Manx Radio and 3FM - listening figures

[IOM]

9 hours ago, Gagster said:

As Manx Radio has a much reduced audience than in some of your days, is there enough of a demand for such a service? 47,000 listeners in 2015, but now 26,000.

I’ve made no suggestion that it should be closed, but think the business model needs adjusting. If audience drops to less than 20,000, for example, will the annual subvention keep rising further?

 

Some ideas…

Should the news team but run by the BBC, at their expense? The BBC has remit to cover the Isle of Man, and takes revenue via the TV License fee.

Should the whole thing be run by the BBC? The BBC have previously estimated it would cost between £1.3 million and £1.7 million to run a station. Manx Radio currently costs £2.2 million.

Could Manx Radio run with less presenters? BBC locals run with no more than 3 between 6am and 6pm weekdays. By my count, Manx Radio has at least 7 during the same period.

Should some of the TV License fee be retained for the island? At least the proportion that would normally be assigned to local radio in the UK.

Does Manx Radio need to keep revamping their on air “the nation’s station” jingles via using full on orchestras at Abbey Road?

Re. Energy and 3FM, you are incorrect about their requirements. Over and above the playing of music, both are in fact required to provide local news as part of their broadcast licence agreements. I’m sure as a journalist you would have known that!

If we’re looking at apples and oranges, if government funds the oranges but less and less people actually want them, why would government keep increasing the funding?

I think the real question is why does the BBC provide a local radio station for Jersey and Guernsey but not the Isle of Man because we pay the same licence fee . 
 

That said the listener figures speak for themselves and while there is a movement of 2000 people by this data to 3FM there remains an unaccounted for additional 2000 loss . I do think Chris Sully ( Pearson ) - ( Managing Director) and Alex Brindley ( Programme Controller) need to take a long hard look at it as it appears something is clearly not right . 

[P.K.]

4 minutes ago, IOM said:

That said the listener figures speak for themselves and while there is a movement of 2000 people by this data to 3FM there remains an unaccounted for additional 2000 loss . I do think Chris Sully ( Pearson ) - ( Managing Director) and Alex Brindley ( Programme Controller) need to take a long hard look at it as it appears something is clearly not right . 

I wonder what these people do all day...

The gov have a duty to get their message out to the Great Manx Public.

The wireless is the best media to do this. So we they have to pay for it.

[Amadeus]

11 hours ago, Gagster said:

The latest RAJAR listening results were published today. Some observations for Manx Radio v 3FM make interesting reading.

https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php

Looking at the last three quarters… Manx Radio continues with a downward trend, while 3FM enjoys an upward trend. However, what jumps out the most is that the stations are getting closer to being equal, or even 3FM ending up with a larger audience:

 

MANX RADIO

March 2023 - 30,000

June 2023 - 28,000

Sept 2023 - 26,000

 

3FM 

March 2023 - 22,000

June 2023 - 23,000

Sept 2023 - 24,000

 

The question is of course, and you knew 20 seconds ago that I would ask: can the increasing subvention be justified if listenership is decreasing. 

For the year 2021/22, this subvention was £1,078,722, an increase from the previous year's total of £995,000 (an 8.4% increase).

In 2015/16, the subvention was £875,000. In June 2015, RAJAR reported Manx Radio’s listening audience was 47,000.

With a decreasing audience, commercial revenues will take a dip as airtime will not be as valuable as perhaps in times past. Will this trigger requests for even further increases in subvention levels in order to compensate for decreased revenue? Does government even take the listening figures into consideration?

How can the Manx Radio business model work - with public funding increasing, while listening audience is decreasing? And with 3FM seemingly showing them up!

We’re aware of the pitfalls of the RAJAR process, however this is the industry standard and Manx Radio offer no other alternatives - and were happy with it in the good old days when their audience was something to be proud of.

How’s things at Energy these days? 

[Nellie]

4 minutes ago, IOM said:

That said the listener figures speak for themselves and while there is a movement of 2000 people by this data to 3FM there remains an unaccounted for additional 2000 loss . I do think Chris Sully ( Pearson ) - ( Managing Director) and Alex Brindley ( Programme Controller) need to take a long hard look at it as it appears something is clearly not right . 

Agreed. They must share full responsibility for this decline on their watch.

