GD0040/13
annual report 2012/13
Radio Manx Limited
Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013 Radio Manx Limited Chairman’s statement
The past year has not been without its challenges for those at Manx Radio. It has been a year in which, thankfully, we’ve experienced some broadcasting ‘highs’ with our coverage of events such as the TT, The Guild, our Christmas schedule and our reporting on the impact and tragedy of March’s freak storm. Unfortunately, we also suffered a significant ‘low’ as, at the start of the year, we had no option other than to take £165,000 out of our programme and news budgets simply to break even.
As local content is the cornerstone on which Manx Radio is built, and the reason we attract so many listeners, a lack of investment in this key area attacks our very foundations, impacts upon the breadth of broadcasting we can achieve and questions our very survival as a public service broadcaster.
The Value for Money (VFM) Report of 2006 recommended that Manx Radio’s subvention should be sufficient to provide stability and independence and it was recognised that without this there could be no sustainability. However, our subvention is now around £328,000 less than the figure set by the agreed formula. To make matters worse, due to the licensing of two competing commercial radio stations in the Island, Manx Radio’s commercial revenues have fallen by over 20% in the period 2001 to 2013 whilst inflation, over the same twelve year period, has risen by 53.6%.
Irrespective of how effectively Manx Radio is run, it is inconceivable that the station can continue to deliver what the public of the Island (and further afield) so clearly want and expect from their national public service broadcaster, against a background of continually falling revenues. The Directors felt strongly that there should be an informed public debate about the future of the station so we approached The Treasury to request an internal audit be commissioned so that interested parties could review the independent report and be able to assess how well the company managed its finances. Among its conclusions, the resultant Treasury Internal Audit Report (paragraph 1.5) identifies that “this review has found no evidence that would go against the view that Manx Radio is operating efficiently and at a low cost given its output, as communicated by Manx Radio’s Directors”.
Following publication of the Report, Public Service Broadcasting was again in the spotlight with, eventually, a Tynwald debate resulting in the appointment of a Select Committee of three Members to examine the issues.
Manx Radio, in our submission to the Select Committee, also put forward the Directors’ views as to how we believe the station should be structured and financed for a sustainable future. We have suggested that the model utilised by Welsh TV broadcaster S4C could satisfy the three primary aims of Tynwald that were never implemented successfully following the Darwin report of 2002, namely:
1. That the Public Service Broadcaster should be independent from Government 2. That a robust funding formula be implemented and subjected to pre- determined reviews 3. The Public Service Broadcaster should be differentiated by a longer licence term to its commercial competitors
It is these specific factors that differentiate Manx Radio as a public service broadcaster from the other Island operators and, thereby, enables it to effectively scrutinise those in office and re-invest any profits into improving our programming. Although our competitors broadcast more than ‘pure’ music, their limited speech output is only there because it is seen as a commercial benefit trying to maintain listenership and drive profits.
Wisely, the Select Committee has appointed an experienced external consultant to further review the station. In due course, we hope that the outcome of the Select Committee’s investigations will ensure that the nation’s public service broadcaster is structured to show clear independence from Government and financed so that its essential activities are sustainable for the nation.
1 Radio Manx Limited
Chairman’s statement (continued)
I started this statement expressing my disappointment that we have had to cut so much from our programme and news budgets simply to break even. I should like to emphasise, it is only through the dedicated work of all the staff, freelance contributors and my fellow non-executive directors that we have indeed been able to meet our break even target, announcing a small profit of £7,773. We owe them all a debt of gratitude. I should like to make specific mention of our Managing Director, Mr Anthony Pugh and our dedicated Chairman of the Audit Committee, Mrs Alison Jones ACA, whose outstanding contribution is appreciated by everyone.
In 2014 we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. I hope by then we shall have the independence and security of tenure that Manx Radio deserves as a valuable and unique asset, owned, controlled and operated here in the Isle of Man, with the independence and sustainability that can last for another 50 years.
2 Radio Manx Limited
Directors' Report for the year ended 31 March 2013
The directors have pleasure in submitting their annual report together with the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013.
Principal activity The principal activity of the company is the operation of a commercial radio station known as "Manx Radio" by virtue of a licence issued by the Communications Commission under the Broadcasting Act 1993.
Results and dividend The company made a profit for the financial year of £7,773 (2012: Loss £39,884) which has been added to reserves (2012: deducted from reserves). The directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend (2012: £nil).
Directors The directors of the company holding office during the year and to date were:
D A Pugh C R Guard A J Jones M N Grace D North D S Leeming J N Marsom M L Tyley
Audit committee The Audit Committee comprises three non- executive directors, namely Mrs A J Jones (Chairman), Mr M N Grace and Mr C R Guard and meets not less than three times per year.
Auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, being eligible, has indicated its willingness to continue in office in accordance with Section 12(2) of the Isle of Man Companies Act 1982.
Secretary The secretary holding office during the year and to date was Mr D A Pugh.
3 Radio Manx Limited Statement of Directors' responsibilities in respect of the Directors’ Report and the financial statements
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Directors’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable Isle of Man law.
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. The directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Accounting Standards. The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.
In preparing those financial statements, the directors are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors confirm that they have complied with the above requirements in preparing the financial statements.
The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Acts 1931 to 2004. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the company’s website. Legislation in the Isle of Man governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
4
Independent auditor’s report to the members of Radio Manx Limited
Report on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Radio Manx Limited which comprise the balance sheet as of 31 March 2013 and the profit and loss account for the year then ended and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes.
Directors’ Responsibility for the Financial Statements The directors are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with applicable Isle of Man law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. This report, including the opinion, has been prepared for and only for the company’s members as a body in accordance with Section 15 of the Isle of Man Companies Act 1982 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving this opinion, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, Sixty Circular Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1SA Telephone +44 (0) 1624 689689 Facsimile +44 (0) 1624 689690 www.pwc.com/im
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC is a member of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, a company limited by guarantee 5 registered in England and Wales. The principal place of business of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC is at the above address. Incorporation number 00934L. Members: D B Churcher, I G Clague, K M Cowley, P C Craig, N M Halsall and M Simpson.
Opinion In our opinion:
the accompanying financial statements give a true and fair view of the financial position of the company as of 31 March 2013, and of its financial performance for the year then ended in accordance with United Kingdom Accounting Standards; and the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the Isle of Man Companies Acts 1931 - 2004.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Isle of Man Companies Acts 1931-2004 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
Proper books of account have not been kept by the company or, proper returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or The company’s balance sheet and profit and loss account are not in agreement with the books of account and returns; or We have not received all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit; and Certain disclosures of directors’ loans and remuneration specified by law have not been complied with.
