Incidently, how are they going to tell listeners to switch? "Er, there's a boring Magic coming on tomorrow, don't listen to that listen to Radio City 2". People won't retune, tune to a Radio City and switch to Radio 2!
Incidently, how are they going to tell listeners to switch? "Er, there's a boring Magic coming on tomorrow, don't listen to that listen to Radio City 2". People won't retune, tune to a Radio City and switch to Radio 2!
Give the new network one brand name!!!
Existing Magic North AM and DAB listeners will just stay tuned for greatest hits, and may not notice the name change?
There are existing Magic TV ads aimed at 30ish women to tune into national Magic on DAB and dtv http://www.magic.co.uk/on-air/magic-tv-advert/
A single brand would be better! Most people my age (49) don't listen to City, but did 30 odd years ago. That's all in the past! I have no affiliation, as a listener, to Radio City, so why would I want to tune to Radio City 2. If I didn't read this I'd assume Magic was dead, boring Magic took over, and Radio City 2 played more Juice type music.
Emap/Bauer have tried the single brand across the AM network with Magic and it has not been an overwhelming success, even now with the stations all on DAB. Rebranding to a station location is obviously an attempt to rid the network of the perceived boring old image. I'm much older than you but still listen to City every weekday till I get to work were they have Absolute on, but at weekends I listen to Magic and City Talk. I actually think giving the Place 2 stations a separate identify might be better, the problem in City's case is that City Gold has been tried and was not a huge success, whether it would work now is debatable but it might be worth a try then Place 3 could be Radio City Extra for instance, but the safe bet is certainly 2 & 3.
Incidently, how are they going to tell listeners to switch? "Er, there's a boring Magic coming on tomorrow, don't listen to that listen to Radio City 2". People won't retune, tune to a Radio City and switch to Radio 2!
Give the new network one brand name!!!
The obvious answer is existing listeners to the AM service will be informed in Magic programming, and City will no doubt carry promos, we might even see a regional TV ad for each group. The less obvious is combining the website's so there is a header page for say Radio City from were 2 & 3 will also be accessible and vice versa.
Existing Magic North AM and DAB listeners will just stay tuned for greatest hits, and may not notice the name change?
There are existing Magic TV ads aimed at 30ish women to tune into national Magic on DAB and dtv http://www.magic.co.uk/on-air/magic-tv-advert/
Exactly, and there will likely be a national TV advert to launch the FM service on DAB as well.
Even though the local branding is welcome it just feels wrong I just can't see people going "hey did you listen to Hallam 2 last night", in the same way people might go "hey did you listen to Magic".
It will be interesting to see the branding if they go for a revamp for the locals, Magic has just had it's revamp on tv so we can assume no rebranding will take place for the national.
Just seen this on the Bauer website:
Bauer Media also recently heralded further ambitions in digital radio by announcing its involvement in a consortium with Arqiva and UTV Media. The groups will collectively bid to operate a second national DAB multiplex licence in the United Kingdom, known as D2. This licence would offer an exciting opportunity for the commercial radio industry to further extend its reach and services, and underpin digital listening growth in the UK.
All changes to the Bauer Media Radio Portfolio take effect in January 2015.
Is Bauer committed to "oldies" by keeping them AM while it's vision is DAB?
Even though the local branding is welcome it just feels wrong I just can't see people going "hey did you listen to Hallam 2 last night", in the same way people might go "hey did you listen to Magic".
It will be interesting to see the branding if they go for a revamp for the locals, Magic has just had it's revamp on tv so we can assume no rebranding will take place for the national.
Just seen this on the Bauer website:
Bauer Media also recently heralded further ambitions in digital radio by announcing its involvement in a consortium with Arqiva and UTV Media. The groups will collectively bid to operate a second national DAB multiplex licence in the United Kingdom, known as D2. This licence would offer an exciting opportunity for the commercial radio industry to further extend its reach and services, and underpin digital listening growth in the UK.
All changes to the Bauer Media Radio Portfolio take effect in January 2015.
Is Bauer committed to "oldies" by keeping them AM while it's vision is DAB?
I would say Yes, most people of all ages listen to radio at some stage in the week, and not all will be in the targeted range of the Place 1 stations. With us all generally living longer the need for "oldies" stations to reach older listeners will likely continue as the older generations will still be advertisers targets and will form the majority of the population. Radio 1 in the early days featured some 50's tracks but by the 70's they had largely disappeared, in the same way now that Magic only tends to play hits from latter part of the 60's except for perhaps certain artists such as the Beatles etc.
I agree. All this Rock 2 and Key 3 stuff seems overly complicated.
A single brand can easily be promoted nationally, as Global do with Heart, Smooth etc.
