Ofcom - com Off it !

Today Ofcom, under rules approved by Government agreed:

1. That moving local programmes of the Teeside Radio station 'TFM' to studios in Newcastle Upon Tyne (a distance of 40 miles):

"would neither substantially alter the character of service nor narrow the range of programmes available. The new arrangements of co-location and programming sharing would fall under the Ofcom current policies as programming would continue to be broadcast under the enhanced* local area"

2. But also today Ofcom questioned removing a once a week Asian programme from the 'Bee' radio station in Blackburn, as it:

"would substantially alter the character of the "'Bee" radio service so needs to take the request to consultation..."

Fact 1: the population of the TFM radio area is 818,000 people with 167,000 actual listeners*

Fact 2 : the 'Bee's area population is 411,000 people with 37,000 actual listeners* but with only 10% being Asian that equals an average 3,700 people

QUESTION to Ofcom and the Government:

A. HOW can altering the 'character' of one programme on a (once a week) show only aimed at 41,000* people (of whom a maximum of 3,700 actually listen) be more important than allowing the closing of a truly local station aimed at 818,000 people with 167,000* listeners?

B. How can replacing a service whose presenters were trained to reflect Teesside with one staffed by presenters trained to reflect Newcastle upon Tyne, not "substantially alter the character of service"?

THE 'request' you need to 'take to consultation' Ofcom, is the Metro Radio one !

Len Groat

* All audience stats - Rajar (Last Quarter 2012)

TFM.Time for Unions and MPs?

UPDATE: 9th April

PUBLISHED TODAY: 

Ofcom believes removing a WEEKLY Asian programme would "substantially alter the character of the "'Bee" radio (Bolton) service so needs to take the request to consultation"

BUT..... it's okay to let Metro move ALL programmes for Teesside to Newcastle- without even being asked!?!_________________


I met an old friend the other day at a conference; I had not seen her for years. She stood sideways on so at first I could only see her name badge as I approached. Just seeing her name made me feel warm, nostalgic, for I had been in a 'kind of' relationship with her for over 15 years. However, I suddenly saw she had not only changed her hair colour, but her face was very different, in fact, unrecognisable. The warm friendly glow had gone and a blankness replaced it - she seemed very 'distant.' As I said a jovial 'hello', she finally spoke. But it was not even her voice...

How could this be? We'd grown so close, had endless breakfasts together, shared love songs late into the night, and she'd advised me for many years about travel problems in my area and been very useful with her snowline..... Now all I could see was a gaunt, distant echo of what had once been - she was a stranger....

'She', was of course a radio station.... and the scenario above could have been applied to many stations in the last 6 years, though most recently (and suddenly) to TFM. 

The  snappy, modern TFM was of course Radio Tees in the 1970s when I was on Metro Radio in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. TFM was still doing quite well* but was suddenly put in an 'arranged marriage' last Friday.

This week a gaggle  of radio 'gurus', researchers, advisers, and consultants**, will probably be pontificating, telling Twitter, Facebook, the World and the whole radio industry how THEY believe, why, it went wrong. Telling us 'how' THEY would have handled it in the past, how things 'might' go in the future.

But hang-on. WHAT do they REALLY know? 

Because like every radio service in Britain, TFM has listened to the advice of endless radio 'gurus', researchers, advisers, and consultants. Yet despite the advice of a legion of 'informed opinion' who now suddenly know what went wrong (some of whom have never even presented a regular daily show on radio) the staff at TFM found it is not them, it is a whole radio station.... 'for the (local) chop'. 

More precisely, as the Evening Gazette+ reported:

"22 members of staff will leave the iconic Radio House in Yale Crescent, Thornaby, to move to Metro Radio in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle.

I was on Metro Radio from day one in 1974, and though it seemed like a long time it was only for the first 21 months of my ILR ‘life’. However I do hold dear many memories of the  Swalwell studios, the anticipation of us being the first commercial station in that area, our great team which included James Whale, Giles Squire, Maggie Mash,and Dave Gregory. Indeed Dave moved down to Radio Tees to do breakfast there, and I visited the station in 1975. 