6
Radio Manx Limited
Profit and loss account for the year ended 31 March 2013
2013 2012 Note £ £
Turnover - continuing operations 1 1,056,598 1,089,838
Public service subvention 14 850,000 927,000
1,906,598 2,016,838
Operating expenses 15 (1,899,689) (2,058,764) Interest payable and similar charges 2 (3,258) (3,548) Interest receivable 4,122 5,590
Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation 3 7,773 (39,884)
Taxation 4 - -
Profit/(loss) for the financial year 10, 11 7,773 (39,884)
There is no difference between the loss on ordinary activities before taxation and the retained loss for the year stated above and their historical cost equivalents.
The company has no recognised gains or losses other than those included in the profit/(loss) above, and therefore no separate statement of total recognised gains and losses has been presented.
The notes on pages 9 to 13 form an integral part of these financial statements.
7
Radio Manx Limited
Balance sheet at 31 March 2013
2013 2012 Note £ £
Fixed assets Tangible assets 5 1,556,977 1,409,468 Assets under the course of construction 5 42,651 159,692 1,599,628 1,569,160 Current assets Debtors and prepayments 6 136,286 417,499 Cash at bank and in hand 4,733 6,178 141,019 423,677 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 7 (296,049) (627,196)
Net current liabilities (155,030) (203,519)
Total assets less current liabilities 1,444,598 1,365,641
Creditors: amounts falling due after More than one year 8 (24,252) (17,725)
Net assets 1,420,346 1,347,916
Capital and reserves Called-up share capital 9 459,002 459,002 Share premium 10 297,000 297,000 Revaluation reserve 10 623,116 623,116 Profit and loss account 10 (348,114) (355,887) Capital contribution reserve 10 389,342 324,685
Equity shareholder’s funds 11 1,420,346 1,347,916
8
Radio Manx Limited
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013
1 Principal accounting policies
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable Accounting Standards in the United Kingdom. A summary of the more important accounting policies, which have been applied consistently, is set out below.
Basis of accounting The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the historical cost convention as modified by the revaluation of land and buildings.
Turnover Sales comprise the value (exclusive of Value Added Tax) of invoiced advertising, production and studio hire charges, sponsored programmes, sales of merchandise and engineering projects.
Tangible fixed assets Interests in land and buildings are stated at valuation. Full valuations are made by independent professionally qualified valuers every five years. The basis of valuation is explained in note 5. The cost of other tangible fixed assets is their purchase cost, together with any incidental costs of acquisition.
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of tangible fixed assets less their estimated residual values, on a straight line basis over the expected useful economic lives of the assets concerned. The principal annual rates used for this purpose are:
Computers and related equipment/software 10-50% Motor vehicles 25% Fixtures, fittings and plant 8-20%
Depreciation commences when the assets are ready to use. Costs incurred on assets that are not yet ready to use are included in assets under the course of construction until the asset is completed, when the costs are transferred to tangible assets.
It is the company's policy to maintain its freehold property in a state of good repair in order to prolong its useful life. The directors consider that the life of the freehold property and its residual value is such that the depreciation is not significant. Accordingly, no depreciation is provided on the freehold property.
Finance leases Leasing agreements which transfer to the company substantially all the benefits and risks of ownership of an asset are treated as if the asset had been purchased outright. The assets are included in fixed assets and the capital element of the leasing commitments is shown as obligations under finance leases. The lease rentals are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The capital element is applied to reduce the outstanding obligations and the interest element is charged against profit or loss in proportion to the reducing capital element outstanding.
Pension costs The employees of the company are members of the Radio Manx Limited Pension Scheme 1980. This scheme is administered by The Treasury Superannuation Division. The assets and liabilities of the scheme are not held separately from other Isle of Man Government assets and liabilities. The contributions to the scheme are paid by the company in accordance with rates determined by the Isle of Man Government and are charged to profit and loss as incurred.
Government grants The company receives an annual subvention from the Government which is included as income in the year it is received (see note 14).
9
Radio Manx Limited
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013 (continued)
2 Interest payable and similar charges 2013 2012 £ £
Other interest payable and bank charges 3,258 3,548
3 Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation
2013 2012 £ £ Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation is stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation 90,288 71,684 Auditor’s remuneration 9,500 9,500 Non-executive directors' remuneration* 17,630 28,084 Pension costs 113,525 146,230 Refurbishment of Broadcasting House 210,063 19,475 Funding from IOM Government for refurbishment of Broadcasting House (Note 15) (210,063) (19,475) Redundancy costs - 266,685 Funding from IOM Government for redundancy costs (Note 15) - (266,685)
* The chairman received remuneration of £nil (2012: £8,814), the other non-executive directors received £5,877 each (2012: £5,877 each) and the chairman of the audit committee received an additional £nil (2012: £1,641). The remuneration also attracted National Insurance contributions as appropriate. The chairman has waived his remuneration for the next financial year and the chairman of the audit committee has waived her remuneration for this role for the next financial year.
4 Taxation
The Isle of Man Government announced a 0% rate of tax to apply from 6 April 2006. This rate is expected to remain in force for the foreseeable future.
10
Radio Manx Limited Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013 (continued)
5 Tangible fixed assets
Freehold Computers Fixtures land & & related fittings Motor buildings equipment & plant vehicles Total £ £ £ £ £
Cost or valuation At 31 March 2012 1,087,500 309,753 828,138 99,810 2,325,201 Additions - 1,888 229,047 17,832 248,762 Disposals - (100,967) (167,332) - (268,299)
At 31 March 2013 1,087,500 210,669 889,853 117,642 2,305,664
Depreciation At 31 March 2012 - 298,691 542,607 74,435 915,733 Charge for year - 10,708 68,943 10,639 90,288 Disposals - (100,713) (156,324) (297) (257,334)
At 31 March 2013 - 208,684 455,226 84,777 748,687
Net book value At 31 March 2013 1,087,500 1,985 434,627 32,865 1,556,977
At 31 March 2012 1,087,500 11,062 285,531 25,375 1,409,468
Land and buildings were valued at £1,087,500 on 31 March 2011 on an existing use valuation basis. The valuation was undertaken by Black Grace Cowley, Chartered Surveyors, in accordance with the RICS Appraisal & Valuation Standards for a fee of £975. M N Grace, a director of Radio Manx Limited, is also a director of Black Grace Cowley.
Included in motor vehicles are assets with a net book value of £32,567 (2012: £25,373) held under finance leases.
