The RAB, as its known, is an organisation with headquarters in London, funded by its members who make up most of the UK’s commercial radio stations. The RAB is part of the Radio Centre a radio-only focused grouping which came into existence when the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) joined together in 2006.
The Radio Centre Industry Links
The Radio Centre’s stated aims are to: “maintain and build a strong and successful Commercial Radio Industry, both in terms of listening hours and revenues, ” and, “to work with advertisers and their agencies,” and they also include working with the regulators and policy makers and the radio stations themselves in their sphere of operations.
In addition and on behalf of its members, the Radio Centre among other areas, the Centre also works in the areas of:
- Representing and providing a voice for the views of the industry.
- Copyright and Technical Matters
- Analysis, presentation and development of audience research
- Influencing, and reporting the effects of legislation and the effects of changes in statutes
- Awards, Events and Training
- And providing support in all areas of the industry.
Also housed within the Radio Centre, is the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre, (RACC), a body funded again by UK commercial radio station members to give advice and provide a radio advertising script and copy clearance service.
Marketing Radio in the UK
The Radio Advertising Bureau, in common with similar organisations in Canada, the USA, and Australia, has a wide ranging and all encompassing brief focusing its efforts in the UK solely on radio. The organisation’s stated aim is to: “to encourage advertisers and agencies to consider radio more often as part of their communications solutions, and to help them use the medium more effectively and creatively.”
Since its inception it has adopted a very pro-active stance within the industry and in raising the medium’s profile to both advertising agencies and their clients. Day to workings of the bureau covers such areas as:
- Research and effectiveness
- The provision of Case Studies
- Help, advice on and suggestions for Creativity and Creative Solutions
- Facts and Figures
- The latest on Digital Radio development and
- Training.
The bureau also runs regular workshops, road shows, and provides an individual free consultancy service to UK national advertisers and agencies.
Radio Database on-line.
The RAB online gives access to a stations and mapping tool of all its members. Visitors can search the database of members:
- By station maps, and their TSA’s (Total Survey Areas)
- By a listing of all the station names.
- By the organisations selling stations’ advertising airtime
- By programme information
- As well as information on online advertising on station websites.
Registered users also receive a regular newsletters, have access to a comprehensive data base of radio ads from both UK advertisers and from all over the world, and a radio player linking to the output of members radio stations alphabetically and some presets.
Conclusion.
The RAB is the national marketing body for the UK’s commercial radio industry and combined with individual station’s marketing efforts in their local markets, together form the promotion of radio as an industry, works to take a greater slice of the nation’s advertising revenue, and raise awareness of the medium’s strengths and possibilities.
Dan McCurdy - Dan McCurdy is a freelance writer producer creative and lecturer. Dan is one of the UK's most experienced radio writers and producers. ...
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