of course you think they believe that as it is like they have done with with pirate and a couple of other but no it's going to be Greatest Hits radio South Wales I think it is from September yeah.

There is a lot of rivalry between Swansea and Cardiff you know it's equivalent for you.

I suppose to explain it for Fermoy Lancashire terms is Blackburn vs.

Burnley so Cardiff and Swansea I've got a lot of rivalry.

So if you had a radio station called Swansea Sound and put it on the motorbikes in Cardiff Cardiff be one listens, so are they going to do programs for Cardiff or just turn it on in Cardiff basically? I think it could be South Wales obviously focused across across the whole of South Wales so.

Take on heart and capital stuffing in the area, when it that's the digital future right there that they're banging on about absolutely we didn't have to talk to you about this but we heard from her bone last week on the news that Tim Davey has been announced as the new director general is going to take over later in the year from Tony Hall of course.

We know call Ali Eastern be at the radio festivals for many years when we were there as director of audio music at the BBC is the man who brought us the Pepsi chart on commercial radio when he was in charge of Pepsi marketing department in the 1990s as well, nobody seems to think it's a good hi the BBC to have a radio guy so to speak at the top of the BBC is no bad thing so once you get settled in of course you did the job previously as a deputy head and holding the fourth suspect few years ago.

So yeah once he gets gets in.

I'm sure him and the radio team will do good things looking forward to that a lot of other companies.

Money up to the Equality in audio packed 5 actions to help challenging industry to make changes they include paying interns hiring lgbtq black people cover other minorities on projects that are not only related to their identity releasing race pay gap data as well as gender pay gap data at not taking part in panels that don't represent the cities and towns and place in and be transparent that who works for your company as well as their role and position and what kind of permanency their job has as well, so you can find out more about that and say that your organisation if you haven't already at the quality in audio hacked and.co.uk the plans for x radio are advancing.

It's going on a couple of weeks now talk talkSPORT 2 then have now gone to dab Plus on the sound digital Multiplex so presumably x is going to take up so much space on STL I guess I don't think we can all assume.

Why the changes have been made and the timing and everything else seems to match so yeah, I guess so that's made up pick it up here then the times of hired Ross kempsell.

Be there special Correspondents news about this.

Week's me political editor at 4 talk radio and took sports and I considered that interview with Boris Johnson Boris Johnson touch about enjoying painting model buses in his spare time that goes Downing Street as a policy advisor, but he's back he's back from his year out of radio will be special correspondent for times at the LBC Nigel Farage has gone made a bit of an early exits at just before the end of his contract after some controversial comments off air on are doing a Daily Show and incomes the Labour leader sexiest armour meanwhile to the LBC schedule to do a Regular phone-in Show not on that evening slot where Farage has been but during the Breakfast Show I think once.

With Nick Ferrari he was actually quite good.

I don't have an opinion either way on Nigel Farage but listening to his radio shows quite a good radio host with me.

I don't agree with that.

I think he did very well at prompting coolers which your back to the old days of phoning host the Scottie mcclue.

This world would say lots of things that would prompt people to ring in and get with the hosts and dispose Farage really good at that for obvious reasons and yeah, I have some good news with people.

Obviously you know a lot of people don't agree with his politics and it was good to get those people on there with him and have the debates and have the argument so I think I'll be seeing was probably would probably say it was a popular choice to have him on there, but it's probably done.

It's job.

Obviously the brexit stuff that happened the last 3-years things movie on now and obviously you know the comments.

He made you know obviously LED global to decide we're not renew contract and you.

As of now they haven't announced replacing him up.

I don't think so look forward to Global meanwhile.

Have started ramping up their make some noise campaigning this week and I've got a new appeal fund to raise money for people hit hard by coronavirus and lots of big name artists get behind the campaign and present as well.

Yeah Chris Moyles pubcast one of his podcast last week and you can only get in the link if you sent a donation via text.

I think it was £10 and you got the link to see the podcast live in Vision and then of course you can type the word cancel after it once you get in if you wanted to I really hate your money back people has been nothing but I think you can they were promoting as a voluntary donation.

I think they're promoting the fact that you can easily press cancel.

People didn't do but it was an option and if you are looking for a cause to support as well the Radio Academy audio and radio emergency fund is doing some fantastic work and helping people with some grants to replace them there any more help and buy some equipment to start up some new aspect to their audio career and a friend and has been making radio theme masks this week to help support that cause a £2.50 from every sale going to the Radio Academy audio radio emergency fund you can get yourself a couple of audio related masks someone's got radios on one's got sets on funky mask.uk I ordered mine and they came of the great what a great idea who came up with Andrews doing all the hard work.

