[BLOG] Again unrest in radioland. The Netherlands Authority for Consumersand Markets (ACM) advises the cabinet that in the new auction each radiocompany may only have a maximum of 3 FM packages. It is a step in the rightdirection, but still not the right way to restore a healthy radio market inthe Netherlands. We have to go back to the situation of 2003, where one partymay have a maximum of two FM packages, preferably one of which is alsoincluded. I know I ‘m not making myself popular with this, but that’s nothingnew. Will it try to explain to you why this really is the best solution, forthe maker and the listener.
The current radio market is of course unworkable, especially for the makers.John de Mol’s Talpa has about the 4 most important FM packages, except for100.7. This not only gives him a dominant position when it comes to sellingadvertising, but he has also been holding back real innovation in radio landfor years. The best man still believes that you can do everything the old-fashioned way, treat listeners to endless commercial breaks with a picture anda chat. The wages and working conditions for the radio disc jockeys are alsopitiful, because try to get a job elsewhere. Many talents even say ‘fine tomake radio there, but not under John de Mol’.
With three FM packages in the hands of a billionaire, these kinds of NorthKorean situations will of course remain normal. Involvement down to the detaillevel, as a result of which Edwin Evers, for example, decided to call it quitsa year earlier than planned. Many disc jockeys hardly dare to go on-airanymore, because before you know it John hears it and you’re out. The samegoes for radio managers, of course, who just do what they did every year sothat they don’t have to come to the mat or even worse get fired. As a result,more and more listeners are turning their backs on the medium and are seekingrefuge online in podcasts, for example.
But there is another reason why it is not good to house so many radio stationsunder one roof: mutual competition. You can bet that they are cheering atRadio 10 if they are the only ones who have not dropped in terms of listeningfigures and 538, Sky and Veronica have. Everyone keeps an eye on each other,especially in a culture of fear. Imagine that not only Feyenoord, but alsoExcelsior and FC Dordrecht all train, meet and play football in De Kuip. Andwhat that does to the mutual atmosphere. For good radio you need a top teamthat gives each other something and where there is peace and safety. Not awasp’s nest where stations are mutually jealous of each other marketingbudgets, jocks, advertising revenues, press attention, etcetera. With adictator in power who kills creativity.
I think back fondly on the fantastic time I had for twelve years at RadioVeronica, from 2004 to 2016. We were in one building with Sky Radio, which hadno deejays. Of course there was some bickering about which of the two channelswas on in the canteen or in the hallway, but otherwise you wished each otherthe best. That was also because both stations were not fishing in each other’spond, the division was clear: Veronica focused primarily on the men, Sky onthe women. The Formula 1 action was with Veronica, the Disney action with Sky.Sky played current hits because not specified, Veronica played 80’s and 90’shits. Easy peasy. Such a clause is not so bad, because ‘the true artist showsitself in the limitation’. Now that everything will be released immediately,except for Dutch and news, it will become an even bigger uniform sausage on FMwhere everyone will sit down and do the same thing again. The listener shrugsfurther and gets the surprise from somewhere other than the radio. And richowners only think how can I make that shop here even more profitable so that Ican resell the business with a substantial profit. Count out of your creative