If you read carefully through the pages of this website you will know quite a lot about the English transmissions from Radio Luxembourg, the world’s greatest commercial radio station. Now broadcasting full services in English, German, French, Flemish and Luxembourg, the station is heard daily by upwards of 50 million listeners in no fewer than ten different countries. It has taken us over thirty years to attain the proud position we now hold. We have fought off the challenge of Commercial Television and now we are poised for a great advance in sound radio. So whatever you do, don’t forget to ‘Make a Date with 208’.
GENERAL MANAGER
WILLIAM HOOD (Company Secretary)
Has been with Radio Luxembourg since 1946 and is by profession a Banker with an immense knowledge of company law and finance.
GEOFFREY EVERITT (General Manager)
General Manager since 1959. Was previously a disc jockey, Head of Production and Joint General Manager. Joined the company in Luxembourg in 1946.
BOB BROWN (Head of Production)
Famous as a member of the Stargazers vocal group until 1961 when he joined Radio Luxembourg.
is at your service
BOB MORRIS (Sales Executive)
Joined Radio Luxembourg from the George Newnes organisation in 1963.
CHARLES BARCLAY (Senior Sales Executive)
Another member of our staff recruited from George Newnes. He joined Radio Luxembourg in 1961.
ALAN ANDERSON (Sales Executive)
Has recently joined the Sales Department and makes up a very strong trio.
RICHARD MILLARD (Chief Engineer)
In charge of operations in our London studios and takes care of all outside broadcasts and recordings. Has a wide knowledge of the recording industry.
JOY BOURNE (Head of Accounts)
Now somewhat of a Luxembourg stalwart having been with the company for eleven years.
JACK SWAFFER (Head of Despatch and Studio Bookings)
The man who makes sure that your tapes arrive safely in Luxembourg. He joined the company in 1959.
The history of Luxembourg began on Palm Sunday, 12th April 963, when Sigfroi, Count of the Ardennes, took possession of a small castle and named it Lucilinburhuc (little fortress); it gave the name of Luxembourg to the city which grew around it. The history of Radio Luxembourg began on 29th December 1930 when a group of Frenchmen, men of vision, received Government authorisation to operate a commercial radio station in Luxembourg. This station has since led the world in commercial sound broadcasting.
Today Radio Luxembourg accepts the challenge of competition, confident of a traditional past and a healthy, robust future. The world has changed; techniques have changed in sales promotion and marketing.
Radio Luxembourg has moved with the changing times, progressively conscious of the needs of the public it serves. It has weathered the challenge offered by commercial television, as indeed, it will weather all other challenges. There are roughly fifteen million transistor radio sets in the United Kingdom; a high proportion are in the hands of young people — people with a high spending index. This is an immense market no advertiser can afford to disregard.
What advantages can Radio Luxembourg offer to that advertiser? To begin with, we feel, that with the vast experience of thirty years commercial broadcasting behind us, we can often advise a client and guide him in his campaign. We have even advised an agency that Radio Luxembourg would not produce satisfactory results for a particular client; a reputation for integrity has stood us in good stead over the years. Secondly, we believe the station is advantageous to a client because it is inexpensive. When we made a small increase in our rates in January 1964 we promised that there would be no further increase for two years so as to give agencies the chance of accurately planning a budget. Thirdly, in this specialised market, we can compete with and beat all other media when it comes to cost per thousand, and fourthly, we are truly National — from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, Radio Luxembourg is a household word.
1950 FLASHBACKS 1959
As a commercial radio station it is extremely difficult for us to be trendsetters, and far too often we have to be trend followers, but we are now coming to grips with the biggest problem in attracting audiences today — that of producing programmes which have a common interest to the teenager and their parents. In attempting to do this we are extending the already wide coverage open to the advertiser.
The station in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would be an eye-opener to millions of our listeners who obviously would not imagine that the programmes come from a palatial building which has the grandeur of a Royal Palace. On the top floor is Tele-Luxembourg, the country’s own television service. There are splendidly equipped studios, a vast record library and a magnificent concert hall.
Beautifully laid out in a park of pine-wood trees, yet only minutes walk from the city centre, the building is a piece of history, but at the same time is utilising the most modern broadcasting techniques on a large scale, with transmissions in many European languages, The sound broadcasting transmitters at Marnach and Junglinster are constantly being modernised, and frequent improvements take place in a continuous effort to produce the best possible reception.
