How Switzerland measures Radio and TV listener data: an interview with Martin Weber (Mediapulse)

Avatar for Marco Hugo-BarsottiMarco Hugo-Barsotti

While in Italy, Audiradio takes over radio listening surveys from TER with a CATI research that largely follows what TER did, in Switzerland radio listenership has been measured for years with a “meter” based on Smart Watch. Providing real-time data, as in the case of the collapse in listenership of stations that have just abandoned FM. But are these data significant? FM-world interviewed those who conduct the research, Mediapulse.

This is the report of the interview with Martin Weber, Sr. Research Manager Radio that took place on January 29, 2025. The response regarding the FM shutdown is at the end, but we invite everyone to read each answer: it’s worth it.

Mediapulse

FM-World (Marco Hugo Barsotti): First of all, a few words about Mediapulse and its role in the Swiss media landscape.

Mediapulse (Martin Weber): As an independent industry organisation, Mediapulse is charged with collecting data on the consumption of radio and TV programmes in Switzerland.

This data is considered official currency and is used by broadcasters and programme makers, the advertising industry, government agencies and for research.

As a company with a strong practical focus, Mediapulse seeks to support the Swiss electronic media and advertising market with research services and data products. Modern systems and constant innovations ensure that changes in the consumption of audiovisual media can also be mapped.

Mediapulse stands for a neutral, independent, transparent and scientific approach to media research and is under the supervision of DETEC (OFCOM). A large part of the market is represented on the Board of Directors of Mediapulse AG and the Board of Trustees of the Mediapulse Foundation.

Mediawatch

FM-World: When did you start monitoring radio (and TV) audience? Was the CATI system ever used in the past?

Mediapulse: Radio usage has been systematically measured in Switzerland since 1975.

Until 2000, measurement was conducted through face-to-face interviews (DAR).

Since 2001, radio consumption has been measured via electronic device. The measurement provider has been GfK throughout these years with their portable personal meter based on audiomatching “Mediawatch”. TV measurement began in 1968. Until 1984 with CATI interviews and since then with a TAM system, installed in panel households.

Methodology

FM-World: On this web page (https://www.mediapulse.ch/fr/produits/radio-data/) you provide a complete description of your methodology that our readers can consult directly, so let me ask only some details. First, how is the data weighted?

Mediapulse: The data record to be analyzed is weighted daily based on universe criteria established by the Federal Statistical Office. Daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly weightings are applied. Furthermore, the weighting plan for Switzerland includes the following weighting variables: age groups (5), gender (2), recruitment zones (28), subareas (63), WEMF areas (24), linguistic regions and regional newspaper regions (10).

There’s more: your readers can find more detailed information in a downloadable document on our products page, the document is available HERE.

Mediawatch 4

FM-World: Let’s talk about measurement tools and data provision.

Mediapulse: Radio audience research uses GfK’s “Mediawatch 4” radio research system, composed of a new generation of measurement devices and Sound Sampling Units (SSU).

Regarding EvoRep, there isn’t much more to say than what you’ve found on our website. It’s software provided by GfK. As soon as data processing is completed (with a 7-day delay from the measured day) it’s available through EvoRep for analysis. Every participating radio distributor with a Mediapulse contract has access to all data from all participating radio channels.

Gaussian mon amour

FM-World: Since “every day at least 1,533 people wear this measurement device,” can we expect your data to have a margin of error (on the entire population) of about 2.5% in the worst case? Is this correct and does it also apply to local radio stations?

Mediapulse: Since measurement is carried out with a rotating sample (with usage periods of 4 weeks or 6 months) the sample size contributing to an analysis depends on the time period and size of the geographic area observed. The sample size for all of Switzerland for a semester is approximately N = 9,000.

The net sample includes panel members who provide actually valid measurement data.

Of the 2019 people in the gross sample, on average every day at least 1533 people must provide data, equal to 75.9% of the total.

From a gender and age group perspective, the net sample structure of people wearing the watch (the device that listens, like those in the cover photo Editor’s Note) is composed as follows:


Variance

Due to the sample structure with many observation days of the same participants that are not statistically independent, we have developed a custom variance estimation suitable for the data.