Assets under the course of construction of £42,651 (2012: £159,692) consist of expenditure on fixtures, fittings and plant that has been incurred during the year but the assets are not yet completed, so capitalisation has been deferred until the assets are ready for use.
6 Debtors 2013 2012 £ £
Trade debtors 99,767 118,511 Other debtors and prepayments (Note 15) 36,519 298,988
136,286 417,499
11
Radio Manx Limited Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013 (continued)
7 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2013 2012 £ £
Bank overdraft 132,642 179,572 Creditors and accruals (Note 15) 154,560 439,717 Finance leases 8,847 7,907
296,049 627,196
8 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year 2013 2012 £ £
Finance leases 24,252 17,725
Finance leases are repayable as follows: In one year or less 8,847 7,907 Between one and two years 5,550 7,907 Between two and five years 18,702 9,818
33,099 25,632
9 Called-up share capital 2013 2012 £ £ Authorised 460,000 ordinary shares at £1 each 460,000 460,000
Allotted, called up and fully paid 459,002 ordinary shares at £1 each 459,002 459,002
10 Reserves Capital Profit contribution Share and loss Revaluation reserve premium account reserve £ £ £ £
At 31 March 2012 324,685 297,000 (355,887) 623,116 Capital contributed in the year 64,657 - - - Profit for the year - - 7,773 -
At 31 March 2013 389,342 297,000 (348,114) 623,116
12
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2013 (continued)
11 Reconciliation of movements in shareholder’s funds 2013 2012 £ £
Capital contributed in the year 64,657 324,685 Profit/(loss) for the year 7,773 (39,884) Increase in shareholder’s funds 72,430 284,801
Opening shareholder’s funds 1,347,916 1,063,115
Closing shareholder’s funds 1,420,346 1,347,916
12 Cash flow statement
The company has taken advantage of the exemption available from preparing a cash flow statement under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard, Number 1 (Revised) as the company qualifies as a “small company”.
13 Controlling party
The Department of the Treasury of the Isle of Man Government is the ultimate controlling party.
14 Annual subvention
The company receives a public service subsidy termed “annual subvention”. The amounts received from the Isle of Man Government to 31 March 2013 are as follows:
Year ended 31 March £ 2011 961,050 2012 927,000 2013 850,000
The level of funding for the year ending 31 March 2013 is £703,319 together with a commitment by the Isle of Man Government to pay the company £146,681 representing the BBC’s digital switch-over dividend, resulting in a total level of funding of £850,000.
15 Related parties
Operating expenses include an amount of £210,063 (2012: £19,475) in respect of repairs to the company’s property which has been paid by the Isle of Man Government.
Also included within operating expenses is £nil (2012: £266,685) in respect of redundancy costs. These were paid by the company after the year end, and the company was paid the same amount by the Isle of Man Government. At 31 March 2012 the £266,685 payable by the company was included within creditors and accruals and the £266,685 receivable from the Isle of Man Government was included within other debtors and prepayments.
Additions to fixtures, fittings and plant of £22,006 (2012: £164,544) and expenditure on assets under the course of construction of £42,651 (2012: £159,692) have been paid for by the Isle of Man Government. These amounts will not be recharged back to the company and accordingly have been treated as a capital contribution.
13
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 1
radio manx ltd
annual report to tynwald
for the year ended 31 march 2013
from the directors of manx radio
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 2
index
page
1. managing director’s report 3
2. the nation’s public service broadcaster 5
I. programming – reflecting the nation 5
II. our commitment to the commercial sector 11
III. engineering services 13
IV. promoting the isle of man overseas 15
V. accountability and transparency 19
VI. future plans 23
3. comment from the trustees 24
4. the communications commission compliance report 26
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 3
1. managing director’s report
It will not go unmissed by recent readers of the Manx Radio Annual Report that it is not unusual for the company to declare the current year a ‘testing one’. 2012/13, unfortunately, has also been a particularly difficult year for the station.
Delivering the highest possible quality programming for our loyal listeners remains our raison d’être, it was, therefore, disappointing to find us having to introduce further reductions to the service provided for the listener at the start of the year. Throughout, our rationale was to introduce cuts at lower listening peaks and in ways that would minimise the disruption for our listeners. However, many cuts were introduced including:
Reduction in Mandate at One by 10 minutes Reduction in Mandate PM by 15 minutes No news bulletins at 0745, 1900 and 2000 Reduction in news team resulting in: . No dedicated Business News Editor . No dedicated Sports Editor . Closure of News Editor online post . Retirement of Business Editor . Reduction in effort to coverage of the courts, select committees and public meetings and no illness cover Automated programming from 1830 – 2100 Mon to Thurs Reduction in number of daily produced features in Talking Heads from three to one per day Minimal resources for overseas sports coverage in which Island athletes compete (Island Games, Commonwealth Games etc) Reduction in number of community events covered as outside broadcasts Closure of four Presenter/Producer posts with presentation duties now offered to freelance staff and the loss of the majority of our production effort across the output
Whilst all these changes have impacted on both listeners and on the individuals working at Manx Radio, it is hugely pleasing that independent qualitative research carried out towards the end of the year for us by Research Offshore and featuring responses from 850 respondents, showed continuing support for the station’s output.
Of major satisfaction, the research showed that 72% of respondents listened to Manx Radio more than any other radio station, that there was broad support for the range of programme genres we broadcast, that 77% were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with local radio and 85% rated Manx Radio’s news delivery as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Additionally, 78% of respondents felt Manx Radio was the Island’s most important radio station and 85% thought Manx Radio offered an important service to the Isle of Man.
Our Rajar research, whilst showing no overall drop in our Reach over the year showed that the average hours listened to the station per week dropped from 12.4 hours per listener to 10.6 hours – perhaps reflecting an element of understanding by the audience that our programming is now less appealing to them. We will, obviously, be monitoring these figures closely in 2013/14 and will look to implement schedule and programme changes as appropriate.
Reductions in resources were also introduced in other key areas of the business, The Sales team was reduced to two Sales Executives (five in 2003) and we decided not to continue with the costly Image Plus sales seminars that had driven around a fifth of our total income in recent years. We recognised this as a risky strategy but countered the cuts with the
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 4 introduction of new SMART sales products for our clients. We believe that had we not lost one of our two Sales Executives to illness for over 9 months of the year, we would have exceeded our commercial sales target for the year.
Additionally, in April 2012 the station had launched a new internet radio station – Manx Radio TT 365 with the Department of Economic Development’s approval. Our strategy was to source advertising revenues from offshore and the business plan saw the project break even within 12 months and reach profitability in Year 2. However, restrictions by the Department on who we could approach for sponsorship and advertising revenues, together with their decision not to support the project further, meant that the service was closed in March 2013.
