Issue no. 5, dated 6 November 1992, of 'Radio News' weekly newsletter for the UK radio broadcasting industry, written and published by Grant Goddard in November 1992.

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THE WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE UK RADIO INDUSTRY
SATELLITE STATION IN MOONLIGHT FLIT
Satellite radio station Quality
Europe FM [QEFM] suddenly moved its
whole operation from Gloucester to
Surrey last weekend under the
auspices of a newly-formed company,
leaving its former company in
liquidation with outstanding debts.
Raymond Pearson, director and former
MD of the original company Radio
Cheltenham Ltd, said the station
faced "a difficult situation in such
a corner" and admitted he had been
told by solicitors not to say
anything about the liquidation.
"There are certain things that have
partly caused [the move] to happen,"
he commented, '~ut I wouldn't want to
get into a situation discussing that -
at this time."
Asked why the canpany had been wound
up, the station's Programme
Controller/Head of Sales Roy
Litchfield replied that it had become
defunct and was no longer necessary.
''We are carrying on with QEFM Ltd,
just the one company, at the moment,"
Litchfield explained. "Two other
companies have been formed as well,
QEFM Easy Listening Ltd and QEFM
Country Ltd, to take account of what
will happen in the future".
Radio Cheltenham Ltd was formed to
apply for the Cheltenham commercial
radio licence advertised by the Radio
Authority last year. The consortium
operated two Restricted Service
Licences in the area and launched
QEFM with a 24-hour easy listening
format on the Astra satellite as part
of their campaign, though they failed
to win the Cheltenham licence.
Litchfield attributed the weekend
flit to Camberley to "lack of space"
in Gloucester but subsequently said:
,~ place where we were sitting was
a private house and the poor bugger
couldn't get the rest of his mortgage
sorted out, so we didn't have too
much choice other than to move".
Asked what would happen to the unpaid
creditors of the old company,
Litchfield said: "I don't know. I've
no idea. It's nothing to do with me".
QEFM's new home is thought to be the
studios of former satellite station
Radio Nova International whose 1988
launch, attended by the then Minister
of Broadcasting Timothy Renton, ended
in failure. Nova's owner, Cbris
Carey, launched two more satellite
stations, Pirate Radio and Club
Radio, that failed and announced
recently a new plan to rent Radio
Luxembourg's 208 AM channel for a
country station.
QEFM had its own plan to launch a
satellite country music channel,
which Litchfield says looks "very
promising" and could be on the air
"very quickly now with major American
backing".
In a separate deal that coincided
with last weekend's move, a
London-based canpany called Rock Shop
Radio has bought airtime on QEFM to
advertise its mail-order CD service
daily between 8.3Opm and 5am. This
replaces an overnight service called
Radio Nova run the previous month on
airtime bought by ex-Nova
International Programme Controller
Keith Lewis.
"It didn't work: financially. It was a
complete dead duck," explained Lewis.
"All the so-called marketing people
[at QEFM] who said they were going to
do this, that and the other quite
frankly never did a bloody thing."
QEFM's claim last year to have "an
audience of seven million regular
listeners" was greeted with
scepticism by the radio industry,
since this would make it Europe's
most popular radio station.
The winner of the Cheltenham licence,
planning to launch as C0603 next
March, has booked advertising in the
local press to emphasise it has no
connection with the liquidated Radio
Cheltenham Ltd.
MIDL.AN"DS SELLS WNK STAKE
Following ten BOOths of negotiatioo,
flidlands Radio plc has sold its 45
share in Rorth Loodon a..mity
station WIII to a amsartilB of black
entrepreneurs. 'I'be deill, reportedly
worth .are than £100,000, places
OOIItrol of the three year-Qld statiOD
in the hands of seven directors under
new cbainEn Ranny Cotter CBE.
Ridlands' 1990/91 accoonts bad set an
extraordinary item of £169,000
against the a.pany's ill-fated
investment in WI[, and a further loss
of around £35,000 was suffered in the
first half of 1991/92. WIl'S
advertising revenue for 1990/91 was
reportedly only E131,OOO, the
llajority raised ftal local sales.
'I'be ex-pirate has been hampered by
its shared FIt frequency with London
Greek Radio that gives each station
belve hours a day on-air in
four-hour tranches, and by OOIItinued
COIIpetition froll Iorth London reggae
pirates. In its only JICRAR audience
survey, WII attracted a 0.1 share of
radio listening in its 1.1.. target
area, and its intentioo to be
included in the current RAJAR
research has been scappered by the
cost.
'I'be statiODI S Iorth London lioena!
expires in 1994, and the Radio
Authority has pledged to re-advertise
it next Septe.ber as a single
station, foccing at least one of the
incmIbents off the air. WIII:'s staff
curreut.ly includes Progr_
Caltroller Zak, ex-Manager of defunct
London sw.! pirate LiiR, and daytiE
presenter Bernie flichaels, better
known as ex-Radio 1 and Carol.iDe DJ
DWe Peach.
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HA1 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
~ radio news 1992 page 1

2. CAPITAL
Capital Radio MD Richard Eyre has
launched the notional concept of a
fourth national commercial radio
channel, enabling advertisers to book
campaigns across the entire network
of local stations. The idea builds
upon the success of the Network Chart
Show and IRN Newslink, both of which
are broadcast by most commercial
stations and marketed centrally by
Capital's saleshouse MS&M.
Eyre said the radio industry trade
association AIRC had agreed to
develop further networked
progranming, in the form of both
whole shows and individual features,
that would be available to sponsors
and advertisers.
The Radio Authority has issued its
first policy statement on Digital
Audio Broadcasting [DAB], the new
CD-quality radio transmission system
destined to succeed AM/FM by the end
of the century. Its sixteen-page
document suggests that DAB receivers
could be available as early as 1995,
though they are likely to be priced
at whatever premium the market will
bear for the first few years, as was
CD in its early days.
Most of the existing natiOllal and
local AM and FM stations will be
simulcast for several years on the
new system, though there will be
additional capacity for new DAB-only
services that could provide consumers
with an incentive to purchase the
receivers. The Authority is demanding
RAIDERS
Pirate radio interference is causing
severe problems for listeners to
legal South London rock station
Raiders FM, presently broadcasting
for one month as part of a campaign
to win a permanent licence.
Raiders FM, itself an ex-pirate, took
to the air on Thursday 29th October
from its Thames-side studio using the
assigned 87.7 FM frequency, but was
almost inaudible in central London by
the weekend because of pirate
interference.
'~re's a rave station from North
London on 87.8 and a reggae station
on 87.9," explained Raiders'
drivetime DJ Mike SUIIIJlers. "The
frequency [allocated to Raiders] is
wrong. They should have given us
something nearer the middle of the
[FM] dial".
Raiders' MD/Chief Engineer Dave
LAUNCHES INR.4
,~ opportunity exists for you to
hecome closely involved in the
creation of new material," Eyre told
potential clients at the Radio '92
Conference, "whilst respecting the
fact that editorial control will
ultimately remain ours."
He cited features such as "mum's
coffee break, shopping list time,
drivetime features, kids home from
school" that could be offered within
INR4 as "national radio advertising
executed through local radio."
Eyre argued that radio was still
under-utilised hy advertisers and
pledged his commitment to growing the
medium's share.
DAB BY 1995?
that one or two of these extra
channels be allocated to new national
commercial stations, to redress what
it calls "the present imbalance"
between the BBC's six such networks
and the commercial sector's three.
'~robably the worst management
headache," said Radio Authority Chief
Executive Peter Baldwin, "is
sub-dividing the terrestial and
satellite [DAB] bands, first, between
publicly-funded services and
COIIIDercial services and then between
national, regional and local so that
a complex array of services of
varying coverage and economic
viability can be acCOl1lOOdated".