At the end of the day, Chris Sully doesn't really have any skin in the game. He's had a nice career before he came here; he'll do his five, or so, years then retire and leave, and what happens next isn't really his concern.

Alex Brindley isn't very bright, and, on the face of it, hasn't got any sort of grip on programming. The schedule is very fragmented with presenters constantly on leave, holiday etc. and stand-ins appearing all over the schedule. To anyone who listens regularly, almost everyday is different. It's recognised in radio management that to build a consistent audience, you need stability in programming. Regular listeners like regular presenters.

Also, Brindley needs to be told that he either presents, and gets freelance pay, like most other presenters, or he is a full-time Programme Controller, with challenging objectives, targets, and KPI's to deliver improvements in content and audience. The game is up Alex. 

[Gagster]

Ironically, as a full-time "Programme Controller" Alex Brindley is now also supported by the full-time "Programme Co-Ordinator" Ben Harley. With audience figures as they've been over last few years, both would have been sacked years ago if working at radio stations across. Looks to be very little in the way of accountability at Manx Radio. Even the 2019 re-vamp was driven forward via an external consultant on terrific rates, with travel and accommodation paid for.

The question around why the BBC doesn't run a local station here is simple: Tynwald have always been open that they do not wish the BBC to do so, as they prefer to have (and fund) Manx Radio instead.

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Gagster

[forestboy]

3 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

How much is Gawne paid, if anything? If it's anything, it's too much. In fact, we should be paid to listen to him.

And Wint 

[Stu Peters]

My understanding is that the BBC has no interest in providing anything above the service it currently provides, and even less interest in losing any licence revenue. Yes, we could probably force their hand through legislation, but risk losing all BBC services to the Island.

Number of presenters means more local jobs (even freelance) and greater variety. It's about providing more choice I think.

Apples and oranges: Energy and 3FM might do local news, but no longform programmes like Agenda or Perspective. 

Jingles: I think it must be 15 years since the Abbey Road sessions.

Personally I think the biggest mistake was 'dumbing down' and replacing the Mandate slot (0730-0830), but I never had any influence on programming (although I applied for the PC job once. Marc Tyley got it, unsurprisingly). I also think that making Mannin Line music free is a mistake. When I did Talking Heads I could play music if it was a slow news day, whereas Andy Wint HAS to leave the same old voices on for too long if he has nobody else lined up.

People sometimes ask if I miss the radio. Not for a second (although it was a lot easier than what I do now). I went up to MR a couple of weeks ago to record as guest with Marc Tyley and it felt completely alien to me.

[GreyWolf]

Stu, did that alien speak with a ridiculous false Manx accent.

[Gagster]

1 hour ago, Stu Peters said:

Number of presenters means more local jobs (even freelance) and greater variety. It's about providing more choice I think.

But also costs more! You mentioned in an earlier post that Manx Radio’s output is expensive to produce. In terms of choice, more and more people look to be choosing not to listen to Manx Radio.

 

1 hour ago, Stu Peters said:

Apples and oranges: Energy and 3FM might do local news, but no longform programmes like Agenda or Perspective. 
 

Agreed. It was just your post last night stated they had no further requirements beyond playing music. Yes, they are required to produce local news, that is accurate and legally compliant. And of course with no public funding.

 

1 hour ago, Stu Peters said:

Jingles: I think it must be 15 years since the Abbey Road sessions.

A package was done in 2009, and at least one more several years later. Further orchestra sessions have taken place in Manchester perhaps in more recent years.

 

1 hour ago, Stu Peters said:

Personally I think the biggest mistake was 'dumbing down' and replacing the Mandate slot (0730-0830), but I never had any influence on programming.

Agreed. The breakfast show these days is terrible, it’s neither one thing nor the other.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Gagster

[IOM]

4 minutes ago, Gagster said:

But also costs more! You mentioned in an earlier post that Manx Radio’s output is expensive to produce.

 

Agreed. It was just your post last night stated they had no further requirements beyond playing music. Yes, they are required to produce local news, that is accurate and legally compliant. And of course with no public funding.

 

A package was done in 2009, and at least one more several years later. Further orchestra sessions have taken place in Manchester perhaps in more recent years.

 

Agreed. The breakfast show these days is terrible, it’s neither one thing nor the other.

