From: steveh@orbital.demon.co.uk (Stephen Hebditch)
Subject: AM/FM #3 - Radio news from the UK
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: TQM Communications, London, UK
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 21:10:09 GMT

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    *    ------- ******* -------
   * *   **   ** *       **   **    AM/FM #3 FOR SEPTEMBER 1992
   * *   * * * * *       * * * *
  *   *  *  *  * *****   *  *  *    NEWS FROM THE UK RADIO INDUSTRY
  *****  *     * *       *     *
 *     * *     * *       *     *    EDITED BY STEPHEN HEBDITCH
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*** BBC NETWORK RADIO CHANGES DENIED

The Director General of the BBC, Sir Michael Checkland, has denied
reports that that Radio Two is to be axed, Radio Five radically reshaped
and Radio One is to become a youth station rather than a music station.
The story circulated at the Edinburgh International Television Festival
and was picked up by several newspapers. The changes were reported to
be part of plans being made by Director General Designate John Birt.
Other changes would include a huge management and programme shake-up,
including the departure of the current Managing Director of Radio, David
Hatch.

There has been a large debate over the future direction of the BBC and
its role in the rapidly expanding broadcasting environment of the 1990s.
The festival also saw an attack on the current BBC board and its senior
executives by Michael Grade, former Controller of BBC 1 and now Managing
Director of Channel Four Television.


*** EXHIBITION OPENS TO CELEBRATE BBC BIRTHDAY

A new exhibition on the history of the Corporation has opened at
Broadcasting House as part of the celebrations of seventy years of the
BBC and sixty years of Broadcasting House. It features exhibits from the
history of BBC radio to help tell the tale of its evolution and climaxes
with a multimedia presentation.

The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 7.30pm until
the 4th of October and costs 3.50 UKP for admission. Nearest tube Oxford
Circus.


*** RADIO ONE CELEBRATES 25TH BIRTHDAY

Radio One has begun celebrations of its 25th anniversary. On the August
Bank Holiday it counted down its listeners all-time top 100 with Queen's
Bohemian Rhapsody at number one. Past deejays including Emperor Rosko,
Tom Browne, Tony Blackburn and Noel Edmonds return for special
programmes in September. An Intercity 225 train will be named after the
station. The RAF Red Arrows aircraft display team will fly from Surrey
to Dundee in a special Radio One formation. There will also be a number
of special concerts, including Michael Jackson live from Budapest. The
station has also announced that will also ID exclusively as 1-FM from
October.


*** CLASSIC FM LAUNCH

Britain's first Independent National Radio station, Classic FM, took to
the air at 6am on September 7th. The station hopes to take seven percent
of the UK radio audience - around 2.8 million listeners. Presenters
include three former BBC Radio Four staffers - Henry Kelly, Susannah
Simons and Margaret Howard - along with Adrian Love, Petroc Trelawny and
former Radio One deejay Paul Gambaccini. 11 transmitters are initially
in use, covering around 80% of the country.


*** COPYRIGHT TRIBUNAL ADJOURNS

The Copyright Tribunal, who have been deciding if Independent Radio pays
too much for playing records, has adjourned until October. ILR, under
its trade body the Association of Independent Radio Contractors,
appealed to the tribunal after PPL, who manage recorded music copyright
on behalf of the record companies, tried to introduce new charges. These
would have been up to 20% of advertising revenue for the biggest
stations like Capital Radio and Radio Clyde.

PPL says that with stations now relying more heavily on recorded music
for their output they should be paying more to the record companies. The
AIRC counters that the new charges, the highest in the world, could
cripple some stations - the recording industry's shop window. A
judgement is expected by the end of the year. In the meantime the
stations are continuing to pay the old rates.


*** REVIEW OF RADIO FREQUENCIES IN UK

The Radiocommunications Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry
are to carry out a major review of radio broadcasting frequencies in the
UK. One of the main aims is to set aside space for new Digital Audio
Broadcasting stations, possibly on frequencies currently occupied by
cellular telephones.

The Agency is also under pressure from advertisers and some sections of
the radio industry to make space available for two new national
commercial radio stations. These would need to occupy the 105 to 108
megahertz space which will be freed for use in 1996. Currently this is
in use by a number of low power point-to-point services. Others consider
that the public would be better served by setting aside this space for a
wider variety of lower-powered local services.


*** BBC LOCAL RADIO LOSES AM FREQUENCIES

More BBC Local Radio stations are losing their simulcast AM frequencies.
BBC Radio Shropshire is to lose its for new local station Sunshine 819.
GLR in London and GMR in Manchester are likely to lose their frequencies
by the end of next year to new Independent stations. Radio WM in the
Midlands wants to keep its AM channel because of the separate Asian
programming it provides.


