TeamRock

Seagull259Seagull259 Posts: 1,519
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From Radio Today

John Myers, former CEO of The Radio Academy and head of GMG Radio has teamed up with his former GMG radio Executive Billy Anderson to launch a new world wide business venture under the name TeamRock.

The new company will deliver rock music services via multi-media platforms, based in Glasgow and London.


http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/07/myers-and-anderson-team-up-for-teamrock/
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Comments

  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    "Rock music services"?

    Guitar tuning? Tattoos? Various powdery substances?
  • Seagull259Seagull259 Posts: 1,519
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    Just posted by John Myers on Twitter. No extra information yet on the website.

    We launch Tuesday.... fantastic

    http://weareteamrock.com/
  • radiodadradiodad Posts: 2,071
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    Im sure we can pretty much all guess he's bought Real XS, Global advertised them up for sale after the first CC review as a lamb to the slaughter to see if that makes any difference for the final review.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 41
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    Global are unable to sell anything until the formal review by the competition commission is over.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 41
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  • Ethan RayneEthan Rayne Posts: 607
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    Hope so.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 285
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    An odd venture, it has to be said. There may be fans but can they be 'monetized'? Plus of course magazine publishing is a sector that's being absolutely hammered by the Internet, whilst Real XS is a loss maker for R&S Ltd and always has been. How they seek to profit from this escapes me, but I wish them well. Good to see someone giving it a bash.
  • PassengersPassengers Posts: 764
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    Heck of a lot of money for some magazines. Not really sure where they're heading with this, all seems a little strange. Surely they need a national radio presence? Are their pockets deep enough for a crack at Absolute?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 41
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    Interesting. From the very little knowledge I have of VC's they are not people who give money away easily. The plan must be a good one for them to throw £10 million at it.

    According to Mediaweek the mags are making two million gross profit so a £10 million price tag is not that far away. It must be the start of something much bigger for VC's to get involved and Myers says as much in his blog this morning. He also points to another announcement tomorrow. The press says they are taking mags and moving them into digital and other platforms. Never really sure what that term means.

    If radio is an option they can't be buying Real XS as Global are barred from selling them until the commission results are in and that could be as late as June or July.

    I agree with Cassaboy22. Good to see someone having a bash at it. Whatever that is.
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,557
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    Passengers wrote:
    Are their pockets deep enough for a crack at Absolute?
    Maybe just Absolute Classic Rock with a reasonable 363k listeners if TIML will sell? Until they can get Real xs on FM Manchester (153k) and Scotland (70k), however Real xs has DAB transmission on MXR which closes soon, whereas Abs CR has an audience on local muxes which will stay?
  • SouthCitySouthCity Posts: 12,352
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    If radio is an option they can't be buying Real XS as Global are barred from selling them until the commission results are in and that could be as late as June or July.

    As I understand it Wednesday 22 May is the deadline for publishing the report (extended from the original 27 March deadline) so the results won't be any later than this:

    http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/assets/competitioncommission/docs/2012/global-radio-gmg/notice_of_extension.pdf
  • wns_195wns_195 Posts: 13,556
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    I don't think there is a shortage of rock radio stations, so moving into radio would surely be about preserving or enhancing existing brands.
  • Ethan RayneEthan Rayne Posts: 607
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    wns_195 wrote: »
    I don't think there is a shortage of rock radio stations, so moving into radio would surely be about preserving or enhancing existing brands.

    Real xs(meh) has been a station in limbo for a good part of 18 months now and was only kept going by the great work put in by 3 of the presenters/producers, it really needs enhancing and that can only be achieved by someone who totally believes in the product.
  • dpbdpb Posts: 12,024
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    Team Rock is to launch a radio station on Digital One without any spot advertising:

    http://weareteamrock.com/D1launch.pdf

    http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/04/teamrock-to-launch-commercial-free-on-d1/
  • SouthCitySouthCity Posts: 12,352
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    Digital One is currently full, so another station must be closing, unless Planet Rock & Classic FM intend reducing their bit rates. Time for Ofcom to re-advertise Digital Two I think.

    Does the platform really need two classic rock stations and two religious stations? I would much prefer to have LBC on there.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 41
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    This is a very interesting business model, a radio station with no adverts. Planet Rock took airtime and were losing a lot of money. Absolute radio lost £3 million last year. I'm told a lot of smaller local stations don't take national airtime because they are offered buttons for it. Is there enough money out of just S&P to do this? If so, would Jazz fm not be better of doing it this way? I expect radio and magazines will come together to play more of the music they are featuring. Next step might be for them to own and manage rock bands. A bit like Global radio owning The Wanted and using their stations to promote then but this is in the rock world.

    There is more than one pop station on D1 playing different types of pop music, I would expect the same is true of this rock music genre although I admit to guessing.
  • kevkev Posts: 21,070
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    This is a very interesting business model, a radio station with no adverts.

