Edmea realizza il suo sogno a quasi 101 anni: una visita a Radio Bruno, la sua radio preferita di sempre

In occasione della Giornata Mondiale della Felicità, la Cooperativa Sociale Scai ha potuto realizzare, grazie alla collaborazione di Radio Bruno, il sogno di Edmea, una signora di quasi 101 anni, da sempre amante della radio ed in particolare della superstation di Carpi.

Così la Cooperativa descrive il 20 marzo 2025 vissuto da questa ancora energica ascoltatrice.

Oggi è stata una mattinata speciale, non solo per celebrare la Giornata della Felicità, ma anche per realizzare un sogno: quello della nostra meravigliosa Edmea, che a maggio compirà 101 anni.

Per tutta la sua vita, Radio Bruno è stata la sua compagnia quotidiana, la sua finestra sul mondo.

E oggi, grazie alla sensibilità e all’attenzione della radio ai temi sociali e all’inclusione, Edmea ha potuto visitare “la sua radio”, quel luogo che le ha regalato emozioni per un secolo intero.

Un’esperienza che è stata più di una semplice visita: un’accoglienza calorosa, un intreccio di emozioni, colori, musica e umanità che ci ha ricordato quanto sia importante far sentire ogni persona parte di qualcosa di grande, indipendentemente dall’età.

Un enorme grazie a Radio Bruno e a tutti coloro che hanno reso possibile questo momento, dimostrando che la musica e le emozioni non hanno tempo.

 

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Un post condiviso da SCAI Coop Sociale Onlus (@scaionline_)

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Federico l’Olandese Volante al World Radio Day: “Ora realizzo podcast per Radiofreccia”

Tra i tanti protagonisti della recente edizione del World Radio Day, abbiamo incontrato Federico l’Olandese Volante.

Terminata recentemente la collaborazione decennale con Radio Norba, attualmente vive ad Hammamet.

“Ora realizzo podcast per Radiofreccia”, ha dichiarato a FM-world.

Questa l’intervista rilasciata nel corso dell’evento.


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

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)

Dutch/Italian DJ Federico l’Olandese Volante on his 50+ years at Radio Veronica, Radio Monte Carlo and several Italian networks

 

From pirate on Veronica to Radio Norba passing through Noel Coutisson’s RMC, 105, RTL 102.5 and many other stations. After the farewell to listeners that took place on December 29, 2024, FM-world decided to contact Federico L’Olandese Volante to talk about radio between past, present and future.

The interview/conversation took place on Tuesday January 7, 2025; the original audio is available by clicking HERE.

The Interview

FM-World (Marco Hugo Barsotti): You came to Italy quite young, around 22 years old, as Wikipedia reports. Actually, you arrived in Monaco. How was Monte Carlo in those times?

Federico l’Olandese Volante (F.OV.): Much earlier, because my father was Dutch consul in Milan in the ’50s, right after World War II. Then he retired very early from diplomatic service and when he was in Italy he fell in love with Lake Garda, where he bought land in Riva del Garda (Torbole, Ed. Note) and where he then built a hotel.

Lido blu in Torbole

Basically we arrived with the family in Italy in ’58, I was 8 years old at the time and I’m from ’50. My brothers also went to school in Italy, then for various reasons my father sold the hotel and we returned to Holland when I was 16 years old. There I finished high school and enrolled in architecture and started working in ’68 for Radio Veronica which was an offshore radio that broadcast from an old rusty fishing boat outside territorial waters. In medium waves we covered practically all of northern Europe because it’s all flat there, there are no mountains.

Radio Veronica with its 192 meters you could receive it in London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, a audience of more or less 30 million people. It was very interesting also because national radios at the time had monopoly limits and didn’t do much advertising. But there was advertising potential… companies that were pushing products for young people like jeans, Coca-Cola and other things and that absolutely couldn’t find space. Therefore offshore radios were also a huge business especially for advertising. Being in international waters they could also advertise cigarettes which at the time were very popular. We also did it at RMC, I don’t know if you remember…

FM-world: Yes, I remember, “Muratti Ambassadorrrrr“…

F.O.V.: Yes, Herbert Pagani, the program was even called “Fumorama“.

205 meters

FM-World: Tell us about Coutisson, about how it was working at Radio Monte Carlo in those distant times.

F.OV.: Coutison is a half genius, even though he had a couple of big flaws, one was appreciating good French wine.

After 5 in the afternoon you couldn’t talk to him anymore because he was busy with his Pernod. But he invented a lot of games, radio situations, he invented the radio clock.