She's the one slaving over a sewing machine and sorting out all the orders and everything but yeah, I think a lot of people.

So many in fact after we put the info on Radio today at that she sold out within 3 hours and there is more material on the way so put your name down if you want to get a couple funky masks, UK it was a couple of months ago most people like no I'm not wearing a mask and never going down that rude and the of this week.

It's it's become a legal requirement on public transport to another place.

You never know where we're going to end up next to you.

It's just a crazy time at the moment.

I still haven't got one yeah.

I've got I've got some new ones as well.

So I'm actually I think I will post a picture later in the week of me in my radio related masks hopefully fingers crossed as we're recording.

This is going to happen.

I might be back in an actual radio studio at the weekend after three months with no freelance work at the

Freelance news reading and news writing I may be making my return to the airwaves this weekend fantastic.

I shall look forward to tuning in will you be here we be reading or writing both yes combined role, so yes, it's back to the old commercial radio days, where one person has everything to minimise and other people in but yes fingers crossed because the football is back of course and five live has been taking some Radio 2 news on the hour.

They obviously can't necessarily taken on the our bulletin on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when I got football commentaries so the return of some actual 5 live news from Salford and I may well be reading this weekend so the snapmirror you going to go back out into the big wide world and see people going to work actually going going to work now working from home for the first time in 13 weeks.

It's going to be strange.

It's going to be very strange cos you know away and one of the

Things to finish always some sad news we heard recently of the death of Tony Wright who was a presenter well done in South Wales just 55 one-half of Tony Angela breakfast with Angela J on Real Radio in South Wales for a bit at Red Dragon and touch on capital Gold station radio as well about 20 years old together on breakfast radio across South Wales so very sad to hear of Tony recent death you can see some of the attributes from colleagues at radiator day.co.uk the radiated a program with broadcast bionics creators of The Bionic studio listening watching reacting to and learning from every spoken word Kolo sweet SMS for a mixed unlock content the bionic studio transforms everything about radio except the way you make it.

Radio Today programme we thought this week would check in on commercial radio during the pandemic at three months ago.

It seems like a lot longer we spoke to Siobhan Kennedy CEO of radiocentre, and she's back with us on the podcast this week.

I Siobhan how are you? Not too bad? I suppose that it was more or less at the starter has he went into lockdown doesn't it? Yeah different it does and obviously if things have changed revenues were dropping at that time 3 months ago sales staff and commercial radio in Thurlow Nunn S&P staff at things turning the corner now.

Have a getting better.

We see green shoots appearing, but you know certainly things are moving in we Face catastrophic drops in advertising revenues as I think we discussed last time round.

54th 50% and sometimes more in hyperlocal stations, but now of course because we got some some lockdown this week with the shops opening scene and motor showroom, so that has brought back a little bit of advertising for which we are very grateful.

I mean we know me back to normal levels yet, but if we can answer to me over the next few weeks and months lockdown eventually kind of easing off of it.

I think that's only going to help us go in wonder we definitely not normal but we are moving in the right direction now for commercial radio the price charged for advertising is linked to audience figures.

We have the q1 radars which looks quite good for commercial radio, but it's still some uncertainty as what might happen as regard the Q2 figures.

Important for the sales teams are commercial radio stations, I know me and the team are working very hard at radio to come up with some kind of solution for us.

They haven't announced as a lot of work going on.

It's just isn't it face to face has completely stopped since March 23rd solutions for digital listening figures that you know it.

We've had a strong time since lockdown the reasons that we can anticipate obviously there's many more people at home with survey recently actor radiocentre.

Just about those different so showed that sort of people with a newly working.

At least another couple of hours a day.

I found another survey that we did just in the last couple of weeks really revealing about looking at people's you towards coming out of lockdown of three categories if you like their newly working from home.

That's my team lots of people normally work from and then there's a group called he working so the people have been going out all the time but you never since lockdown started and that group are the group for almost gone home about what they're going to do when are most looking forward to foreign travel all the rest of it so in a way the people who have not been sitting at home.

I think I'll going to lead the way in consumer behaviour as much as anything else is coming out and where we have been some sectors have continued their advertising spend throughout to reinforce their messages and obviously Govan

Has been one of those as well.