Against this background of a lack of resources to maximise sales and no support for the TT 365 project and with a subvention that had fallen from the agreed funding formula by 27.9% since 2009/10, the Director’s were concerned that a continuation in loss of revenues would leave the station unable to meet the terms of its public service licence. Furthermore, they felt it was essential that a public debate took place to determine the station’s future.
So that Tynwald would be aware of all the facts, Manx Radio approached Treasury and asked them to prepare an independent analysis of our performance. The outcome, the internal audit report of June 2012, was laid before Tynwald before being picked up by Steve Rodan MHK for debate in the October sitting of Tynwald. The Chairman’s Statement at the start of this report, details the outcome of the debate.
The team at Manx Radio are dedicated to the provision of Public Service Broadcasting on the Island. They recognise that our key role, that of scrutiny of our elected leaders is not being carried out by anyone else on a daily basis and appreciate the tremendous public support for our work as evidenced in the regular Rajar audience reports and the recent qualitative research carried out by Research Offshore.
We look forward to the day when our efforts can be solely focused on our key role – to deliver compelling Public Service Broadcasting to the population of the Isle of Man and to those who are interested in the Island from further afield. anthony pugh may ‘13
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 5
2. manx radio – the nation’s public service broadcaster
I. programming reflecting the nation focus on public service broadcasting
We have now completed a full year with the vast majority of our presentation staff working for the company on a freelance basis rather than as members of staff.
Whilst each freelance presenter contributes a similar number of hours to the output of the station as they did when they were on the staff, their availability for production work has all but disappeared resulting in a significant increase in the amount of planning and pre- production work that has fallen to the three remaining full-time members of programming staff.
However, we have met our requirements as stated in the Promise of Performance (see Page 19) and, during the unseasonably bad weather this year, Manx Radio was at the very heart of the nation’s thirst for information and support. Our news and presentation team worked greatly extended days and nights to ensure that the audience were kept right up to date on issues relating to weather, transport and the provision of essential services.
Fantastic music and lots of up-to-date info on the impact of the weather – community radio at its best. Great stuff! S McC IoM
Many thanks to manx radio for the updates - from ...... stuck in Kirk Michael S J IoM
We were also overwhelmed by the massive response to our Facebook pages during the bad weather. One post to Manx Radio’s home Facebook page, featuring a photograph of the firemen in Kirk Michael received over thirty one thousand views in a single night. manx culture and heritage
With Bob Carswell now positioned as the over-arching producer of the two BBC supported Manx Language programmes; Traa dy Liooar and Jamys Jeheiney, we have extended his brief to cover the production of the purely Manx Radio funded programmes such as Shiaght Laa as well.
This joined up approach enables us to get the maximum use out of our Manx Language content and in particular features and interviews gathered at events like Yn Chruinnaght and The Cooish, without repetition.
It is also pleasing to note that the research carried out on Manx Radio’s behalf by Research Offshore with 850 respondents showed that 45% felt Manx language programming was either ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to them. community content and involvement
Manx Radio has continued to attend and reflect a wide range of events right across our Island, broadcasting live from the vast majority of them over the last twelve months:
The Royal Show Manx Life Exhibition The Southern Show
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 6
Manx Food and Drink Festival Laxey Blues Festival The Parish Walk Southern 100 Viking Longboat Races Island at War – Themed event on IOM Trains The Jurby Festival TT Manx Grand Prix Tynwald Day Braddan Bridge House Milntown Remembrance Sunday
I’d like to say thank you to all the team for the coverage of the Remembrance service yesterday. I can’t get out, so it was lovely to hear it on the radio. It was a sad occasion but the coverage was lovely. The service itself was good, and the music – from my era – when they went back to the studio was brilliant. M J IoM
I am writing to thank you for the fabulous coverage you gave our Christmas Market at the Institute in Laxey over the weekend. We had over 500 people through the door Saturday and not far short of that Sunday. S H IoM
I have worked with the team at MR on two major community events. Both experiences have been really good and easier for me than with any other radio station. Anything I am involved in and have a decision making role in the future I will ensure that MR are my station of choice. P Y IoM
One event that clearly demonstrates how Manx Radio is at the very heart of our community is the Manx Music Festival – The Guild. The event runs for nine days/evenings and there are a total of 1,600 performances recorded resulting in the following dedicated coverage and 102 winning performances broadcast:
5 x 60 minutes within Sundown 5 x 60 minute evening report programmes 5 x average 6 minute “live” inserts into Alex in the Afternoon 5 x 3.5 minute pre-recorded inserts into Mandate
The Guild Committee were so impressed with the support they received from Manx Radio that they wish to actively involve the station in their strategy planning for the Guild’s major presence in the 2014 Isle of Culture. news and current affairs
Manx Radio remains the Island’s prime resource for daily news and current affairs content.
In the recent independent on-line survey, Manx Radio was clearly rated highest for news delivery. 85% of respondents rated Manx Radio as ‘very good’ or ‘good’ in this area, against 34% for Energy FM and 37% for 3FM. In the same survey it was pleasing to note that news delivery was the single most listened to item on local radio in the Isle of Man, reinforcing our belief that it is essential for Manx Radio to retain its daily in-depth coverage of news and current affairs.
Around a hundred news stories are covered each week for broadcast and the vast majority are subsequently posted on-line.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 7
This year saw us covering some far reaching new stories including:
The murder of PC’s Nicola Hughes and former Manx resident Fiona Bone The Douglas East election fraud trial and the subsequent conviction of Charles ‘Buster’ Lewin The closure of the MEA shops and ‘national’ brands in the Strand Centre The bus driver’s strikes Drug seizures in Peel
I loved Mandate this morning – quite the most exciting thing ever! If the end of the World does come tomorrow, I can’t wait to hear how you will report that!!!!! M G IoM
Well done Manx Radio for all your coverage re buses etc. You have really stepped up to the mark once again. Thank you S P IoM
Manx Radio News has further explored the station’s Memorandum of Understanding with the BBC in regards to sharing resources. For the coverage of the extended court proceedings relating to the Douglas East election fraud case, which would have made impossible attendance demands on our depleted newsroom, we were able to share our reporting cover with the BBC and shared content to mitigate the essential but onerous responsibility of delivering contiguous reports.
We also arranged to take the BBC Radio Manchester feed of their coverage of the funeral of PC Fiona Bone. By arranging this in good time, their chief reporter, Dave Guest, was able to make several references to the audience listening in the Isle of Man, relating very well to the grief being felt here. sport
Manx Radio’s commitment to local sport remains as firm as ever with the addition of an extra weekly half-hour programme dedicated to local football.
