What a simple yet excellent explanation! Why is that so many non-industry people on DS can't get their head around that concept? Or they sneer at it, usually incorporating the phrase "lowest common denominator" somewhere.

probably because they find it hard to believe people employed in the industry have to sub contract other personnel from OUTSIDE radio, to tell them which songs to play

which then gives the PC his hardest job of "disgiusing" the few songs within a weeks output!

The concept of last.fm listening stats would show that Heart's audience testing is somewhat flawed, testing a few songs to a small audience - compared to last.fm's listening hit stats would show that there are some incosistencies with 'popular' tracks.

Sometimes they aren't prepared to look at the wider picture me thinks.

thats because most on the payroll have no passion for music, and have limited knowledge ............the "johnny come lately's" just think ..........."i'll get a few 30 something bints to tell me what to play"..........and the garden is rosy!

Could be a nice bit of cross-promo - play a few more older tracks on Heart, then direct people to Gold for more oldies?

Can imagine the promos...

"Enjoy the Beatles? Can't get enough of Van Morrison? Have a Heart of Gold? Then tune in to our sister station GOLD!"

Because maybe their 'target audience' would switch to the TV channel called GOLD by mistake - and wonder why they aren't getting the Beatles but endless re-runs of Only Fools and Horses.

Just remember that on Heart you can guarantee to hear David Bowie's only ever big chart hit 'Let's Dance'.

a bit like the advertiser on the wirral, who gave up when heart came along, because the "target audience" thought Ellesmere Port was a bottle of wine!

I'd LOVE to hear Heart playing 'The Laughing Gnome' on high rotation

Well seeing as Heart TARGET people outside radio I'd say it was a no brainer really

Everyone carries out rersearch before launching a product! McDonlads will research a new sandwich and do taste tests on a selected bunch of people before it goes on the menu. They don't just stick it up there and hope for the best!

That'll be the next cost cutting measure. In the future the Gold audience will be too small and too old for Global to bother with so they will put the really big Gold tracks on Heart and close Gold.
There is nothing wrong with old songs on Heart but the heritages still played a large amount of new songs where as Heart rarely play a song released in 2011 and we are now in March. Also the music from all decades now makes them very similar to the other FM stations in some areas whereas the heritages always sounded slightly younger.
Having said that it's nice to hear some different 80s & 90s tracks on the playlist.

Or perhaps they should research their new products amongst people who work in the fast food industry? That would give them a massive potential market, much like this fantasy radio station programmed solely for anoraks and musical trainspotters which keeps getting touted here.

Where did that come from?

U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For...nice

Just hope that the 'target audience' appreciated this song.

Like I said last week a bunch of songs have been added recently. No doubt people will still bitch though

It appears that the heart Website is going back to local names.

When Somerset and Bristol merged the URL became /westcountry with the tagline on the header "The station for the West Country"

/westcountry now forwards to /bristolsomerset and the old Heart 96.3 logo is back. Equally /somerset shows the old 102.6 logo.

The change your heart station also list somerset and bristol as separate stations on the new interactive map.

What's with the localness again?

It's always been like that with /wrexham, /wirral and /walescoast as each station still carries different adverts, so it ensures you get the right audio stream (and any local web content).

Thats true here, but are they dropping the generic westcountry title?

yes, NEW...........

thats where your comparison falls down, as there is nothing "new" about the songs heart are sending to research!

The change your Heart station has always been there, here in Herts, Beds, Bucks and Cambs the Luton, Bedford and MK one was still available to select even though it put you through to the same page in the end

Makes sense, didn't think of that, I am sure the websites are the same local content to cover all of the new area rather than be specific to the area that you have clicked on

Me being cynical I actually thought the option to select the old area was to try to fool the listener that they haven't closed your local station down lol

my biggest downfall in life I think is to think of ulterior motives lol

That's the point I have been making on here, like you said nothing from 2011, and yes if you are in Cambridge Heart does sound very similar to Star

the main point though like you say again that the heritages did sound younger

Older songs being added to regular rotation are new to a station if they haven't been scheduled/played before.

In Globals defence they have had this brand in London for many years, more than I care to remember and the station in London has been a success in the location and the climate it broadcasts to

Looks like they are running scared that the average listener will realise that Global have closed their local station down

http://www.heart.co.uk/contact/

Notice all the addresses have been taken off of the Heart website

I suppose people with half a brain will realise that Heart in Northampton is been closed down if they click on the contact us button and see the address for Heart in Luton, so they have taken the addresses off of the website

anyone fancy some heart cd's lol!

http://www.heart.co.uk/on-air/heart-cds/heart-cds/

Listened to Heart a couple of times today. It was refreshing to hear E-L-O - Mr. Blue Sky this afternoon, a track I feel they haven't played in years. In fact I'm sure the last time I heard it on Heart was when Pat Sharp used to present mid-mornings.