Merged radio body to look into trading

Ian Darby, Campaign 24-Feb-06

Issues surrounding radio airtime trading are likely to be a priority for the new radio industry trade body being created by the merger of the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Commercial Radio Companies Association.

Douglas McArthur, the chief executive of the Radio Advertising Bureau,
is expected to lead the new body, as the CRCA chief executive Paul
Brown, is said to be close to retirement. McArthur said: "Looking at the

ways in which commercial radio is traded is currently nobody's job. The

new body will be able to address big issues that currently nobody is
looking at."

The body, being developed under the working title of the Radio Centre,
will provide one point of contact to handle both regulatory issues and
marketing of the medium.

The decision to merge follows reports radio companies were keen to
introduce more effective ways of marketing the medium in the light of
commercial radio's falling share against the BBC.

The new body will also encompass the activities of the Jicrit research
programme, the Hit40UK chart show programming and the Radio Advertising
Clearance Centre.

Perspective, page 12.