The Department for Enterprise wishes to clarify the situation regarding the TT and Festival of Motorcycling radio broadcasting contract following comment online that suggests Manx Radio has lost the contract and that it is to be awarded to an off-Island organisation.

Neither of these assertions are correct.  

The current radio broadcasting contract with Manx Radio has simply lapsed and, as with any Government contract, will now be subject to a full tender process.

The tender will take place in September and any decisions regarding who the final contract will be awarded to will be entirely dependent on that process. Any provider who tenders will need to be capable of meeting the requirements to broadcast the events on-Island. The Department would expect Manx Radio to be one of the parties wishing to enter into the tender process.

Manx Radio’s lead commentator, Tim Glover’s statement at the close of the Festival of Motorcycling stated that Manx Radio hoped to be back next year and correctly acknowledged that it would be subject to a tender process. No decision has been made as the tender has not yet been issued.

As to why a tender is being run the Department wishes to clarify the following:

• It is Isle of Man Government’s policy that all commercial contracts are market tested through open procurement processes wherever possible to demonstrate value for money
  
  
• The TT and Festival of Motorcycling are unique events involving many stakeholders and hundreds of volunteers and importantly many tens of commercial contracts
  Following a number of years of temporary contract extensions, all TT and Festival of Motorcycling related commercial contracts are being reassessed and retendered with many tenders completed since the middle of 2017
  
  
• The decision to tender is not a reflection on the current providers of any of these contracts and many of the historic providers have been successful in obtaining further contracts through this process. However in some cases new providers have been appointed and the process is demonstrating value for money is being achieved, as well as being fair and transparent
  

In terms of the Manx Radio contract:

• The services provided by Manx Radio over a number of decades has been valued by the Department and fans alike, and has been subject to a temporary annual contract for a number of years
  
  
• In 2017 Manx Radio clarified that its current contract was loss making for them and requested what amounted to a fivefold increase in charges that the Department would need to pay. The Department agreed to a further extension of the existing contract for this year’s events in order to seek clarification into the process and prepare the tender
  
  
• Any radio broadcaster wishing to submit a tender through the process will need to demonstrate that they have both the spectrum and appropriate licences in place to broadcast on the Island, or be able to demonstrate that they can obtain these before next year’s events
  
  
• As part of this process, the Department has clarified with the Communications Commission the terms upon which a new licence could be awarded, and therefore there is a possibility that the process could lead to a provider new to the Island, but this is only a possibility and will depend on the submissions received
  
  

In conclusion the Department will be issuing a tender - this is standard Government policy on all commercial contracts - and although Manx Radio receives a subvention from Treasury, the coverage of the TT and Festival of Motorcycling is not treated as part of its public service broadcasting commitments covered by this subvention, the Department has been charged at separate contractual rates for these services.  

Consequently the Department is bound to follow an open procurement process and this is in no way a reflection on the historic position, nor the highly regarded commentary team.

Manx Radio, along with other existing Isle of Man radio stations as well as off-Island providers may wish to tender and a decision, based on value and quality will be made in due course.

Vision Nine Radio anyone 😆

This makes me sad and I hope Manx Radio gets the contract.

For me, Manx Radio is the sound of the TT. When I hear that intro, 'Manx Radio TT' I know my favourite two weeks of the year are beginning. In my mind, Manx Radio is a part of the TT as much as anything else.

(04-09-2018, 01:19 PM)warrior Wrote: Vision Nine Radio anyone 😆

Shades of the Farce from the other year !
Keep it as it is, As it works well the depth of field they have at the moment,
I hate to think want Peter, Geoff and Maurice would make of all this tinkering,

As a sidenote,
Chris Cove ? who took over from Roy,
Did a cracking job, Well done to him !

What a pickle.

First of all, to set the scene, one of our dimwitted politicos has instigated yet another Parliamentary review of Manx Radio. A report has been published and Parliament will deliberate in due course. In amidst the report was some comment about Radio TT. We also have a former politician who runs a rival radio station (Energy FM) and he wants a slice of the government pie now he's lost his seat. Finally we have a very new Parliament who have decided that all large contracts go out to open tender.

Now in the real world, Radio TT should pay for the broadcasting rights and hope that it recovers its outlay through advertising. Sadly that isn't possible. The TT has several signature sponsors and Radio TT can't use an advertiser which conflicts with a signature sponsor (Monster Energy and Red Bull for example). This means that whoever operates Radio TT has to do so with one hand tied behind its back in terms of advertising revenue and its presenters also have to promote the signature sponsors wherever possible. Ever heard "welcome to the TT fuelled by Monster Energy"?.

