19 February 2013
The radio industry in Australia has taken the first step to future proof the radio audience measurement system with the announcement of GfK as the preferred service provider for radio audience measurement surveys from 1 January 2014. Mobile data capture and online recruitment and data capture will be key new features of the next radio audience measurement contract awarded to international research company, GfK, Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) announced today.
“This is an exciting time for the radio industry and marks a new era for the future of radio audience measurement in Australia ensuring currency continuity, a multi-mode approach to data collection including plans for the testing of electronic measurement enhancements,” said Joan Warner, chief executive officer of CRA.
The new three year contract with GfK will be negotiated to begin 1 January 2014 and introduces an e-diary for computers, tablets and mobile phones, synchronised across the internet and compatible with all operating systems. It will be necessary for GfK to conduct further successful parallel pilot testing throughout 2013, prior to the new contract coming into force. This will ensure validity of the new processes and multi-modal data capture methods and comparability with the existing currency.
From the first survey in 2014 there will be a minimum of 20% of survey participants recruited online and completing the e-diary. This percentage will be closely monitored with the aim of reviewing and possibly increasing the percentage for year two. Also included in the new contract is real-time management and monitoring of the personal placement of diaries to ensure that population potentials for difficult to reach youth demographics are closely reflected in the sample.
“As part of the new relationship, GfK will utilise their worldwide expertise and work closely with the industry to conduct leading edge and innovative trials of electronic devices in the first 2 years of the contract. The aim being to integrate the best and latest form of electronic measurement into the radio audience measurement suite of tools by the end of the first three year term”, Ms Warner said.
GfK will also launch a new radio audience behaviour panel which will go beyond the surveys and examine key issues for the radio and media industries including consumption of radio via the internet, platform usage trends, the role of radio in people’s lives, mobile and headphone listening. This panel will be made up of 5,000 respondents per year with quarterly reporting of key insights.
These innovations together with the Gold Standard for radio analysis software that will be in place for 2014 will ensure a very exciting future for radio audience measurement in this country.
Ms Warner said that as well as the training on the new system that would be provided by GfK to stations and agencies, before the start of the new contract, CRA will offer comprehensive briefings to agencies and advertisers on the new survey methodology and the progress of pilot tests.
“GfK was awarded the new audience measurement contract after a five month tender process. GfK was chosen by the industry to move radio audience measurement forward in the immediate future due to its extensive international experience, reputation for research excellence, and innovative but rigorous approaches to the measurement challenges ahead. This new relationship marks an exciting transition for the Australian radio industry.”
GfK operates radio ratings, including an electronic diary, in several countries overseas including the Netherlandsand Germany. Gary Lamb, Managing Director of GfK said: “This is a big day for GfK, and we fully appreciate its importance for the Australian radio industry. We are thrilled to be working together with CRA to future-proof radio audience measurement by bringing exciting innovations to recruitment and data-collection techniques, new software for data analysis and advertising optimisation, and fresh perspectives on listening behaviour.”
Ms Warner said trials in 2012 of e-diaries were very positive leading to the significant changes to be made to data collection in the next contract.
“E-diaries have been met with high levels of acceptance among listeners both overseas and also in trials conducted for CRA inAustraliain 2012. People’s increasing use of technology has meant listeners are now more willing to record their listening habits online and while on the go.”
“Australiaalready has one of the most robust and reliable radio audience measurement systems in the world and the new partnership with GfK will bring even further improvements to this world class system. It should also be remembered that radio’s major strengths – its mobility, ubiquity and reach into all situations – conversely, provide some of the major challenges in developing a robust and reliable radio audience measurement system,” Ms Warner said.
“At this stage, no electronic device has proved to be reliable or robust enough as the sole measure of radio audience measurement given the scale and complexity of radio’s requirements. However the industry is committed to investigating with GfK in the first 24 months whether there is a device that may be integrated into a multimodal approach and would be both feasible and cost effective.”
Ms Warner thanked the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) and the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) for their participation on the Tender Committee and in the often exhausting and time consuming tender process. She also praised their commitment to continue as part of the Research Committee to oversee the pilot tests and the move to the new survey provider.
Ms Warner thanked Nielsen Media, holder of the current contract, for its long service to the industry through the provision of radio ratings for the past 66 years inAustralia. The current contract for radio surveys, held by Nielsen, does not expire until the end of 2013.