This estimate is used to calculate the confidence interval for net coverage. The width of the confidence interval depends on the sample size and also on the level of net coverage.

We can give you some examples with anonymous radio stations with different levels of average daily net coverage for linguistic areas (there are practically no analyses made for all of Switzerland because the market is strongly structured in linguistic areas):

Let’s try to decode the table, keeping as benchmark that of Audiradio which can be found HERE.

Mediapulse uses a 95% confidence interval, so if the survey were repeated infinite times then in 95 cases out of 100 the numbers provided will be between “lower” and “upper”.

Let’s take the two Italian-language stations (E and F). For both, data from a sample of 884 individuals are analyzed. We can state that station E has an estimated number of listeners equal to 14.33% of the Italian linguistic area or better, that we are 95% confident that the number of listeners is between 12.74% and 15.92%.

And since the net reach is equal to 14.33% we get a percentage width of the interval relative to coverage equal to 22% (1.38/14.33*100).

The Italian linguistic area in Switzerland consists of approximately 718,000 individuals (this is not indicated in the table, these are our data) so in the example station E has a number of listeners equal to 718,000*.143 = 102,000 (actually, between 91,186 and 114,162).

As for station F, it has a number of listeners between 5,600 and 12,421 (with a lower confidence interval width, magic of statistics).

Total Audience

FM-world: There is a growing trend to monitor the “total audience” of specific programs and not just “live” (linear) program listeners. So the combination of those who listened on air, on demand and this across all devices. Is this a “currency” that you measure?

Mediapulse: So far, only live radio has been within the scope of radio measurement. In agreement with the Swiss radio market, time-shifted listening (i.e., podcasts) is not planned even for the near future.

Minus 23%, significant data?

FM-World: The website tio.ch reported a 23% drop in radio listeners after the FM shutdown.
However, the article states “According to Miko Marr, research manager at Mediapulse company (which measures radio data): «These short-term figures are not significant». The SSR for its part confirms that the data are not sufficiently reliable from a statistical point of view”.
So we’re not asking for comments on this particular decline, but rather an explanation:
Can you explain why the data are not yet statistically significant and when do you expect them to be?

Mediapulse: Mirko Marr’s statement is not directed at statistical significance, perhaps this was lost in translation.

The statement refers to the fact that values consisting of only 14 days (and not even complete calendar weeks) of measurement do not provide a sufficiently high precision value to base a valid statement of general audience loss.

Mediapulse always recommends considering at least a quarter (or more for smaller analysis regions) for reliable results. This is because measurement is carried out with a rotating sample and therefore sample size accumulates over time.

Conclusions

Before answering the question we all ask ourselves – whether turning off FM is a good idea – we wanted to analyze the research methodologies used in Switzerland. And – with Swiss precision and seriousness – we were advised to wait before drawing conclusions.

But one thing is certain: in two months (at the end of the first quarter) we will again request access to the data in order to tell you about them, here on FM-world.it.

(M.H.B. for FM-world)

Arriva Milano Music Week: RTL 102.5 è la radio ufficiale

Avatar for Nicola FranceschiniNicola Franceschini

Milano si prepara a una settimana ricca di eventi e tanta voglia di scoprire le nuove frontiere della musica contemporanea.

Torna a Milano, dal 18 al 24 novembre, la Milano Music Week, l’appuntamento patrocinato dal Comune di Milano – Assessorato alla Cultura giunto alla sua ottava edizione.

RTL 102.5 è la radio ufficiale che racconterà gli eventi in programma trasmettendo in diretta dal proprio radio truck montato per l’occasione di fronte all’Arco della Pace.

Quella del 2024 si presenta come un’edizione ricca di novità, a partire dalla direzione artistica. Di fianco all’ormai navigata Nur Al Habash, quest’anno ci sarà il cantautore e produttore milanese Venerus, uno dei nomi più interessanti della scena musicale contemporanea, in veste di curatore speciale.

“Mi sento molto onorato di essere stato incaricato di collaborare alla direzione artistica di questa Milano Music Week. In quanto milanese e in quanto artista sento nel mio percorso il richiamo a valorizzare il luogo che mi ha dato la nascita e in cui vivo attraverso la mia attiva partecipazione. Colgo questa occasione per radunare alcuni dei personaggi che ho incontrato nella mia quotidianità e che profondamente stimo e sogno di poter fare incontrare tra loro e con il pubblico”, ha dichiarato l’artista.

