Local commercial radio content Qualitative Research Report Prepared for Ofcom by Kantar Media 1 Contents Contents ................................................................................................................................................. 2 1 Executive summary .................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Summary of key findings .......................................................................................................... 5 2 Background and objectives ..................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Background ............................................................................................................................ 10 2.2 Research objectives ............................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Research approach and sample ............................................................................................ 11 2.3.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 11 2.3.2 Workshop groups: approach and sample ........................................................................... 11 2.3.3 Research flow summary ..................................................................................................... 12 3 Setting a local context .............................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Summary of key findings ........................................................................................................ 14 3.3 Existing perceptions of ‘local’ ................................................................................................. 14 3.3.1 Items symbolising local areas ............................................................................................ 14 3.3.2 Visualising local areas ........................................................................................................ 16 4 The role of radio ........................................................................................................................ 18 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 18 4.2 Summary of key findings ........................................................................................................ 18 4.3 Radio as an accessible and universally available medium .................................................... 19 4.3.1 The accessibility of radio .................................................................................................... 19 4.3.2 The universal availability of radio ....................................................................................... 19 4.3.2 Listening diary excerpts ...................................................................................................... 20 4.3.3 Living without radio ............................................................................................................. 22 4.4 The personal and social benefits of radio .............................................................................. 24 4.4.1 Personal benefits of radio ................................................................................................... 25 4.4.2 Social benefits of radio ....................................................................................................... 26 5 Perceptions of the local media landscape ............................................................................. 28 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 28 2 5.2 Summary of key findings ........................................................................................................ 28 5.3 Perceptions of the radio market ............................................................................................. 30 5.4 Understanding of and attitudes towards local radio ............................................................... 33 5.4.1 Geographical expectations of local radio ........................................................................... 33 5.4.2 Perceptions of non-networked and networked local commercial stations .......................... 34 5.5 The role of local radio compared to other media sources ...................................................... 36 5.5.1 Broadcast sources of local content .................................................................................... 37 5.5.2 Print sources of local content ............................................................................................. 40 5.5.3 Digital sources of local content ........................................................................................... 41 5.5.4 Summarising the role of local radio versus other media sources ....................................... 43 6 Local radio content ................................................................................................................... 44 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 44 6.2 Summary of key findings ........................................................................................................ 44 6.3 Spontaneous importance of local radio content types ........................................................... 46 6.4 Relative importance of locally made content: Individual responses ....................................... 48 6.4.1 Personal and societal perspectives: Pre- and post-discussion responses ......................... 49 6.4.2 Prompted personal and societal importance allocations .................................................... 50 6.4.3 Forced future trade-offs of content types ........................................................................... 52 6.5 Local news bulletins ............................................................................................................... 54 6.6 Local information updates ...................................................................................................... 55 6.7 Locally based presenters ....................................................................................................... 57 6.8 Music on local radio ............................................................................................................... 58 6.8.1 Perceptions of the regulatory requirements for music on local radio ................................. 60 Appendices .......................................................................................................................................... 62 Appendix A: Individual perceptions of the local media landscape ................................................ 62 Appendix B: Sample details and logistics ........................................................................................ 65 Appendix C: Local media sources by location ................................................................................. 67 Appendix D: Pre-task diary excerpts ................................................................................................. 68 Appendix E: Brand mapping examples ............................................................................................. 69 Appendix F: Workshop groups discussion guide ............................................................................ 74 Appendix G: Recruitment screener questionnaire .......................................................................... 80 Appendix H: Self-completion questionnaire A ................................................................................. 91 3 Appendix I: Self-completion questionnaire – Importance of content categories .......................... 97 Appendix J: Self-completion questionnaire – Local commercial radio station future trade-offs 99 Appendix K: Self-completion questionnaire B ............................................................................... 100 4 1 Executive summary 1.1 Background Ofcom commissioned Kantar Media to conduct research into listeners’ perceptions of the local material and locally made programmes on local radio, and the extent to which this content is delivered uniquely compared to other media sources. The research also explored listeners’ expectations of the music provided by local commercial radio stations. The research focused on local commercial stations broadcast on analogue radio (FM and AM) and also considered digital radio. While participants discussed other types of radio stations – such as national, digital-only, and community radio services – as other sources of content, these were not a principal focus of the research. This report is based on qualitative research findings drawn from 24 workshop groups conducted across 12 UK locations, covering England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. To enable discussion about local commercial radio, the research sample comprised