UTV looking to sell local stations?

dpbdpb Posts: 12,021
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Media Guardian reporting UTV is considering a sale of some or all of their local stations in England and Wales:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/09/talksport-utv-local-radio-stations-england
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Comments

  • MSBMSB Posts: 1,408
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    The bigger ones should interest Bauer, UKRD for the smaller ones...
  • Station IDStation ID Posts: 7,401
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    MSB wrote: »
    The bigger ones should interest Bauer, UKRD for the smaller ones...

    I'd say Orion are the favourite for the bigger ones or possibly Bauer or Communicorps. UKRD for the smaller ones.

    Juice could be Capital quite easily I would think.
  • philenglandphilengland Posts: 8,175
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    Here's hoping Capital and Smooth don't make it to Swansea!
  • omnidirectionalomnidirectional Posts: 18,785
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    Radio Today says that talks have already taken place between UTV and Communicorp, who are 'keen to grow'.

    I can see some potential, such as Capital in Liverpool* and Stoke, and Smooth on FM in Cardiff, Swansea and West Yorkshire. However some UTV stations (eg. Wish/Wire/Tower) already have Capital, Heart and Smooth in the area.

    * Capital Wirral 97.1 is not very strong in much of Merseyside
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,512
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    Talksport or the Irish stations are not for sale, wonder where this leaves the D2 bid and local DAB?
    Would be good if local businessmen buy out stations to run as independent local stations, but will end up as parts of larger radio groups due to saved running costs?
    Communicorp has a deal with UTV radio in Ireland to supply News.
  • Harris TweedHarris Tweed Posts: 1,613
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    Some interesting permutations possible!

    Does it really give Heart/Capital (under either owner) or Bauer local brands enough new territory to buy the whole group?

    Do those operators start growing their other brands into new areas?

    Do Orion have the money (or rather can they get their hands on it) to buy them? If so, would they ditch their currently quite 'local' West Mids networking for a national offer? Signal 107 would be interesting - not much in it for Orion or Global.

    Conversely, all of them probably fancy Signal, and Pulse would make sense for Bauer with its other Yorks properties
  • Adam792Adam792 Posts: 7,142
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    Signal 1 at least would give Orion a complete West Midlands network for Free Radio.

    If Communicorp got them then I guess it would potentially fill in the Heart gap between 100.7 and the former Real North West!
  • Harris TweedHarris Tweed Posts: 1,613
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    Adam792 wrote: »
    Signal 1 at least would give Orion a complete West Midlands network for Free Radio.

    If Communicorp got them then I guess it would potentially fill in the Heart gap between 100.7 and the former Real North West!

    Stoke's a no brainer for all the groups - big heritage audience, no competition. Cheapest to run and not far for a group manager to travel from Brum or Manchester. But none of them will shell out 20-30 million just to get that.

    I'd say Bauer, except that northwest cluster doesn't have much of a place in their portfolio.

    I wonder whether there'll be a period of horse-trading to split up the assets..
  • Harris TweedHarris Tweed Posts: 1,613
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    Actually (and forgive my knowledge of the Formats, TSAs and mini-regions involved) but could the northwest stations be merged with Capital Manchester.. or does it already cover those areas pretty much?
  • clewsyclewsy Posts: 4,222
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    Heart North west could cover stoke as South cheshire is covered by signal. However signal would fill the gap for heart and capital who have stations all around bt not in Stoke.
  • wirewolfwirewolf Posts: 805
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    Capital Manchester would officially cover most of Towers TSA, and parts of Wire and Wish, with the bits not officially covered being able to hear it anyway.

    Signal 1 covers a fair chunk of Cheshire on both 102.6 and 96.4, so that would compete with Heart NW. There'd be no problems replacing Signal 1 with Capital though.

    If 97.1 hadn't been transferred into Capital, Juice would've been a cert for turning into Capital.
  • radio tunerradio tuner Posts: 3,030
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    Radio Today says that talks have already taken place between UTV and Communicorp, who are 'keen to grow'.

    I can see some potential, such as Capital in Liverpool* and Stoke, and Smooth on FM in Cardiff, Swansea and West Yorkshire. However some UTV stations (eg. Wish/Wire/Tower) already have Capital, Heart and Smooth in the area.

    * Capital Wirral 97.1 is not very strong in much of Merseyside

    why do you presume if communicorp are interested they will license global stations ?

    97.1 is strong across liverpool
  • omnidirectionalomnidirectional Posts: 18,785
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    why do you presume if communicorp are interested they will license global stations ?