Il filo conduttore di quest’anno è “Il futuro è già qui”: un claim che sottolinea come la musica e l’industria creativa stiano vivendo un momento di profonda trasformazione e quanto sia necessario innovare e osare per affrontare le sfide del presente: dall’intelligenza artificiale alla crescente integrazione delle esperienze virtuali.

I numeri della scorsa edizione contribuiscono ad aumentare l’attesa per questo nuovo appuntamento: più di 55mila presenze, oltre 400 eventi totali, 233 speaker, 369 artisti in 124 location in tutti i quartieri di Milano. “Vediamo se quest’anno riusciremo a doppiare, siamo contenti di questa crescita esponenziale degli ultimi anni”, così Nur Al Habash nel corso della conferenza stampa di presentazione dell’evento.

Sono dunque molti gli eventi che la cittadinanza si prepara ad accogliere. In primis, un’anteprima attesa non solo da tutta l’Italia, ma da tutto il mondo: la presentazione, presso la Triennale di Milano, del nuovo album di inediti di Mina, in uscita il 22 novembre.

Anche quest’anno saranno moltissimi gli artisti coinvolti nel programma ufficiale per talk, show case e djset: Gaia e La Rappresentante di lista saranno protagonisti di due interviste al Castello Sforzesco; i Negramaro racconteranno in anteprima l’album “Free Love”, in uscita il 22 novembre; poi Selton, Eugenio in via di gioia, Nitro, Coco e tantissimi altri.

Il distretto principale di questa edizione sarà nel centro della città di Milano. L’headquarter di quest’anno sarà il Castello Sforzesco: in questa location dal martedì al venerdì si svolgeranno soprattutto i panel sul music business e le interviste con gli artisti. L’altro polo sarà collocato in zona Arco della Pace: il Dazio di Ponente sarà attivo da martedì a domenica ospitando panel, workshop e incontri soprattutto nelle ore diurne; il Dazio di Levante sarà invece dedicato prevalentemente ai party serali.

Attorno a questi hub si svilupperanno gli altri eventi che arriveranno a coinvolgere tutti i quartieri della città.

Tommaso Sacchi, Assessore alla Cultura del Comune di Milano: “La Milano Music Week è un momento in cui la nostra città si trasforma in un palcoscenico vibrante e inclusivo, riunendo artisti, professionisti e appassionati da tutta Italia e non solo”.

Anche quest’anno a raccontare la Milano Music Week sarà RTL 102.5, in veste di radio ufficiale della manifestazione. La prima radiovisione d’Italia, in diretta 24 ore su 24, 365 giorni all’anno, trasmetterà in diretta da giovedì a domenica dal radio truck collocato ai Dazi dell’Arco della Pace, organizzerà il panel “100 anni di radio. RTL 102.5, il sistema che evolve nel tempo” (sabato 23 novembre alle 17.30 presso il Dazio di Ponente) e sarà presente all’incontro “Old but gold: la musica in radio e tv” con l’intervento di Anna Maria Genzano, responsabile affari istituzionali, relazioni esterne e interne del gruppo RTL 102.5 (martedì 19 novembre ore 17:00 presso la sala viscontea del Castello Sforzesco).

(Comunicato stampa)

* Per comunicati e segnalazioni: [email protected]

Vatican Radio, a reference point for international broadcasting. History, facilities and broadcasts (exclusive interview)

Avatar for Marco Hugo-BarsottiMarco Hugo-Barsotti

Designed personally by Marconi, Radio Vaticana has been a key player in international broadcasting since the early 20th century, particularly in terms of technology. FM-world discussed this with Costantino Pacifici, who was Technical Director of the station for many years.

Laudetur Jesus Christus

As the centennial of the radio approaches, the director of this publication asked us to do a quick overview of amplitude modulation stations. We had the opportunity to interview Centrale Milano, AM Italia, and OMItaliane.

But we immediately had the idea to talk about the most prestigious of all European radio stations: the station of Radio Vaticana.

