Real Radio's transition to Heart

RobertSterling · 21/03/14 - 13:06

Has there been confirmation as to when the big change is actually going to take place?

Is there also the possibility of even more networking, could Heart become, in effect, a national station with no local output or would OFCOM have something to say about it? And, if local shows were to go, could the same thing happen with Capital stations across the UK?

hanssolo · 21/03/14 - 13:15

RobertSterling wrote: »

Is there also the possibility of even more networking, could Heart become, in effect, a national station with no local output or would OFCOM have something to say about it? And, if local shows were to go, could the same thing happen with Capital stations across the UK?

If a station gets over 80% national population coverage it can drop local programmes as Ofcom are now encouraging national digital stations under a consultation on commercial radio localness regulation which Smooth and Kiss took up
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/radio/statement/

Encouraging new UK-wide services
1.16 Existing regional FM stations may request to have their localness obligations removed, allowing them to share their programming across a number of regions. We will generally consent to this in return for those stations providing a version of their programme service across the UK on DAB. This will foster competition and choice in UK-wide services, encourage a greater range and diversity of content for consumers, and provide the potential for new investment in programming.

But Global and Commicorp seem to be keeping regional opt outs on Heart, Real to become Heart, Capital and Smooth as different companies now own parts of stations for local ad sales to meet the competition commission requirements, also the local ads are maybe a good income?

RobertSterling · 21/03/14 - 13:23

hanssolo wrote: »

If a station gets over 80% coverage it can drop local programes as Ofcom are now encouraging national digital stations under a consultation on commercial radio localness regulation which Smooth and Kiss took up
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/radio/statement/

But Global and Commicorp seem to be keeping regional opt outs on Heart, Capital and Smooth as the local ads are maybe a good income?

So, the local ads remain (which makes sense) but each local programme optout could go...

hanssolo · 21/03/14 - 13:32

RobertSterling wrote: »

So, the local ads remain (which makes sense) but each local programme optout could go...

I edited the post as different companies now own parts of stations for local ad sales to meet the competition commission requirements, but under Ofcom requirements I think only Wales and Scotland need to provide local optouts? But looks like the local optouts in England will remain for a while?
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/02/communicorp-buys-8-global-radio-stations/

The future launch of Heart in five new regions, Smooth in many new regions and a new Capital in North Wales is particularly exciting and enables us to continue our strategy of ‘national brands delivered locally.’ This is great news for listeners and advertisers/”

SouthCity · 21/03/14 - 13:42

RobertSterling wrote: »

So, the local ads remain (which makes sense) but each local programme optout could go...

As hanssolo has said, in theory the Heart regional stations in England owned by Global could drop all local content if a version of the station (probably Heart 106.2) is on Digital 1.

I don't think this is the preferred strategy though, and I expect the ex-Reals to keep the local shows (and local news) as at present.

Heart Yorkshire is owned by Communicorp and cannot share all programmes with a Heart station owned by Global.

Heart South Wales & Heart North Wales will each have to do 7 hours per day (and local news throughout daytime). They have different owners and are in a devolved nation. The same rule applies to Heart Scotland.

As for the change, I think "Heart is coming" will appear on the Reals during April - they will probably go for an early May launch.

andrew1973 · 21/03/14 - 14:11

SouthCity wrote: »

As for the change, I think "Heart is coming" will appear on the Reals during April - they will probably go for an early May launch.

Expect a load of ill-informed and pointless moaning about how Real has "sold out" to Heart on the facebook pages around that time then too...

Musicmasterprox · 21/03/14 - 17:15

So who will be breaking the news on the Real Radio network? Would it be the local breakfast jocks?

andrew1973 · 21/03/14 - 17:33

Musicmasterprox wrote: »

So who will be breaking the news on the Real Radio network? Would it be the local breakfast jocks?

I would imagine it would be announced on Breakfast and/or Drive first so the maximum audience hears about the wonderful thing that's going to happen, how Real radio has become so successful it's going to become part of one of the biggest, brightest, freshest blah blah blah radio stations with more showbiz, more big guests, more big competitions and better prizes and that some familar voices will be staying (i.e. drive and breakfast) and some new even bigger/more famous voices will be heard that will soon become familiar, with zero mention or even alluding to the guys who are actually getting the push...

(Does that sound at all cynical? Sorry!)

chandleo · 21/03/14 - 19:00

I wonder if Mondays the day for the big announcement and 'Heart is Coming! Stuff? - I'm assuming (so please someone in the know correct me if I'm wrong) that the deals etc are all complete if Smooth is having it's overhaul on Monday - return to regional etc, as guessing this all couldn't happen under Global Ownership if everything wasn't cleared and signed?

Musicmasterprox · 21/03/14 - 19:13

chandleo wrote: »

I wonder if Mondays the day for the big announcement and 'Heart is Coming! Stuff? - I'm assuming (so please someone in the know correct me if I'm wrong) that the deals etc are all complete if Smooth is having it's overhaul on Monday - return to regional etc, as guessing this all couldn't happen under Global Ownership if everything wasn't cleared and signed?

