Bauer takes on national sales for STV Radio in Scotland

STV Radio hands national and regional agency sales to Bauer Media Audio UK and joins its Partner Stations portfolio, while keeping direct client sales in house.

STV Radio has appointed Bauer Media Audio UK to represent it to advertising agencies. Bauer will handle national and regional agency sales across Scotland; STV's own commercial team keeps direct client sales for advertising and sponsorship.

The station joins Bauer's Partner Stations portfolio, which means its airtime, sponsorship and promotions can be bought inside the Hits Radio Portfolio or as a single station. Representation begins once STV Radio receives its first RAJAR audience figures later this month, after six months on air.

Danielle Kelly, Commercial Director at STV, described the tie-up as a strong commercial option for growing the audio business and reaching brands. Simon Kilby, Managing Director at Bauer Media Advertising, said the company looked forward to representing the station nationally and regionally.

The split that makes it work

The interesting part is the division of labour, not the deal itself. Agency demand is aggregated by a national sales house that can offer scale; direct clients stay with the team that already knows them. Two sales channels, one inventory pool, different commercial terms on each.

That arrangement is standard across Europe, and it is precisely where manual processes break. The same break has to be visible to both sides at once, with the right price attached to whichever one books it, and the sales-house commission has to reconcile at the end of the month without anyone rebuilding it by hand.

For a station taking on representation, the question to settle before the first campaign is not commercial. It is whether both channels are looking at the same grid in real time.

Source: RadioToday.