Agreed the breakfast show is lacking at times . As Nellie pointed out the programming is inconsistent for example they have four late show presenters ( two separate ones in the Monday to Friday slot ) when most stations have two ( one weekday and one weekend ) . They also seem to be getting newsreaders to present music programmes ( I think quite a few examples of this ) . The lunchtime show called 1 to 3 had had numerous presenters covering it and I am not sure what it is really trying to do. Also the afternoon show now has two presenters Monday to Friday ( Alex Brindley and Chris Quirk ) so again no consistency.
 

Chris Williams does a great job with the Early Breakfast show and the excellent Carnaby Street but why have one of arguably your best presenters on when there are very few listeners? 

Personally I think quite a lot to think about and sort out . 

[Wake Up Call]

Manx Radio is funny and keeps some very nice theatrical type people in jobs. We'd miss their wit and repartee if they had to work in the civil service or something. 

[Roger Mexico]

I suppose it might be useful to look at the actual RAJAR figures.  These are the seven most popular radio stations in terms of percentage reach (ie percentage of the possible 15+ listenership who listen each week:

So there's still more people who listen regularly to Manx Radio than 3FM and those that do listen for longer.  But more importantly both stations are among the most popular in their areas across the UK+ that RAJAR covers.  So saying that Manx Radio is not really serving its audience is only true if hardly any other station is as well.

All the stations above cover places with distinct identity:  Island FM is Guernsey's commercial station and Channel FM is Jersey's[1];  MFR is Moray Firth Radio and Cool FM serves Northern Ireland.  Both Channel Island stations have over twice the Reach % of their BBC counterparts, so Manx Radio is the only public service one that outperforms its commercial equivalent.

None of this is to say that Manx Radio couldn't be better run.  But it's still doing it's job.

 

[1]  It's interesting to speculate what would have happened if Tindle Radio, which runs them both, had been allowed to take over 3FM.

[IOM]

14 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

I suppose it might be useful to look at the actual RAJAR figures.  These are the seven most popular radio stations in terms of percentage reach (ie percentage of the possible 15+ listenership who listen each week:

So there's still more people who listen regularly to Manx Radio than 3FM and those that do listen for longer.  But more importantly both stations are among the most popular in their areas across the UK+ that RAJAR covers.  So saying that Manx Radio is not really serving its audience is only true if hardly any other station is as well.

All the stations above cover places with distinct identity:  Island FM is Guernsey's commercial station and Channel FM is Jersey's[1];  MFR is Moray Firth Radio and Cool FM serves Northern Ireland.  Both Channel Island stations have over twice the Reach % of their BBC counterparts, so Manx Radio is the only public service one that outperforms its commercial equivalent.

None of this is to say that Manx Radio couldn't be better run.  But it's still doing it's job.

 

[1]  It's interesting to speculate what would have happened if Tindle Radio, which runs them both, had been allowed to take over 3FM.

I think the other point which you have not mentioned is how has it performed over the last few years particularly relative to 3FM . I suspect it’s been on a downward trajectory and maybe some of that is linked to the 2019 revamp . 

[Declan]

36 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

I suppose it might be useful to look at the actual RAJAR figures.  These are the seven most popular radio stations in terms of percentage reach (ie percentage of the possible 15+ listenership who listen each week:

So there's still more people who listen regularly to Manx Radio than 3FM and those that do listen for longer.  But more importantly both stations are among the most popular in their areas across the UK+ that RAJAR covers.  So saying that Manx Radio is not really serving its audience is only true if hardly any other station is as well.

All the stations above cover places with distinct identity:  Island FM is Guernsey's commercial station and Channel FM is Jersey's[1];  MFR is Moray Firth Radio and Cool FM serves Northern Ireland.  Both Channel Island stations have over twice the Reach % of their BBC counterparts, so Manx Radio is the only public service one that outperforms its commercial equivalent.

None of this is to say that Manx Radio couldn't be better run.  But it's still doing it's job.

 

[1]  It's interesting to speculate what would have happened if Tindle Radio, which runs them both, had been allowed to take over 3FM.

What's difference between Average hours per head and Average hours per listeners. Do some of Manx Radio's audience have more than two ears? 

[Declan]

1 hour ago, Gagster said:

A package was done in 2009, and at least one more several years later. Further orchestra sessions have taken place in Manchester perhaps in more recent years.

Do you need an orchestra for a radio jingle these days.