With the help of RAI, we managed to secure a direct contact that led to this exclusive interview, focusing on the peak “broadcast” years of Vatican Radio: when broadcasts from the Holy See were joined by those from Santa Maria di Galeria, and when stereo transmissions began on 96.3 MHz. Here’s the report of the interview with Dr. Costantino Pacifici, which took place in mid-October 2024.

The Interview

FM-world (M.H.B.): To start, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work at Radio Vaticana?
Costantino Pacifici: My name is Costantino Pacifici, and I worked at the Technical Directorate of the Radio from 1975 to 2016, eventually becoming deputy director. Specifically, I managed the activities of the Santa Maria di Galeria center and the “historic” Marconi transmitting station in the Vatican.

Marconi Transmitting Station

FM-world: Let’s skip the early days, since it’s well-known that Marconi himself designed your station. I’d like to start later, around the war (mid-1940s). Santa Maria di Galeria wasn’t built yet. What type of service were you able to provide, and from which locations?

C.P.:  From 1931, the year Radio Vaticana was founded, until the Radio Center at Santa Maria di Galeria became operational, all transmission activities were conducted from the Marconi transmitting station located at the top of the Vatican Gardens. The equipment included the original Marconi transmitter with 10/15 kW power, a Telefunken transmitter with 25 kW power, a medium-wave transmitter of about 2 kW, and three shortwave transmitters for radiotelegraphic services.

The antenna array consisted of dipole antennas and an omnidirectional one, with variable length depending on the frequency.

The Great War

During the entire period of World War II, the station was heavily involved in providing information on the activities of Pope Pio XII for Catholic listeners, as well as transmitting messages (it is estimated that 1,260,000 were sent) for searching for missing persons by their families from all areas affected by the conflict and/or the zones of imprisonment, spread across nearly the entire world. I recall a comprehensive article in the Osservatore Romano that can be found in that newspaper’s archive.

Toward the World, in the World’s Languages

FM-World: On October 27, 1957, Pius XIII inaugurated Santa Maria di Galeria. Consulting the Radiocorriere of January 14, 1958, it seems there was only one program that alternated between broadcasts in various languages, and those in Italian were apparently very limited:

C.P: By its own mandate, R.V. primarily used its resources for broadcasts directed to Catholics worldwide, as much as possible in their language. In 1954, the Marconi transmitting station operated in 24 languages. Only later, particularly with the advent of FM, was it possible to guarantee a longer program in Italian.


FM-World: What facilities were active in the 1960s?

C.P.: Regarding the Vatican Transmitter, the original transmitter was replaced in the early 1950s by a 50 kW Marconi transmitter, and for medium-wave, an RCA transmitter of 5 kW was installed, along with three shortwave transmitters of 5 kW for fixed radiotelegraphic services (telex).

Log-Periodic Antennas

In the 1960s, the antenna array was supplemented by two rotating log-periodic antennas from Coel of Milan. The radiotelegraphic service, which was still operational on the routes to Bern, Lisbon, and Beirut, ended with the closure of the corresponding station in Lisbon in 1992.

Santa Maria di Galeria

Regarding the new Santa Maria center, it initially had a 100 kW Philips transmitter, donated to the Holy Father through a collection by Dutch Catholics, two 10 kW BBC transmitters, and a BBC medium-wave transmitter. The center also had a modern curtain antenna system specifically designed for effective worldwide coverage.

The medium-wave antenna consisted of a guyed mast, 98 meters tall (lambda/2). In the 1960s, four additional 100 kW shortwave transmitters were installed, along with a second medium-wave transmitter of 250 kW.

FM Stereo

FM-World: When did you begin broadcasting in FM?

C.P.: The FM service in the Vatican began during the Holy Year of 1950 with two 250 W transmitters. For a short period, there was also an experimental television setup operating on the French standard (819 lines, likely provided or donated by Henri de France, Editor’s note). It was only in 1965, after the 1961 Stockholm Planning Conference, that another 5 kW transmitter was installed, capable of stereo broadcasts, along with another 2.5 kW mono transmitter.

FM-World: An article in Stereoplay magazine from March 1974 (issue number 20) recounted how the purchase of the stereo transmitter for 96.3 MHz was considered “a mistake,” but it turned into an opportunity to create the famous Studio A. We also recall a famous day when your frequencies overlapped with existing Roman stations, including Radio Radicale and Rete 105. Can you tell us about that period?