Looking back I can safely say that there is VERY little in common between these 2 areas, and Metro has always been the ‘glossier’ station, (Radio Tees) TFM was the more ‘real’ one ~ a reflection of their different life-styles and areas. Therefore, I find the fact they are to merge programmes completely, and just have 2 journalists to cover all of Teeside, VERY disturbing. 

Of course, some will dismiss my points (last year I was called a 'radio dinosaur' by one young would-be radio 'guru') but even as I wrote this I was delighted to see that those in a stronger position than I am, are equally disturbed, such as Graham Robb++ who has reported that:

“Local MPs are rightly concerned as the radio licence for Teeside has effectively been extinguished – there is a moral case to re-advertise it although the rules might prevent it”. 

The word MORAL is what matters here; the station should be run for its LISTENERS not its ADVERTISERS : a point Ofcom might well remind Bauer of, and certainly MPs have a national and local voice via the House of Commons and television. 

If Bauer cannot make it LOCAL and viable, please let another group at least try!

And WHY did Ofcom give them the licence+++ right through to 2025 !!??

With social media being strong now, and northern listeners being more faithful to 'their station' there will be a lot of ‘word of mouth ’advertising’ about it (mainly negative I suspect) which WILL colour local people’s opinions about this.  Bad ‘word of mouth’ can be very effective…

If I was the husband, wife, partner or parent of a TFM employee who now has to commute all the way to Newcastle daily, I'd certainly voice my thoughts....

Importantly, for the whole (shrinking) I(L)R industry remember TFM had 20% weekly audience reach. So the staff have not 'failed'. 

The Teeside BBC local station only has a 15% reach

...yet the BBC will not close it or have to justify its existence, thanks to the legally enforced licence fee (time for a review?) 

With a 20% reach TFM easily beats the Smooth and Heart networks*.  And even in my 'old' radio area, the once mighty East Midlands, (heavily tv marketed) Capital has shrunk down to 25% weekly reach, and the regional GEM106 has 3% less reach than TFM.

So where does all this leave the TFM staff? Well as we have watched various (money-based) mergers happen, on-air staff have largely been mute for fear of never working again if they (dare to) criticise the 'mighty radio machine' and the 'suits' behind it. But even though a few have got work on BBC local stations, there are still several hundred experienced I(L)R presenters and journalists now seeking work. 

Perhaps staying 'mute' is not necessarily a good option any longer? If the Teeside BBC local station was stripped of its staff this way the Unions would bring 'Auntie' to a halt. 

Maybe those still in work on some of the highly syndicated, quasi-national commercial stations should worry, it might be them next? Surely, instead of burying their heads in the sand they  could form a new UNION, to negotiate with the (millionaire) suits in these large groups? 

To start with, any show of more than 3 hours is a creative travesty. A ban on members using excessive voice-tracking might make the suits' sit-up and pay attention!? And as regards News there should be more journalist out in the area, not sitting behind a computer screen?

A Union might not bring back a local service to TFM, but at least that station would be remembered as THE one that inspired the poorly treated staff in commercial radio to finally say 'enough is enough', and be HEARD?

_____________________

* TFM most recently had 20% Audience Reach - (all) Smooth has just 10%, Real Radio NE 12%, the Heart (Network) 14%, Capital South Coast 11%
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** "Main reason for the TFM change? The world's changed but TFM (and lots of ILRs generally) didn't keep up." ( @matt on Twitter )

UPDATE: Four days later I asked this (would be) 'radio guru' "Would you like to enlarge on this Tweet-sized generalisation now some days have passed? 

He eloquently replied, "Nope". 

A case of 'radio gurus' ain't what they used to be !
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+ http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2013/04/06/tfm-radio-station-to-move-to-newcastle-84229-33127381/#
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++ http://www.recognitionpr.co.uk/blog/changes-to-tfm/

++ "airwaves belong to the people they do not belong to Bauer Radio or Ofcom"

+++ "most recent licence was renewed in 2012 with an expiry date of 28 June 2025, the long period this licence has to run makes it worth millions. To wantonly change the structure of delivery away from the local area with so little consultation is a serious mistake by Ofcom, especially given the hard work by the business and political community in Tees Valley to establish itself as a distinct part of the UK economy"