If Bauer want to advertise the new '2' stations they'll find it much more difficult. Even a regional ITV advert (for example in the Granada area) would have to list City 2, Rock 2 and Key 2, whereas a single brand like Smooth is much simpler to advertise.
A single brand would be better! Most people my age (49) don't listen to City, but did 30 odd years ago. That's all in the past! I have no affiliation, as a listener, to Radio City, so why would I want to tune to Radio City 2. If I didn't read this I'd assume Magic was dead, boring Magic took over, and Radio City 2 played more Juice type music.
Maybe they are looking at this from a DAB point of view & lets face it as it is the future or at least more than AM.
All the Absolute stations are grouped together so why not the Place stations.
Exactly, and there will likely be a national TV advert to launch the FM service on DAB as well.
Noticed the Magic TV ad aimed at young women being shown in London does not have any FM frequencies mentioned, so is ready to show on national TV in 2015?
It might be there could be announcements on current Magic North stations saying something along the lines of if you want to continue to hear the new Magic rescan on DAB, otherwise stay for greatest hits?
No doubt there will also be new Dlove TV and radio ads as well?
Just wish the ads were not so annoying!
Your local Magic AM station will become Hallam 2. The others will become Aire 2, Viking 2 etc. You'll be able to receive the new Hallam 2 station and Magic London on DAB.
Thanks.
Hope they don't change to much as magic currently plays an excellent selection of music.
Hallam (in radio terms) these days has a poor reputation with older people in the region so they will have some work to do attracting people using that name.
A single brand would be better! Most people my age (49) don't listen to City, but did 30 odd years ago. That's all in the past! I have no affiliation, as a listener, to Radio City, so why would I want to tune to Radio City 2. If I didn't read this I'd assume Magic was dead, boring Magic took over, and Radio City 2 played more Juice type music.
I wonder if Bauer will refer to it on air as 'The 2 network' with the occasional separate id thrown in.
Will Tony Blackburn be on the new National Magic or this network?
Although they are saying there will be little change I would expect the former.
Are they planning to remove The Hits from the Birmingham mux?
The iconic youth brand KISS will see its brand extension KISSTORY, the best mix of old skool and anthems, launch onto DAB Digital radio across several cities across the UK including London and Birmingham
The MW sites are becoming expensive, sets are prone to electronic interference and by now stereo DAB and internet should have taken over, but DAB takeup has been slower than expected and there are a lot of analogue still working in home and especially cars.
Expect more Dlove ads leading up to Christmas suggesting digital sets as presents.
The MW sites are becoming expensive, sets are prone to electronic interference and by now stereo DAB and internet should have taken over, but DAB takeup has been slower than expected and there are a lot of analogue still working in home and especially cars.
Hans,
The problem here in the UK at times DAB just does no deliver in the car what it promised, even though I worked for City all my radio career, I listen to Smooth in the car, but when driving through Salford and Manchester the signal drops out more than is it in? and how many years have we had DAB?
The problem here in the UK at times DAB just does no deliver in the car what it promised, even though I worked for City all my radio career, I listen to Smooth in the car, but when driving through Salford and Manchester the signal drops out more than is it in? and how many years have we had DAB?
I would suggest your aerial is not up to the job, but again this is a limitation of DAB that is less severe on FM. On FM, if your aerial is a bit iffy then it drops to mono and you might get a bit of hiss occasionally. Near where I live here is a radio 'black hole'. DAB just completely cuts out but the analogue stations are still listenable although weak.
I get 5 live on Medium Wave, that's why I listen to it.
It's on DAB, on your TV and for a few hours from midnight on Radio Scotland FM slot overnight so there's no need to listen to it on AM in your house if you have these available. Why not on the PC or laptop you post to digital spy forums.
A DAB set doesn't cost a fortune nowadays so you can get rid of your analogue set if it breaks down and buy a new set rather than take your old analogue set to repaIrs shop.
The problem here in the UK at times DAB just does no deliver in the car what it promised, even though I worked for City all my radio career, I listen to Smooth in the car, but when driving through Salford and Manchester the signal drops out more than is it in? and how many years have we had DAB?
What is the range supposed to be on DAB? I thought the local stations had a range of about 35 miles on FM and I can pick up City all the way to the end of the M602 without drop out most days, but then as I turn down Trafford Road it drops out in the "dip" for a moment at the lowest point but returns as the road rises, this is roughly 30 miles from the Rocket junction in Liverpool. On the M62 you can pick City up on the M62 on Saddleworth Moor which is probably about 40 miles away, whilst heading towards Preston the signal is lost quite near, in fact I picked Caroline RSL better back in May.
Comments
Give the new network one brand name!!!