C.P.: After the 1984 ITU Conference in Geneva, we operated on the frequencies 93.3 MHz, 96.3 MHz, 103.8 MHz, and 105 MHz with new transmitters and a new antenna system capable of broadcasting simultaneously on all four frequencies. Due to the interference situation that had developed in the Roman airwaves, the frequencies were previously shifted to 93.0, 96.5, and 107.8.

Programming

FM-World: The 1970s and 1980s were likely the peak of shortwave popularity. How many services did you have, and what were the listening areas?

C.P.: To give you an idea of the shortwave and medium-wave activity in the 70s/80s, I’ve attached some pages from the “Programmes” publication of June 1975 (Downloadable HERE) with the broadcast schedule and programs for the first week of that month.

The previous year, “Studio A” had started, and the following year, the program “Quattro voci” was added to programs like Radiogiornale from 1957 and Orizzonti cristiani from 1945.

Vatican Radio Today

FM-World: Today, the Radio doesn’t have a standalone website but is part of a portal called Vatican News. By clicking on “channel” (at the top right of the page), a list of over 20 different languages appears. Which of these are also broadcast in shortwave, and how is the current organization of the radio?

C.P.: Regarding the current situation, the reference is the web portal where more than 30 languages are indicated as part of the programs, with different distribution systems (shortwave, satellite, DAB block 12D, TV radio channel 733, and the internet).

From the shortwave schedule, it is clear that around twenty languages are used for this service, and the targeted areas are the African, Asian, and South American continents. It should be noted that for many years now, the shortwave service has been conducted under an antenna time-sharing arrangement between international broadcasting organizations, aimed at optimizing these resources in terms of effectiveness and energy savings.

Currently, Vatican Radio is an integral part of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See. (M.H.B. for FM-World)

 

40 anni di Radio Rock: la mostra prosegue fino a dicembre

Avatar for Nicola FranceschiniNicola Franceschini

Era il 1984 quando “Radio Rock 106.6” dava inizio alle sue programmazioni.

Da allora molto è cambiato, tranne la mission che l’emittente si era prefissata fin dai suoi esordi: porsi come volano di libertà, sia per la proposta musicale che per gli spazi di informazione ed intrattenimento.

A raccontare tutto ciò è la mostra “Radio Rock: 40 anni suonati” allestita negli studi della radio – nell’area post-industriale di Portonaccio, in Via Rodolfo Gabrielli di Montevecchio 4/6, sede degli uffici e degli studi di trasmissione.

L’esposizione è sostenuta da Roma Capitale: una forma di riconoscimento da parte dell’amministrazione capitolina nei confronti di un’emittente storica che nel corso della sua lunga attività ha saputo intessere uno speciale legame con il territorio che la abita, diventando un punto di riferimento per gli appassionati non solo di musica, ma di cultura in tutte le sue forme espressive.

Gli spazi espositivi ripercorrono la storia di Radio Rock 106.6 tramite foto, installazioni e memorabilia e saranno fruibili dai visitatori durante le consuete attività di diretta e di redazione che scandiscono i ritmi dell’emittente e ne rappresentano il vivido presente.

Il percorso fotografico evidenzia le tappe fondamentali che hanno contraddistinto queste quattro decadi: dalla prima sede del 1984 in Viale Etiopia 10; passando al sostegno e alla scoperta di gruppi divenuti seminali nella storia del Rock come i Nirvana – dei quali l’emittente ha supportato il primo live romano al Piper Club nel 1984 -; per arrivare al progressivo riconoscimento ottenuto sulla stampa di settore sia locale che nazionale.

La mostra sarà ancora visitabile gratuitamente fino al 17 dicembre – lunedì e martedì, dalle 15,00 alle 18,00 – previa prenotazione via e-mail [email protected].

Nell’ultimo giorno di apertura, sarà possibile assistere anche al concerto di Setak, direttamente nella ‘sala live’ dell’emittente. Il musicista abruzzese, fresco della vittoria della Targa Tenco 2024 per il miglior album in dialetto con Assamanù, proporrà ai presenti un esclusivo set elettrico in perfetto equilibrio tra indie folk, country, blues e cantautorato.

