Cross-sales on cards as C4 tunes in to radio

Channel 4's business model for its 4Radio venture was based around the selling of spot ads on the new radio stations. However, it is now examining bundling radio airtime with its TV and online inventory.

Andy Barnes, Channel 4 sales director, said: "The notion of cross-selling is not a new one.
"Every media owner is looking to see how leveraging one platform will affect the other, and any media owner would look at maximising the return across all its properties."

Channel 4 continues to grapple with the launch of the DAB offering. It has yet to appoint a commercial director at 4Radio despite interviewing applicants for the position since last autumn.
It is thought that the uncertainty over the precise nature of the role has contributed to the hiring delay.

The official launch date of 4Radio remains July, although it has been widely speculated that the service might not now go live until 2009.

4Digital Group, the body that owns the licence for the second national digital radio multiplex, has yet to issue a contract to transmission outfit Arqiva for the supply of transmitters for the multiplex.

Amanda Barrett, Universal McCann radio engagement specialist, said the move to cross-sell radio with online and TV "made sense".

She said: "I know Channel 4 was looking to invent a new model in terms of trading across multiple platforms, and I know it was looking at doing cross-branded deals to try and revolutionise radio trading."

Paul Robinson, former chief executive of TalkSport, agrees such a move would be positive.
"It isn't a new idea, but it is the correct one for Channel 4 on this," he said.

"It will get advertisers excited as they want an integrated platform and will get access to all three if Channel 4 decides to cross-sell."

However, Richard Wheatley, chief executive of The Local Radio Company, said such a move might not be positive for Channel 4.

"It's very difficult to cross-sell media effectively," he added.