*** LBC RELAUNCH ON AM

London news / talk station LBC relaunched its AM service on August 24th.
It will now run separate programmes on AM and FM between 5.30am and 9pm.
Douglas Cameron, Pete Murray, Steve Allen and Mike Dicken will make up
the main presenters on the AM service. LBC hopes that the six month gap
until the next audience figures are released will give it time to build
the new service.  


*** ON-AIR NAME CHOSEN FOR SECOND NATIONAL COMMERCIAL STATION

Independent Music Radio have announced that they will be using the
on-air name Virgin Radio or Virgin Rock Radio. Rumours that the station
was to poach several Radio One deejays appear to have come to nothing.
One report says these were circulating at a time when a number of Radio
One presenters had their contracts up for renewal...


*** NEW LOCAL LICENCES

The Radio Authority has increased the cost of applying for a licence.
For an FM licence the price is 250 UKP for areas with a TSA of up to
100,000, 625 UKP for up to 400,000 and 1,475 for areas reaching more
than one million adults. AM licences for an equivalent area are around
two thirds of the cost.

The Radio Authority have advertised the licence for High Wycombe. The
size of the station's target audience will depend on where the
transmitter for the station is based.

Channel Radio on Jersey and Island FM on Guernsey will both launch in
October.

Three groups have applied for the Glenrothes and Kircaldy ILR licence in
Scotland. These are Eastsound Radio, Radio Fife and United Christian
Broadcasters. The winner will be announced in October.

Former London pirate Trax-FM has put in plans to the Radio Authority for
a station to broadcast in North East London aimed at a young black and
Asian audience.


*** RESTRICTED SERVICE STATIONS

Offshore Radio broadcast from a boat moored off Walton on the Naze in
Essex to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Marine Broadcasting
Offences Act, which outlawed the sixties offshore radio stations.
Programmes featured extracts from the original stations along with music
from the past 30 years. Edited highlights from the 28 days of broadcasts
were featured on the Euronet satellite-delivered radio station.

Bromley Local Radio will broadcast to Bromley on the South East London /
Kent borders for 28 days from September 6th. The station will be heard
on 101.8 FM and includes 'The Intrepid Birdman Show', which has
previously aired on pirates Thameside Radio and The Clockwork Wireless
Broadcasting Company.

Darlington Community Radio is broadcasting on FM for 28 days from
Darlington Railway Museum during September.

Deptford Community Radio, with backing from the Community Radio
Association, will be on the air in November.


*** FINANCIAL NEWS

Kiss-FM's Gordon Mac is nearly a hundred and fifty thousand pounds
better off after selling half his stake in Kiss FM. Media company EMAP
now hold almost all the shares in the London dance music station.

Asian broadcaster Sunrise Radio has failed in its attempt to raise two
and a half million pounds on the stock exchange to fund future expansion
in its radio and television activities. Sunrise will still go ahead with
a joint deal with Midlands Radio to launch a 24 hour a day Asian service
on Medium Wave for Leicester.


*** BITS

The BBC are carrying out more advertising for their national radio
services. A new 250,000 UKP poster campaign for Radio Three has begun
and Radio Two are to spend 1,500,000 UKP to try and attract younger
listeners. An advert for Radio Two will also appear on a poster site by
the Albert Bridge on BBC television soap Eastenders.

Capital Radio has banned Channel Four's new breakfast service from
booking ads on the station in the morning. Other stations seem set to
follow suit in an effort to prevent their audience deserting for the TV.
The new breakfast show, featuring Radio One and GLR deejay Chris Evans,
aims to bring the breakfast zoo radio format to television.

Paul Coia and wife-to-be Debbie Greenwood stood in for the holidaying
Jamesons on their late night Radio Two programme.

BBC Local Radio has secured the right to broadcast full match
commentaries for soccer matches in both the Premier League and the
Football League. They will pay 400 UKP a game for live commentary
rights.

Spectrum Radio have begun a new gay programme on Thursdays. This follows
the success of Wear-FM's programme Gay to Gay which can now also be
heard via Euronet on the Astra satellite.

Radio Wyvern has won a prize as part of Noise Awareness Month for a
promotion that asked listeners to turn down the volume on their radios.


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   This is a monthly summary of stories carried by AM/FM Newsline, the
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-- 
Stephen Hebditch  TQM Communications  steveh@orbital.demon.co.uk +44 836 825962