I think it’ll be interesting to see the RAJAR figures in six months. Also the Heartification process is in three stages, I think. It’s the East stations going first on Jan 5th.

James,

I can only assume that Ofcom approve the change of formats at some point, I must have missed that?

Is this a national radio station by stealth or just a rebranding of many local names to “cut costs”?

It’s not “tens of millions” of people’s radio stations just yet: the former Chiltern group, Broadland, Hereward and SGR are changing names immediately (Jan 5th). The other stations – Invicta and Southern, down to Gemini and Plymouth Sound, and up to Marcher country – change in TV region stages over the next few months, I believe. So, if it does cause a massive outcry and drop in figures, they will be able to scale back what they are doing, I guess.

The thing I liked about the Absolute change is that the listeners seemed to be central to what was going on. So, they felt not only involved but also fully aware of what was going on. As Matt says it will be interesting to compare RAJARs between Absolute – where the listeners were told there was a new name and why – and the new Hearts, were listeners haven’t been. It almost seems like a ‘day one’ approach, where everything that went before was crap (ergo the listeners were stupid for putting up with it) rather than the ‘all things change’ approach taken by Absolute that said Virgin was rather cool but Absolute will be cooler

@briantist

The heritage ILR formats are pretty broad – you can squeeze Heart into it without too much trouble.

@mike… cheers for that correction.

So, the listeners who’re losing their favourite station on January 5th are…

Radio Broadland: 170,000 weekly reach
SGR Ipswich: 135,000
SGR Colchester: 182,000
Hereward: 189,000
Chiltern Bedford: 104,000
Chiltern Dunstable: 174,000

… just 954,000 people.

@rich: “everything that went before was crap (ergo the listeners were stupid for putting up with it)” – brilliant summation! :)

@James Cridland: If we are going to be picky, I can’t see an actual link between “weekly reach” and “favourite station”.

The “reach” is people listening for 15 minutes at some point, whereas to count as “favourite” you would have to listen to the station more than any other?

I have a few friends who were caught out by XFM Scotland changing into Galaxy – apparently the week before the change was full of plugs for XFM on DAB, but no mention that their station was about to turn into a dance station again.

Whether these people consider their local Broadland/SGR/etc. their favourite station or not is really beside the point. They are currently listeners – indeed they’re the only listeners the station has.

After January, the new “Heart” services have to hope they remain listeners. In any business it’s probably sensible to look after your current customers before you go chasing new ones.

PS. If we’re getting really picky about station reaches and favourites, you can’t really sum all the reaches to come to a total of 954,000. There’s likely to be some overlap between these services, so the number will be a little lower. Nonetheless, that’s still a sizeable percentage of the population as a whole, and a very sizeable percentage of the TSAs of the stations concerned.

heartiscoming to Northants on 5th as well

If a local newspaper changes its name from the Anytown Herald to the Daily Press – I’d guess the majority of people will still buy their local paper. Especially if the highest profile writers are still on the paper, and the new columnists are competent and/or known-names. Plus, the paper is available in exactly the same places it was before.

Their local radio station will have the same breakfast show and the same drivetime show as before. The music may be tweaked a bit, but I’m guessing the change won’t be very dramatic in a lot of cases. Haven’t they been phasing in the new music policy anyway?

I know there’s a big shift from local presenters to networked presenters – but will the average listener know that or indeed care?

People outside the industry that just listen to radio tell me that they listen to their local station for local stuff – like the place references and local news.

I was in Bucks & Herts today listening to what remains of Chiltern FM – the RDS name only I’m afraid. I was subjected to “heart is coming” all the time, nothing local whatsoever. What’s the point ? My friend said if he’d wanted to listen to heart he could do via his Sky TV box anyway – but he didn’t want to as he was well aware of Heart 106.2 in London.

Chiltern’s been around since the early 80s – Global’s bulldozers have now trashed all that heritage and for what ? Saving a little cost to network more I guess. I can’t wait for the audience figures.

Ofcom shouldn’t be allowing this UK-isation of local radio. These licences were handed out as local licences on what’s still limited a scarce resource – FM. The licence owner should be forced to provide a local service. The public deserves something local in return, not just a remote Toby Anstis thrust on us by desperate cost-cutters.

If BBC local radio manages to shake off its worthy and old image, this is a big opportunity for those stations.

I used to work as a presenter on Radio Orwell/Saxon Radio prior to SGR, from October 1983-October 84 and I could see the way the industry wanted to go then. With the end of the IBA, the Radio Authority started the process of destroying LOCAL RADIO as we all knew it, purely for the pursuit of profit and to hell with the audience. As for OffCom, what your getting now is because of this excuse of a so call regulator. (well done Tony and Gordon another winner.) The labour party never did want commercial radio did they “Caroline”

I jumped ship and headed overseas with BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) which was great for about five years, then BFBS along with Capital Radio became on of the first to embraced “SELECTOR” music scheduling by computer. This introduction was a disaster for the audience and signaled the end for creative and passionate music presenters like myself.

