Platforms

Having the output of your endeavours available on all available platforms might seem like a great idea. As a theoretical concept, I think it’s true. The longer time goes on, the more refined the marketplace and the more mature it becomes, that might no longer be the case, particularly when financial constraints or target audience focus comes to bear.

For radio operators, measured by a self-completion diary methodology, it can be a nervy time making choices about platforms, availability of your content and trimming your options. Removing, changing or tweaking your list of platforms can seem to run the risk of limiting their availability and therefore their perceived success or their actual success in the reporting methodology.

When commercial radio was in its infancy, AM or Medium Wave was the primary platform- stations were named as such, “Radio 210”, “Radio Trent 301″, Capital Radio 194”, even though they also were broadcast on FM. The “use it or lose it” mantra from the regulator in the 90’s spurned the AM and FM split and the creation of a raft or Gold/Classic Hit stations on AM. That change was brought about by a legislative push, but the decision of which format to place on which platform was a programming one and based on the notion that the AM band was more suitable for Classic Hit formats than current pop or younger focussed output, which would be better on FM. Speech formats also were largely favoured for AM- Five Live replacing Radio One on 275/285m for example.

Scroll forward a few years and the arrival of DAB created more simulcasting of FM services onto DAB as well as their existing FM home, resulting eventually in more semi-orphaned names- “Classic FM” etc. Evolution of platforms, like everything else, has sped up logarithmically. technology evolves at an ever quickening pace and here in a streaming and on-demand world its a far cry from when UK Commercial Radio, or the BBC began. The simulcasting of station onto DAB in its infancy made sense, with few actual sets, noon-existent in-car setups etc. Now, with DAB itself being considered by some as having been overtaken by streaming, things have changed and evolved, and so does the thinking.

We are now in the space of AM transmitters switching off– those Classic Hit format stations existing on DAB and streaming alone instead, since the audience derived from the mono AM feed is minimal. We also have the start of a platform demographic, programming-led process appearing with FM moving to an older skew and DAB/Streaming for a younger focussed demo format- reference Lincs FM and Gem changes recently. Whilst not driven by a legislative “use it or lose it” push like the AM/FM splits of yesterday, the potential for growing the overall pot by utilising all available platforms which have a differing demographic pull now, is enticing. Critics might say we are not at that point yet, but the tipping point will only come when more weight is applied to the correct end of the scale after all.

The recent Rajar platform data seems to back up that platform demo reality as well to some degree, although I should note I have a caveat with it, which I’ll explain below.

It’s important to remember that the platform data is also self-completed by the diary recipient. Each contributor reports what station they are listening to based on station name, where they are listening (At Home, In-Car, Van or Lorry, At Work/Elsewhere) and then also Platform (AM/FM -(as a single choice), DAB, Digital TV, Smart Speaker, Online/App). It’s a big ask for someone and many won’t actually know, or realise for example that the “Classic FM” output they are listening to is actually a DAB feed on their radio in the car, or on their smart speaker, since the station sounds the same and keeps saying it is Classic FM, just the same!

I have some experience with stations that change platforms but still have results with an old platform being reported and it’s common in all demos across the board. Listeners don’t know, and why should they? They are just listening to the radio! I would wager that the younger demo numbers for AM/FM are in reality lower than reported in the above graphs- I have no evidence other that a professional hunch right now.

The demographic shuffle of platforms is non-the-less interesting and will be fascinating to watch as things progress and the snowball effect begins to take place. The same is happening in TV by the way and so its not just a radio thing, with CITV ending the linear feed in favour of the on-demand option via ITVX, driven by how that specific demographic is choosing to watch the content. You wouldn’t be surprised if the cost benefits of any potential ad revenue and of the carriage also had a hand in making that choice too.