He came from France Inter and then was hired at Radio Monte Carlo to make this frequency profitable (205 meters, 1466 Kc). To exploit this right that the Principality had to broadcast in Italy.

The problem was advertising, so Coutisson solved it by going to Sipra, which was RAI’s official advertising agency, also taking the advertising concession for Radio Monte Carlo.

Sipra was very happy, it was a DC fiefdom at the time, so they said “Radio Monte Carlo cannot broadcast in Italy… imagine, we sell the advertising“. So he had solved all problems. And so we were the first Italian private radio, so to speak. When I left we had 8 million listeners.

Modernizing broadcasting… in 1978

Coutisson wanted someone to modernize the speaker park, since they were all too traditional, Italians who were inspired by Boncompagni and RAI. Or by Supersonic: too official a style.

I translated the Anglo-Saxon style, the DJ… the one who keeps talking contained – even within the limits of records – the one who does his own direction, sends jingles, makes a very lively broadcast.

And, in the following years, in private radios I heard many little “Federicos”, someone who was partly inspired by me.

Union technicians

FM-World: At RMC did you have a director or did you do it yourselves?

F.OV.: In Monte Carlo we had the director because in the Principality there is a very strong union, French, that requires all speakers to have a director.

Even when we went out for example to do interviews – I went several times to London to interview Pink Floyd – they required you to bring along the technician with the recorder. With the Nagra.

You couldn’t record by yourself, you needed the technician and it was precisely the union that imposed this thing.

And still today the union requires for example the publisher of Radio Monte Carlo, first Hazan then RadioMediaset, to keep an office open in the Principality. With some technicians – at least 3 or 4 French – even if they don’t broadcast.

I believe there are only one or two speakers who do something on the weekend, everything else is Milan, but you must have someone in the Principality, if not you can’t call it Radio Monte Carlo, this is the condition of the contract itself.

105

FM-World: According to Wikipedia again then you went to help Hazan precisely to structure 105. How was working with Hazan?

F.OV.: It wasn’t easy. We must say first of all that he came from a rich family, his father was Khashoggi’s partner (Adnan, not Jamal, Ed. Note), one of the world’s largest arms dealers who had his yacht (Nabila, the current “Trump Princess” Ed. Note) in the port of Monte Carlo where he had his office.
Note: FM-world could not verify from other sources this association between Alberto Hazan’s father and Khashoggi.

Audiola

So Alberto invested… he already had Audiola, a company that produced car radios and to advertise his Audiola he set up a radio. Then he saw the business and so went looking for someone who could help him and took Cecchetto and me. We two practically set up the radio with criteria that at the time no one who did radio had.

Free radio in Italy was such an abstract thing where every guy who had some records at home brought them, blabbered on the microphone and put his records on, but there was no form, no organization.

Then slowly came radios like Milano International, like Deejay, like us, but actually we much before Deejay. He had also taken a couple of American radio experts who fixed all the schedule for him. This on the advice of his American wife. So 105 was born like this. I arrived in Milan in ’78, from Monte Carlo I was doing a show also on Radio2 and I started working with Hazan which was a happy collaboration that lasted 12 years.

Half Clock

FM-World: Did you have the clock?

F.OV.: No, not at the beginning, but then the Americans came who immediately put in the famous clock.

Before we had half clock at our disposal with tracks of our choice, but approved by programming and then the other half was imposed programming, that is, already written.

So I had my playlist sheet that was empty halfway and I could put five, six records and the other six were instead those that they had already put in, because the radio had to sound in a certain way. Still today if you listen to 105 you understand it’s her, she has her sound, her music.

Radio with a template

FM-World: If you follow FM-world’s Talkmedia group you’ll know that the criticism that many readers make is that radios, networks tend to be very similar. It seems something similar to what you said in a famous statement just before leaving R101…

F.OV.: I still share it and I left radio and programs also for that. Also because I don’t find myself much with that music now, not that I’m someone who is fanatic only about the past, but I want a bit more space.

Then after fifty years that you do a program, always from five to seven or from three to five, every time punctual, perfect, professional, at some point you also get fed up. I now decided to retire in Tunisia, where I bought a house by the sea, I get the pension and taxes are reasonable.

I have my studio, RTL called me for example, many radios called me, for example Radio Rock in Rome that want me to make podcasts about music history and other things. So let’s see about carrying forward the discourse… no more with live programs, but with podcasts where I bring out my know-how from the past, the interviews I did, the history of various bands.

