RadioCentre

Radiocentre is the industry body for commercial radio in the UK. It exists to maintain and build a strong and successful commercial radio industry. The organisation works on behalf of over 40 stakeholders who operate over 300 licensed radio stations across the UK and represent 90% of commercial radio in terms of listening and revenue.

Radiocentre performs three main functions on behalf of its members.

* Advertising: Drive industry revenue by promoting the benefits of radio to advertisers and agencies, asking them to see radio differently through a combination of marketing activity (events, advertising, PR), research, and training
* Policy: Provide UK commercial radio with a collective voice on issues that affect the way that radio stations operate, working with government, politicians, policy makers and regulators to secure the best environment for growth and development of the medium
* Clearance: Ensure advertising messages on commercial radio stations comply with the necessary content rules and standards laid out in the BCAP Code of Broadcast Advertising and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

Background

Radiocentre's chief executive Matt Payton was appointed in July 2022.

Its predecessor Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) was founded by the first radio companies under the name Association of Independent Radio Companies when independent radio began with LBC and Capital in 1973. It became the CRCA in 1996.Commercial radio history
/ref> Since it was founded the body has always represented the interests of UK commercial radio to government, parliament, Ofcom, the European Commission, the European Parliament and other organisations concerned with radio and broadcasting. These functions continue to be administered under the Radiocentre name by the external affairs department.

Radiocentre is a patron of cross-industry registered charity the Radio Academy as well as being the joint owner of the national radio ratings analyst Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd and online audio player Radioplayer alongside the BBC.

Departments

Radiocentre offers three areas of expertise each with different functions: policy, advertising (formerly the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), and clearance (formerly the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre).

The RAB was founded in 1992. It is the marketing body for radio, funded entirely by the UK commercial radio industry. The RAB works for the commercial success of radio, raising its profile with advertisers and agencies and helping them use the medium more effectively and creatively.

The Radio Advertising Clearance Centre, which since 1996 has been the UK commercial radio industry's advertising clearance body, is responsible for clearing up to 25,000 ads per year against the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) as developed by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). This regulatory code, plus nearly 60 Acts of UK Parliament, determine what can and cannot be said in all UK radio advertisements. All stations contribute to the cost via their broadcasting licence fees.

Members

Radiocentre member stations together represent approximately 90% of commercial radio listening. Any commercial radio station in the UK holding a terrestrial radio broadcasting licence from Ofcom is eligible to become a station member of the Radiocentre. Major member groups are Global Radio and Bauer Media, while regional groups include Nation Broadcasting and DC Thomson.

Initiatives

Radiocentre leads or collaborates on many industry-wide initiatives.

Research

Radiocentre and commercial radio have more publicly available effectiveness research than any other medium. All available on the Radiocentre website, the studies outline the reach, resonance and results commercial radio provides to advertisers.
Notable reports include:
* "Speed of Sound" is the essential guide to how digital innovation is accelerating the audio advantage for advertisers.
* "Radio: The Performance Multiplier" study demonstrates how re-allocating media budget to radio advertising helps brands punch through The Performance Plateau.
* "Listen Up!" highlights emotion's defining role in audio advertising effectiveness.
* "Big Audio Datamine" explores what big data tells us about how radio advertising helps brands create and convert demand
* "Generation Audio" examines the drivers behind continued growth in the audio landscape, for both listeners and advertisers.

Training

We run a series of online training courses throughout the year and have also brought back our in-person training course for media agencies which includes a station visit. It is aimed primarily at UK advertisers and agencies and is also available for Radiocentre full and associate member stations. Free of charge. View their full training calendar on our website.

Tools

Radiocentre tools give you access to relevant data and creative stimulus, allowing you to stress-test your thinking and use radio advertising more effectively. Including:
* "Radiogauge" is a free service which provides advertisers with robust data to help them understand the effectiveness of their radio campaign, benchmarking results against the competition. Results are benchmarked against the competition and analysed to suggest ways that ads can be enhanced creatively to improve future performance.
*"Radio ads database" gives you access our largest database of over 75,000 radio ads searchable by specific brand, sector or year.
*"The Radio Planning Optimiser" provides radio planners and buyers (strategic planners and advertisers) with a data-framework to help them make smarter effectiveness-outcome-based decisions when setting the optimum planning weights for their radio campaigns.

Explore the full selection tools available, on their website.

Tuning In

Tuning In is Radiocentre’s flagship event, with a focus on the latest developments and innovations in audio advertising. The audio conference is free to attend for UK advertisers and agencies, radio and audio professionals and Radiocentre members stations. Held in multiple cities across the UK, Tuning In has heard from John Cleese, Mel C and Alain de Botton, alongside radio personalities like Ronan Keating, Jordan North and Harriet Scott.

Audio Ad of the Year Award

The award, run by Radiocentre in partnership with Campaign since 2022, celebrates creativity in audio advertising and champions the teams behind excellent work that has run within the year. Droga5 London took home the 2022 title with a campaign for Rustlers, followed by Adam&Eve DDB winning in 2023 with their campaign for Quorn, and most recently, Uncommon Creative Studio took home the 2024 gold for their work with Hiscox.

Diversity Masterclasses

Radiocentre works closely with Creative Access to try and improve the representation of young people from BAME backgrounds and those with a lower socioeconomic status, hosting radio masterclasses for Creative Access interns who are looking to start careers in radio and audio.

Radioplayer

Radioplayer is a radio technology platform, owned by UK radio broadcasters and operated under licence in more than a dozen other countries. It operates an internet radio web tuner, a set of mobile phone apps, an in-car adaptor, and a growing range of integrations with other connected devices and platforms.

AER

The Association of European Radios (AER) is the Europe-wide trade body for commercial radio, representing the interests of over 5,000 commercial radio stations to the EU Institutions. AER promotes the development of European commercially funded radio broadcasting, by ensuring a fair and sustainable economic framework for radio to thrive in. Radiocentre is a member of the AER.

Mental Health Minute

Since 2018, the Mental Health Minute has brought together commercial radio, BBC stations and community radio to broadcast a unique, one-minute message during Mental Health Awareness Week on the importance of talking about mental health issues, reaching out for support or to check in on someone who may be suffering, and listening to each other. It broadcasts to one of radio's biggest collective audiences, with an average listenership of more than 20 million.

Led by Radiocentre in collaboration with The Royal Foundation's Heads Together initiative, the minute features His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge with recognisable voices from music, film, TV and sport, with 2020's edition including England football captain Harry Kane, singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, actor David Tennant and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, as well as The Duchess of Cambridge for the first time.

References

External links

* {{official, http://www.radiocentre.org/

RAB website

JICRIT website

Broadcasting in the United Kingdom
Media and communications in the London Borough of Camden
Organisations based in the London Borough of Camden
Organizations established in 2006
Radio organisations in the United Kingdom
2006 establishments in the United Kingdom