The Grand Duchy is only a matter of 62 miles from top to bottom, and 37 miles across at the widest part; the whole country barely covers 1,000 square miles. Its principal industry is steel, and second to this comes the income derived from Radio Luxembourg — a vital cog in the country’s wheel of commerce.
Radio Luxembourg has yet another unique service to offer advertisers — the most perfect merchandising, marketing, and advertising operation — by means of their outside broadcasts, a type of radio sponsorship which only Luxembourg can provide. With a top show of entertainers a tour of the country is organised. Is this expensive? Yes, it is, on the one hand but not on the other. Cost can be considerably reduced by recording two radio programmes from each night’s performance, thus halving certain production costs. A tour of thirteen main centres, therefore, produces a series of twenty-six programmes. Just part of the service which this great commercial radio organisation can provide. When Sigfroi took possession of a small castle in 963, he was unwittingly creating an unrivalled service for advertisers a thousand years later.
Radio listening, both in the United States and in this country, has made a remarkable recovery during the past ten years. Not so many years ago radio stations in the States were going for a song and then they started being able to sell early morning time at ‘A’ rates and they have not looked back since. The impact of ITV in this country was to cause 85 per cent of the listeners who switched to TV not to listen to any radio. The position has now changed and Radio Luxembourg figures have steadily climbed back over the past decade.
The other marked characteristic is that even in the pre-ITV days the Summer audience for Radio Luxembourg dropped sharply compared with the Spring and Autumn. This is no longer the case and the average nightly audience listening at some time during the evening is 6¼ million for Spring, 6 million for Summer and 6 million also for Autumn.
The average age of the Radio Luxembourg audience is low. This augurs well for the future. Habits caught young we carry with us through the rest of our lives and this will certainly prove to be the case with radio listening.
Radios, gramophones and tape recorders are now a normal part of the equipment of the home and the lesson is that always when technical facilities such as these are available they tend to be used and the habit persists.
Social Surveys (Gallup Poll) have been regularly making surveys for Radio Luxembourg since 1952. During the intervening twelve years we have made at least 250 surveys, using the same methods as we have used during that period for our successful election forecasts. The stability of the figures throughout a year for some programmes has been surprising; there are instances where the figures for a programme in the course of twelve months have varied by no more than 0.1 per cent. This indicates an exceedingly faithful and loyal audience.
Radio Luxembourg have earned their continued success by technical excellence in transmission and by clearly defining to themselves their potential market and consistently going after it.
In co-operation with the Research Department of Mather and Crowther a survey into Radio Luxembourg listening habits and product/brand awareness was carried out during August and September 1964. We here quote extracts from that survey.
The survey is in two parts. Part A related to audience listening habits and these broadly confirmed results contained in the I.P.A. Survey 1963-64. The Luxembourg–Mather and Crowther investigation did, however, break the age groups into smaller sections and make an extremely interesting picture
LISTENING TO RADIO LUXEMBOURG WITHIN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS
CLASS GROUPS
%
AB.
18
C1.
30
C2.
34
DE.
36
AGE GROUPS
%
12 - 15
63
16 - 19
65
20 - 24
51
25 - 27
33
28 - 34
26
35 - 44
17
CAR OWNER WITH RADIO
41%
COMMENT. The age group figures confirm Radio Luxembourg’s own survey findings, that Luxembourg effectively reaches the vast majority of people in the 12–44 market. The number of regular listeners listening to Radio Luxembourg in cars is really impressive, illustrating again that Luxembourg ought to be considered when planning campaigns aimed at this very important section of the community.
LISTENING TO RADIO LUXEMBOURG BY HOURS
6.30–8.00 pm
23%
8.00–10.30
50%
10.30–12.30
38%
COMMENT. While the peak-time listening to Luxembourg remains constant, it is of special note that more people are tending to listen in the period 10.30–12.30 where spots can be bought cheaply, especially in the thirty minutes after midnight.
PROGRAMME LISTENING: 84 per cent of listeners stated that they found an interesting programme as soon as they tuned in, 53 per cent knew of their favourite programme through previously listening to Radio Luxembourg.
COMMENT. Luxembourg has, therefore, succeeded in keeping abreast of trends in entertainment; clients sponsoring these programmes are thus assured of being associated with entertainers who have maximum impact with the listening public. 80 per cent of listeners listen at home, 54 per cent while ‘relaxing’.