The new ratings system will include:
• eight surveys a year in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth as well as three surveys a year in Newcastle and the Gold Coast, two a year in Canberra and one in Wollongong;
• real time management of fieldwork information to ensure quotas for difficult to reach demographics are met to deliver representative sample composition;;
• proven and tested online and e-diary system used internationally;
• parallel trials throughout 2013 to ensure validity and reliability of new data capture methods
• the establishment of the Gold Standard for radio analysis software allowing for certification of software used for radio audience measurement reporting;
• a 24-hour diary system that will, initially, include 20% online recruitment and data capture;
• formation of a new 5000 member panel to track audience behaviour;
• testing of electronic measurement in the first two years of the contract
Rhys Holleran, Chair of Commercial Radio Australia and CEO of Southern Cross Austereo said, “Networks and radio stations across Australia should welcome this decision given the significant changes to come with plans to include the e-diary and to investigate electronic data collection. It will also be good news for advertisers who have been encouraging radio to explore additional data collection methods to position us for the 21st century.”
14 February 2013
Incoming BBC Director-General Tony Hall has announced his first major senior management appointments. 
Helen Boaden (right), currently head of news, becomes head of radio (a department whose name has been “Audio and Music” for the past few years).
James Purnell, a former culture minister in the UK government under Labour, returns to the BBC to the new post of director of strategy and digital. Purnell was head of corporate planning of the BBC before leaving to work for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
BBC Vision regains the telly – it is to be known as BBC Television again. Hall says that the BBC’s audience – and everyone within the corporation – talks of radio and television, not “audio and music” and “vision” so it makes sense to give them their proper names.
13 February 2013
Dailymotion’s partners can now sell their content – including live content – with Dailymotion’s OpenVOD service.
OpenVOD was launched at the end of 2012 to test its viability. The trial period is now complete, and it has met its success criteria in attracting quality content partners. The result is that the programme will be continued and developed by Dailymotion.
The OpenVOD programme allows any professional partners or Motionmaker (Dailymotion’s registered creative partners) to sell their videos on its online platform.
By using the OpenVOD service, content owners can offer all or part of their programmes to be rented individually or by monthly subscription. The partner alone determines the price and the term of the rental. Partners can create a Dailymotion area dedicated to their brand, where this premium content, alongside any free videos, can be made available.
OpenVOD offers one huge advantage over the current market: “pay-per-view” live events.
The uniqueness of the service is also reflected in the variety of genres and content it has attracted so far. These include feature films, short films, TV series, documentaries, animated shows, children’s programming, sports, music, advice and podcasts.
The service is already available in 34 countries including the UK, and many international partners are quickly coming on board. These include:
The British documentary: Journeyman Pictures http://www.dailymotion.com/journeyman
In France, the initial focus of the service trial, mainstream content has included: France Télévision’s dedicated space; thematic offerings such as “Plus Belle La Vie” which offers a subscription for €2.99 per month to see the first two seasons in their entirety, or “Les Dessous des Cartes,” the flagship programme of Arte in which each programme is available for rent for €0.99 or together for a monthly subscription of €3.99.
“OpenVod is a new form of monetising videos on Dailymotion for our partners. OpenVOD aims to level the field of VOD. It has never been easier to sell a video, even a live one, whether on Dailymotion or any other site with the exported Dailymotion player. The business model defies competition with the payment of 70% of the net income back to the partners.” explains Martin Rogard, Executive Vice President of Global Content and Amandine Durr Premium Services Manager for Dailymotion.
The experience is also simplified for consumers. A free preview of each video is offered by the content owners in order to preview the programme before buying it.
The customer experience has also been redesigned and simplified: Dailymotion, along with the payment platform powered by Cleeng, offers different payment methods adapted to each territory (credit card, PayPal, SMS payment, payment by phone). (Soruce: Dailymotion press release)
13 February 2013
WRN Broadcast, the international broadcast services company, has today confirmed it’s partnership with the content design and creation company, Somethin’ Else, to syndicate radio content for The BRIT Awards 2013.
WRN Broadcast, which has partnered with Somthin’ Else since 2004 for this annual music awards event, will be transmitting the event on it’s own dedicated events channel – an audio-only channel specifically available for such ad-hoc projects.
David Treadway, CEO, WRN Broadcast, commented, “WRN Broadcast is again thrilled to play a part in syndicating the BRIT Awards – and as such, celebrating the very best in British music and continuing our longstanding relationship with Somethin’ Else.”
The BRIT Awards, which has been going since 1977, is the biggest event in the British music calendar which last year saw Adele, Coldplay and Blur win British Female Artist, British Group and Outstanding Contribution to Music Awards, respectively.
