News story about debate precipitated by UK media regulator Ofcom's 'Future Of Radio' consultation concerning commercial radio's "lack of innovation" and "creative failure", written by Grant Goddard in November 2006 for The Radio Magazine.

1. NEWS: OFCOM 'FUTURE OF
RADIO' CONSULTATION SPARKS
DEBATE OVER RADIO SECTOR'S
"LACK OF INNOVATION" AND
"CREATIVE FAILURE"
by
GRANT GODDARD
www.grantgoddard.co.uk
November 2006

2. Following Ofcom’s launch last week of its consultation on 'The Future Of
Radio', fierce debate has ensued within the industry over the commercial radio
sector’s issues and strategies.
An editorial in trade magazine 'Campaign' said that “Ofcom’s statement reads
like a charity appeal for a dying dog …. Sadly, there is no guarantee that more
flexible rules will be capitalised on by some commercial radio companies. After
all, many are starting to attract criticism for their lack of innovation within the
existing rules.”
Another trade magazine 'NMA' said: “Industry executives refer to the creative
failure of traditional radio services in the digital age.”
Patrick Affleck, account director at Zed Media, asked: “Are radio stations ready
to open their airwaves to increased user participation and user-generated
content? Not yet, it seems. The question is how long radio can remain closed
to its consumers.”
Asked by an advertising agency why “the major [radio] groups are
homogenising their output with staid contemporary hit radio formats across the
analogue spectrum,” Fru Hazlitt, CEO of 'Virgin Radio', replied: “There’s a
reference here to everybody rushing in to ‘Let’s play female, boring Dido dah-
di-dah hits and everybody be the same in the same bubble chasing that same
audience.’ Yes, that can be a tendency in radio. But I would also challenge
advertisers and would say: ‘You know what. The other problem is that it’s so
hard. You want niche stations? You put your money where your mouth is and
we will deliver them.’ But when you produce these stations – at Virgin, we have
three that are doing very well – but, god, it’s hard to get advertisers to buy into
them. So, if you want those niche stations, you support them.”
Asked if there is a future for music radio, Hazlitt responded: “Of course there’s
a future for music radio. This nonsense of saying that people are going to
choose their own music and they are all going to listen to iPods is, frankly,
bollocks because most of us can’t be bothered to go and find new artists. We
wait for somebody to recommend them to us and that is what radio does so
beautifully. And I would challenge anybody out there. I’ll bet you anything that
the majority of us did not [first] hear Sandy Thom on MySpace. And, if you
pretend you did, you’re lying. Most of you will have heard it on radio. Radio
tells you what to type into the search box and I think that is always going to be
critical. “
Asked if there is a future for Virgin Radio on the AM frequency, Hazlitt said: “Of
course, there’s no future on the flippin’ AM frequency. Have you tried listening
to it recently? Every time that anybody rings up who is listening to us on the
AM frequency, I want to zip over to their house myself and go ‘Thank you’
because the fact that they are continuing to listen on such a crappy piece of
technology is amazing. They must love us. That frequency has to go. It has to
be re-auctioned as a more advanced piece of spectrum.”
News: Ofcom 'Future Of Radio' Consultation Sparks Debate Over Radio Sector's "Lack Of Innovation" And "Creative
Failure" page 2
©2006 Grant Goddard

3. News: Ofcom 'Future Of Radio' Consultation Sparks Debate Over Radio Sector's "Lack Of Innovation" And "Creative
Failure" page 3
©2006 Grant Goddard
[First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'Debate Rages Over Future Of Radio', #764, 29 November 2006]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk