Folder Media has recently completed the first phase of the new website for NME Radio.

Many small and digital-only radio stations’ suffer from a lack of resource to keep sites up to date and provide a content rich environment for users to enjoy. We use a variety of technology to combine station-created editorial with data from RadioBase to provide compelling experiences.

On the NME Radio site each mention of a station artist links to an ‘artist page’ which includes discography, popular songs from the station, biographies, images, latest tour dates and videos pulled from YouTube. Discographies provide tracklistings and YouTube videos are automatically embedded in the site – all helping sites generate more page impressions per user. This content is pulled from RadioBase automatically, so all a station has to to do is play a song from a new band and the page is auto-created without any intervention from station or Folder Media staff.

The station also generates revenue from these pages with commissions paid on ticket sales and music purchase or download. Additionally there are comment boxes on each pages that lets user leave their opinions on artists, tracks or videos and also allows them to post these comments to their Facebook profile, promoting the site to that user’s friends.

As well as on the artist pages, the site has a section for Gigs and Tickets. Again, pulling on RadioBase data, this is auto-generated and allows users to find and book tickets for thousands of events across the country – all with the ability to link to ticketing companies affiliate programmes. The events system allows stations to mark featured events (or venues) and promote these across the site. This is perect for sponsored activity or just events that the station knows will be popular with listeners.

The site also has Folder’s database mangement system – FolderID – built in and ready to launch in the next couple of weeks. This is an end to end solution that brings together user registration, newsletter sending and competition entry management – giving a station a total view on a listener’s activity with them.

The modular nature of RadioBase and Folder meant that the site was created from scratch within three weeks of sign-off from NME Radio.

Here at Folder Media, we have been quietly working for a little while with a number of partners on ideas for a raft of digital services to broadcast across London during the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Its obvioulsy a complicated idea to develop  – there are lots of organising committee and organisations that one has to deal with.  But we are really pleased with Ofcom’s announcement to formally invite ‘preliminary expressions of interest’ for the licensing of digital radio services during the Games (see www.ofcom.org.uk).

Ofcom wish to gauge the level of interest in the operation of short-term digital radio services in London during or around the period of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, which will help them design a possible licensing process.

DAB coverage and uptake will be a lot more extensive by 2012, and the ability to serve both Londoners and visitors to London, whether from across the UK or overseas, is very exciting.

Folder Media will be submitting a ‘preliminary expression of interest’ to Ofcom with our proposals.  However, we still have opportunities to include a range of other services amd if you would like to work with us, we would love to hear from you.

Please email me at gregory@foldermedia.co.uk with your contact details, and we will be in touch (although not until after the Easter break!)

Image: (c) 2010 London 2012

The DRDB reports cumulative sales of DAB digital radio sets topped ten million at the end of November.

And this is before the bulk of Christmas sales are recorded.  In December 2008, over 0.5m DAB sets were sold, and if repeated this year, will mean that over 2m DAB sets have been sold in 2009.

It took eight years to reach the first five million sales (2007), but just 30 months to achieve the second five million sales.

DAB sales have also yet again outperformed the overall CE Audio market, despite the recession.

DRDB chief executive Tony Moretta says: “This is a significant moment for everyone in the digital radio industry: broadcasters, manufacturers and retailers. Ten million sales is an incredible achievement for any technology, and it proves that digital radio is here to stay. With even greater promotion by radio stations, wider support from the car industry and the further development of the technology through colour screens, wi-fi etc, we expect the growth of digital radio to continue strongly over the next few years to the point where a nationwide digital upgrade can become a reality.”

At Folder Media, we think this is a great sales result, especially given the economic climate.  DAB is a geat consumer success story, and these DAB sales figures are a resounding positive ‘YES’ for the Government’s proposal to introduce legislation to support the ongoing development of DAB digital radio and the criteria for analogue switch off.

The Key points of the Bill are

• Confirmation of a digital radio “upgrade” with national and local services currently on DAB to migrate from analogue.
• Confirmation that small ultra-local stations and community radio will have an analogue future if they cannot upgrade to DAB

Latest news on the Bill

• First reading took place on 19 November. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill’s journey through the Lords.
• Second reading – the general debate on all aspects of the Bill – is yet to be scheduled.

Summary of the Bill
To make provision about the functions of the Office of Communications; to make provision about the online infringement of copyright, about licensing of copyright and performers’ rights and about penalties for infringement; to make provision about internet domain registries; to make provision about the functions of the Channel Four Television Corporation; to make provision about the regulation of television and radio services; to make provision about the regulation of the use of the electromagnetic spectrum; to amend the Video Recordings Act 1984; to make provision about public lending right in relation to electronic publications; and for connected purposes.

The Process
The following diagram explains the process of the Bill through the House of Lords and then the Commons.  We anticipate that the Bill will get Royal Assent by April 2010.

MuxCo today (12 February) publishes an update on its plans for its new DAB Digital Radio multiplex that will serve Liverpool, Cheshire and North Wales when it launches later this year.

Using transmitters at Moel-y-Parc, Wrexham Rhos and St.John’s Beacon, the multiplex will serve around 1.4m adults (15+) and enabling a range of existing and new services to broadcast in digital.

The multiplex will carry BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, 107.6 Juice FM and Dee 106.3, allowing these existing services to both broadcast in digital quality and be heard by a wider audience than can currently hear them on analogue.  In addition, the multiplex will carry a number of new services, only available on DAB Digital Radio.  These will include Traffic Radio, a 24/7 traffic news and information service from the Highways Agency, a new music service from Town & Country Broadcasting and a range of data services from Folder Media.

The multiplex has opportunities for additional radio services to join this exciting multiplex.  For more information, email contact@muxco.com or visit the MuxCo website (www.muxco.com).

Gregory Watson, Managing Director at MuxCo, said “The Government has recently published two reports – a Digital Radio Working Group report to the Government in December 2008 and Lord Carter’s ‘Digital Britain’ report in January 2009.  Both reports highlight the importance of expanding DAB coverage to ensure that listeners in all parts of the UK are able to hear existing services on DAB, as well as a wide range of digital only services that broaden choice and cater for a wider range of tastes and interests.  We are very excited about being able to update our plans for the new multiplex, and to start the countdown to our launch this Autumn”.

The Digital Radio Working Group (‘DRWG’) has today (19 Dec 2008) published its final report on the status and strategy for digital radio.

In the UK, 31.4% of all adults every week currently listen to radio via a digital radio platform, and this results in the digital platforms having a total share of all radio listening of 18.7% (Rajar Q3 2008). DAB is and is set to remain the principal digital radio platform – 8m sets sold to date, and DAB accounts for over 11% of total listening.

Folder Media agrees with the DRWG that a radio-specific broadcast platform is an essential part of radio’s future and that “DAB, unlike both DTT and the internet, is the most effective and financially viable way of delivering digital radio, particularly large local radio services, for the foreseeable future”.

We welcome the DRWG’s suggestions for a migration path which would be triggered by at least 50% of total radio listening is to digital platforms, and that the DRWG believe this could be achieved between 2015 and 2020.

Gregory Watson, MD at Folder Media, says “It is great news that the Digital Radio Working Group, and its members which include the BBC, Radiocentre and DRDB, has reaffirmed its commitment to the development of a sustainable and successful digital future for radio. Our multiplex subsidiary, MuxCo, is set to start launching its new multiplexes in 2009, and today’s announcement gives us even more comfort with the development of DAB. We look forward to the publication of the Government’s Digital Britain Report in early 2009, and urge Government and Ofcom to consider the recommendations set out in the DRWG report”.

The full DRWG report can be downloaded at http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5700.aspx

DAB Digital Radio listening accounts for 11% of all UK radio listening (over double the combined figures for digital television and the internet) and the medium is on the verge of there being 10 million sets in the market. This is a consumer success story based on the output of digital radio today.

In the past six months, the development of stations like NME Radio, Q and Jazz FM tells the true story – that there’s a growing demand from operators to engage with this growing audience. With the merger of NGW and Arqiva now complete, the planning for our MuxCo multiplex network continues at pace. When launched this will enhance the coverage of many existing local stations and still bring a selection of new stations to areas across the UK.

We think FUN radio is a great listen and it ticks all the boxes to be a successful future radio station. Firstly it’s on some good platforms. DAB Digital Radio carriage in London can be difficult and expensive to acquire – it’s already there! Secondly it has a specific target audience – children under ten and their families. This is a large niche that’s constantly repopulating itself with new listeners. And thirdly it operates in a unique position as there aren’t any other radio stations doing the same thing.

So why us? Why does it fit in with Folder Media?

At Folder we’re about looking forward. We work hard to be aware of how audiences are changing and we work even harder to develop tools and skills to keep us in touch with them. Already we work with clients like NME Radio and Jazz FM to manage their listener marketing and we’ve developed strong skills in operating alternative radio stations, like the work we do with Traffic Radio.

Overall small radio stations need love. They need someone to care about them, think about them and help them grow. FUN radio’s programme team, run by the guys at GCap’s Creation, do just that and we’re going to continue to work with them to improve the onair output even more. However programming on its own just isn’t enough, the challenge for us now is to grow the station’s awareness and its commercial partnerships to make it into a larger and even more important part of its audience’s life.

Press coveage about FUN radio:

MediaGuardian: Folder Media buys GCap’s Fun Radio
Media Week: Folder Media Buys Fun Radio

Fun website: http://www.funradiolive.com

MuxCo Somerset Ltd is a joint venture between MuxCo, The Local Radio Company and UKRD and plans to broadcast the following stations: Orchard FM, Star 107.7, Ivel FM, Quaywest, Easy Radio, UCB UK, Traffic Radio and a Podcast Channel.

This is the eighth multiplex that has been awarded to a MuxCo consortium. More information is available on the MuxCo website.