AER special bulletin – 10th edition – Radios and COVID19 – 17 June 2020

INITIATIVES AT NATIONAL LEVEL

CROATIA
HRF – HRVATSKI RADIJSKI FORUM


3rd HRF Academy: the success story of radio targeting young generations
The Croatian Radio Forum Association started back its training programme, with the 3rd HRF Academy held on June 10th. The topic of the 3rd HRF Academy was youth-format radio stations with programmes targeted to young audiences, why the model is successful and how it works. The students had the opportunity to discuss the subject in length with experts of the sector while visiting successful radio stations that are members of HRF.

Silvija Londero Šimleša, President of HRF, said: “By implementing this unique and progressive training model, Croatian Radio Forum Association aims to provide young people, students and the professional community with a platform for systematic radio education for the purpose of promoting, developing and improving radio as a medium with varying topics, from digitalization and technological development to media’s role in times of crisis.”

More on HRF’s website.  

FRANCE
SIRTI – LE SYNDICAT DES RADIOS INDÉPENDANTES

€1.3bn in support for culture and the media

The third draft amending the Finance Law for 2020 (PLFR3) was presented to the Council of Ministers and tabled in the National Assembly on June 10th, aiming at strengthening the governmental support mechanism for the sectors most affected by the crisis. The emergency support plan for these most affected sectors is of €43.5 billion, including €1.3 billion for the culture and media sector. The Minister for Culture further clarified that the government’s support for culture and media was of €3.5 billion, the sum of €1.5 billion towards specific measures and €2 billion allocated for general measures.

Journal Satellifax stressed that the adoption of an advertising tax credit, as requested by the media sector, will be introduced through amendments during the debate on the PLFR3.

More information here.

COVID-19: The Senate puts forward 10 propositions for the Audiovisual sector

The Culture Committee of the Senate acknowledged in its Conclusions on June 10th, that it is important to provide support to the audiovisual media that has been at the forefront of the health crisis.
1.       Give the audiovisual sector appropriate support in view of its economic weight and its democratic and cultural role;
2.       Ensure the sustainability of public service broadcasting by guaranteeing long term resources;
3.       Finalise the reform of the public audiovisual service;
4.       Preserve the terrestrial broadcasting of France 4 and its programming dedicated to youth and education;
5.       Adopt a general and temporary measure to support publishers’ investments in production and information;
6.       Clarify the financing model of public and private audiovisual media;
7.       Leveraging subscription video platforms by transposition the AVMS Directive;
8.       Preserve audiovisual diversity by, in particular, supporting independent radio and local television stations;
9.       Enhancing the attractiveness of 24-hour news channels;
10.   Relaxing production regulations to encourage investment.
 
More information here.


GERMANY
VAUNET – VERBAND PRIVATER RUNDFUNK UND TELEMEDIEN E.V.

Emergency aid funding program for broadcasting in Brandenburg

The Media Council of the Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb – the local media regulatory of Berlin Brandenburg) decided on June 16th, on an emergency aid funding program for local and regional radio and TV. The aim of the program is to support local journalism in the corona crisis and to maintain media diversity in Berlin and Brandenburg.

At the beginning of May 2020, the majority of the Brandenburg state parliament demanded corona-related funding for private media in Brandenburg. The state government is now providing the media regulator with state funds of €750.000 for its own use in 2020. With these funds, mabb will support the technical sales of radio and local TV broadcasters in Brandenburg. The program includes around €225.000 for local TV, around €375.000 for radio broadcasters and around €150.000 for broadcasters in Berlin with programs and distribution in and for Brandenburg.

More information here


GREECE
EIIRA – THE ASSOCIATION OF ATHENIAN PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS


Radio listening in Athens rose to its pre-COVID-19 high level

The most recent audience measurement data by AEMAR confirmed that radio ratings have returned to the high levels of listening, customary before the pandemic. Radio listening rose to an average 80.7% daily and 79.1% during the weekend, accounting for a total of 80.3% in general population’s listening.
 
The findings are the continuation of a positive trend, showing the high levels of trust in radio, with 84,2% of respondents in the recent research indicating radio as their most trusted medium and their favorite medium for providing trustworthy information and a friendly tone, 96.2% tuning into radio for companionship, and 69.6% of respondents strongly stating that they “couldn’t live without radio” .
 
More information on EIIRA’s website.
 
IRELAND
IBI – THE INDEPENDENT BROADCASTERS OF IRELAND


Radio: the source of news in Ireland

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has funded the inclusion of Ireland in the Reuters Institute Digital News Report as part of its work on fostering media plurality in Ireland. The study covers 40 countries worldwide and aims to understand how news is being consumed globally, with a focus on digital news consumption and the devices used to access the news. 

Radio continues to poll strongly in Ireland, with more Irish consumers citing this medium as their main source of news than counterparts in the UK, North America & EU” cites the Report.

More here


UK
RADIOCENTRE

Arqiva’s temporary relief for commercial radios

Thanks to the negotiations between Radiocentre and the UK government on ways to support the radio industry in the face of the severe economic downturn that is affecting the sector, the commercial radio sector has received a support package from Arqiva – the leading UK communications infrastructure company.  
 
The temporary aid package from Arqiva is designed to help its customers with the cost of transmission during the coronavirus pandemic. Details of the new measures were confirmed in a letter to Siobhan Kenny, Radiocentre CEO, by Steve Holebrook Managing Director, Media Networks at Arqiva.
 
More information here.

Ofcom regulation relaxed until end of 2020

The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom confirmed, in a note to broadcasters covering a range of issues regarding regulation during Covid-19, that it will continue to allow greater flexibility on regulation until the end of the year 2020 to protect staff and provide the best possible service to audiences, following representations from Radiocentre and the commercial radio sector. As a result, it will not be taking enforcement action if a broadcaster is unable to meet all of its programming and production requirements, at least until the end of the calendar year.
 
More information here.

Bounce-back & Beyond

Radiocentre commissioned research agency DRG to explore how the coronavirus crisis has influenced spending intentions in the short and long term. The study examines how a consumer spending bounce-back can be expected with confinement measures lifting and shops preparing to re-open their doors.
 
The new report “Bounce-back & Beyond” explores how radio impacts decision making across different groups of listeners, and what audiences are most keen to spend on. Activities that have been most impacted by the lockdown, such as eating out at restaurants or socialising in bars or pubs, and travelling both within in the UK and abroad, top the list of things respondents are looking forward to spending money on again.
 
More information here.

For further information, please contact francesca.fabbri(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)aereurope.org and +32 2 736 91 31.