    John Myers has been batting that one around for a while - Smooth Radio in the East Midlands would have launched under the same model if they had won the licence (which was awarded to Saga).

    BFBS re-launched in April 2009 - wonder if that is where the capacity is coming from?
  • norderneynorderney Posts: 772
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    Probably be another mono station. Especially as there is very limited capacity on D1. Will have to listen on line to hear it in stereo, unless by some miracle they can get 112k or 128k.
  • Radio SpyRadio Spy Posts: 254
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    Interesting. From the very little knowledge I have of VC's they are not people who give money away easily. The plan must be a good one for them to throw £10 million at it.

    According to Mediaweek the mags are making two million gross profit so a £10 million price tag is not that far away. It must be the start of something much bigger for VC's to get involved and Myers says as much in his blog this morning. He also points to another announcement tomorrow. The press says they are taking mags and moving them into digital and other platforms. Never really sure what that term means.

    If radio is an option they can't be buying Real XS as Global are barred from selling them until the commission results are in and that could be as late as June or July.

    I agree with Cassaboy22. Good to see someone having a bash at it. Whatever that is.

    Turning in a 2 mil profit when you are part of a sprawling and established publisher is probably a darn sight easier to do than making any kind of profit as a standalone publication.

    VCs do demand security and a feasible plan. Given this latest development though, I think they are banking on Myers previous history making this work.

    Bad move if you ask me. Publishing is in trouble, as has been said already, there are plenty of rock stations out there.

    I think Myers has snake charmed the cash on the promise of performance. I sincerely hope he does well but somehow, I have some niggling doubts.
  • MusicmasterproxMusicmasterprox Posts: 959
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    Real xs(meh) has been a station in limbo for a good part of 18 months now and was only kept going by the great work put in by 3 of the presenters/producers, it really needs enhancing and that can only be achieved by someone who totally believes in the product.
    The whole product itself will at one point need restructured. With Bauer just only inches away, I would say it won't be long before Planet Rock appears on FM.
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,557
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    kev wrote: »
    John Myers has been batting that one around for a while - Smooth Radio in the East Midlands would have launched under the same model if they had won the licence (which was awarded to Saga).

    BFBS re-launched in April 2009 - wonder if that is where the capacity is coming from?
    Sponsoring blocks could work of the right sponsors are found?

    BFBS is about to start promoting itself at MOD sites,so if if it's DAB outlet is closing could promote alternative platforms?
    http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/03/operation-ice-cream-makes-a-return-to-bfbs/ other D1 stations now seem settled on D1 with funding, otherwise might be Jazz FM, Abs 90's or Smooth 70's going
  • BMRBMR Posts: 4,351
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    This is a very interesting business model, a radio station with no adverts. Planet Rock took airtime and were losing a lot of money. Absolute radio lost £3 million last year. .

    Indeed. I do wonder if the jam is being spread too thin here. The nightmare scenario for rock fans would be if Team Rock took Planet Rock down, but then couldn't survive itself, leaving rock fans with nothing. I suppose Absolute Classic Rock could fill the void.

    I believe there is a market for a classic rock station in the UK, There is not a market for 3 or 4 of them.
    norderney wrote: »
    Probably be another mono station. Especially as there is very limited capacity on D1. Will have to listen on line to hear it in stereo, unless by some miracle they can get 112k or 128k.

    I wasn't aware there was any capacity at all, apart from by reducing Classic FM's bit rate. Frankly I'm amazed Classic has stayed at 160k as long as it has.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 44
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    BMR wrote: »
    Indeed. I do wonder if the jam is being spread too thin here. The nightmare scenario for rock fans would be if Team Rock took Planet Rock down, but then couldn't survive itself, leaving rock fans with nothing. I suppose Absolute Classic Rock could fill the void.

    I believe there is a market for a classic rock station in the UK, There is not a market for 3 or 4 of them.

    do we know it will be classic rock, could be mainstream rock.

    I think it will between these and bauer to get real xs.
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,557
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    http://m.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/03/classic-rock-metal-hammer-digital-radio
    The Team Rock chief executive, Billy Anderson, said the new venture was a "much wider business" in which radio would play "an important role".
    "All rock stations in the UK seem to play the same rock songs. That's fine but we are not a classic rock station. Instead, we celebrate the whole spectrum of rock music. Too many great bands go unplayed.
    So sounds a bit different to Planetrock and Abs CR?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 41
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    According to the UKdigitalradio website Planet Rock is the only UK national rock station. This means Absolute classic rock and Kerrang are operating on smaller local or regional multiplexes to a smaller part of the population. I have not looked into this greatly. The point being if Team Rock is national and others are local then I am guessing Absolute and Kerrang will have their work cut out to survive commercially. I still think the no commercial spots idea is a winner provided they don't run out of money first.

    There is nothing up on the OFCOM website yet about the format of the station.
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