devon cornwall 040504 - ofcom1 devon and cornwall radio licence research final report to ofcom 29th...

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Devon and Cornwall Radio Licence Research

Final Report To Ofcom29th April 2004

Prepared by Mark EllisThe Knowledge Agency Ltd01926 [email protected]

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Contents

� Management summary (p3)� Objectives and methodology (p5)� What makes a good local radio station? (p11)� Satisfaction with current provision (p18)� Level of interest in a new service (p25)� Station coverage preferences (p28)

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Management Summary 1

� Overall levels of satisfaction with current services are high, and there is relatively little spontaneous criticism of the current provision� But there is high interest in the idea of a new commercial station from a

large part (54%) of the population, and especially among young people (76% of 16-24s)

� A fresh alternative to the limited choice/variety they have at present� Both surveys agreed about the most important components of a strong local

radio station� Music mix, local news and traffic/travel are key� The ideal local station would combine the functional benefits of a local

station (news you can use) with the emotional benefits of a national (stature, professionalism, entertainment value)

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Management Summary 2

� There are no clear-cut answers to the licence coverage question� In both surveys, Plymouth residents appear to prefer a regional (Cornwall

and Devon) service overall� Exeter broadly follows the same pattern

� However the quantitative sample in Cornwall appears to want a more local service

� Listeners in Cornwall favour the local option because of a stronger preference for local coverage

� Exeter and Plymouth listeners favour the regional option because it offers broader coverage/outlook

� Those most interested in a new service, and particularly youngerrespondents, were more likely to prefer a regional (Cornwall and Devon) service - even in Cornwall

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Objectives and methodology

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Project objectives

� To deliver an insight into the market context for the award of new commercial licences in South-West England

� Ultimately the research needs to inform the decision as to which of three licence options is likely to deliver maximum benefit to the local population�� One licence covering Cornwall, Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay� One licence covering Cornwall only, and another licence covering

Plymouth and Exeter/Torbay� Licences covering each of i) Cornwall, ii) Plymouth, iii) Exeter/Torbay

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Research Objectives

� To effectively inform this decision, the research needs to help us�� Understand attitudes towards existing radio services in the Devon and

Cornwall area, and perceived gaps in provision� Explore the relative appeal of different kinds of additional provision,

including more area/town specific services vs more specialist music/lifestyle formats

� Specifically we needed to quantify views on the following...� Rating of local radio stations� Importance of a range of attributes to the appeal of a local radio station� Level of interest in a new local or regional radio station� Preferred option for new radio station in terms of area covered

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A two-part research process...

Qualitative Research� Aimed at refining the quantitative

questionnaire and gaining deeper insight into drivers and attitudes to the main issues

� 4 x 90-minute focus groups, split by location and lifestage

� All groups mixed sex, current radio listeners (5+ hours per week) and non-rejectors of commercial radio

� Listeners to a mix of local and national stations, both commercial and BBC

� Groups moderated by Mark Ellis of The Knowledge Agency on 17th and 18th February 2004

Quantitative Research� The principal survey, aimed at

quantifying the main issues� 637 in-street interviews

� 322 in Cornwall� 170 in Exeter� 145 in Plymouth

� All respondents radio listeners aged 16+

� Interviews conducted by Research Works between 24th February and 10th March 2004

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Qualitative sample overview

Source: Knowledge Agency focus groups

Empty nesters (St Austell)� Mostly semi-retired� More insular attitude

- by age- by geography

� Very happy with existing (BBC) service

Older parents (Plymouth)� Local radio plays important

functional role (work and family)� Enjoy a mix of different stations� Some concern for their family�s

consumption, but put their own interests first!

Young parents (St Austell)� Geographically mobile (part of their

jobs) and outward looking� Least satisfied with current provision

(�you make do...�)

Pre-family (Plymouth)� Mix of students and young workers� Quite cosmopolitan in outlook� Media-savvy� Widest station repertoire

Feedback consistent on many issues, significant differences will be highlighted

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Quantitative sample overview

Sample by sex

46 46 50

54 54 50

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Plymouth Exeter Cornwall

Male Female

Sample by age

19 2518

30 2425

29 3236

21 18 21

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Plymouth Exeter Cornwall

16-24 25-44 45-64 65+

Source: Research Works

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What makes a good local radio station?

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The role of local radio is multi-dimensional


13

There is broad consensus on what makes a good local radio station...

� Spontaneous responses in the focus groups were quite consistent...

MusicHumour/personality

(Local) newsTraffic and travel news

Respondents� blueprint for a good local station was a combination ofstrong local news, traffic and travel information and a good broad mix of music

presented in a professional, entertaining way by presenters with genuine personality


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We then quantified the importance of key attributes of local radio

� We presented a list of 13 different attributes that might characterise a good local or regional radio station, and asked respondents first to rate the importance of each, then to prioritise the most important...