Football focus, hosted by Tim Glover not only looks at the clubs and their fixtures but also discusses a wide range of football related issues including:
The challenges of refereeing Playing off island Choosing the Island team
In this Olympic year we had much to celebrate with Peter Kennaugh becoming the first Manxman to win a Gold Medal in 100 years and our outside broadcast truck was at the airport – along with hundreds of others – to welcome him home.
Manx Radio Sport continues to enjoy a unique relationship with the phenomenon that is Mark Cavendish and has broadcast many exclusive interviews during the past year. It is a tribute to our Sports Editor Tim Glover and our other journalists that we still get generous access to these international celebrities as they perform on the world stage. manx radio tt
Our coverage of the TT was again hailed by listeners from all over the world as a tremendous success.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 8
I have listened to the live coverage religiously and feel that the way it has been presented has been far and away the best way to experience the magic of the TT outside of being on the Island at the road side. S G UK
The programmes and presenters really bring the excitement of the event to the listener. D O UK
I listen via the internet in Denver, Colorado, USA, a long way away. It's my dream to someday attend the TT. Until then I'll be tuning in to your broadcast. J K USA
It is a huge commitment for Manx Radio to deliver our TT coverage, 16 hours a day over 14 days. On race days alone there are 25 individuals actually employed to deliver the full service. They include the commentary team, time-keepers, engineers, producers, presenters and staff at Broadcasting House manning the TT studio.
Our 3 year contract with the Department of Economic Development came to an end after TT 2012 and it was disappointing that it took until April 2013 before a new, two-year, agreement was secured. Consequently, at that late stage, Manx Radio had only a few weeks to secure advertising and sponsorship income to offset the high costs of this programming. Also disappointing, is that with such a short contract (effectively only 15 months), it becomes impossible to put any meaningful investment into the event’s broadcast infrastructure which is now, in the main, well past its useful life. the manx radio dream catcher appeal
Report from Michael J Lees, Advisory Committee Chairman:
I am pleased to report that the Manx Radio Dream Catcher charity has become even better known during the past twelve months and we have been able to help more people and other charities on the Isle of Man.
Most of our work goes unknown but occasionally you will see photographs of children in a school or hospital where we have bought equipment.
Our Heroes evening, when we publicly acknowledge some of the local heroes in our community, has now become a permanent highlight of our year. The event was totally sold out and we are pleased to have confirmed the Empress Hotel on the 1st November for the 2014 celebration.
My thanks to our hard working committee and I especially acknowledge the work put in by our administrator Nicola Whyment.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 9 audience research
2012/13 was another solid year for listener Reach to Manx Radio:
Manx Radio 2012/13 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Monday - Sunday Weekly Reach 37,800 36,100 35,800 37,700 % Reach 53 51 50 53 Total Hours 467.5 432.4 413.3 399.2 Average Hours 12.4 12.0 11.6 10.6 Market Share 27.6 26.0 24.6 24.5
It should be pointed out that these figures continue to represent one of the most successful stations, in its market, within Great Britain.
We note the reduction to hours listened and to market share and believe this to be partly due to a reduction in the quantity of programmes broadcast reflecting local issues and events. This has been driven, through necessity, by reduced programme budgets. Today, listeners can access programming from a myriad of different sources but they have traditionally turned to Manx Radio for unique programming about their local community unavailable elsewhere. As this reduces listening to other stations become more attractive to listeners.
However, the station continues to be the most listened to station on the Island by a long margin:
All our figures are measured and compiled by the independent agency Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) who compile listening figures for around 350 radio stations in the British Isles each quarter.
The figures compiled by Rajar are ‘quantitative’ figures in that they reveal the number of men and women of each age category that listen to the station at various times of the day. It not only provides the station with an important tool to promote advertising and sponsorship products to potential clients but also allows us to determine the popularity of our output and make informed changes to our programme schedule.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 10
This year we also commissioned Offshore Research to carry out some qualitative research on the station’s behalf to give us a better insight into what listeners valued about our service. 850 respondents took part and provided detailed information which will be useful to us as we plan future programme schedules.
The key findings of the research included:
. 95% of people listen to the radio at some point during the week . 77% of respondents were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with local radio . 72% listen to Manx Radio more than any other local radio station . 85% of respondents felt Manx Radio offered an important service to the Isle of Man . Manx Radio was ranked by respondents as the most important local radio station for residents of the Isle of Man . Manx Radio was ranked highest for News, Sport, Community and Music programming and for its Presenters
The complete research can be viewed online via this link: http://researchoffshore.com/surveys/manx-radio/Radio-Survey/
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 11
II. our commitment to the commercial sector market forces
2012/13 was a strong year for Manx Radio’s core sponsorship products and we started the year with 90% of our inventory sold in this area. Many of the clients consuming our sponsorship products have been doing so for a number of years and we have been able to build strong strategic relationships with these companies.
Working closely with long-term clients has proved beneficial to the station in terms of growing the income and providing opportunities for great programming. One example of this is the City Wing sponsorship of our afternoon programme Alex in the Afternoon. This provides a great vehicle for broadcasting at locations off the Island and for Manx Radio to host other radio stations that come to the Island to carry out similar broadcasts extolling the benefits of visiting the Isle of Man.
By focusing on our strategic clients we have secured a strong base for the future. By adding value to the clients business and constantly ‘being there’ for them, Manx Radio has become highly regarded in the market place. smart airtime sales
By the end of March 2013, Manx Radio’s SMART airtime sales programme had been running for 62 weeks and continues to be very effective for short to medium-term client solutions. The product is simple to understand and implement and suits a large proportion of the market that does not have the resource or funds to manage a large marketing campaign.
The SMART suite of client facing offers has been developed across the year and now deploys a full SMART resource centre on the Internet. This allows clients to learn a considerable amount about radio advertising even before they see us, this in turn makes our sales calls more effective.
Our tactical sales were badly affected during the year by the long-term absence, due to illness, of one of our sales executives. Looking at the product profile across the year it is clear that not having so many ‘feet on the street’ cost us income in terms of low-cost sales for products such as SMART. On the up-side, this situation is reasonably easy to rectify and, indeed, steps were taken in Q4 with the appointment of a new sales executive.
