Westminster Media Forum

To the Westminster Media Forum today.

A few interesting statistics learnt:

• 10,000 people work in UK commercial radio (Andrew Harrison, RadioCentre)
• 40% of commercial radio stations lose money (Peter Davies, Ofcom)
• Only 15% of the songs Heart plays are on Capital (Mark Browning, Heart)
• Only 10% of the songs Heart plays are on Smooth (Mark Browning, Heart)

Andy Parfitt spoke about “the myth of the teched-up 17 year old”, arguing quite powerfully that most 17 year-olds don’t have the satellite TV in their bedroom, a wifi laptop, an iPod, a contract super-duper mobile phone, etc etc. He spoke about the balance between analogue and digital - and that FM has a good place to play in current radio.

Interesting quote from Gillian Reynolds (who was excellent, incidentally): she was too lazy to walk to the kitchen to listen to The Archers, so she “watched the blue screen”. Which means she has Sky, by the way! If only we could get something better onto that screen…