There are existing Magic TV ads aimed at 30ish women to tune into national Magic on DAB and dtv
http://www.magic.co.uk/on-air/magic-tv-advert/
Emap/Bauer have tried the single brand across the AM network with Magic and it has not been an overwhelming success, even now with the stations all on DAB. Rebranding to a station location is obviously an attempt to rid the network of the perceived boring old image. I'm much older than you but still listen to City every weekday till I get to work were they have Absolute on, but at weekends I listen to Magic and City Talk. I actually think giving the Place 2 stations a separate identify might be better, the problem in City's case is that City Gold has been tried and was not a huge success, whether it would work now is debatable but it might be worth a try then Place 3 could be Radio City Extra for instance, but the safe bet is certainly 2 & 3.
The obvious answer is existing listeners to the AM service will be informed in Magic programming, and City will no doubt carry promos, we might even see a regional TV ad for each group. The less obvious is combining the website's so there is a header page for say Radio City from were 2 & 3 will also be accessible and vice versa.
Exactly, and there will likely be a national TV advert to launch the FM service on DAB as well.
It will be interesting to see the branding if they go for a revamp for the locals, Magic has just had it's revamp on tv so we can assume no rebranding will take place for the national.
Just seen this on the Bauer website:
Bauer Media also recently heralded further ambitions in digital radio by announcing its involvement in a consortium with Arqiva and UTV Media. The groups will collectively bid to operate a second national DAB multiplex licence in the United Kingdom, known as D2. This licence would offer an exciting opportunity for the commercial radio industry to further extend its reach and services, and underpin digital listening growth in the UK.
All changes to the Bauer Media Radio Portfolio take effect in January 2015.
Is Bauer committed to "oldies" by keeping them AM while it's vision is DAB?
No, they'll also be on local DAB.
I would say Yes, most people of all ages listen to radio at some stage in the week, and not all will be in the targeted range of the Place 1 stations. With us all generally living longer the need for "oldies" stations to reach older listeners will likely continue as the older generations will still be advertisers targets and will form the majority of the population. Radio 1 in the early days featured some 50's tracks but by the 70's they had largely disappeared, in the same way now that Magic only tends to play hits from latter part of the 60's except for perhaps certain artists such as the Beatles etc.
I agree. All this Rock 2 and Key 3 stuff seems overly complicated.
A single brand can easily be promoted nationally, as Global do with Heart, Smooth etc.
If Bauer want to advertise the new '2' stations they'll find it much more difficult. Even a regional ITV advert (for example in the Granada area) would have to list City 2, Rock 2 and Key 2, whereas a single brand like Smooth is much simpler to advertise.
Maybe they are looking at this from a DAB point of view & lets face it as it is the future or at least more than AM.
All the Absolute stations are grouped together so why not the Place stations.
It might be there could be announcements on current Magic North stations saying something along the lines of if you want to continue to hear the new Magic rescan on DAB, otherwise stay for greatest hits?
No doubt there will also be new Dlove TV and radio ads as well?
Just wish the ads were not so annoying!
When do we think the changes will take effect? 5 January (first Monday)?
Thanks.
Hope they don't change to much as magic currently plays an excellent selection of music.
Hallam (in radio terms) these days has a poor reputation with older people in the region so they will have some work to do attracting people using that name.
Will Tony Blackburn be on the new National Magic or this network?
Although they are saying there will be little change I would expect the former.
Are they planning to remove The Hits from the Birmingham mux?
Wouldn't be surprised if they use 'The Greatest Hits' name and website when referring to the network, as is used for the AM network in Scotland.
Tony Blackburn wouldn't fit into Magic 105.4 at all - it's supposed to be relaxing, not high energy!
I suspect The Hits might become Kisstory in Birmingham?
I get 5 live on Medium Wave, that's why I listen to it.
Expect more Dlove ads leading up to Christmas suggesting digital sets as presents.
Hopefully Heat will continue on B'ham dab
Hans,
The problem here in the UK at times DAB just does no deliver in the car what it promised, even though I worked for City all my radio career, I listen to Smooth in the car, but when driving through Salford and Manchester the signal drops out more than is it in? and how many years have we had DAB?
It's on DAB, on your TV and for a few hours from midnight on Radio Scotland FM slot overnight so there's no need to listen to it on AM in your house if you have these available. Why not on the PC or laptop you post to digital spy forums.
A DAB set doesn't cost a fortune nowadays so you can get rid of your analogue set if it breaks down and buy a new set rather than take your old analogue set to repaIrs shop.
What is the range supposed to be on DAB? I thought the local stations had a range of about 35 miles on FM and I can pick up City all the way to the end of the M602 without drop out most days, but then as I turn down Trafford Road it drops out in the "dip" for a moment at the lowest point but returns as the road rises, this is roughly 30 miles from the Rocket junction in Liverpool. On the M62 you can pick City up on the M62 on Saddleworth Moor which is probably about 40 miles away, whilst heading towards Preston the signal is lost quite near, in fact I picked Caroline RSL better back in May.