Local adverts

Aimed at people of my age

Entertaining breakfast showPhone-insInvolved with the

local community

Celebrity and entertainment

news and gossip

National and international news

Presenters from the local areaMusic

Presenters with entertaining personalities

Listing of local events

Local traffic and travel

Local news and weather

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Q. How important is �. in terms of making a local Radio Station appealing?

29

33

34

51

55

55

45

48

43

35

31

34

15

11

12

7

8

5

11

8

10

6

5

5

Listing of LocalEvents

Natl/Inter News

Presenters withEnter/personalities

Local Traffic

Music

Local News/Weather

Base: ALL

Very Important Important Neither/Nor Unimportant Don't Know

The results were highly consistent with the focus groups...


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Q. How important is �. in terms of making a local Radio Station appealing?

11

13

14

18

25

25

26

27

32

32

33

50

31

52

21

21

23

24

15

20

12

20

20

21

19

7

14

8

19

12

8

4

2

7

1

Local Adverts

Celebrity/Ent News

Phone Ins

Presenters from theLocal Area

Aimed at People my Age

Ent Breakfast Show

Invol with LocalCommunity

Base: ALLVery Important Important Neither/Nor Unimportant Very Unimportant

Many of the �lesser� attributes have only marginal appeal


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Quantitative respondents prioritised local news/weather above music, though attitudes vary by age

Q. Which three characteristics are most important?

13

18

11

16

20

50

61

71

0 20 40 60 80

Involv with localActivities

Aimed at People myage

Ent Presenters

Listing of localevents

National/InternationalNews

Local Traffic/Travel

Music

Local News/Weather

Base: ALL

� Similar hierarchy to straight importance ratings, but differences between winners and losers are more pronounced (bottom 5 attributes scored less than 10%)

� No significant differences emerging by area

� But, age was influential � e.g. 16-24 and 65+ higher preference for �station� aimed at people my age, local traffic more important 25+, music key for 16-24 year olds


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Satisfaction with current provision

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Respondents listen to a broad mix of local and national stations

Q. Which of these radio stations do you listen to nowadays?

10

12

13

14

15

20

20

24

2731

0 10 20 30 40

Radio 5 Live

Classic FM

Plymouth Sound

Radio Devon

Gemini FM

Radio Cornwall

Radio 4

Pirate FM

Radio 2

Radio1

Base: (ALL)

CornwallExeter Plymouth29% 31% 36%28% 31% 22%39% 1% 19%18% 26% 16%37% 2% 4%1% 52% 5%1% 28% 23%3% 0% 51%10% 18% 10% 8% 10% 16%


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Overall level of satisfaction with current local stations is high

Q. Overall how satisfied are you with the range of local radio stations available to you?

9 10 12 6

21 2026

18

41 36

3952

29 3424 24

Total Cornwall Exeter PlymouthBase: ALL

Very Satisfied

Satisfied

Neither/Nor

Dissatisfied


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Higher levels of dissatisfaction among some sub-groups...

� Dissatisfaction levels were higher than the total for the following:� Men 10% versus 5% for Women� Men in Exeter particularly high 18%� 16-24 year olds in Cornwall higher at 18%� 20-44 year olds in Exeter higher at 20%


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Attitudes to current local services were broadly consistent across three of the four focus groups


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In the quantitative, current local stations score well on the key functional attributes of local radio

Q. How do you rate the local Radio Stations currently available in terms of � ?

25

26

28

29

38

38

37

35

42

40

41

43

14

15

11

11

6

5

9

4

4

9

2

2

EntPresenters

Phone Ins

Listing ofLocal

Music

Local Traffic

Local News

Base: ALL

Very Good Good Neither/Nor Poor

� Music and (especially) entertaining presenters score less well

� Overall good ratings, though, even on these attributes

� But, highest level of dissatisfaction (9%) for these of any attributes (bar �aimed at people of my age� - 14%)

� Again, broadly consistent with qualitative findings


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No obvious perceived gaps in provision

� Many of our focus group respondents did not articulate any particular gap in provision� They just wanted more of the same, as another alternative (and

something to keep existing stations on their toes)� However, there is a latent demand for a station that...