    97.1 is strong across liverpool

    At the moment Communicorp UK buys in everything from Global, so extending that agreement to any newly acquired stations seems like the most likely outcome to me.

    97.1 is good in Liverpool but 107.6 is better across Merseyside as a whole, mainly because the 97.1 signal is nulled in a North/NorthWest direction, limiting the potential coverage.
  • Scotty_BScotty_B Posts: 1,957
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    At the moment Communicorp UK buys in everything from Global, so extending that agreement to any newly acquired stations seems like the most likely outcome to me.

    If they actually bought some established stations they would have a good base to build on and put something worthwhile on the frequencies they currently have getting rid of the crap on there now.
  • kevkev Posts: 21,070
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    Stoke's a no brainer for all the groups - big heritage audience, no competition. Cheapest to run and not far for a group manager to travel from Brum or Manchester. But none of them will shell out 20-30 million just to get that.

    I'd say Bauer, except that northwest cluster doesn't have much of a place in their portfolio.

    I wonder whether there'll be a period of horse-trading to split up the assets..

    The north west cluster would be an ideal home for Rock FM 2 or even Magic 105.4, with Juice being a Kiss...
  • SonOfPurpleSonOfPurple Posts: 2,634
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    Here's how I think it could go:

    Juice - to Global for combination with 97.1 forming Capital Merseyside - the remaining parts of Capital NW&W would continue in North Wales and Cheshire.

    Signal 1 & 2 - to Bauer for City network (with a Signal 3 added on DAB) - likely Heart WM and/or Heart NW already serve the area

    Peak - possible sale to one of the midsize groups (UKRD, Quidem, Lincs) if not sold to Global (Heart Derbyshire?)

    Swansea Sound/The Wave - possibly to Communicorp for combination with Capital Cardiff; possibly to Bauer for City network

    Pulse 1 & 2 - unclear, Bauer already have Aire nearby and Global/Communicorp already strong - to UKRD to operate in Eagle/County Sound (pre-Premier) manner maybe?

    Signal 107 - possibly to Bauer to run as a standalone station in the CFM/Borders mould, as Bauer isn't huge in the Midlands (IIRC they only have 105.2); possibly to Orion to run as West Midlands version of Gem 106 (though overlap with Free may hold Orion back). Global/Communicorp already strong in this area.

    Tower, Wish, Wire, RadioWave - they have a high degree of overlap with existing Global/Communicorp and Bauer northwest stations but could be viable as a selfcontained network of stations in the Media Sound/Anglian/KMFM/Free mould, possibly with some shared content (no real drama as they already share Total Access)...
  • Scotty_BScotty_B Posts: 1,957
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    The day it happens is the day I switch to Spotify or equivalent for good.
  • radio tunerradio tuner Posts: 3,030
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    At the moment Communicorp UK buys in everything from Global, so extending that agreement to any newly acquired stations seems like the most likely outcome to me.

    97.1 is good in Liverpool but 107.6 is better across Merseyside as a whole, mainly because the 97.1 signal is nulled in a North/NorthWest direction, limiting the potential coverage.

    i would expect them to SPIN it
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 46
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    From what I remember some of the licences for the stations mentioned expire withing a year or two?
  • PassengersPassengers Posts: 764
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    Pulse 1 & 2 would be perfect for Bauer both in terms of coverage and also that they can co-locate with Radio Aire.
  • wns_195wns_195 Posts: 13,546
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    If Pulse 1/2 are sold to Bauerr, I wouldn't be surprised if they were merged with Radio Aire.

    UTV has provided good sports coverage on many of its local stations. I hope who ever gets them will continue this.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 46
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    You can already hear Aire in most parts of Bradford and Huddersfield so not sure if Bauer would want it as there would be quite abit of overlap.
  • radio tunerradio tuner Posts: 3,030
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    Passengers wrote: »
    Pulse 1 & 2 would be perfect for Bauer both in terms of coverage and also that they can co-locate with Radio Aire.

    is it not in the same tsa as aire?
  • Beacon HillBeacon Hill Posts: 287
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    Ironically, when Emap purchased the Metro radio group which included the Yorkshire stations, they were unable to acquire both Radio Aire & The Pulse due to competition rules at the time. How times have changed.
    Whoever lays their hands on The Pulse will get the superb coverage from the Halifax/Huddersfield transmitter at Vicars lot which covers the parts of Leeds 96.3 still doesn't reach!
  • MSBMSB Posts: 1,408
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    The problem is not Pulse vs Aire.

    It's Pulse/Aire vs Heart, Capital, Radio 2 etc...
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