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Absolute Radio cuts off non-UK streams after Bauer acquisition

By | Published on Wednesday 8 January 2014

Absolute Radio

Absolute Radio has blocked international listeners from receiving its services online, presumably because of the licensing costs of providing music services worldwide.

The radio firm said that while it valued its international audience, the company was funded by British advertisers, making webcasting beyond the UK unviable.

The firm said in a statement: “We do care about our [international] listeners, of course, but we are a broadcaster funded entirely by UK advertising derived from UK listening. It is, therefore, very unfortunately, not economically viable for us to continue to meet the cost of providing non-UK streams”.

The development is the first big move at the national rock station since its acquisition by Bauer Media was approved by the Office Of Fair Trading just before the Christmas break.

There had been speculation that Bauer might quickly wind down some of Absolute’s spin-off services, but the company says it has no such plans at the moment. It remains to be seen how Bauer’s various rock radio brands – Kerrang!, Planet Rock and Absolute – now interact with each other.



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