COMMENT. Surely the ideal time and mood to influence people with an effective sales message.
Part B of the survey deals with product/brand awareness on Radio Luxembourg.
Eight products were represented, forming an ideal cross-section of regular advertisers and fell into the following categories:
PETROL/OIL
WINES & SPIRITS
MEN’S COSMETICS
WOMEN’S COSMETICS
CONFECTIONERY
BEVERAGES
In all cases brand awareness was markedly increased by advertising on Radio Luxembourg.
Sales increased appreciably and in one particular case, in an extremely difficult market where no other advertising medium was used Luxembourg was responsible for a 15 per cent increase in sales.
CONCLUSION
These are necessarily brief extracts from a long and detailed report which will shortly be distributed. The fact remains, however, that Radio Luxembourg is the most inexpensive and effective advertising medium in reaching the very specialised market this is Luxembourg’s very own.
Situated at 38 Hertford Street, in the same building as the Company’s London offices, are two well-equipped studios, available for the recording of all types of radio shows, other than large orchestras or programmes requiring audience participation. Orchestras of up to sixteen pieces can easily be catered for and both studios are ideal for the recording of any musical combination from a trio up to a full size dance orchestra. Expertly trained balance engineers and gram operators are available and we claim that these highly experienced personnel can provide a service second to none. Present-day recording techniques are employed, using the latest equipment manufactured by E.M.I., Philips, S.T.C. and Neumann. A modern reverberation plate has been installed, enabling any type of acoustic to be reproduced. In all there are five fully trained recording engineers on the permanent staff of Radio Luxembourg, under the capable direction of chief engineer Richard Millard. The studios are bookable seven days a week and, if necessary, twenty-four hours a day.
OUTSIDE BROADCASTS
A special O.B. mobile unit, equipped with a ten channel mixer, is available which can easily transport recording equipment to any part of the British Isles, and on many occasions big variety type shows have been produced in major theatres and halls all over the country. This O.B. unit is completely mobile and can be made available at a few hours’ notice.
RECORDING OTHER THAN FOR RADIO LUXEMBOURG
The studios and staff are available for all types of recording and on many occasions the studios have been used by companies completely unconnected with Radio Luxembourg. At all times our chief engineer is happy to give advice on a wide field of recording matters.
STUDIO CHARGES
Speech only:
Studio B
£8
0
0
per hour
Studio A
£10
0
0
per hour
When recording is not for use on Radio Luxembourg, an additional £2 per hour is added to the studio charges to cover the cost of tape which then becomes the property of the hirer of the studio.
PRODUCTION AND RECORDING CHARGES FOR RADIO LUXEMBOURG PRODUCTIONS
Recording:
Per ¼-hour programme
£12
10
0
Per ½-hour programme
£25
0
0
Production:
Per ¼-hour programme
£12
10
0
Per ½-hour programme
£25
0
0
The production charges quoted above include such items as scripting, typing of scripts, booking of musicians, use of services of producer, editing and checking of programme, etc. It must be remembered that when Radio Luxembourg undertake a production on behalf of a client, the only thing the client has to worry about is to actually supply the copy for the commercial. When a 15- or 30-minute programme is sold to a client and it is a Radio Luxembourg production, an all-in charge is always quoted.
COPIES OF PROGRAMMES REQUIRED BY AGENCIES AND CLIENTS
When a copy of a particular programme is required by a client or agency, charges are as follows:
15-minute programme
£4
10
0
30-minute programme
£7
0
0
These charges include the cost of dubbing and studio time as well as cost of tape.
DUBBING AND EDITING CHARGES
Should anyone wish to use the studio for the purpose of dubbing or editing, the charge is £4 per hour.
PRODUCTION FACILITIES
The production division under Mr Bob Brown consists of a permanent staff of producers and the necessary production secretaries. All are highly experienced in the production of commercial radio programmes, and agencies and clients may call upon their services and advice at any time.
TEST PROGRAMMES
We are at all times happy to produce test programmes for clients and agencies, and when such programmes are recorded in our London studios, no charge is made for the recording or production services. Charges, however, must of course be passed on when artists, musicians and script writers have to be paid. It is highly desirable at all times to consider several different ideas before making a final choice of any one particular programme. Our programme division is at all times happy to put up programme suggestions.
