Commercial radio's decision to end a four-year relationship with Somethin' Else was not only a disappointment for indies, but a surprise considering the fight for audiences has never been more intense, writes Paul Smith.
The rationale behind GCap producing the national chart show (the Hit 40 UK - or the Nescafe chart if you haven't switched on a radio for 10 years) in-house doesn't make a great deal of sense, since cost-cutting isn't mentioned. "At the moment we are not capitalising on GCap's expertise and resource," claimed GCap head of network sales, Kirk Vallis. "If someone comes in for an interview [with Capital breakfast DJ] Johnny Vaughan then the producer should be there grabbing an interview for Hit 40 UK." It's an odd statement for GCap to make where syndicated guest interviews are concerned, just a fortnight after launching the Entertainment Edge - guests are interviewed by Ryan Seacrest for Capital Radio on Saturdays, then chopped up and broadcast a day later on GCap's One network of local stations. Besides, the chart show has been broadcast forever from Capital's Leicester Square studios, with an indie was at the helm and few troubles to mention. Will GCap's end product be of a higher quality than that produced by Somethin' Else? Only time will tell. A more pertinent question is - can commercial radio grow and prosper without the indies? Often criticised for providing nothing more than wallpaper for the ears, behind the scenes of commercial radio the same faces drift from station to station, group to group, recycling and reinventing the same tired formats and promotions. Like a lonely trailer park in the Deep South, commercial radio is something of a backwater in parts; twice as inbred in others. Of course there are exceptions, but they're few and far between. In July, GMG Radio announced the creation of a new £1m programming treasure chest for independent producers to plunder. Indie Blue Revolution picked up Gold at the New York Festivals for Totally 80's, a two hour programme picked up by stations across the UK. Meanwhile, UBC Media provides entertainment news service and bulletins. The BBC takes pride in their portfolio of indie programmes; indeed, they win sackfuls of Sony Awards on the back of commissions every year. That won't wash with commercial radio; the BBC doesn't have investors to please, do they? The point is unique, engaging content will always find an audience, and audiences can be monetised. At a time when radio listening is under constant threat, shouldn't indies be welcomed rather than shunned? Can Capital and the rest of commercial radio survive by their own skill and wit, without an infusion of fresh ideas?
.jpg?w=600)
