BBC Trust approves series catch-up for speech-based radio programmes

The BBC Trust has finally approved a catch up service so you won't loose the previous episode after 7 days....

Ever since 2002, when we started offering listeners the chance to hear radio programmes on demand via the original Radio Player, listeners have consistently asked to be able to catch up on all the episodes of series whilst that series is on air. There is nothing more frustrating, they told us, than getting interested in a serial in the third week and not being able to catch up on the first two parts which disappear after 7 days. In fact we became quite concerned that people might not even start listening to a serial if they felt they would not be able to keep up.

Read more....

Tim Davies responds to BBC Trust report on radio in the Radio Times

This has been posted on the Radio 4 blog...

In the Radio Times, BBC Radio boss Tim Davie has written a response to the substantial public debate about the Trust's review of Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 7. He endorses the suggestion that Radio 4 broaden its audience:

The idea of making more people aware of Radio 4 makes sense: there are so many programmes waiting to be discovered.

And denies that this means reducing standards:

The station's commitment to quality - whether drama, comedy or programmes from the radio archive - should offer further comfort to those who fear "dumbing down".

He suggests that readers looking for evidence of the health of the network dip into the Radio 4 programme directory - and that particular richness awaits listeners in programmes beginning with the letters 'B' and 'M'. Read the whole of Tim Davie's article on the Radio Times web site.

It is more accurate to say that Tim Davies has responded to the Trusts report regarding Radio 4. He is strangely silent on Radio 3.

I Heart Milton Glaser on BBC Radio 4

This is an axcellent piece of storytelling by producers Jo Meek and Gillian Donavon about how the the iconic "I Heart New York" logo came about. It was a lovely programme to have been invloved in and I can throughly recommend trying to catch it on iPlayer before it expires.

It was 1977 and New York State needed a new ad campaign. Crime was rampant and the city's coffers were empty. Businesses (and their employees) were leaving the city in droves, and tourism was suffering. The State turned to Madison Avenue, who, in turn looked to young graphic designer Milton Glaser. Expecting it only to 'be a three-month campaign', Glaser donated his back of a taxi doodle for free; 'it was like one of those things you bang out because it didn't seem to merit any more attention'. Skip forward nearly 25 years, and the I (Heart) NY design remains one of the most recognizable pieces of design in the world. Still cited on licensed and unlicensed merchandise across the city and internationally, it's has taken on a life of its own. In this Radio 4 programme the art critic Alastair Sooke heads to New York to meet Milton Glaser, who is the personification of American graphic design. As Alastair discovers Glaser has designed everything from a 1967 Bob Dylan Greatest Hits Album cover, to the DC Bullet adorning every DC comic for nearly 25 years, yet he still finds himself remembered for the aching simplicity of the I (Heart) NY design. Speaking to some of Glaser's contemporary graphic designers and critics, I Heart Milton Glaser explores a form of art that surrounds us every day and traces our society's relationship with a design that became one of the most iconic images we know.
Presenter: Alistair Sooke
Sound Design: Mike Thornton
Producers: Jo Meek & Gillian Donovan
An All Out Production for BBC Radio 4.

I didn't know that they had reworked the icon after 9-11 and Milton didn't earn a penny for it as he thought it would be a short local campaign.  Alistair is also an excellent presenter and a real pro. When we were recording the links via ISDN into my studio, he delivered just the right amount of emotion into them and so many were first take.

You can also find an article in The Daily Telegraph

Radios 3, 4 and 7 must build reach, Trust review finds

BBC Radios 3, 4 and 7 are to remain on air, but must work to build audience reach while remaining distinctive, a BBC Trust review has concluded.

The reports which are available on the BBC web site go onto to say...

Radio 3
We have set out a number of specific actions for BBC management which include:
looking for ways to make the station more accessible and welcoming

• considering how the BBC can best deliver classical, jazz and world music to all licence fee payers
• considering how the station can help audiences best navigate the wide range of content on offer
• reviewing the levels of broadcast output from the performing groups

For me this is one of the more expensive stations when looked at a per listener at a cost per user per hour or 6.3p copared to Radio 2 at 0.5p peruser per hour.

Radio 4
Whilst Radio 4 is the most expensive BBC radio service, audiences felt that it represents excellent value for money overall. We endorse Radio 4’s strategy of broadening its core appeal where possible and believe that the station should continue to evolve to replenish its audience. In addition:

• Radio 4 should to aim to increase appeal amongst different demographic groups
• We have increased the minimum hours of original documentaries required in the Radio 4 service licence
• BBC management should consider Radio 4’s role in sports coverage. This consideration should take into account Radio 4’s role within BBC radio’s overall sports coverage.
• Radio 4 should consider the balance of its international coverage and in particular, its coverage between Europe and the rest of the world, compared with America.