“Sarà un piacere raccontare ai visitatori la storia della radio attraverso aneddoti e curiosità” – ha commentato l’editrice e fondatrice di Radio Rock Patrizia Palladino. “Una storia così lunga ha tanto da dire, soprattutto per chi – come me – l’ha vissuta fin dall’inizio. Quando iniziammo in un seminterrato di Viale Etiopia 10, mai avrei immaginato che quel che avevamo creato, seppur con molta passione, avrebbe resistito alla prova del tempo. Eppure, eccoci qui, con una radio che supera i confini regionali ed approda in quasi tutta Italia grazie al DAB+”.

La Dott.ssa Palladino sarà anche la speciale guida della mostra ed arricchirà il percorso espositivo di aneddoti e storie legate al mondo e all’avvincente storia di Radio Rock.

(Comunicato stampa)

* Per comunicati e segnalazioni: [email protected]

Prince Albert II of Monaco commemorates the 50th anniversary of the RMC transmitter site in Roumoules

Avatar for Marco Hugo-BarsottiMarco Hugo-Barsotti

On Wednesday, September 11, Prince Albert II of Monaco visited Roumoules – in the Alps of Haute-Provence – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of the Radio Monte-Carlo (RMC) transmitting center.

Long Waves and Medium Waves

“Built in 1974 by Lucien Allavena, technical director of Radio Monte-Carlo, the Roumoules transmitting center allowed RMC to greatly extend its listening area in French and Italian territories,” explained the Prince’s Palace in a press release at the beginning of the week.

The broadcasts were on Long Wave on behalf of French RMC (with a power of about 800 kW) and on medium waves, the famous and historic 205 meters of the Principality.

Some inaccuracies…or maybe not

The prince is a known listener of Riviera Radio (in English, 106.5 and 106.3 from Mont Agel), but perhaps he is not (was not) of the Italian RMC from the times when it ended its programs with the famous song “ciao a domani – per ora chiudiamo” – sung by Matia Bazar.

Otherwise, he would have known that on “Italian territories” the 205 meters equal to 1467 Kc did not come from distant Roumoules, but from Mont Agel, about 1000 meters above his palace, even though – actually – the transmitters on 205 meters were at both sites.

Based on a perhaps unique situation, during the day the one from our RMC was active from Agel and in the evening and night the one from Roumoules, with religious broadcasts from TWR “Trans World Radio”.


History repeates itself

Did the prince make a mistake then? Thinking about it, maybe not, or at least that’s what we like to think.

Even if the reason is so indirect that we’re not sure this is the origin of the statement. As you can see from this sticker, in 1964 the only existing RMC, the French one, announced a cadeau, a gift for Christmas: a new long wave broadcast, still from Mont Agel.

By moving to long waves, French RMC freed up its historic transmitter, the 205-meter one: an opportunity seized by Noel Coutisson to create Italian RMC.

Well, the same thing happened 50 years ago: having proved ineffective, the long wave transmitter in Monte Carlo is replaced – precisely – by the one in Roumoules. History repeats itself: what to do with the long wave systems on the French Riviera?

Simple: readapt the LW system to MW once again, for the benefit of RMC in Italian. Thus the famous 701 Kc is born (“Radio Montecarlo Settecentouno“).

And so yes, we could really say that “Roumoules allowed RMC to greatly extend its listening area in Italian territories“: despite not broadcasting to Italy at all.

Silent sites, present antennas

The Romoules site, like that of Agel, is now substantially silent. Long waves turned off, we know of sporadic transmissions on medium waves. Instead, everything is turned off from the position above Monte Carlo.

Turned off, but not demolished: unlike what was decided in Italy, the towers of Monaco Media Diffision are still standing and even, as we have recently seen from some photographs published on a Facebook group, maintained, at least in their structural components.

We are History

So what did Prince Albert go to do at a turned-off transmitting site? Perhaps to give us a testimony, a message: we are history and our Radio Monte-Carlo. Those frequencies transmitted great orchestras before the war, were used by the Nazis during World War II, and accompanied the economic boom of the 1960s.

In some way, the Prince is telling us that transmission sites are historical monuments, just like others.