Because DAB technology requires each
transmitter to be shared by five or
SCUPPERED BY
Sherry said he had reported the
interference on Saturday to the OTI,
who are responsible for action
against illegal broadcasters.
"Presumably they will sort it out in
the fullness of time," said Sherry,
though he had had no response from
the OTI by mid-week. He was concerned
that the problem would reduce the
impact of Raiders' campaign.
"Quite a few people were catqJlaining
about it," Sherry said. ''We had
numerous phone calls in the studio
from our listeners saying they
couldn't hear us".
Asked if there had been a good
response to Raiders' programmes, Mike
SUllIIIers answered: ''No, and I put it
down to the frequency and pirate
interference".
Dave Sherry, who had worked as
CONCEPT
'~re iso't a developed advertising
market in the world where radio takes
as little as 2% of the total cake,"
he admitted. ''Maybe we in radio have
made too many mistakes over the last
twenty years. Or maybe you in
agencies have."
And he responded to criticisms that
Capital exploits its predominant
position in the commercial radio
industry to the detriment of smaller
stations.
"Over the years, Capital has -shown
its own fair share of self-interest
within the 2%," he said. "I'm telling
you now that that is a charge you are
going to find it very difficult to
stick on me."
six stations, the system is unlikely
to be eCOllomically viable in rural
areas where there are fewer than
three local services, and where AM/FM
will have to continue. To add DAB,
the Authority suggests each station
budget an additional 60% of its
present FM transmission costs.
The document asks the Government to
establish a "national forum" to plan
the introduction and development of
DAB, since transmission facilities
will have to be shared by BBC and
coomercial stations. By 2007, DAB is
expected to have replaced most FM
transmitters in the 87.5-108
waveband, and will be available
direct from satellite on new channels
around 1.5 GHz.
PIRATES
~J/engineer for 80s soul pirates JFM
and Solar, believes London needs a
permanent rock station.
''We've got two soul/dance stations,"
he explained, "and another station
that was supposed to be jazz but
which is now a jazz-funk/soul/dance
station. But we haven't got anything
to cater for people who like rock
music, which is the father of all
musics".
One Raiders FM insider noted how
ironic it was that the low power
output and aerial height allowed
under the station's temporary licence
make its signal substantially worse
than that achieved in its pirate
heyday. other London stations,
including KISS FM, encountered
similar interference from pirates on
launch.
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HA1 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
, radio news 1992 page 2

3. CLASSIC FR's Friday evening review
show Classic Verdict is sponsored by
the Clerical Medical Investment Group
in a new six-month deal. The
station's Sunday night classical
cabaret show debuts this month,
broadcast live from Smollensky's
Balloon Bar ***** David MelIor's
offer to present CAPITAL RADIO's
weekly Westminster report , was
politely refused but his media
assault continues with a guest spot
on RADIO 4's The Radio Programme
(Sun 8th 3.30-4pm) ***** Stephen
Mitchell is appointed Managing Editor
of BBC RADIO HEWS ***** BAY
RADIO/Morecambe becomes the tenth
station to sign with NTL for
transmission facilities during the
last year ***** Croydon's hospital
service RADIO RAYDAY needs a
volunteer station engineer
081-689-9200 ***** BBC RADIOS YOR( &
HUMBERSIDE need a Researcher
0532-441188 x244 ***** The station
with the most unwieldy name, BBC
RADIO BED~ WITH HERTS &
BOC[S, needs Producers and Reporters
for its Luton, Milton Keynes,
Aylesbury and Bedford studios
0603-284385 ***** CSV re-advertises a
