BANNISTER COMMITS MONEY TO MUSIC AS BBC WOOS LISTENERS

When he was controller of Radio One, Matthew Bannister always said that RADIO ONE'S LIVE MUSIC '98 maximising his audience was not a top priority. What a difference five months can make. BBp RADIO 1 Now Bannister is BBC director of radio, his mission is to justify the licence fee by 97-99 FM showing all five radio networks serve as This year represents Radio One's biggest broad a range of listeners as possible. commitment to live music as the World That mission was underlined last week Cup gave it the perfect excuse to take its with the unveiling of the results of a year- outside broadcast unit across the Channel. long secret strategy review. The upshot is Simon Mayo presented his show from that Radio One, Radio Two and Radio Three every town where England and Scotland will all get more money for live events, while played during the group stages. The the first two will also receive extra Breakfast Show, Mark Radcliffe and The marketing cash. Evening Session also broadcast from Bannister, who until February this year France during June, while a number of off - was controller of Radio One, says all the air roadshows entertained the fans. stations will benefit from the allocation of The Soundtrack To The Summer live around £5m over the next five years, schedule began on Easter Monday with a although Radio One and Radio Two, along Kevin Greening and Zoe Ball roadshow at with Radio Five Live, will be marketing Sheffield Arena. May saw live broadcasts priorities because these are the stations that from and the Essential Mix at can attract listeners from commercial radio. , as well as the Bluetones and The new funding strategy is aimed at The Verve live in concert. June began with convincing younger licence fee payers that Massive Attack live from the Albert Hall. they get value for money from BBC radio. The The network's acclaimed Glastonbury extra finance, generated by 5% efficiency Weekend was followed by T In The Park savings at each of the five national networks, and Radio One Live dance party and will be spent on more live music, promoting roadshow events inIrvine and Radio One and Radio Two and on enticing during July. new presenters to attract new listeners. The Weekend runs from July 31 "Live events and on -air talent are the untilAugust 2 and thefirstof the best ways to raise awareness and profile of traditional week-long roadshows begins on a station. It is right to focus our marketing August 3 with Greening andBallin on Radio One in particular, because when it Blackpool. The roadshows run until Friday loses listeners they tend to go to August 28. commercial radio which means BBC Radio's Otherliveeventsplannedinclude market share overall is hit," says Bannister. coverage of V98 live on Sunday August Under the new funding policy, money will 23,a roadshowinBangor on August be available for expanding Radio Three's 31 and Radio One LiveinCardiff on live schedule next year, but it will have to September 13. rely mainly on on -air promotion to boost its Bannister: 'Live events and talent are the best ways to raise awareness and profile' audience, including cross -promotion of the and asking them to play records," he says. coverage but on more specialist shows that available. This year, Radio One will spend station on Radio Four. Its new funding Sinde April, Dann's team of producers will be used to promote the Radio One and around 10% of its programming budget on arrangements were outlined just three has operated as a unit within the Radio Two brand. Typical examples are the covering live events. weeks after Radio Three controller Nicholas Entertainment Department headed by Paul four-hour Lamacq Live sessions slot which One of the reasons that Radio One and Kenyon announced he is stepping down to Jackson. This reflects how Radio One and begins today (July 27) and the Soundtrack Radio Two are being given special head the network's Millennium coverage. Radio Two producers are being encouraged To The Summer series (see box). treatment is that the BBC is under pressure Trevor Dann, who as head of BBC Music to transfer their music programming skills, Bannister says there is no change to the to show that licence fee revenue is being Entertainment is in charge of 70% of Radio including coverage of live events, to TV. For overall positioning of the three music fairly distributed among all age groups. One and 50% of Radio Two's pop example, the reputation Radio One's Live stations: Radio One will continue to focus Radio One still has the most weekly programming, says he welcomes the extra Music Unit has gained for its radio coverage on new music, Radio Two on the heritage of listeners - 9.7m - but the internal study money that is likely to find its way to his of Glastonbury was a key reason why BBC popular music and culture to appeal to the conducted by the BBC revealed that many department. "This is good news for anyone TV was able to double the airtime it gave to over -35s, while Radio Three will try to make young people, especially young women, are involved in making pop music programmes the festival this year, says Dann. classical music more accessible. He warns, turned off by BBC Radio. On the basis of and is a victory for people in the industry Nevertheless, much of the extra money however, that the new funding strategy is a cost per listener hour, Radio One costs who have always argued that there is more announced by Bannister will be spent not on long-term policy and the BBC is demanding 0.6p per listener compared to 0.5p for to music radio than just sitting a DJ down live events that also lend themselves to TV cost -savings across the board, including a Radio Two and a massive 8.1p for Radio £1.9m saving at Radio One. Three, which has to invest large sums in The BBC will not disclose exactly how live orchestras. much new money Radio Ironically, the extra funds One will get, or what `This is good news for for Radio One come as proportion will be spent on the station is experiencing I I iE FAIR FOR POP MUSIC AND marketing and advertising those who believe there'san upturn in its audience POP ENTERTAINMENT the station. Although Radio figures. Rajar figures for One will get more funds more to music radio thanthe first quarter of 1998 august "because live music costs revealed that the network money", its budget will just letting a Di play attracted 240,000 extra komm.13 -16,1998 remain smaller than that of listeners in the three congress any of the other four BBC records'-Trevor Dann months, 70,000 of whom networks, accounting for were in its 15-24 target center east 13% of total radio funding. age group. cologne fair "[Radio One controller] Andy Parfitt will Pluggers welcome the news that more not wake up one morning and find a brown money will be spent on live music. "As a ;)dpkomm.de/kongress.htm ++ European Marketing ++ Pop and 'Politics envelope stuffed with greasy fivers on his public sector broadcaster, live music is .opkomm.de/aussteller.htm ++ Communications ++ Contacts ++ Business .AW popkomm.de/kommunity.htm ++ Premium shows ++ Top Acts ++ A+Rs ++ Fans desk," says Dann. what Radio One should be about," says In the last financial year Radio One cost Size Nine director of radio, Eden Blackman. the BBC just £38m. This compares with Dylan White, head of radio at Anglo £90m for Radio Four, £63m for Radio Three, Plugging, says, "The outside broadcasts musik komm. GmbH Kaiser -Wilhelm -Ring 20 D-50672 Kaki £54m for Radio Five and £43m for Radio and gigs that Radio One produces now are phone ++49-221-91655-0 fax ++49-221-91655-110 Walk up registration: DM 450 Two. On last year's figures, a 5% saving on excellent and more money spent in this : http://www.popkomm.de e-mail: [email protected] Popkomm. Get yourself connected! the total programming budget of £180m area is more money spent on music." would see an extra £9m being made Steve Hemsley MUSIC WEEK 1 AUGUST 1998