Hope very happy for colleagues in the newspaper said we thought it was a little bit ironic to be wrapping newspapers with message saying please stay at home with no one can actually buy newspapers because they had to stay at home so we said hello, do you know what a better way to communicate your message about the home? It's radio and so thankfully, they have a lot more money in and it right at the beginning of one of the key audiences are trying to reach.

They were having problems reaching with their messages to government was the mails from 18 to 24 and from 44 onwards radio with.

Specific targeting is a really good way to get through this audience and I think as we come out of lockdown and the messages become more complicated than just stay at home.

We are using some of the more nuanced ways of communicating to get those messages across so happy that we talked to a few months ago about some of the initial things you'd lobbies government and Ofcom to do and one of those was about relaxation of programming regulation by Ofcom for a few months.

We've also been seeking help for commercial radio business terms of financial help, but they could get either from the government or from suppliers.

That's progressing well and is given six months small independent local services and free of discount 50% for other services national stations and Multiplex operators.

The end of many many weeks of discussions with that has given some security always operated.

Do they actually know what's what am I getting now so with a grateful for that? I mean I suppose on on the group of operational things of which that include such a large fixed cost the most radio stations and that says he say the Ofcom regulations, so they they have indeed relaxed and I want the other things we were we asked for and and was given by government worker definition for you know commercial radio star by the government definition of the workers permit travel to work and access to schools and all of the above.

And I suppose it's also I should mention the area of public service content so you know the audio content fund was brought forward forward to support projects with a specific coronavirus supports.

There was a package of measures in that first tranche that that we looked at and most of those I think we've been quite successful in getting and the government of Poland all the others who helped the broader things that of course you mentioned government advertising we have seen an uplift in government advertising rights of course you know I'm talking to PRS and PPL about how they could have to get some of the costs in the short-term and of course we discussed.

Msn.com and we normally do but it's actually it's been to have an ex commercial radiosensitive in Andy Carter as the heads.

Are you know Andy's do from his days in Fantastic to have somebody who's so close to all the issues, so really understands what it takes the commercial radio station from lots of different size of the business is a really energetic advertised socialist governments so great to have him.

He's really helped us achieve things that we have a government fantastic and in terms of the commercial radio landscape and the other thing that's changed quite a lot since we last spoke about our being allowed to press on with integrating the companies that it brought into it's main business.

Does that change anything in terms of the

How radio centre operates with salvadoran Lincs FM having seats around your table and now there's been taken by our recently happened before we looked at the construct of table and I think you know where Broadchurch radiocentre one of our one of our mission is to serve the whole industry as I don't think that this change is anything in that respect and on advertising obviously that's about as promoting radio as a medium and you're increasing your drive to certain different sectors of the advertising market to help them find out more about radio with some adventure going to be running.

Yeah, that's right.

I'm so we took an early decision to turn into a virtual knowing that anybody just sitting in a physical forum anytime soon and put a lot of time and effort into doing that and producing it well as a as a viewing experience because I think a lot of us have been engaging really are in the middle and we were delighted that we had 1200 people and staying with it as well.

So it was it was it was well attended before doing this.

So what we gonna be a Nazi soon is a series of Mini tuning into the advertising community particularly, but just about what the opportunities that are coming our way Motors finance retail travel from the end of June onwards series of virtual conferences, which will have industry experts you talking to advertisers about how are you keeping this particular time now his speed to market you know so because we're going to be in Ireland to have something where you can get them on here within a couple of hours couple of days and you can see the difference on Sunday because you already feel like oh hang on a minute.

Was a bit old fashioned already because there was a different government announcements couple of days ago, so I think we're just going to be reminding people of the strength of commercial radio this amazing reach.

You know that record and again together spirit that we enter now as you say as things start to reopen and people come back into commercial radio stations from being on furlough that what's your focus for the next few months then for a promoting very much focused on that advertising audience for now because we all know that it's a time of crisis.

You know what a present present danger can also a great opportunity, so there may be people who we can be introduced to radio the kind of had gone off the radar for a while and I think with all the things that we've managed to achieve when you got a

Singapore coming out on the public value of commercial radio during this particular time in the next few weeks and you know people sometimes tend to think the public value only comes from a very different audience and quite a specific audience really shows that people turn to commercial radio BBC of course.

I'm like this and they want some things for me so I think you know we know we got a very attractive package to talk about and then we've got of course you know our new guidance on cheese and sees that the Motor Industry has been returning to to radio advertising.

