No they wouldn't. Not that any significant requirments exist.
The Wave format is
A LOCALLY ORIENTED MUSIC AND INFORMATION STATION FOR OVER 30s IN THE SOLENT AND ADJACENT AREA, PLAYING A SPREAD OF ADULT CONTEMPORARY AND SOFT ADULT CONTEMPORARY HITS, AND TREATINGSPEECH AS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT
That's a similar wording to the ex-Reals and Heart Cornwall where Ofcom said they expect at least 30% speech, so they could require the Solent licence to deliver the same amount.
That's a similar wording to the ex-Reals and Heart Cornwall where Ofcom said they expect at least 30% speech, so they could require the Solent licence to deliver the same amount.
I don't think Wave does anywhere near 30% speech anyway. If they need to make changes they could just shove in a longer news bulletin and a local show. If Global can put Heart on lots of stations then Bauer would have no problem turning Wave into Magic if they wanted to.
Let me stoke the conspiracy theories about a potential Wave rebrand with this observation: most of the Bauer stations in the Place/City networks have been given new logos in the 'YOUR' format, including CityTalk which has its own version of the logo in its own colouring (green to yellow) not used by the other networks. They could have done the same sort of thing for Wave but apparently haven't (Wikipedia and Logopedia both retain the prior logo) - suggesting a wider relaunch, possibly under a new name, is in the offing.
There are several options on the table should Bauer want to make any changes - a Kiss-like rollout of Magic London to the coast could help them compete with Smooth, which is AM/digital only in the South; alternatively, a relaunch as an FM outlet for heat radio would allow it to retain the AC format and combine resources with the DAB station; or maybe even the Wave format could be rolled onto DAB as 'city 4', replacing heat in the Bauer heritage areas, following on from the rollout of 'city 3' from The Hits...
Wave is a lot younger than Magic, 9 out of the top 10 artists are contemporary, whereas only 3 are on Magic. http://comparemyradio.com/compare/Wave_105/Magic_105.4
It's probably got as much in common with the Hits network as Magic.
No they wouldn't. Not that any significant requirments exist.
If Bauer were to replace Wave with Magic, they would need to meet the character of service of the Wave licence. Much like when Smooth was fully networked but had to continue to play lots of soul to meet the London/North West FM licences.
My preference, were I to have one, would be for Wave to keep the AC format - Magic's already on digital in the South now thanks to D1 - and perhaps roll it out more widely, possibly in combination with heat, given that most of the prior AC networks - Century, Real - have been swallowed into Heart, and there is a gap for an upbeat, singalong, retro-to-now service. As Wave is a regional service, it's presumably subject to the same qualification that allows regional stations to go out as national services on DAB; perhaps one solution would be to combine Wave and heat radio as a national digital upbeat 80s/90s/00s station, with Absolute 80s moving to the current heat slots on local multiplexes...
Let me stoke the conspiracy theories about a potential Wave rebrand with this observation: most of the Bauer stations in the Place/City networks have been given new logos in the 'YOUR' format, including CityTalk which has its own version of the logo in its own colouring (green to yellow) not used by the other networks. They could have done the same sort of thing for Wave but apparently haven't (Wikipedia and Logopedia both retain the prior logo) - suggesting a wider relaunch, possibly under a new name, is in the offing.
There are several options on the table should Bauer want to make any changes - a Kiss-like rollout of Magic London to the coast could help them compete with Smooth, which is AM/digital only in the South; alternatively, a relaunch as an FM outlet for heat radio would allow it to retain the AC format and combine resources with the DAB station; or maybe even the Wave format could be rolled onto DAB as 'city 4', replacing heat in the Bauer heritage areas, following on from the rollout of 'city 3' from The Hits...
Wave is a lot younger than Magic, 9 out of the top 10 artists are contemporary, whereas only 3 are on Magic. http://comparemyradio.com/compare/Wave_105/Magic_105.4
It's probably got as much in common with the Hits network as Magic.
You can't compare Wave with Hits, most of what it plays is from the eighties, but it also plays sixties and seventies, it's not a contemporary only radio station.