Interest in commercial radio in general and in Radio Luxembourg in particular, as an advertising medium has been increasing steadily over the past few years. This is because Luxembourg enables an advertiser to reach effectively the ‘youth’ market, with its vast potential, at the most economical cost per thousand. In this field no other media, either television, press or magazine can offer the ‘key’ which will unlock effectively this £1,250,000 market at such low cost. Fifteen minute sponsored programmes, listened to by audiences in excess of 2,000,000 per programme per week can be bought for as little as £3,500 per year. Spot campaigns can be undertaken just as effectively for the same amount. Luxembourg’s ‘sponsored’ programmes feature, reflect and satisfy the nation’s appetite for the best in popular music and top names and personalities in disc jockeys — an advertiser and his product can only benefit by association with such a combination of top entertainment and personality. Radio Luxembourg’s own productions feature ‘live’ broadcasts of entertainers in the public eye at the time of broadcast and cater for the advertiser who wishes to project an image which is ‘exclusive’ to his particular product. These productions can be undertaken for as little as £200 per week. The success of Radio Luxembourg as an advertising medium is reflected in the record sales figures illustrated in this brochure and in the varied products which are featured on Radio Luxembourg every evening of the year — it is in fact, in 1965, a medium which for originality of approach and treatment plus effectiveness — cannot possibly be ignored by either advertiser or advertising agency.
RATES
The constant upward spiral of rates in most media presents many problems to both agencies and clients and for this reason every effort will be made to ensure that if there are no unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, the rates published in this brochure will not be raised during 1965 or 1966. Indeed, we hope that we may be able to maintain our current rates for a long time to come. There has, in fact, been only one general increase in rates during the past fifteen years. This means you can plan ahead with safety.
COMPETITION
With the English transmissions of Radio Luxembourg being spread over a period of eight hours each evening, it is our firm policy to ensure that sponsors receive what is almost a solus position, no matter what time of the evening they may choose to be on the air. Every effort is made to ensure that competitors advertising similar products are kept at least one hour apart. We believe this to be a most important selling point in Radio Luxembourg’s favour, for undoubtedly competitors do at times appear almost side by side in practically every other advertising medium.
PRIME PROSPECTS
a. The Teenage Market (16-24’s)
£1,250 million a year is the amount estimated to be spent by teenagers on consumer goods, and more than ever this up and coming section of the community is attracting a great deal of attention from manufacturers. They constitute a lively, lucrative market which one cannot afford to ignore. At any given time during Radio Luxembourg peak evening transmissions approximately half a million teenagers are tuned in. The average nightly audience in this age group is 3,335,000. (Source: I.P.A. Survey 1963-64).
b. Housewives
Women represent 80 per cent of the world’s buyers, and the ‘shopping class’ housewives who listen to Radio Luxembourg regularly average 2,911,000 nightly (I.P.A. Survey 1963-64). They are able to listen whilst busying themselves with the multitude of household chores that are necessary throughout the evening. Your advertising message reaches them unobtrusively and without irritation, because it is possible to build it into the programme with no break in continuity.
THE YEARS AHEAD
The British public in 1965 is more radio conscious than it has been for many years. After suffering declining audiences for the past ten years the B.B.C. has at long last made a start on the journey back. Radio Luxembourg has provided an exciting alternative to B.B.C. programmes and has firmly established itself as the No. 1 Pop Music Station in Europe. The years ahead provide an enormous challenge to those responsible for providing sound radio services. The word ‘service’ is all important, for sound radio has a unique opportunity to win back from television an enormous number of ‘luke warm’ viewers. A lot of these are in the 24-35 age group. They still have a great love for popular music and this can normally be satisfied more effectively by sound radio than by television. But we must give a first class public service. Up to the minute news flashes with weather forecasts, time signal and road conditions must become a natural part of radio programming. Popular music is no longer a ‘dirty word’ with the national press, and nearly all our major newspapers publish record charts and hardly a day passes without one major pop star making the headlines.
