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.

In July, Folder Media entered an agreement with Digital One for Fun Kids to be audible across the UK on DAB digital radio.  Under the specially negotiated agreement, Fun Kids was broadcast nationally during the summer holiday and back to school periods (July to to 3rd October) on the national commercial DAB multiplex.

Fun Kids is available on DAB digital radio across London and the South East and online at www.funkidslive.com

Fun Kids, the UK’s only dedicated radio service for children aged under 10 and their families, has announced record audience growth in the latest RAJAR results, Q2 2009, released 6th August 2009.

Under Folder Media’s ownership, the station has seen its London audience increase 37% since its acquisition in September 2008 to deliver 112,000 listeners in London (aged 4 plus), with Folder Media’s internal research identifying a similar number listen elsewhere in the UK.

Matt Deegan, Creative Director, said “We are thrilled that more children and their families are coming to Fun Kids to go to be entertained.  Furthermore, despite the recession, going into Autumn 2009 we are proud to be working with advertisers in a wide range of exciting features and sponsorship opportunities”.

The UK Government published its Digital Britain White Paper on 16 June.  The key points of the report in relation to radio are:

Digital migration

•    Confirmation of a digital radio “upgrade” by the end of 2015 (and which will be confirmed at least two years in advance).
•    All national and local services currently on DAB to migrate from analogue.
•    Small ultra-local stations and community radio to upgrade from MW to FM, or remain on FM.
•    Target for criteria (i.e. 50% of listening to be digital; national DAB coverage comparable to FM; and local DAB to reach 90% of population) to be met by 2013.
•    Five point plan for DAB in vehicles, supported by major car manufacturers including Ford and Vauxhall.

DAB coverage

•    BBC to achieve comparable coverage to FM for its national multiplex by the end of 2014.
•    BBC to bear significant proportion of the costs of local DAB coverage roll-out.
•    Some cost savings delivered by Digital Britain to be re-invested to support transmitter investment.
•    Government will support a re-plan of local and regional DAB (merging multiplexes where agreed, and creating a second national multiplex).

The White Paper is very positive and is supported cross party.

In overall terms, we at Folder Media / MuxCo support the proposals in the White Paper, which we believe will help underpin DAB.
In summary:

•    We support a set date for switch over, rather than a rolling set of criteria.  This gives a clear flag to achieve, and we feel confident that the radio industry will be able to achieve the criteria by 2013.

•    We have always advocated that DAB is one of several digital radio platforms, and is likely to continue to be the primary terrestrial platform in the short to medium term, and hopefully longer.

•    We support the proposal for clear labelling of the DAB technology.

•    We have been involved in the initial industry discussions about converting the regional DAB layer into the basis of a second national layer and in principle support the proposal.

•    We have been involved in the initial industry discussions about ‘merging’ multiplex areas.  We support the view that where such mergers make economic and efficiency sense for both multiplex operators and service providers, then the multiplex operator should have the right to approach Ofcom to merge, but that merging should not be artificially forced upon multiplexes.  In addition, any re-plan needs to take account of potential long term interest rather than a short term view.

•    We have always stated that functionality and interactivity will be the bedrock of DAB, hence our intention to hold capacity for the provision of data rather than audio services.  We currently maintain a watching brief on this aspect of the opportunity, as whilst we can create services, we need devices on which they can operate.  To that end, we have good relationships with a number of manufacturers.

Through the MuxCo application process we interviewed thousands of people who are current DAB listeners as well as those who had not yet taken the plunge. Current listeners are nearly all huge advocates for the technology and how it has improved their radio listening. We’re keen to work hard to make digital radio an even better proposition – coverage, content and features – and we’ll work strongly with all radio operators and the Government to provide a service that betters listeners’ analogue radio experience and keeps radio a vibrant medium.

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”.

Folder Media’s social networking and listener management services have been contracted by the recently launched digital radio station Jazz FM.

Folder is now responsible for managing all of Jazz FM’s listener queries and feedback received through JazzFM.com as well as managing and updating the content of the website itself. The service provided by Folder Media is encompassed by the slogan and policy of “no listener left behind”.

This policy ensures that Jazz FM’s listener base is carefully looked after through efficient and responsive feedback to queries  alongside creating web content that is tailored to fit the wide variety and tastes of jazz music fans. Folder Media is also responsible for maintaining the station’s online contesting and created and manages the listener database.

Social Network activity is also a key part of Folder’s relationship with Jazz FM and we maintain profiles on the key sites.

Facebook

By using Facebook we connect Jazz FM with over 8 million UK users and 140 million users worldwide. The power of the site and the exposure that is available online is harnessed by establishing ‘fan pages’ and ‘groups’ which act as unique pages within the site where users of a shared interest can gather information and connect with each other.

Folder manages ‘fan pages’ for popular presenters at the station allowing us to specifically target users who are fans of these particular shows, provide specific information about the show and cross-promote the station’s other activities. We also run the Jazz FM ‘group’ page. This is a public group that carries information about the station and can be accessed by any user worldwide. These pages and the group act as entry points for the radio station itself and also opens up further lines of communication for listeners to interact with Jazz FM.

MySpace

Jazz FM’s MySpace profile offers listeners another route to contact and connect with Jazz FM. As MySpace is evolving to become a social network based around music, we use Jazz FM’s presence as a way to drive awareness of the station through jazz musicians and aficionados. Often through MySpace, Jazz FM receives requests from artists requesting that their music is sampled on the station or put forward to the presenters.  Folder responds to what can be often large volumes of requests from artists and often simply through responding to a request we establish a ‘friendship’ with the artist and deepen their connection with Jazz FM. A trio sending in music to the radio station is not just an opportunity to grow the station’s repertoire, but the opportunity to add three more listeners to the radio station.

Last.FM

On Last FM we offer listeners the ability to see which artists the station plays on a regular basis and to see the most recent songs played.  For a specialist music station such as Jazz FM, Folder has found that this undoubtedly offers listeners a really useful option that many other stations do not provide. The nature of the site means that when the station regularly plays music from a particular artist, the station will appear on that artists profile page, allowing new listeners to discover and sample the station. The site also generates ‘neighbourhoods’ – people who listen to the same types of music as Jazz FM, once again driving awareness of the station.

Through managing the responses on the social networks and from the listener emails, we can take the temperature from listeners about music, features and on-air activity and discuss that with the station direct. Also, by making Jazz FM responsive to feedback, the barriers between listeners and the station is broken down.

Folder is confident that engaging with listeners on as many platforms as possible has in return, improved and sustained listener dedication to Jazz FM. This has given the station a positive reputation amongst the jazz music community as an open and non-elitist portal for jazz information, ranging from gig guides to suggesting our favourite Christmas jazz tracks.