In recruiting new staff it was clear that the dynamics of the media sales market have changed remarkably in the last 3 years. Our recruitment process attracted a lot of attention but 80% of the applicants were from the financial sector with no relevant media sales experience. The skill base for media sales on the Island is now very low, partly due to the reduction of the Newspapers sales team and partly due to marketing agencies taking over the work. Manx Radio has a strong relationship will all the Island adverting agencies, however, their involvement inevitably extends the time taken to complete the sales process. your business - your plan
Part of Manx Radio’s continued commitment to service was the launch of the Your Business - Your Plan service. This gives the client a complete map of how their radio advertising campaign will look over the entire contract period.
Your Business - Your Plan is issued to all clients advertising for 65 days and over with the station. The programme clearly documents the campaign from both the client’s and the sales executive’s perspective. Along with a commitment to see the client every single month and review the plan, the process creates a great bond between the client and
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 12
Manx Radio. This is all part of the customer receiving more than they thought they paid for. The process also serves to distance Manx Radio from other adverting mediums, drives revenues and is what is to be expected from the national broadcaster. image plus
This year we decided to rest our 7 year old Image Plus programme.
In order to satisfy the clients that had reaped the benefits of Image Plus over the years we deployed our own SMART Business Club product. 80% of the original Image Plus clients bought the SMART Business Club offering. Whilst this shows that most clients believe advertising on Manx Radio benefits their business we must now look to deploy a new Image Plus style seminar in 2013/14 to grow the customer base. It is likely that our new offering will feature many new developments that are making radio adverting even more effective in today’s multimedia world. smart radio vision
The SMART Radio Vision concept links social media, video and radio adverting in one easy to understand package that is fully manageable by the client. This gives small businesses the opportunity to engage effectively with today’s social media whilst Manx Radio provides full training and support.
Manx Radio is the only provider of this service on the Isle of Man and, indeed, in the British Isles. SMART Radio Vision shows the strength the company has in deploying ground breaking products for our clients. The SMART concept as a whole has gained interest from other radio stations in the UK and has been highly praised by the RadioCentre in London, the trade body of commercial radio operators. in association programme
Our In Association programme continued to be hugely successful in 2012/13 and, as usual, we supported a wide range of Island activities. In recent years Manx Radio has become the de facto standard by which all other stations are measured in this area.
New to the fold last year was Douglas Development Partnership (DDP) with whom we supported the Continental Markets and the ‘Douglas Fright Fest’ for Hop–tu–naa. The DDP were so pleased with the support we provided that they have made Manx Radio an honorary member of the Partnership.
Another highly successful Association which has developed over the years is Manx Radio’s relationship with the producers of West End Gold. This event, staged annually at the Villa Marina, features singers from London’s West End performing songs from the top musicals in town.
This relationship has now expanded to Manx Radio supporting a summer school at Ballakermeen School which will be run by West End Gold. The concept is that pupils enrol for 2 weeks training to perform an abridged version of a West End Show. This is a great example of how the Association programme has extended into other areas and shows how we can influence youth culture in the Island.
We have been bringing West End Gold to the Island now for 10 years! Our association with Manx Radio has been invaluable to us. The team have been hugely supportive. S P, Director 2BG Ltd
We’re proud to continue our relationship with the team and we’d recommend the package to anyone! C P, Royal Manx Agriculture Society
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 13
III. engineering services engineering services
2012/13 has been a busy and constructive year for the engineering team at Manx Radio, combining work for the station with work for engineering customers to deliver significant revenue for the station. refurbishment and redevelopment of broadcasting house
The original redevelopment plan for Broadcasting House, approved by Treasury back in 2009 but subsequently moved out of Government’s five year plan, has now been formally withdrawn from Government’s budgets. However, the Station has continued to benefit from a programme of small capital works, aimed at addressing essential health, safety and infrastructure issues over a number of years.
The focus for 2012 was the installation of a new fire escape staircase and further essential studio and equipment refurbishment.
The staircase project addressed serious deficiencies in the fire escape arrangements within Broadcasting House and enabled the removal of a steep internal staircase - both areas where the building was identified as being well below current building regulations. The project was completed before the end of March 2013 but it did get off to a difficult start when excavation work exposed the foundations of the Warwick Tower that had stood on the site in the late 1800’s. This caused a number of weeks delay as the foundations were redesigned. The contract for the staircase construction was awarded to local company ‘Southwards Ltd’ after a formal tender process in accordance to normal capital project procedures. Once underway, the project progressed well despite working on a challenging site and often in adverse weather in an exposed site over the winter period.
Construction of the staircase required new access corridors to be created with a commensurate loss of valuable office space. However, this has provided an opportunity to refurbish some of these office areas, install new electrical wiring and energy-efficient LED lighting.
Refurbishment of the remaining top-floor studios and corridor was also a major step forward for the station, helping to address many years of underinvestment in its technical infrastructure by refurbishing and re-equipping studios that were over 15 years old. The work was progressed entirely using in-house engineering staff and on-Island contractors in a real effort to maximise on-Island spend and benefit the Island economy.
The studio technology chosen by Manx Radio operates over IP office-type computer networks. It is highly flexible to meet the varied programme requirements of Manx Radio but is also cost efficient to install. The flexibility of these systems was clearly demonstrated during the year when we launched the highly-automated, year round TT service, Manx Radio TT 365.
Further essential work remains planned for completion between 2013 and 2016/17 and includes:
a. Safe all-weather access to the building from the road to incorporate disabled access b. Further replacement of obsolete electrical wiring and power distribution c. Replacement & re-equipment of the News studio and newsroom facilities d. Disabled access to all floors within the building and the provision of disabled facilities e. Repair of deterioration to the external fabric of the building f. Provision of Disaster Recovery facility
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 14 commercial services
During 2012 the Engineering team successfully renewed its principal contract with Cable & Wireless Worldwide and with Arqiva.
For Cable & Wireless, Manx Radio provides frontline technical support of its core fibre-optic telecoms infrastructure in the Island and undertakes support and installation work for its many on-Island customers. Arqiva provide the TV transmission network and national radio networks across all of the UK and IOM. Manx Radio provides frontline technical support and maintenance for its ten on-Island sites.
Additional smaller contracts are in place with the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office for electronic systems within Tynwald chambers, the BBC for support of their Island-based journalists and ad hoc work undertaken for a number of other customers throughout the year. outside broadcasts
Outside broadcasts are an important aspect of Manx Radio’s programme output. Major OBs include TT, MGP, S100 and Tynwald while smaller public interest events include Any Questions, CoMin recordings, the Blues Festival, etc. Undoubtedly, the TT remains the largest and most demanding with a full two-week special event service sourced largely from the Grandstand but with coverage of race commentaries from around the course, Billown racing and live events from all over the Island along with addition FM transmitters installed to supplement the AM service.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 15
IV. promoting the isle of man overseas
Over the last 10 years Manx Radio has made concerted efforts to embrace the opportunities the digital age has brought to all and has taken considerable steps to bring an alternative way of consuming Manx Radio to our audience both at home and abroad.