A message that we would like to be understood also in Italy, where instead a ruling class ignorant of its own history managed in 2013 to destroy even a transmission center, that of Budrio, built by Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi.

Those who don’t know its history can read it here, while those who want to delve into the reasons for the demolition can search online for what publisher Ing. Anselmo of Challenger wrote about it at the time: one who – like Prince Albert II, remembers and celebrates History.

(M.H.B. for FM-world)

 

 

Luceverde Radio, a station owned by the Automobile Club d’Italia, is using AI for some of its contents

Avatar for Marco Hugo-BarsottiMarco Hugo-Barsotti

Content on Demand now in production. A year after learning that ACI Radio was experimenting with the AI-based content creation system “Content on Demand,” we spoke again with Piermattia Fioravanti Cinci Agricola to see how things were progressing. Unexpectedly, we uncovered a completely unrelated issue linked to DAB, which we consider highly important.

ACI’s Radios

On Thursday, September 5th, we contacted Piermattia Fioravanti, Business Development Manager at ACI Informobility, to get an update on their Content on Demand trial.

The interview was more than interesting on the subject in question. But then, we asked a few questions related to our roundtable discussion on the difficulties of listening to the radio while driving in the era of “dashboards” managed by car manufacturers… and Piermattia added an important piece to the puzzle, specifically regarding the attribution of PI codes, highlighting an issue we hadn’t encountered in any press article before.

Too many interesting topics came up, so we decided to split the interview into two parts: today we publish the part concerning Content on Demand, and in two days, we will release ACI’s testimony regarding PI codes and the Automotive issue.

ACI Radio Today

FM-world (M.H.B.): Twelve months (and six days) have passed since our last interview. What has been the evolution of your radio over this year?

Piermattia Fioravanti: We have tried to refine the content and improve the schedule. We changed a few presenters, choosing those who better fit the tone of the station. So, we made some adjustments, but no major upheavals. We still hold the same communication ideas.

And above all, we have enriched the content dedicated to the automotive world. In short, we remain aligned with our initial goal and with what ACI does.

FM-world (M.H.B.): There are also now studios in Milan, as I heard on air.

Answer: Yes, we have studios both in Rome and Milan. The ones in Milan are not owned by us, while those in Rome are, and we have presenters in both cities. This allows us to engage guests from both metropolises. These are two important hubs from a mobility perspective—think about the proximity to Monza—and with so many production companies.

One Publisher, Two Radios

FM-world (M.H.B.): In two words, what differentiates your two radios?

P.F.: They are two very different things. Luceverde is a traffic information radio, closely tied to mobility, providing traffic updates. ACI Radio, on the other hand, covers mobility 360 degrees. So yes, we provide traffic information, but we also talk about alternative mobility, regulations, Formula 1, minor sports, and safety.

Content on Demand

FM-world (M.H.B.): You previously mentioned your use of Content on Demand (COD), which I believe was already in beta testing…

P.F.: Exactly. We use COD for the infomobility news on Luceverde Radio.

The workflow is as follows: the basis is the editorial content created by our editors, the ones who write the pieces we want to broadcast. Then, we input them into COD, which adds pre-roll and post-roll, corrects any errors, and creates the audio part.

FM-world (M.H.B.): Does COD also automatically integrate the contributions into the broadcast system?

P.F.: No, that phase is still done manually, but we are, of course, moving toward automation.

Formula 1 and Jubilee

FM-world (M.H.B.): Other uses?

P.F.: Yes, a crucial one: creating content in other languages. It was essential during the Monza GP and will be again for the Jubilee.

In this case, we took the Italian content, had it translated by the platform using its artificial intelligence, and then had it “voiced” by one of the many available voices, which we selected.

FM-world (M.H.B.): Do you consider yourself in the experimental phase or in production?

P.F.: Production, production. What I’ve told you is in production. But we are also experimenting, as we aim to create news bulletins starting from basic news.

Let me explain: if today COD voices the exact content created by editors in Italian, tomorrow it will generate additional content based on simple agency news. A way to increase productivity, so to speak. Or perhaps to generate more content with the same number of collaborators. We must also remember that the traditional process often involves errors, which this automated workflow allows us to avoid. (M.H.B. for FM-world)