Radio Project Officer vacancy for its
Glasgow E-Force at BBC SCOTLAKD
041-204-1681 ***** RADIO l's annual
listener feedback show Call The
Controller is to be made by
independent producer Unique for the '
first time next January *****
Saturday night (7th) insomniacs can
hear the Blues Brothers recorded live
at Birmingham Town Hall on RADIO
2's Night Ride (2-3am) ***** Tom
RObinson presents RADIO 4's new
weekly men's magazine programme The
Locker Room (Sat 6.50-7 .2Opm) which
he describes as "a rough guide to
manhood" ***** RADIO 5's Afropop
Worldwide (Sat 7th 9-1O.15pm) plays
contemporary Cuban music *****
Michael Bolton answers listeners'
questions (hopefully including How Am
I Supposed To Live ·Without You?) in
RADIO l's Rockline (Sun 8th
2.30-4pm) ***** Nigel Kennedy
explains his decision to retire from
live performance in RADIO 4's
Kaleidoscope (Mon 9th 4.05-4.45pm)
RADIO WAVES
***** Thu 12th is Erasure Day on
RADIO 1 including an interview by
Sirnon Bates (9-12. 3Opm) and a
recording of the July concert at
Hammersmith Odeon (8-1Opm) ***** A
team from Chicago dance station
WVAZ/V-103, including ten
listeners, returned home last week
after a 12-day OK tour broadcasting
their morning show live from US
bases. The 1992 Transatlantic Jam,
funded by the US Defence Department,
included concerts by Alyson Williams,
Ex-Girlfriend and Portrait ***** BBC
RADIO LEICES'l'ER celebrates its, and
BBC local radio's, 25th birthday on
Sunday 8th ***** Musical genius
Julian Cope is the birthday guest on
RADIO 4's Midweek (Wed 11th
9.05-11am) ***** The BBC RADIO
COLLECTIOR has released two new
cassettes, Blackadder III and Naked
Radio ***** CHOICE FR's phone-in
show Talktime With Tony Sewell
returns on Wednesdays at midnight
***** ClPInL FR launches a London
Short Story Competition in
conjunction with London Arts Board
071-240-4583 ***** CHOICE FR's Soul
Rite Out at London's Hippodrome,
headlined by Boyz 11 Men, sold out
all 2000 tickets within four days of
its announcement on-air ***** LBC
IEWSTALK has doubled its drama
output, with a new weekday ten-minute
slot at 1.5Opm in Frank Bough's show
provided by Independent Radio Drama
Productions ***** Were several
COIII1Iercial radio MDs really invited
by the BBC to discuss their views
on the industry with the Radio Task
Forces? ***** British emigre and
ex-MTV VJ Julie Brown presents a
syndicated Sunday night radio show
for America's WESNXJD ONE *****
Outgoing BBC IDHJ) SERVICE MD John
Tusa set out his manifesto for the
station's future in a speech at the
Royal Institute For International
Affairs ***** Out to lunch? Which
loss-making Home Counties radio
group's Finance Department was
staffed by a lone temp who claimed
DO-one else was around for two whole
days last week? ***** American
syndicator RJI produces a weekly
adaptation of Desert Island Discs,
RADIO DIARY
but with pop stars such as Talking
Heads I Cbris Franz choosing ten
records ***** Watch the LA Raiders
match on Channel 4's American
Football this Sunday as the team's
Bob Golic also presents a Monday
morning sports feature on Los
Angeles' [QLZ/PIRATE RADIO *****
IFM's Janice Long, RADIO l's
Bruno Brookes and KISS ~'s Mark
Webster also work for new advert
voice-over agency Speak that
specialises in youth-orientated
products ***** At the annual Prix
Italia, RADIO 4 won three awards,
for Cbris Morris' "On The Hour" spoof
and two dramas "Unreasonable
Behaviour" and ''The Maneater Of
Malgudi", while RADIO 5 won an
award for "Groosham Grange" as Best
Children's Radio Programme *****
RADIO 3's new Finance Manager Ben
Woolland joins from the Victoria &
Albert Museum ***** A report by
Datamonitor estimates that BBC
RADIO could earn £17Om per annum if
it carried advertising ***** 99 more
redundancies at BBC PEBBLE IfiLL
include radio staff in studios and OB