How did they break the news on Atlantic FM?

radiodad · 21/03/14 - 19:56

chandleo wrote: »

I wonder if Mondays the day for the big announcement and 'Heart is Coming! Stuff? - I'm assuming (so please someone in the know correct me if I'm wrong) that the deals etc are all complete if Smooth is having it's overhaul on Monday - return to regional etc, as guessing this all couldn't happen under Global Ownership if everything wasn't cleared and signed?

Mondays announcement will be Heart Extra at a guess due to Smooth taking over TX of Gold.

At a guess Heart will launch in the North on May Bank holiday like Atlantic FM did last year.

Shrewn · 21/03/14 - 20:13

Will they be telling listeners to Heart north Wales to retune?

Musicmasterprox · 21/03/14 - 23:19

I think a Heart's Club Classic station is very likely to launch on D1 to compete against Kisstory (replacing a Absolute station) when it goes national later on in the year(?)

But what will happen to gold when Global officially axes it off the remaining AM output?

SouthCity · 21/03/14 - 23:37

Musicmasterprox wrote: »

I think a Heart's Club Classic station is very likely to launch on D1 to compete against Kisstory (replacing a Absolute station) when it goes national later on in the year(?)

If it's Heart Club Classics why would it only cover the "70s, 80s & early 90s", as some of the club classics played on Heart are from the mid-90s onwards?

Bauer don't need to remove an Absolute station to fit in Kisstory, they could reduce the bit rates of Absolute, Planet Rock & BFBS (or Kiss).

[Deleted User] · 21/03/14 - 23:37

Musicmasterprox wrote: »

How did they break the news on Atlantic FM?

I recall them dropping the Heart Is Coming / Across The Heart of Cornwall - Atlantic FM / Across The Heart of Cornwall idents in first over a period of about 6 - 8 weeks before a final announcement before heading into automation until the following day when it relaunched as Heart Cornwall.

In Yorkshire I'm half expecting the same but with the last play of the possible 'Across the Real Heart of Yorkshire - Real Radio' ident at about 7pm ish on a Sunday evening before they go into automation until 6am the following day.

x+y · 22/03/14 - 01:27

Are the Real network now using the Heart database? Real now play the Heart edit of Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling I noticed the other day, and earlier today I noticed that they are playing the non Will.I.Am version of The Scripts Hall Of Fame. I'm sure the version Real used to play included Will.i.Am.

dpb · 22/03/14 - 10:46

Past experience shows there won't be any initial big announcement on air - just the introduction of "The Heart of" strapline for a few weeks and then "Heart is Coming." It's usually at that point presenters will begin to explain it in links and how the music and breakfast shows will be the same etc.

chandleo · 24/03/14 - 02:25

And it's starting! Just heard 'the heart of the North West - Real Radio' on 105.4

andrew1973 · 24/03/14 - 07:21

Yup and just heard Glen say Heart of the North West just now...

x+y · 24/03/14 - 10:33

Just heard 'The Heart Of Wales' on Real Wales. Are Heart North Wales now using the tag 'The Capital of North Wales?' or 'Your Capital Station for North Wales?'

Edit: The sweepers are now the using the same VO as Heart now too.

CS73 · 24/03/14 - 11:55

Has anyone thought about what's going to change presenter wise for the local shows? I doubt Jagger & Woody will be kept on Wales breakfast considering Heart's female targeted format.

And what about the presenters on the soon-to-be Capital North Wales? I'd imagine they're way off the Capital format

tom_h · 24/03/14 - 12:14

CS73 wrote: »

Has anyone thought about what's going to change presenter wise for the local shows? I doubt Jagger & Woody will be kept on Wales breakfast considering Heart's female targeted format.

And what about the presenters on the soon-to-be Capital North Wales? I'd imagine they're way off the Capital format

Move the Heart North Wales presenters, to the new Heart North Wales (ex Real) if they were willing?

dpb · 24/03/14 - 12:16

CS73 wrote: »

Has anyone thought about what's going to change presenter wise for the local shows? I doubt Jagger & Woody will be kept on Wales breakfast considering Heart's female targeted format.

And what about the presenters on the soon-to-be Capital North Wales? I'd imagine they're way off the Capital format

tom_h wrote: »

Move the Heart North Wales presenters, to the new Heart North Wales (ex Real) if they were willing?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Angela Jay moved (back) to Heart/Real South Wales, maybe with Jason Harrold.

[Deleted User] · 24/03/14 - 12:26

The Heart of.......... sweepers have begun. Real has a month or so left I recokon

ontheradio · 24/03/14 - 13:08

x+y wrote: »

Just heard 'The Heart Of Wales' on Real Wales. Are Heart North Wales now using the tag 'The Capital of North Wales?' or 'Your Capital Station for North Wales?'

Edit: The sweepers are now the using the same VO as Heart now too.

Just listening to Heart North Wales and no mention of 'Your Capital Station for North Wales?' as yet.

tom_h · 24/03/14 - 13:27

ontheradio wrote: »

Just listening to Heart North Wales and no mention of 'Your Capital Station for North Wales?' as yet.

It's harder to do that in the same way as the 'heart of...' have they used the 'capital station for...' branding before?

Hey there!

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Real Radio's transition to Heart

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