Let me stoke the conspiracy theories about a potential Wave rebrand with this observation: most of the Bauer stations in the Place/City networks have been given new logos in the 'YOUR' format, including CityTalk which has its own version of the logo in its own colouring (green to yellow) not used by the other networks. They could have done the same sort of thing for Wave but apparently haven't (Wikipedia and Logopedia both retain the prior logo) - suggesting a wider relaunch, possibly under a new name, is in the offing.
There are several options on the table should Bauer want to make any changes - a Kiss-like rollout of Magic London to the coast could help them compete with Smooth, which is AM/digital only in the South; alternatively, a relaunch as an FM outlet for heat radio would allow it to retain the AC format and combine resources with the DAB station; or maybe even the Wave format could be rolled onto DAB as 'city 4', replacing heat in the Bauer heritage areas, following on from the rollout of 'city 3' from The Hits...
I was down in Bournemouth over the weekend and tuned in to Wave 105 - got to say it sounds better music wise than Magic! The request show today I heard had a song from Chas & Dave on it! not heard any other station play them (with the exception of the BBC locals
Think Bauer should maybe consider putting it on Sky or maybe even D2 when that launches!
I was down in Bournemouth over the weekend and tuned in to Wave 105 - got to say it sounds better music wise than Magic! The request show today I heard had a song from Chas & Dave on it! not heard any other station play them (with the exception of the BBC locals
Apart from the specialist programming, Wave is more comparable to Radio 2 in terms of eclecticism than Magic, Smooth and the other boring stations people choose to compare it to.
The day they change Wave to a clone of something, be it Magic or whatever, getting rid of the localness and the most eclectic music variety outside of the BBC, is probably the day I leave music radio behind for good.
As it is, it's the only music station I will listen to these days.
Didn't realise Magic was on D1, whats the betting it's another unlistenable (in the car, at least) low bitrate mono station...
I listen to Wave on a fairly regular basis, mainly during the mornings and have to agree with the previous posters in that it is a totally different format to all the other stations down this way. I used to listen to Gold, but as that avenue has now been removed from me i find Wave gives me at least in part what i like to hear. If Bauer do make any changes, might i suggest networking the Sunday Tony Blackburn show, i for one would like to hear that.
I listen to Wave on a fairly regular basis, mainly during the mornings and have to agree with the previous posters in that it is a totally different format to all the other stations down this way. I used to listen to Gold, but as that avenue has now been removed from me i find Wave gives me at least in part what i like to hear. If Bauer do make any changes, might i suggest networking the Sunday Tony Blackburn show, i for one would like to hear that.
If Wave starts to get Mellow magic (as CFM does), Kate Lawler or Christine Bleakley then worry!
However a digital Bauer City 2 Oldies station covering S England on the Now and London muxes with Tony Blackburn would be good, but unlikely?
I was down in Bournemouth over the weekend and tuned in to Wave 105 - got to say it sounds better music wise than Magic! The request show today I heard had a song from Chas & Dave on it! not heard any other station play them (with the exception of the BBC locals
Think Bauer should maybe consider putting it on Sky or maybe even D2 when that launches!
This is Wave through and through. The golden hour is the same with such a diverse range of music and years covered. Yet time and time again the usuals on here say people want tight playlists and don't care about local content. Wave trounces the competition in an highly competitive area and is the way good commercial radio could and should sound.
Yet time and time again the usuals on here say people want tight playlists and don't care about local content. Wave... is the way good commercial radio could and should sound.
But maybe not everyone wants the same thing, or listens to radio the same way; and maybe there's more than one way to do successful radio.
I love Wave, but it has a complex recipe, is well staffed (i.e. expensive) and has had time to bed in. It wouldn't be a template other groups would necessarily risk in this day and age.
But maybe not everyone wants the same thing, or listens to radio the same way; and maybe there's more than one way to do successful radio.
I love Wave, but it has a complex recipe, is well staffed (i.e. expensive) and has had time to bed in. It wouldn't be a template other groups would necessarily risk in this day and age.