Our mantra throughout has been to utilise content in as many ways as is possible in the hope that we can attract new users to the station and promote the Isle of Man worldwide.
As a consequence, listenership and usage of our various digital offerings has grown considerably and access to Isle of Man news, at a preferred time and via fixed and portable devices, has never been easier for consumers. Manx Radio is committed to reviewing all new technological developments in this arena, and evaluating the suitability of new devices, so that its content is easily available to existing and to potential new users and listeners.
The improvements to our website are at the heart of these developments and over the last 10 years manxradio.com has been re-developed on three occasions to allow us to deliver users with new and desirable features.
Use of manxradio.com over recent years has continued to grow and we now average almost 60,000 unique visitors per month to our services:
160,000 140,000 120,000 Unique visitors 09/10 100,000 Unique visitors 10/11 80,000 Unique visitors 11/12 60,000 Unique visitors 12/13 40,000 20,000
0
Jul
Oct Apr
Jun Jan
Feb Mar
Aug Sep Nov Dec May
NB. The drop in unique visitors to manxradio.com during the TT in 12/13 is because Manx Radio actively sent listeners to our dedicated TT site – www.manxradiott365.com
The number of actual visits to the site also continues to grow and now averages just over 260,000 per month:
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 16
Site Visits 500,000 450,000 Number of visits 400,000 09/10 350,000 Number of visits 300,000 10/11 250,000 Number of visits 200,000 11/12 150,000 Number of visits 100,000 12/13 50,000
0
Jul
Apr
Oct
Jun Jan
Feb Mar
Aug Sep Nov Dec May
In addition, the average number of Pages Viewed per visit in 2012/13 was 5.62 and the average number of pages viewed/month was a massive 1,462,109.
Today, listeners can access, on average, around 90 news stories per week via our website and, if they choose, can sign up to an RSS feed ensuring they are kept up to date with breaking stories and current weather forecasts. Our Listen Again service allows listeners to hear all key Manx Radio programmes at a time to suit themselves for a week following broadcast.
Users from 178 countries visited our website during the year and included visitors from Azerbaidjan to .....Vatican City State. The most users came, as you would expect, from the Isle of Man but followed by users from Great Britain, United States, China (surprisingly), Norway, Germany, Guernsey, Canada and Ireland, again demonstrating the importance and influence our Island community has worldwide.
Manx Radio was in the first tranche of radio stations to provide its services via the industry standard RadioPlayer web listening device. This has brought a huge leap forward in audience convenience and was the driver for Manx Radio to make significant improvements to the audio quality of its service – changing the audio stream from a low quality mono feed to a high quality stereo feed. This move not only gives listeners to our AM only programming, such as Tynwald broadcasts and Manx language programming, a high quality audio feed for the first time, but has also played an important role in driving more listeners to our Radioplayer feed.
The RadioPlayer also allows listeners easy access to our Listen Again broadcasts, Facebook and Twitter feeds, access to manxradio.com and one-touch e-mail contact directly with the station for increased interaction with our output. Furthermore, the RadioPlayer itself allows users, who may have come in to the device via another radio station, to search by broadcast topic and may well come across Manx Radio for the first time via this route.
Substantial investment has also been made in one of the most comprehensive iPhone, IPad and Android applications offered by any radio station. These services are all powered by an electronic programme guide which provides content metadata making Manx Radio services easily searchable. As a consequence Manx Radio’s services are by far the most highly consumed of its type in the Isle of Man. Listeners not only get a high quality stereo digital audio feed but a gateway to Manx News, Business News and Sports News. Listen Again and weather forecasts irrespective of where they are in the world. Additionally, there are routes to interact effectively with the station via Facebook and
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 17
Twitter and also a direct contact route into our broadcast studios. There have been 23,263 downloads of the various Manx Radio phone apps.
We are one of the few radio stations anywhere to operate a suite of Facebook pages. This provides bespoke connectivity and engagement with a diverse range of programming and news content – ranging from Mandate, through, Praise to our Breakfast Show, and ensures that followers are only sent information that is relevant to them.
Our Twitter feeds are automatically derived from our RSS news feeds and top level Manx Radio content. In times of adverse weather and national emergency, these feeds are manually updated as appropriate. The uptake of both our Facebook and Twitter services has been outstanding with over 11,000 followers on Twitter and over 27,700 fans of our suite of Facebook pages by the end of March 2013.
Our Social Media offering really came into its own over the snow period at the end of March. Our fans and followers turned to us for the latest information on the Roads and Schools but they also wanted to engage with us by uploading and sharing countless ‘Snow Snaps’ and our insights went through the roof. This is just one tremendous example:
We received this picture from a listener captioned ‘Well Done’ to the Kirk Michael Fire crew who went on a 3 mile trek on foot to deliver 20 litres of fuel to a house powered by a generator at Handleys Corner.
It was liked 1,471 times, shared 294 times, received 148 comments and was seen by over 32,000 people - truly outstanding!
To further make Manx Radio’s services more easily accessible via various platforms we signed an agreement with Cable and Wireless to provide feeds of Manx Radio AM, FM and TT 365 to the Sure TV offering which will provide high quality broadcast streams of our complete output to subscriber’s TVs.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 18
Manx Radio believes that, not only has the station embraced affordable new delivery platforms which provide the station’s services to all via the most appropriate delivery systems, but its compelling and relevant content is now more readily available to both the Manx population and to listeners further afield than it has been at any other time. manxradiott365.com
In May 2012 Manx Radio launched its TT 365 service. Our strategy was to utilise existing archive material to produce a compelling service for TT fans worldwide that would continue to keep the TT alive year round. The service, which was run by one individual, was also planned to become a new, off-Island, revenue stream for the Company.
The venture succeeded on two fronts. Firstly, it brought in 169,604 unique visitors from around the world to listen to the programming on 446,993 occasions, and secondly and most importantly, the average visit duration was an exceptional 58’55”! However, the venture failed because our agreement with the Department of Economic development was not upheld and they decided that they would not support the concept into the future. The internet station closed on 26th April 2013.