units ***** BBC Head of
Broadcasting Research Peter Menneer
is to take early retirement *****
BBC RADIO scor.LAID presenter Lesley
Riddoch has won a 1992 Cosmopolitan
Achievers Award, given to women under
35 who demonstrate outstanding
commitment in their field ***** BBC
RADIO GLOUCF.STEBSHIR part-time
receptionist Sue Wilson becomes
presenter of the station's magazine
show Evening Extra after unexpectedly
standing in for a weekend DJ at short
notice ***** New BBC IDHJ) SERVICE
magazine Worldwide available on
British Airways and Cathay Pacific
flights ***** Rewind Productions has
refurbished its Studio Two, recently
used for production of RADIO 2's
Cbris De Burgh Story and The Living
Blues series, and offers discount
rates to IARP members 071-485-4810
***** IIIVICT! SUPERGOLIl runs a Fly
A Relative contest this month asking
listeners to justify a visit to a
long lost relative, winning British
Airways and Sealink tickets *****
12/13/14/15 JOY CHOICE ~ FIRST SOUL & REGGAE DEVON WEEKENDER with PAs by Everis, Sinclair, Vivian Jones, Peter Huningale,
Kreuz &Mike Davis. Tickets £80 inclusive of travel &accommodation tel:071-738-7969
13/14/15 BOY RADIO GUILD BROADCASTING & RADIO PRODUCTION WORKSHOP at Cavendish College with 20 hours intensive tuition
tel: 071-580-6043/4074
13/14/15 BOY COMMUNITY BROADCASTING EXPO 1992 organised by The Public Broadcasting Association Of Australia at Albury
Convention &Performing Arts Centre, Sydney. Info: (02) 310-2999
16 BOY RADIO CEREDIGION new Aberystwyth coornercial station starts broadcasting on %.6/103.3 FM. Info: Unit 6E, Science
Park, Cefnllan, Aberystwyth tel: 0970-626626
17 NOV HIGH WYCOMBE closing date for licence applications for new ILR station on 1170 AM. Into: Radio Authority
17 BOY THANKSGIVING service for Sir Richard Francis, former MD BBC Radio, who died in June. 11.3Oam at St Paul's
Cathedral. Ticket admission only from: Dr Marion Oakeshott, British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SWlA 2BN
19/20/21/22 BOY FIITH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COLLEGE BROADCASTERS at the <Xnni Biltmore Horel, Providence, RI, USA.
Info: 401-863-2225
19 BOY A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC RADIO dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe, London with John Peel &Jonathan King. Tickets £15 in
advance (£12.50 members) from: The Radio Academy, PO Box 4SZ, London W1A 4SZ tel: 071-323-3837
7 DEC INDEPENDENT RADIO ADVERTISING AWARDS at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London tel:071-799-1565
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HA1 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
f radio news 1992 page 3

4. CLASSIC FM claims that airplay of
Gorecki's Symphony no. 3 in its
Classic Verdict show helped the CD
re-enter the Top 10 Classical Album
Chart the following week *****
Manchester's GMR organised the
second Norman Wisdom Golf Classic
tournament to raise money for a local
hospital's childrens unit ***** BBC
RADIO LEICES'I'ER listeners donated
RADIO WAVES
money· to its charity appeal in return
for having their favourite hymns sung
live on-air by the Leicester
Philharmonic Choir ***** Follow up to
MELODY RADIO's tie-in Polydor album
Melody Favourites is a new Decca
mid-price release Melody Classics
***** SOOTHERI RADIO has made two
new Board appointments, Progranrne
Director Jeremy Scott and Sales
AIRMAIL PR.INTED
Director Hicki Hall, whilst losing
Richard Morris and Robert Stiby *****
New Aberystwyth station RADIO
CEREDIGIOR opens 16 Nov ***** The
first London church to use radio
advertising, St
Martin's-in-the-Fields, is running a
£2000 campaign on LBC *****
PAPER.
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HA1 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
f radlo news 1992 page 4