But you would think they do all want the same thing by the way most commercial operators operate.
But you would think they do all want the same thing by the way most commercial operators operate.
Yes - highly researched, low risk, reduced costs. Wave has been successful using different methods, but they're methods other programmers would likely shy away from.
If Wave starts to get Mellow magic (as CFM does), Kate Lawler or Christine Bleakley then worry!
However a digital Bauer City 2 Oldies station covering S England on the Now and London muxes with Tony Blackburn would be good, but unlikely?
At least it's a listenable 80k mono, rather than 64k like it's Abs90s predecessor? but Absolute has gone mono to get the extra bw.
Not in the car, it's not.
Mono DAB music stations in the car sound horribly drab, which is why I have long since abandoned the previously enjoyable Absolute 80s and Planet Rock. and therefore D1 stations full stop.
This is Wave through and through. The golden hour is the same with such a diverse range of music and years covered. Yet time and time again the usuals on here say people want tight playlists and don't care about local content. Wave trounces the competition in an highly competitive area and is the way good commercial radio could and should sound.
The Solent area has always had very strong and very varied commercial stations.
What's on offer really should embarrass much bigger areas that have nothing but 'clone' stations.
Comments
I think it was going to be tricky having the London/national 'Magic UK' on DAB alongside the local Magics on DAB up north. So, they had to be renamed.
No they wouldn't. Not that any significant requirments exist.
The Wave format is
That's a similar wording to the ex-Reals and Heart Cornwall where Ofcom said they expect at least 30% speech, so they could require the Solent licence to deliver the same amount.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/html/radio-stations/analogue/al000215ba1wave105.htm
I don't think Wave does anywhere near 30% speech anyway. If they need to make changes they could just shove in a longer news bulletin and a local show. If Global can put Heart on lots of stations then Bauer would have no problem turning Wave into Magic if they wanted to.
There are several options on the table should Bauer want to make any changes - a Kiss-like rollout of Magic London to the coast could help them compete with Smooth, which is AM/digital only in the South; alternatively, a relaunch as an FM outlet for heat radio would allow it to retain the AC format and combine resources with the DAB station; or maybe even the Wave format could be rolled onto DAB as 'city 4', replacing heat in the Bauer heritage areas, following on from the rollout of 'city 3' from The Hits...
EDIT: the new City Talk logo can be seen here: http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/City_Talk
It's probably got as much in common with the Hits network as Magic.
If Bauer were to replace Wave with Magic, they would need to meet the character of service of the Wave licence. Much like when Smooth was fully networked but had to continue to play lots of soul to meet the London/North West FM licences.
"YOUR" The Hits is a strange one.
Downtown and cool fm haven't changed branding.
Think Bauer should maybe consider putting it on Sky or maybe even D2 when that launches!
As it is, it's the only music station I will listen to these days.
Didn't realise Magic was on D1, whats the betting it's another unlistenable (in the car, at least) low bitrate mono station...
However a digital Bauer City 2 Oldies station covering S England on the Now and London muxes with Tony Blackburn would be good, but unlikely? At least it's a listenable 80k mono, rather than 64k like it's Abs90s predecessor? but Absolute has gone mono to get the extra bw.
But maybe not everyone wants the same thing, or listens to radio the same way; and maybe there's more than one way to do successful radio.
I love Wave, but it has a complex recipe, is well staffed (i.e. expensive) and has had time to bed in. It wouldn't be a template other groups would necessarily risk in this day and age.
Yes - highly researched, low risk, reduced costs. Wave has been successful using different methods, but they're methods other programmers would likely shy away from.
http://www.music4.com/music/catalogue/87/wave-105/full-station-package.html
Not in the car, it's not.
Mono DAB music stations in the car sound horribly drab, which is why I have long since abandoned the previously enjoyable Absolute 80s and Planet Rock. and therefore D1 stations full stop.
The Solent area has always had very strong and very varied commercial stations.
What's on offer really should embarrass much bigger areas that have nothing but 'clone' stations.