To all associated in the making or broadcasting the TT365 radio channel, I say a massive thank you I have enjoyed immensely the past race commentaries once again thank you sorry to see you close. P M
Thank you for the service that you have presented up to now it really holds a special place in the hearts of the dedicated TT race fan. S G
I believe that this radio station has more than fulfilled its remit. It has become a well- respected source of news, information, and memories for hundreds of thousands of listeners around the world. The programmes and presenters really bring the excitement of the event to the listener. D O
Just logged on to discover that the station closed today. I'm gutted. I discovered the TT broadcasts in 2006 and have been a fan since. The quality of the broadcasters put them in a league of their own. Their passion, knowledge and skill in painting the picture via radio was a revelation and I will miss this element of the event no end. The TV highlights are good but having the radio on in the garage on a Saturday just can't be beaten. M N Australia
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 19
V accountability and transparency promise of performance – for the period 1st april ‘12 to 31st march ‘13
weekly actual commitment broadcast
Number of News Bulletins 121 111*
Hours of Current Affairs 16 16
Hours of Sport 8 9
Hours of Religious Broadcasting 2 2
Hours of Community Broadcasting 11 11
Hours of Gaelic Programming 5 5
% of Isle of Man produced content 99% 99%
annual commitment
Days of Radio TT 14 14
Sessions of Tynwald and Keys Broadcasting Including Tynwald Day 33 33
Community events 14 14 web
Average number of visits each month to manxradio.com 190,000 260.180
Average number of unique visitors per month to manxradio.com 48,000 59,881
Number of weekly news stories published online 95 92 transmission
% of continuous FM transmission 99% 100% Carnane (97.2 MHz) & Snaefell (89MHz) 100% Jurby (103.7MHz) & Ramsey (89.5MHz) 99.91%**
% of continuous AM transmission 99% 100%
% of continuous web access 99% 100% compliance
Board meetings 7 8 ***
Audit Committee meetings 3 3
Trust meetings 4 4
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 20
* The number of News Bulletins was incorrectly stated for 2012/13 in the 2011/12 Annual Report and did not reflect cuts that were implemented on 1st April 2012
** Loss of MEA supply to the Jurby site, due to snow, between 00:25 and 08:03 on 23/03/13. The Jurby transmitter has no backup generator. Loss of Jurby also affects the Ramsey transmitter, which takes its feed from Jurby.
Throughout the year there have also been a couple of days of reduced power at Carnane (97.2MHz) during tower/antenna maintenance.
*** An additional Extraordinary General Meetings was held in June 2012
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 21 promise of performance – for the period 1st april 2012 to 31st march 2013
2013/14 weekly commitment broadcast
Number of News Bulletins 111
Hours of Current Affairs 16
Hours of Sport 9
Hours of Religious Broadcasting 2
Hours of Community Broadcasting 11
Hours of Gaelic Programming 5
% of Isle of Man produced content 99%
annual commitment
Days of Radio TT/Festival of Motorcycling 20****
Sessions of Tynwald and Keys Broadcasting Including Tynwald Day 33
Community events 12 web
Average number of visits each month to manxradio.com 260,000
Average number of unique visitors per month to manxradio.com 60,000
Number of weekly news stories published online 92 transmission
% of continuous FM transmission 99%
% of continuous AM transmission 99%
% of continuous web access 99% compliance
Board meetings 7
Audit Committee meetings 3
Trust meetings 4
**** Radio TT reduced to 12 days and coverage of IoM Festival of Motorcycling at 8 days
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 22 broadcast hours by programme type
The following chart shows the average weekly output by genre in hours.
Manx Radio's average weekly output
Analysed by genre in hours /week
Manx News, travel & Weather info
17 8 UK and International News
16 Current Affairs 9 97 Sports 14 2 Religion
Community Programming 5 Gaelic Programming
Remaining output
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 23
VI future plans transmission
While uncertainty remains over the long-term future of AM and the likely decline in listening via this medium with higher quality DAB and FM now the dominant technologies, Manx Radio Engineering is looking harder at areas of the Island where its FM coverage is weak. One such area is Peel, from where a number of listener complaints have been received. A detailed field survey of the area clearly confirmed that FM coverage from the National Broadcaster was poor and, in some areas unusable. Based on these findings, a business case and technical proposal was submitted to the Department of Home Affairs, to establish a low-cost relay transmitter at Peel, similar to the one installed in Ramsey, with support from Ramsey Commissioners, in 2011.
The heavy snowfall that affected the Isle of Man in March, disrupting electrical supplies across the Island, caused loss of power to the Jurby transmitter which has no generator backup. With Manx Radio’s obligation to support emergency planning and communication for the Island, it is a reminder that this deficiency should be addressed in the future.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 24
3. comment from the trustees
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF RADIO MANX LTD PURPOSE TRUST 2012/2013
Trustees: Mrs Caroline Convery Chairperson Mr Malcolm Hartley Mr John Knight Mr Christopher Tunley
The last year has proved yet again to have presented challenges to both the directors of Radio Manx Ltd and the staff at the station.
Continuing budgetary restraints has meant a change to programming with some previously live programmes now being pre-recorded. The Trustees are pleased to note that despite the problems the Promise of Performance has been met with high quality broadcasting and an eclectic range of programmes.
Within its role as public service broadcaster Radio Manx Ltd has again produced an outstanding service for such a small station. The Manx public have been able to rely on a consistent news output with up to date weather warnings; road conditions and other vital information to enable the Manx public to forward plan.
The sports reporting, coverage of Tynwald, farming and Manx language programmes keep the listening public aware and informed of issues affecting Manx life and continue to be an integral part of community issues.
Whilst it is very disappointing that the TT365 service has been withdrawn the trustees note that the directors remain enthusiastic and committed with the emphasis on high standards, good quality and value for money.
The continuing financial pressures on businesses has affected the amount of advertising being purchased – a situation that the board of directors carefully monitor throughout the year with every effort being made to keep expenses down without jeopardising the integrity of the station and its output.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 25
The trustees continue to meet with the directors on a quarterly basis receiving regular reports, RAJAR figures and Audit Committee reports, offering support and suggestions and maintain an overview of the running and management of the station as required by the Purpose Trust.
In conclusion the Trustees are pleased to report that another challenging year has been tackled with diligence and believe the Manx public continue to receive a quality output from both the board of directors, the staff and announcers and believe this will continue in the coming year providing the Isle of Man with a public service broadcaster serving the needs and expectations of the Manx public.
radio manx ltd annual report 2012 – 2013 26
4. the communications commission compliance report
MANX RADIO – STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE 2012-13
In the period under report, the Communications Commission received no formal complaints against Manx Radio in respect of news and current affairs.
The Communications Commission has no reason to believe that during the period under report Manx Radio did not comply with the terms of the licence under the Broadcasting Act 1993 granted by the Commission to Radio Manx Limited.
On behalf of the Commission.
Dr Carmel McLaughlin Director
22 May 2013