The FINANCIAL — Radio holding Fortuna is taking action to support the development of Georgian culture, stimulate the music industry, as well as discover and promote new artists.
At the same time Fortuna aims to strengthen its online platform for listeners and make radio more integrated with the internet.
Following the world tendency, radio holding Fortuna has created an internet department where people are working on building a very strong network on the internet and offering online services for listeners as well as businesses.
“The website development process is still underway. It is important for us to cover all the news to ensure that the website fully meets the challenges of the 21st century. It is also important that all those news that we deliver to our audience prove necessary, reliable and topical. We have done a lot in this direction, but we still plan to realize a lot of interesting ideas,” Tamar Chigogidze, General Director of radio holding Fortuna, told The FINANCIAL.
“Recently I visited France and attended an international radio conference Radiodays Europe, where I met a lot of interesting people, key players of radio industry. They shared their experience in managing the integration processes of Radio with Social Media and new technologies. I arrived full of a lot of new, interesting ideas and I plan to realize these ideas in the company together with my team,” she said.
Radio holding Fortuna implemented “several successful projects” in 2015, including the song competition ‘Golden Wave’. The annual competition reveals the ‘Song of the Year’.
Winners were revealed in the following nomination categories: song of the year; female singer; male singer; duet; ensemble; debut, etc. Nina Sublatti was named the female singer of 2014, Zura Khachidze – the male singer. The author of the song of the year was Anri Jokhadze.
Organised by Radio Fortuna, the awards recognise singers across a number of categories and are judged by a select group of industry professionals.
“Last year was very productive; we implemented several successful projects. First of all, it was the project Golden Wave, which was implemented by Radio Holding Fortuna and through which we revealed the most popular songs of the year. It is the project, which enables our singers to create new songs and present them to a broad audience. Simultaneously, solid prize money is an incentive for all musicians. We had some novelties in radio programming as well. We are constantly striving for novelties and are offering a lot of interesting projects to our listeners from year to year. Thus, last year really proved creative. As far as the year 2016 is concerned, besides the projects of our radio stations, we are actively getting involved in all those important events, which are held in the country to promote the development of Georgian culture,” Chigogidze said.
The first Golden Wave Awards Ceremony was conducted in 2013 together with the Georgian National Broadcaster.
“This is a project that enables singers to create new songs and introduce them to the public. In addition, a solid prize fund encourages the musicians to apply to the competition and create new music. We are happy to help local musicians develop themselves and their careers by giving them a wonderful platform. We are getting ready for this year’s Golden Wave. We are ready to meet the new winners,” Chigogidze said.
Q. What are those novelties that you plan to offer your listeners this year?
A. Along with implementation of new projects, our radio stations use new technologies to constantly renew and improve already existing projects.
This year, as usual, we are working on new programs and projects, in order to entertain our listeners.
As you know, Golden Wave awards ceremony is approaching and our resources are mobilised in this direction.
At the same time, we are working on seasonal thematic rubrics. Right now we are working on the new programmes for this summer. Summer projects will cheer up our listeners and help them to spend a fantastic time with us.
For example, we have launched a program ‘Info Tour’ aimed to show off the landmarks of our country. ‘Visit Georgia’ – with this slogan we try to tell new generation more about Georgia’s remarkable resorts, to make interesting seasonal proposals and give them an opportunity to pick the most desirable place to rest across Georgia.
Q. What part of listeners listen to radio on the Internet – via their mobile phones, computers? Is their number increasing?
A. Number of radio users is over 50 percent in the country that is a very good figure.
About five percent of internet users listen to radio. Generally, radio is becoming a very important medium, because in modern world, under conditions of communication deficiency and lack of time, radio is one of the best means of interaction and receiving information.
Radio listening through cell phones across Georgia is around 16 percent and I hope that this figure will increase annually. We are working in this direction too in order to help our listeners have user-friendly access to our radio stations through their mobile applications.
Q. Which is the most popular radio station in the holding and what is the reason for its popularity?
Radio holding a unites four radio stations – Ar Daidardo (“Don’t Worry”), Fortuna +, Fortuna and Avtoradio.
Radio holding Fortuna offers various programmes via its four radio stations. The programmes include news, sports, talks, and the possibility to listen to various genres of music. The major programmes and rubrics that are broadcast live on the four radio stations are immediately podcasted on the holding’s websites.
In regard to ratings, all the radio stations of radio holding Fortuna were at the top of the list. Radio Ar Daidardo enjoyed the majority of listeners, followed by Fortuna +, Fortuna and Avtoradio.
The reason why Ar Daidardo is the most popular one is that it promotes national songs. Everyone knows that radios with a national format are always very popular and it is exactly this that is the reason for the huge popularity of Ar Daidardo.
Q. Where do people listen to the radio? What do the statistics show?
A. People listen to the radio everywhere – on public transport, at work, via the internet or via radio devices. But mostly people listen to the radio while driving or when at home.
All the four radio stations of Radio Holding Fortuna differ from each other by formats. A listener has an opportunity to select a radio by taste and mood. Thus, it can be said that people listen to radio everywhere: in automobiles, at work, places of gathering, using a traditional FM radio player or Internet; however, people mostly listen to radio at home or in their automobiles.
It should also be noted that over two million people use mobile Internet and a part of them listen to radio just via Internet; this figure is increasing from year to year. Thus, radio possibilities, its listening and coverage are automatically increasing. All the above mentioned makes radio more perspective, developing and attractive for both our listeners and business sector.
Q. My next question is exactly linked to business. How preferable is it for businesses to bring advertisements to radio and especially to the radio holding Fortuna as it unites four different target audiences?
A. Radio is a great medium for businesses, especially new businesses. If one is starting a new business, radio is the most cost effective way one can reach those people they need to make their business grow.
With all four of our radio stations, which attract different target groups, one can reach who they need to reach, when they need to reach them, and where they need to reach them.
Furthermore, since radio is targeted and production costs are low, radio is the perfect medium to use to build one’s new business. With radio one can not only buy ads but can sponsor a feature, like weather, sportscasts or time checks that allow the new business to build an identity with listeners.
The Holding’s Marketing Service is distinguished for its high professionalism that ensures result-oriented business relations. Frequently, we offer consultations to the business sector in terms of marketing strategy that is a great honor for us. I am glad that business in Georgia keeps step with modern challenges and we try to promote its development.
I am glad that business in Georgia follows the latest challenges and we try to support business development in the country.
Q. Radio holding Fortuna has been supporting the most influential Golden Brand Awards Ceremony for years. How proud are you to be part of it?
A. Awards ceremonies like Golden Brand always contribute to business development. Everyone is happy to see that their business, and the efforts that they put into its development, have been recognized and appreciated. It is also a wonderful platform to introduce important people to one another. People can get together and establish business relationships with each other.
The Golden Brand Awards Ceremony is encouraging for us as the partners of an awards ceremony which is held in such high esteem by society. Our holding is always a partner of Georgian business and supports it fully.
It is a big honour for us to be part of such an influential business awards ceremony.
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