HOW TO BUY
This is an interesting match with both sides holding good winning chances. Spots can be of 7, 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds duration and can be booked only a matter of hours before transmission. Spots can often be placed between high rating programmes and in extremely popular and successful shows. They can either be read by the station announcer or can be specially recorded. Frequently television jingles can be well adapted for radio but although the jingle is still popular, most agencies and clients still favour the ‘hard sell ’ type of spot. By purchasing airtime, clients can have a tailor-made programme with the artist of their choice and benefit from the normal opening and closing credits as well as the main commercial. Under certain circumstances and with the permission of our production department it is permissible to break up the commercial, if by so doing the programme as a whole benefits. A series normally means thirteen programmes and by purchasing airtime as opposed to spots, clients can ensure continuity and also build an image for the product in question.
The English transmissions of Radio Luxembourg form just a part of the vast international broadcasting network which has become an accepted way of life in many European countries and is known throughout the world. The French programmes broadcast on 1293 metres Long Wave have for years enjoyed greater popularity in France than those of the French National Service. The 208 metres Medium Wave Band is shared at various hours of the day for broadcasts in English, Luxembourg, Flemish and German, and it is estimated that upwards of 50 million listeners tune in to one service or another of Radio Luxembourg every single day.
Tele-Luxembourg provides a first-class television service to an ever-increasing number of viewers. Many will recall that the great 1962 Eurovision Song Contest was televised from the Concert Hall of Radio Luxembourg. Radio and Tele-Luxembourg is indeed the entertainment barometer of Europe.
Since 1st April 1963 ‘Music In The Night’ has been attracting an average nightly audience of just over one million. The programme which is on the air from midnight to 3 a.m. during Summer Time and until 2 a.m. during British Winter Time is tremendously popular with motorists and long distance lorry drivers and a large amount of mail is received from night nurses, students and night factory workers. There are also a lot of ‘under the blanket’ teenage listeners. Radio Luxembourg pioneered early morning listening in the United Kingdom and it is our intention to improve the current programme by including items of special interest to the type of listener likely to be tuning in after midnight.
PROGRAMME PRESENTATION
Music for all age groups is our aim in ‘Music In The Night’ with a special L.P. section between 12.30 and 1 a.m. each morning. Current pops will be included between midnight and 12.30 a.m. and from 1 a.m. till close down our aim is to play pop standards with the accent on melody. Apart from the L.P. section the programmes will be presented by our own D.J.’s direct from Luxembourg.
COMMERCIALS
It is intended to reserve the majority of the time for ‘Spots’ and clients buying into ‘Music In The Night’ should pay special attention when producing ‘Commercials’. These should be designed to fit into the mood of the programme and experience has taught us that the 30-second commercial is the most effective in the early hours of the morning.
TARIFF
SPOT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Midnight-1 a.m.
17/- per second.
1 a.m.-2 a.m.
12/- per second.
2 a.m.-3 a.m.
10/- per second.
AIRTIME
Midnight-1 a.m.
£40 per ¼ hour.
1 a.m.-2 a.m.
£30 per ¼ hour.
2 a.m.-3 a.m.
£20 per ¼ hour.
SERIES DISCOUNT
Series discount is the same as for all English language broadcasts.
KNOWN AUDIENCE
Surveys conducted by Social Surveys (Gallup Poll) Ltd. give the audience to ‘Music in The Night’ commencing at midnight as follows.
Prices quoted apply to AIRTIME ONLY. Production charges extra
RATES QUOTED ARE FOR A 15 MINUTE AIRTIME SEGMENT
PROGRAMME TIMES
1st SEPT-31st MAY
1st JUNE-31st AUG
SUNDAY TARIFF
6 - 6.30 PM
£50
£50
6.30 - 7
£65
£65
7 - 7.30
£80
£25
£25
7.30 - 8
£90
£55
£55
8 - 9
£105
£80
£80
9 - 10
£110
£90
£90
10 - 10.30
£115
£115
£115
10.30 - 11
£95
£95
£95
11 - 11.30
£70
£70
£80
11.30 - 12
£50
£50
£80
12 - 12.30
£40
£40
£60
12.30 - 1
£40
£40
£40
Agency commission is 15% of all Airtime purchased, all other charges are nett. During British Summer Time, English transmissions commence at 7 p.m. During period of G.M.T., transmissions commence at 6 p.m. Figures inboldshow Summer rates from 1st June to 31st August.
Figures inboldshow Summer rates from 1st June to 31st August. Agency commission 15 per cent on cost of spot. Airtime, production and supplementary charges including use of station announcer included in spot Cost does not include the fees of specially recorded commercials or studio charges for same.