� Offers similar functional benefits to the current music stations (i.e. useful local news and travel information, playing a community role)

� Displays a greater degree of professionalism and a broader outlook� Better presenters� Less parochial

� Offers a more appealing and less repetitive music mix


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Level of interest in a new service

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Just over half the sample claimed to be interested in a new service

Q. How interested would you be in listening to a new local or regional commercial radio station?

17

37

21

15

9

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total % Base: ALL

%Very UninterestedUninterestedNeither/NorInterestedVery Interested


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Level of interest in a new service varies substantially across the sample

5356543646627654575054Net interested

3439382233425437433437Interested

1917161413202217141617Very interested

DEC2ABC165+45-6425-4416-24ExeterPlymouthCornwallAll%base: all

� Around half the total sample are interested

� Younger people (and especially 16-24s) are especially likely to be interested

� More people are interested in Plymouth and Exeter than in Cornwall 38444345+

77726016-44

ExeterPlymouthCornwall%base: all


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Station coverage preferences

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In Cornwall- A Cornwall only Station- A Cornwall, Plymouth and Exeter/Torbay Station

In Exeter (quantitative only)- An Exeter/Torbay only Station- An Exeter/Torbay and Plymouth Station- An Exeter/Torbay, Plymouth and Cornwall Station

In Plymouth- A Plymouth only Station- A Plymouth and Exeter/Torbay Station- A Plymouth, Exeter/Torbay and Cornwall Station

Respondents in both surveys were presented with up to three options, depending on their location

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They recognise the trade-off between localness and scale benefits

� Respondents in the focus groups were generally quick to grasp the idea that there might be a trade-off between different benefits provided by local and regional (Cornwall and Devon) services

� There were split views on the issue of Cornwall vs Devon� The older Cornish respondents were locally focused and proud of their Cornish

identity (�They�re English, we�re Cornish�)� The other three groups were more outward looking, and didn�t seem to have a

problem with the notion of Cornwall and (South) Devon being identified as a single area (indeed some welcomed it)

� Pirate FM is already seen as broadcasting cross-border, to some extentSource: Knowledge Agency focus groups

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The focus groups showed a clear preference for a regional (Cornwall and Devon) service


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Among the larger sample, there are directional, but not clear cut, preferences...

Base: 141Base: 170Base: 322

Don�t know2%

Don�t know4%

Don�t know14%

Cornwall and Devon44%



Devon15%

Devon12%

Exeter only39%

Plymouth only37%

Cornwall only49%

ExeterPlymouthCornwall � There are no clear-cut preferences either way in any location


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Attitudes to station coverage vary within Cornwall...

12913171614Don�t know

412631385837Cornwall and Devon

476556442649Cornwall only

Interested in new station

65+45-6425-4416-24All

� Attitude varies by age

� The older someone is, the more likely they are to want a local station

� Even among those interested in a new station, the preference overall is for a local station


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However, attitudes in Plymouth and Exeter are more consistent

� Patterns relatively consistent between areas and across demographs

1

46

15

38

Int

4

44

12

40

Int

DK122634DK

Regional404944474646Regional

Devon191015131212Devon

Local413939353937Local

45+15-44All45+15-44All

ExeterPlymouth


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There are strong functional reasons for people to prefer a local station

� Importance of functional localness� Relevant local news� Relevant local traffic and travel

� Greater sense of identity with the local, rather than regional area� Particularly among older and more downmarket respondents

� However, there is no clear sense that these needs are underserved at the moment, even in Cornwall

4465Local area not well served

25202825Prefer local coverage

22281922Info more relevant

51525352A local station appeals more because...

ExeterPlymouthCornwallTotal% (base: all)


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Local attributes are particularly important to those wanting a Cornwall-only station

12122415121316Presenter personalities

32222524151320National news

59725859685561Music

2519217131718Local info/ what�s on

39454841556150Local traffic and travel

63757972638171Local news and weather

RegionalLocalRegionalLocalRegionalLocalAll

ExeterPlymouthCornwall


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Reasons for preferring a regional (Cornwall and Devon) station are more subtle and emotional

� Focus group respondents articulated a number of reasons for preferring a regional service...� Scale and substance (= more money)

� �A proper alternative to Radio 1� (Plymouth, pre-family)� Ability to attract bigger stars and better presenters

� �Why speak to 1,000 people on Plymouth Sound when you can reach 7 million on Radio 1� (Plymouth, pre-family)

� A broader outlook� �If it�s something you really want to see... Newquay�s amazing, so is

Bristol� (Plymouth, pre-family)� Better adverts (bigger audience)� Something different

� �Local radio that acts more like a national� (Plymouth, older parents)� �More of a challenge to the status quo� (St Austell, young parents)


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The quantitative highlights the broader outlook of a regional station as the biggest driver of appeal

� Anticipated professionalism is not the only (or biggest) reason for wanting a regional station

� Many people seem to be drawn to the broad idea of plural supply, and are looking for choice within the mainstream, not specialist or niche provision

7

12

28

47

All

495940A wider regional station appeals more because...

6124Different

111014Bigger/more professional

323722Broader coverage/outlook

ExeterPlymouthCornwall% (base: all)


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