UCI Cycling World Championships advertising: FOI release

Information requested

1. why the UCI Cycling World Championships Travel Demand Management campaign ran on MFR in Inverness and not on Nevis Radio
2. whether each Bauer station should receive a payment for 1 campaign which one would assume would be broadcast from Clyde
3. whether you can claim 4x the amount for the fact Nevis also has different areas covered in a repeat transmission in a ‘networked’ fashion

Response

1. The aim of the UCI Cycling World Championships Travel Demand Management campaign, which included advertising on Bauer radio, was to raise national awareness of the potential disruptions to the transport network due to the UCI World Cycling Championships. The campaign was required to reach people across Scotland travelling into or through the areas where the events were taking place.

To reach a national, all-adults audience within the designated media budget, mass market media was recommended by the Scottish Government’s appointed Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services agency. STV and the Bauer network were used to achieve the national coverage required.

Moray Firth Radio (MFR) was included in the media schedule as part of the Bauer Network package.

2. Each Bauer station has its own transmission area and our Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services agency have a set Cost Per Thousand according to the scale of the audience for each of those areas. The reach of each Bauer station is audited and Bauer are paid according to their quantified reach. The Scottish Government’s Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services agency bought the overall package of Bauer stations and not just those who broadcast in an area where UCI Cycling World Championship events were taking place in line with the nation-wide objective of the campaign.

3. The charging basis for advertisers on Nevis is not a matter for the Scottish Government to comment on. With community stations, the appointed Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services agency work on a Cost Per Spot basis (with a different cost for each station based roughly on their scale). In order to directly compare Nevis radio with Bauer stations they would require audited audience figures to be provided by RAJAR.

Community radio stations play an important role for Scottish Government communication with the public and are considered as part of the media planning and buying process for every campaign. Nevis is in the media plan for a Net Zero campaign in September 2023 and a Vaccines
campaign running later this year.

About FOI

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