Commercial Radio Creates Network Production Units

The commercial radio industry is to bring in more networked programming following the creation of production units run by GCap Media, Global Radio and Emap.

The in-house production units will enable more programme-sharing across national networks of non-competing radio stations.

GCap will take over the running of commercial radio’s mainstream Sunday afternoon chart, Hit 40 UK, from January 2008 and also manage shared programming projects for the contemporary hit radio (CHR) network.

This production unit will be run by Pete Simmons, GCap Media’s programme director, content.

Global Radio’s network production unit, headed by Heart FM’s programming director Mark Browning, will produce adult contemporary (AC) station programming, including UK Music Week and The Brit Awards.

Emap will manage the production of the Fresh 40 dance chart and the rhythmic station network’s chart show.

A report on MediaGuardian.co.uk quoted Andrew Harrison, chief executive of commercial radio representative, the Radio Centre, as saying: “Building on the success of UK Music Week where the genre networks worked incredibly well, this is a much more coherent, nationally focused structure for our industry.

“This structure provides access points for the music and media industry to be able to create some really exciting national promotions.”

The latest RAJAR figures, for Q2 2007, showed that all Commercial narrowed the gap with All BBC stations, seeing year on year and period on period upturns in its weekly reach and share of listening (see All Commercial Boosts Share Of Listening Whilst All BBC Records Decline).

RadioCentre: www.radiocentre.org