Manx Radio hits back at competitor claims

30/05/2012 - 11:46 | 4 Replies More

Manx Radio’s managing director has responded to Energy FM’s claim that the Isle of Man station is failing and receiving extra government funding.

MD Anthony Pugh says the comments by Energy FM’s Director Juan Turner are erroneous and subject to vilification.

Turner said “The Isle of Man Government own Manx Radio and pump almost £1million pounds a year annual subsidy in to the failing radio station,” to which Pugh points out since joining RAJAR in 2003, the station has remained within the Top 5 British stations as measured by ‘Reach’ and brings in almost double the number of listeners to 3FM who are the only other radio station to subscribe to RAJAR on the Island. Furthermore, Manx Radio has won the Best Station of the Year Award in the North West for 3 of the last five years.”

In the original statement Juan Turner, who is also a member of the Government’s Legislative Council, says the Government make it deliberately difficult to compete again Manx Radio.

Putting the record straight, Anthony Pugh told us Manx Radio does transmit via transmitters belonging to the Department of Home Affairs. “Mr Turner fails to mention that Tynwald, the Island’s Parliament, determined that this is how the National Public Service Broadcaster is to transmit its programming, he said”.

“The BBC’s digital refund to the Island comes with specific caveats as to how it is to be utilised. The funds are passed to the Isle of Man Treasury who decided that it should be utilised by Manx Radio. However Mr Turner fails to mention that Manx Radio’s government subvention has been reduced by exactly the same amount as the annual refund so that, in reality, Manx Radio has not received any financial benefit from the BBC’s digital rebate.

“In December 2002 Tynwald accepted the recommendations of the Darwin Consulting report that looked in depth at the future broadcast landscape of the Isle of Man. Amongst its many recommendations, two are of particular interest regarding this article, It proposed Manx Radio should close down its weekend youth service KIK FM so that a second radio station targeting the youth of the Island could be licensed. This station became Energy FM. Another recommendation was that the Public Service Broadcaster, Manx Radio, be allowed commentary access to major Island events including the TT.

“The refurbishment of Manx Radio’s studios has primarily been funded by a government capital grant. Manx Radio has contributed to the funding and will be paying the depreciation on the capital.”

Finally, Pugh points out that both Energy FM and 3FM were licensed in the full knowledge as to how the nation’s Public Service Broadcaster was funded and no funding relationships have changed since the station’s were licensed. “The real issue here is whether an Island with a population of 84,000 can support three commercial stations,” he says.


Tags: , , ,

Category: Industry News

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=528436252 Paul Moulton on Facebook

    Interesting

  • Ron

    My name is Ron Berry. I am the Managing Director and majority shareholder of 3FM and I really do try to avoid getting into public slanging matches regarding our local radio. On this occasion however I really do have to set the record straight re Mr Pugh and his remarks. Manx Radio do not have nearly twice as many listeners as 3FM. The latest rajar figures show Manx Radio with all adults 55% and 3FM 35%. That is hardly twice as many Mr Pugh. Furthermore 3FM is a music station with a target audience of 25 plus female. In this category 3FM has 63% audience share with 31.7 average hours whereas Manx Radio has 38% with only 13.3 average hours. That Mr Pugh is over twice as much! So where does Manx Radio score in the RAJAR figures well it’s in the 65+ female market with 77% and 119.9 average hours. Phew…well done Mr Pugh but it’s not our market and it’s hardly the consumer market.
    Both Energy and 3FM rely on advertising for our income unlike Manx Radio who get a huge amount from the Isle of Man Government and are also able to sell air time. Really it’s hardly a fair playing field is it? And as for the comment about sustaining three stations…well Energy FM do cater to the youth, 3FM is obviously doing well in the 25+ market and Manx Radio excells in the 65+ market. So for the time being there is something for everyone eh?

  • Radio Geordie

    There’s actually now four stations serving the Isle of Man.

    As I mentioned the other day, Manx Radio launched a new service on AM called Manx Radio TT365 which launched a couple of weeks back and is no doubt aimed at men, particularly ‘petrolheads’.

  • Mine

    Well, it depends what the listener wants, and it is unlikely that 1, 2 or even 3 stations will cater for all needs/tastes, therefore there is room for all, and the Island is too small for bickering.  That said, Manx Radio fills a certain ‘slot’ as public service broadcaster, and I understand is funded for that purpose, while there are plenty of non-Manx stations that are receivable to meet other needs, so one could ask why there is any need for more than one station…  My key concern is that one of our parliamentary politicians, with a vested interest in a commercial station, is part of the very parliament that controls the said broadcaster’s purse strings: one would have thought that might reasonable be deemed to be a conflict of interest, for which the appropriate action is abstainance from any debate, parliamentary or in the media.

«
»