Although I agree with the lack of coverage on Europe, I do hope Gwyneth Williams doesn't just cut Americana, fronted by Matt Frei. I do enjoy this programme as it shows a different side to American culture to most other reporting channels. The increase in original documentary hours is good news, especialy if they end up in the independent sector.

Radio 7
Radio 7 is highly regarded by a sizeable digital audience who value the light hearted and nostalgic output. Audiences appreciate the opportunity to hear the best examples of radio comedy and drama from the BBC archive. Radio 7 also plays an important role in promoting DAB. However, Radio 7 has very low awareness overall and its dedicated children’s programming is not serving audiences well.

That's all they say about Radio 7 in the summary report.

The summary cncludes with a list of key strategic initiatives which the BBC management have made and the Trust endorses...

• The development of part of its public service archive proposition into what the BBC terms ‘permanent collections’ for Radio 3 and Radio 4. These proposals will increase the amount of archive programming made permanently available on the Radio 3 and Radio 4 programme sites.
• The repositioning of Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra. However, we will protect the current elements of Radio 7 that audiences particularly value, including increasing the weekly minimum amount of drama and comedy and setting limits around the amount of Radio 4 catch-up programming.
• The development of the children’s audio strategy including the refocus of dedicated children’s programming on Radio 7 to appeal more to families. This will also include the creation of CBeebies pre-school audio available for download from the CBeebies website and the commercial release of children’s radio archive programming for secondary broadcast by third parties.

As a listener I like the increase in permanent collections although dealing with the 'rights' issues would come cheaply I suspect. I do like the idea of making Radio 7 into Radio 4 Extra. Also I agree with the drive to increase the audience profile and encourage more younger listeners, after all these will be the next generation of listeners.

RAJAR figures good news for talk radio and BBC stations

John Plunkett in The Guardian has written....

Talk radio has never had it so good after an unlikely combination of government cuts, England's cricket tour of Australia, snow and the ever-enduring popularity of Premier League football propelled BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSport to record audiences in the final three months of 2010. The two stations had a combined weekly audience of more than 10 million listeners in the fourth quarter of last year, according to official Rajar figures published today.

So sport is clearly a catalyst for talk radio but actually all the BBC national stations have improved their figures in this quarter....

Every one of the BBC's 12 national radio stations, including the BBC World Service, added listeners year on year. BBC Radio 3 was the biggest riser, up 18.2% to 2.216 million. BBC Radio 2 remained the nation's favourite station by some distance, up 3.5% to 13.943 million listeners, a 16.2% share of the audience, while BBC Radio 4 was up 4.9% on the year to 10.319 million, a 12.1% share. Radio 5 Live had its biggest-ever audience of 7.093 million listeners, up 16.2% on the same quarter in 2009. Not quite such good news at BBC Radio 1, which added listeners, up 6.1% year on year to 11.421 million, but saw its share of the audience fall to 8.8% – down from 9.8% a year ago – as people tuned in for less time.

However the digital stations haven't done so well....

BBC 6 Music, saved from the axe by the BBC Trust last year, was up 63.6% the final three months of 2009 to 1.137 million listeners, but its audience fell back from the previous quarter's record of 1.196 million. Digital sister station BBC Radio 7, which is due to be rebranded as BBC Radio 4 Extra, also saw its audience fall back on the previous quarter, down 10% to 941,000.

The BBC's total share of the audience was 55.3%, stretching its lead over commercial radio to 12.8%, up from 10.8% the previous quarter.

Digital radio listening reaches 25%

25% of all radio listening is now to digital platforms, like DAB, Freeview, on line, up just a fraction from 24.8 per cent last quarter.

Listening to DAB has also increased, by a similarly small amount, from 15.3 per cent to 15.8 per cent, whilst internet radio and digital television listening remain around the same mark.

So the digital lobby still has a long way to go to get all radio listeners to go digital. I believe DAB is a dying platform, the signal strengths of the current system mean that listening on portable sets inside is unreliable and car listening patchy, and as to the quality, don't get me started. More and more radio and audio listeners are choosing what, and more importantly, when they listen with services like podcasts. It would be interesting to see if the latest RAJAR figures have and breakdowns for deferred listening for podcasts.