I don't know where the like me you had some of those particularly egregious examples of 18 people don't need to say that anymore because we got SCA guidance which says you don't so you know you can't you can't remind people enough so I think that's what we were going to be on a mission to do.

Value of the amazing commercial radio and my personal ambition is to try and get you know that people actually coming into work.

I recognise that we're going to be doing that in quite a different way, but you know I think I think you know let's try and get things back to normal.

This is my go-to Siobhan Siobhan Kelly from radiocentre hear all the radio Today programme at David Lloyd is on the way after your weekly reminder about cleanfeed.

If you've not yet this could be the week you give it a go at cleanfeed is a great way to connect in live studio quality, just using a browser at either end.

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It's 50 years this week since the general election with a surprise result which was to last you a government which supported the prospective commercial radio during the campaign the famous the offshore pirate radio station are and I changed it's name to the anti-establishment Radio Caroline Brand and urged his listeners to vote conservative.

Living in the Maldon constituency of Essex Brian Harrison is your conservative Brian Harrison believe in free speech freedom of the individual have you ever thought about how much freedom you could be losing phone Brian memories of 1970 and the station which was jammed for it's efforts by British government's there's a great documentary on all that to buy Paul Rowley launch marketing for radio stations takes many forms this week 37 years ago GB broadcasting launched in Newport with a promotional flexi disc through your letterbox.

Will meet the people in the headlines.

You'll hear the stories behind the headlines every other and everyday the real news that matters to Gwent

Broadcasting with a reflecting both those moods flexi discs you to get some Sellotape to the front of magazines that years ago the start of GB radio sucked into red dragon, it was an early 80s commercial radio Problem Child and only lasted two years now know that good old Tim Davie is to be the new D&G at the BBC apologise unreservedly as you know the first person to have DG on their dymo name badge was Lord Reith and John died this week in 1971 that the BBC defined in competitive spirit and energy and imagination.

After I left you left, you realise that there has been an MP about his Legacy public service impartiality is impossible all the time we had different governments left and right and each of them said the BBC is he hated politics and politicians.

Prime Minister get the prime minister on his side wasn't too keen on the BBC governors.

What a miserable lots.

They are instead of them in his diary and he didn't like TV he was usually on holiday when major TV events occurred magic is now a huge in London the station began life as melody playing lift music, but it was born in 1998 by EMAP for 25 million pounds and the brand transition began.

Enjoy your lunch time with London's magic 105.4 melody FM was a really good game in terms of rebranding registration.

We took our time.

We took like 6 months only had 4 iterations.

It was melody FM 105.4 then it was 105.4 FM it was London's magic 105.4 FM that it was London's magic 105.4 melody and then it was.

5.4 iterations and I think it was a few examples where we were able to rebrand the radio station and simultaneously grow the audience reflecting on buying melody for a magic future this week 22 years ago this week BBC Radio came to Northampton you're listening to BBC Radio Northampton on 1107 medium wave and 96.6 stereo VHF good morning the headlines is Wednesday the 16th of June general galtieri has told the Argentine thank you for the good things as well as the station BBC Radio Northampton launching this in 1982 the First songs by Diana Ross it lost the radio bit of radio Northampton 8 years later and then go back 10 years afterwards.

Archers is getting some flack now.

Is there covid episodes are there right this week 16 years ago it may be used for other reasons as Chris Moyles the Cameo role at he replayed the clip later on his breakfast show in the pub then in the Archers Chris Moyles in The Archers this week in 2014 and gave to be a Radio 4 continuity announcers.

Just much is my these days about the power of personality and whether we should be hiring big names, but the trend started very long time ago this week 100 years.

Ago, we had the first ever live entertainment broadcast in the world by a celebrity when Dame Nellie Melba broadcast in Britain on 2mp in she was a huge opera star in Australia and hold event sponsored by the Daily Mail her microphone fashion from an old cigar box.

100 years ago this week transmitter was 15 kilowatt, but you could hear it just about everywhere figures of the stations to interfere with 300 years ago so with Wave 105 launching on the south coast 22 years ago chairman of 105.2 FM welcoming you for the very first party radio launching 7 years ago effective transmission from team rock radio coming the UK's first LGBT radio service when it launched full-time 10 years ago in the entire second half of the radio show this week playing whatever he wants to program on free radio four years ago after 35 years on the Frequency 6 years ago.

Ender borrow this week's really a moment.

Thank you David and my guess is switch your phone Kenny from radiocentre and surprise Martin hopefully, we'll have another forecast for you next week the radio Today programme broadcast bionics.