This means that its not possible to raise advertising revenue in the conventional way and results in the IOM Government having to pay a broadcaster to cover it. As Manx Radio is wholly owned by the Government in any case, all we're talking about is an internal funds transfer. Its farcical really.

They put out ferry services for expressions of interest and received none. They're likely to put this out for tender and will get a similar response. The bidder will need to have the infrastructure and frequencies available to broadcast and nobody else has. It isn't rocket science, however some accountant somewhere who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing appears to want to make a name for himself IMHO.

(04-09-2018, 03:43 PM)KypDurron Wrote: This makes me sad and I hope Manx Radio gets the contract.

For me, Manx Radio is the sound of the TT.  When I hear that intro, 'Manx Radio TT' I know my favourite two weeks of the year are beginning.    In my mind, Manx Radio is a part of the TT as much as anything else.

Agreed, well worded.... Manx radio is the sound of the TT for me too

Think we all agree that Manx Radio should/will get the gig, however they really do need to clear the decks and recruit quality commentators if they are awarded the contract.

I do not agree with a clearing of the decks and I think it an insulting innuendo to suggest the recruitment of “quality commentators “. There will always be room for fine tuning though.

(05-09-2018, 01:17 PM)taxman Wrote: Now in the real world, Radio TT should pay for the broadcasting rights and hope that it recovers its outlay through advertising. Sadly that isn't possible. The TT has several signature sponsors and Radio TT can't use an advertiser which conflicts with a signature sponsor (Monster Energy and Red Bull for example). This means that whoever operates Radio TT has to do so with one hand tied behind its back in terms of advertising revenue and its presenters also have to promote the signature sponsors wherever possible. Ever heard "welcome to the TT fuelled by Monster Energy"?.

This means that its not possible to raise advertising revenue in the conventional way and results in the IOM Government having to pay a broadcaster to cover it. As Manx Radio is wholly owned by the Government in any case, all we're talking about is an internal funds transfer. Its farcical really.

An interesting discussion, one I find myself very much in 2 minds about.

Since 1976 I have been a big fan of what is now the TT/Classic TT/MGP - I too like Radio TT but believe the content/presentation could do with some improvement.
For me, improving would be a better solution than get rid of - Evolution rather than Revolution. But, I'm not sure there is any enthusiasm for change.

Which brings me to my second train of thought. The useful information provided by 'Taxman' (quoted above) makes the 'business' side of my brain think that the current situation, whereby Radio TT receives the money to keep going regardless of output is (or should be!) unsustainable. There can be little incentive to change if the IOM taxpayer keeps footing the bill. (Glad I'm not an IOM taxpayer)

Taxman's point about limited advertising revenue due to conflict is very valid, but I wonder if Radio TT had to be run as a more commercial endeavour, there would be a lot more effort put into finding advertising revenue. Current advertising seems limited to 'local' enterprises and not targeted at the 24 million? (not sure of the exact number) of TT fans around the World. (Hmmm better adverts, just had a rose tinted specs moment of Kenny Everett's character 'Sid Snot' doing the Honda adverts!)

So in summary, yes Radio TT needs a bit of a shake up & the IOM government (elected by the people of the IOM) think that a tender process is a way to achieve it. I'm not sure that it is the best way, but Bushy's admitted to upping their game as a result of a tender process, so who knows?

Time will tell, but if I were footing the bill, there would be a major shake up on the commercial side, with some minor improvements to content and commentary!

(05-09-2018, 11:02 PM)DBD 34 Wrote: Think we all agree that Manx Radio should/will get the gig, however they really do need to clear the decks and recruit quality commentators if they are awarded the contract.

I would disagree here as well. When you say quality commentators, what I hear is the sort of polished and artificial look that most major motorsports events have these days. I think of Jodie Kidd, who was absolutely wooden as a TV presenter this year. I like that the TT commentators are just some blokes that have been around doing it for awhile. I always enjoy my Roy Mooreisms, for example.

I think if you polish it up, you take away the character. It's a unique event. We can save the David Coulthards and the Jodie Kidds for other races. I'll take my whiskered old guys.

Agreed, some very fair comments. 👍

(05-09-2018, 11:02 PM)DBD 34 Wrote: Think we all agree that Manx Radio should/will get the gig, however they really do need to clear the decks and recruit quality commentators if they are awarded the contract.

Frankly, I wouldn't have the commentary any other way, were it my choice.

me too
the tt commentary is great
we all love it
well all use old die hards who have the tt in there blood
I don't want anything changed really its been great for this long don't spoil it