Tom Green, Executive Producer, Somethin’ Else, said, “Somethin’ Else has been syndicating content for The BRIT Awards for over ten years and have consistently relied on the broadcast expertise and services WRN Broadcast provides. We’re very proud to bring BRITs fans this fantastic annual event, wherever they may be.”
The BRIT Awards 2013 with Mastercard will be taking place on 20 February 2013, at London’s o2 Arena. (Source: WRN Broadcast press release)
13 February 2013
World Radio Day 2013
February 13 marks World Radio Day, a celebration of the world’s oldest mass communication medium.
Radio remains the most widely-consumed media on the planet, with broadcasters reaching listeners on traditional FM and AM services, as well as via satellite, set top boxes, mobile phones and the Internet.
Radio is a trusted friend to many and a primary source of news and information. It’s engaging. It’s portable. It’s always available.
We’ve from Finland where every radio station joined together to offer a love poem to listeners, we’ve heard of events across India celebrating the medium.
As we mark World Radio Day 2013, AIB salutes its radio broadcaster members and all radio broadcasters around the world.
12 February 2013
The International News Safety Institute urges journalists to exercise caution while covering demonstrations in Tunisia.
There have been reports of unrest since the murder of the liberal politician Chokri Belaid
last week, the first political assassination since Tunisia’s independence from France in
1965.
On 8 February Tunis was engulfed by violent protests, which have not occurred since January 2011. Police fired tear gas into the crowds and there were reports of armed youths smashing cars and clashing with police. Although the situation has stabilised it is likely that protests will begin again this Friday (15 February).
INSI’s advice on covering demonstrations and other civil disorders includes:
Journalists should be aware that water cannons and tear gas (CS gas) may be used.
Journalists have also reported that their mobile phones and cameras were stolen while
covering last Friday’s protests. Consider covering the unrest with your back to a wall to
ensure that this is less likely to happen.
Covering demonstrations and other civil disorders
Before you head out, consider the following:
• Ensure your accreditation is in order and easily accessible.
• You may wish to alert the authorities that your news organisation plans to cover the
protests, if it is appropriate and not dangerous to do so in the country you are in. If so,
obtain the mobile number of the person in charge; the more senior the better.
• Take protective gear. This can include helmets, gas masks, or bullet proof vests with
protective plates. Your decision regarding this may depend on what weapons the local
police force uses for crowd control.
• In case of tear gas, carry a bandana and soak it in water. Cover your mouth and nose
with it. Try to use some sort of goggles to protect your eyes. Ladies – consider not wearing
make up as tear gas sticks to it.
• Try not to wear contact lenses as the tear gas will get under the lense. Bring eye drops
and spare glasses.
• Wear comfortable boots that you can run in.
• Wear natural fabrics, which may be less flammable than synthetic fabrics.
• Prepare a backpack with supplies to last a day: lightweight rain gear, energy bars and
water, spare batteries for electronic equipment, protective equipment.
• Pack a medical kit and know how to use it.
• Carry a photocopy of your press accreditation and telephone numbers of your editor and
lawyer. Make sure your editor knows how to reach your family in case you’re arrested or
hurt.
• Set your mobile phone to speed dial with an emergency number pre-set.
• If possible, ensure you have studied the map prior to going on the ground. Consider
filming from high vantage points. Agree a rendez-vous point in case you lose your team
and agree a “safe” place where you can retreat if the situation becomes too dangerous.
On the ground:
• Try not go alone and if you can, take someone to watch your back if you’re shooting
pictures.
• As soon as you arrive, look for escape routes and ensure you know the landmarks to
head for if you become disorientated.
• Try to stay on the edge of the crowd and do not get caught on the line between police
and protestors.
• Crowds have a life of their own. Be constantly aware of the mood and attitude.
• Alert your editors if the mood starts to change and begin to think of what your plan is.
• If planning to change direction, seek advice from people who have just come from the
direction you’re heading.
• Television crews should travel as light as possible. If experiencing aggression, ensure
your backpack is big enough to hold the tripod and pack it away. Be prepared to leave it
behind if you need to run away.
When trouble erupts:
• Avoid horses. They bite and kick.
• Try to stay upwind from tear gas.
• Try to avoid getting in the line of the water being fired as it will damage your kit. It often
has dye in it for the security forces to be able to identify the protestors after.
• If the police detain you, try to ask them to call the person in charge if you have their
number. Try to speak to a senior officer, as this will have more impact.
• Call your editor, ensure legal advice is available through your organisaiton.
• Try to avoid violence if you can and move away to film if necessary.