FM-World: Today what do you listen to? Do you listen to BBC Radio One? Veronica?

F.OV.: Some international radios, with the app, you know… but not only: some Radio Deejay, Virgin, Radio Rock from Rome, some local radios. But not the “popular” radios.

FM-World: Nothing in Dutch, to say?

F.OV.: Yes, sometimes I also listened to Radio Veronica, which has now become a national radio no longer pirate, they gave licenses and they are still appreciated.

DJ, anyone?

FM-World: Going back to today’s radios… if we look at the courses offered by various radio schools, you find them for host, for sound technician – which moreover is a word that seems from the last century – and there isn’t a course for DJ. Johnny Walker of the BBC recently passed away, I listened to his entire podcast (available by clicking HERE), a kind of autobiography. He defined himself as aDJ, even at his advanced age.

F.OV.: The DJ in my opinion in Italy we have completely divided between radio speaker and disco DJ and the two categories don’t touch. Claudio Cecchetto at the time called his radio DJ (Deejay) because precisely his speakers were DJs, then everything changed, now they no longer consider themselves DJs, but rather radio speakers or radio animators or radio journalists.

But we in RMC times always had headphones on, we listened to the music.

At the time I had a medium wave return in headphones, with that fading that was really maddening, but yes, we listened to the music.

Starvation wages

But today, the profession of radio speaker is no longer like it used to be. And then today there are starvation wages.

I earned a lot of money in the 80s-90s, I was well paid. But now to young people, if they’re lucky, they give 2,500 euros per month, which cannot be enough to live in Milan or Rome. It’s not a job where you can say “I become rich”, while we at the time did evening events, we were record producers, we were speakers. I at RTL at the time earned really well (cf. podcast, Ed. Note). They paid you based on your quality, your professionalism.

FM-World: The last thing I wanted to ask you is this: you have lived in your country, then in Monte Carlo, then in Milan and finally in the South. How do you see us Italians, how do you see Italy?

F.OV.: There are several different Italias. I arrived here in the south in 2015, Puglia is very beautiful, you live well, I have lots of friends here, but at the beginning it was a provincial reality.

Then in these 10 years it has developed a lot, Puglia and the Radio. Norba with the Battiti story has made a sensation, it has replaced the old Festivalbar. They have made giant steps, there’s nothing to say. It’s no longer “a Southern radio”: it’s an Italian radio, just like those of the North.

Latest news

As we had suspected, when a DJ says they’re “hanging up the headphones”, it always turns out to be provisional: here’s here some nice news that arrived as a surprise today directly from RTL 102.5 and that will surely please everyone. (M.H.B. for FM-world)

Fcp-Assoradio: investimenti pubblicitari in sostanziale pareggio

L’Osservatorio Fcp-Assoradio ha reso noto gli investimenti pubblicitari in radio dell’ultimo mese. I dettagli nel comunicato.

Gli investimenti pubblicitari radiofonici relativi al periodo Gennaio-Novembre 2024, rilevati nell’ambito dell’Osservatorio Fcp-Assoradio coordinato dalla società Reply, hanno registrato il +4,2%, con il parziale del mese di novembre che si è attestato in sostanziale pareggio rispetto al 2023 (+ 0,1%).

“Nell’attuale contesto riflessivo che caratterizza il trend degli investimenti pubblicitari nazionali, la sostanziale tenuta da parte del media radiofonico rappresenta una conferma della centralità della radio nell’ambito del media planning, dichiara Monica Gallerini, Presidente Fcp-Assoradio. Attualmente siamo focalizzati in ottica 2025 per proporre agli associati ed alla nostra industry un percorso articolato su più direttrici, che possiamo sintetizzare nei seguenti punti: ricerca, formazione, comunicazione. Proseguiranno quindi nel prossimo anno le collaborazioni attualmente in essere con primari istituti di ricerca e centri universitari, per consolidare ulteriormente il processo di posizionamento del media radiofonico nelle sue diverse articolazioni”.

(Comunicato stampa)

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“Is Good For You” in nazionale via HbbTV

Nuova diffusione nazionale per Is Good For You.

Il progetto multimediale, nato da un’idea di Matteo Sandri e coordinato tecnicamente da Matteo Rossi, è ora un canale televisivo presente h24.

L’emittente trasmette in HbbTV sul canale 157 di Fascino Tv.

Per sintonizzarla, basta avere il televisore connesso ad internet e premere il tasto giallo.

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