I struggled on for some years after the introduction of Selector hoping the industry would see the error of it’s ways. As we all know to our cost it did not, and is now controlled totally buy bean counters and suits obsessed by focus groups, consultants and takeovers.

I left full time radio in 1997 but was persuaded back to the business by an old friend who was Programme Controller at Sovereign Radio in Eastbourne, there I was given the freedom to produce my own show again, I thought I was back in heaven. Unfortunately this independent station sold out to one of the big groups. Within a month a tight format lead radio with Selector at it’s heart was introduced and enforced with an iron fist. I left and have not heard any music station worth listening to since.

Only Radio 2 is worth a short listen, even with it’s much larger data based “Selector” it becomes repetitive within a week.

So I’m not surprised all the once loved LOCAL RADIO STATIONS are becoming Regional. They have lost so much audience share since the introduction of computerised music scheduling that it was inevitable that they would have to become more than a LOCAL service. I’m sure they will finally become National Stations with lip service paid to local opt outs which will satisfy this appalling regulator called OffCom.

The only hope we have is that all existing radio stations become part of the digital platform that is now available, and that the FM/AM network would be handed over to Broadcasters that would re-instate LOCAL Radio as we knew and loved.

Stuart James

The way foward will be community radio stations, like 10radio.org they have a funny show called the burnt welly show, on friday evenings and i also listen to johnny robinson on swindon1055.com, both shows make me laugh and remind me of when local radio was local and not national, which one day all companys like gcap will make their stations national.

thats why i support community radio as they do shows which are fun and entertaining.

xxxx
Donna

Heart is coming on 26th July to Mercuy FM, which covers Crawley, Horsham, Reigate; basicly the surrey sussex border around gatwick airport.
I am not around the change in music style but what I worried about is the change to a more national/regional station.
I think I am going to ditch the local radio station that I have grown up and loved. Change instead to BBC for local news and traffic info, Internet radio, my Cd’s music collection and hope that someone sets some form comunity radio for the old mercury FM area.

Bring Richard Cartridge Back To BBC Radio Solent Petition Solent in the past have operated a ageist policy not wanting older people on the station

We are campaigning to get the BBC to bring Richard Cartridge back to BBC Radio Solent which is based in Southampton. Richard was one of the long serving presenters axed by the previous Managing Editor Mia Costello at the time when she sent a memo containing the comment that she “didn’t want to hear old voices on the radio.”

Richard was and still is very popular with the listeners and has had some of the station’s highest listener figures so why has he not been re-engaged to help revive the station and also to help regain the massive loss of listeners that happened after his show was axed in favour of younger presenters. Are the BBC and Radio Solent still operating an ageism policy? I have added the article from the Southampton Echo which covers the main details.
Hampshire fans urge BBC Radio Solent to bring back Richard Cartridge
7:42am Thursday 5th August 2010

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HIS silky smooth delivery made him a housewives favourite and one of the most popular voices on Hampshire’s airwaves.

Now his loyal fanbase are demanding he is put back on air at BBC Radio Solent to save the station from a slide in listeners.

A growing petition is urging station bosses to bring back chocolate voiced presenter Richard Cartridge before its too late.

Mr Cartridge was a victim of a cull of presenters by former station boss Mia Costello which coincided with a dramatic slump in listener figures.

John Christopher, one of those behind the petition which now has over 150 signatures, said: “When Richard left the station management said they didn’t want to hear older presenters on air.

“Ever since then they’ve continued to lose listeners. Local radio is very important but If they don’t do something to rescue the station we could lose it.”

The petition has been backed by New Forest councillor Les Puttock, PR chief Gill Gould of Carswell Gould and West End councillor Tony Noyce who says he switched off listening to Radio Solent after Mr Cartridge’s departure. He called him the “best presenter Radio Solent has had.”

Mr Cartridge, who has described Radio Solent as his “spiritual home,” briefly returned to the airwaves for a week-long stint over Christmas.

He said he was aware of the petition and would jump at the chance to return full-time.

“It would be wonderful to be able to consider going back to Solent full time. We’re on friendly terms but there doesn’t seem to be a position there for me at the moment,” he said.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We are delighted to be able to call Richard a friend of BBC Solent, and we know listeners loved his shows during last Christmas.

“We remain in touch with Richard but there are no immediate plans for him to take on a more permanent role.”

Latest quarterly figures show the station slumped to its lowest-ever share of the listening audience despite Nick Girdler returning to Solent after a three-year absence, Katie Martin replacing Charlie Crocker on the weekday early afternoon slot, and former Meridian newsreader Debbie Thrower being drafted in for a temporary role. New figures are due out next week.

To sign the Cartridge petition visit:
http://www.petitiononline.com/rd3d1267/petition.html