Issue no. 9, dated 8 January 1993, of 'Radio News' weekly newsletter for the UK radio broadcasting industry, written and published by Grant Goddard in January 1993.

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THE WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE UK RADIO INDUSTRY
MARSHALL EXITS VIRGIN
Virgin Radio Programme Controller
Andrew Marshall has left the company
after only two months' work on t he
national station due to launch this
Spring. He has been replaced by
Richard Skinner and John Revell, who
were appointed Joint Programming
Directors. Chairman Bruce Gyngell has
also announced the appointment of
director David Campbell to the new
post of Chief Executive, and to whom
launch MD John Aumonier will in
future report.
These changes signal a shift away
from the ex-Allied Radio
Aumonier/Marshall management axis and
towards the employment of staff from
companies within the Virgin Group, an
established practice of the Branson
empire. John Aumonier had been MD of
Allied until his appointment last
May, and Marshall was Allied PD and
General Manager of the group's failed
Airport Information Radio venture.
Aumonier's new boss, David Campbell,
joined Virgin in 1986 and manages its
TV post-production businesses Rushes
and West One. John Revell has worked
in production for Virgin's ill-fated
satellite venture Radio Radio, its
in-store station Virgin FM, as well
as for GLR/London and independent
producer Unique. Richard Skinner
works for Radio 1, presents GLR's
morning show and, significantly,
launched Capital Radio/London's
abandoned AOR weekend experiment CFM.
Revell and Skinner's radio experience
is more rock-orientated than their
predecessor Marshall, who had
programmed Allied's Top 40 Radio
Mercury and oldies County Sound.
Chief Executive David Campbell
conrnented: "Both John and Richard
have a wealth of radio experience and
particularly with the kind of music
we will be playing."
'~er the last few months the station
has conducted extensive music
research around the country," added
Campbell. '~e have now completed the
research and believe we know exactly
what music our listeners will want to
hear."
Virgin Radio promises to announce its
launch date shortly and its DJ
line-up in February/March.
FOUR. MORE LICENCES
The Radio Authority has re-advertised
four existing licences for Coventry
and the Dundee/Perth area, presently
held by Midlands Radio and Radio
Clyde respectively.
Coventry broadcasts Top 4O-formatted
Mercia FM and regional oldies station
Xtra AM, but Midlands chooses not to
release separate JICRAR data for
their potential audiences of 620,000
and 530,000 respectively. In Dundee
and Perth, Clyde simulcasts Top
40joldies Radio Tay on AM and FM in
both towns, and achieves a 28%
listening share in its marketing area
of 440,000 adults.
Applications close on 6 Apr, the
winners to be announced within three
months, and the licences to conrnence
1 Jan 1995.
EDWARDS JOINS lFM
Ex-Jazz FM/London DJ Steve Edwards
has joined 1FM to present a new
Wednesday night hour-long
contemporary soul show. Thirty-two
year old Edwards attracted publicity
in the national press last June, when
he was sacked on-air by Jazz FM's
newly appointed PD Graeme Moreland
whilst presenting his weekday evening
show. His new 1FM show promises to
include new British artists such as
Omar and Vanessa Simon, and is
produced by Ivor Etienne.
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HA1 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
f radio news 1993 page 1

2. FIVE BID FOR. SEVERN
The first of the Radio Authority's
five regional licences, covering the
Severn Estuary, has attracted five
bidders offering competing formats of
dance, country, speech and youth
programming. Although the station
will serve 1.6m adults on both sides
of the Bristol Channel, none of the
applicants propose any Welsh language
prograoming.
Chiltern Radio plans to extend its
existing Bristol black music station
Galaxy Radio from its present 450,000
TSA, giving it "distinct appeal to
the younger demographic, the
under-35s." Its dance music format
would be "presented by friendly,
hurnourous and musically well-informed
broadcasters who do not intrude too
much into the music flow. " The
programme schedule of the enlarged
station, employing 29 full-time
staff, will "differ from the
traditional radio style" by
broadcasting news bulletins five
minutes before each hour, running a
daily soap opera and using ex-Capital
Radio DJ Paul McKenna to present a
weekend discussion show "invoking the
mysterious and unexplained such as
ESP." Daytirnes combine "the new and
fresh dance music of today with hits
of the past", while evenings comprise
specialist dance music shows, and
Chiltern's application notes at one
point that London's KISS FM "operates
with a somewhat similar format." A
new contribution studio would be
built in Cardiff and existing Bristol
facilities be upgraded, with
Chiltern's Eddie Startup appointed
Chief Executive and a PO selected
from two candidates elsewhere within
the Group. Chiltern argues that an
award to Galaxy would incur "minimal
new costs" and promises to levy no
charges for engineering and
administrative support supplied
centrally.
Galaxy's pre-Chiltern incarnation as
For The People [FTP] is invoked in
the application by WBLS Radio that
plans to mix Top 40, dance, soul,
oldies and indie music "of particular
appeal to the younger age groups."
Ex-FTP founders Clement McLarty and
Babs Williams hold 9% each of the
group's £~m capital, whilst Los
Angeles-based black radio syndicator
Lee Bailey takes 20%. There is a
novel idea for "presenters to
introduce each day to their listeners
a new Welsh phrase", in pursuit of
the targeted 18% weekly reach amongst
15-24 year aIds and 9 hours/week
listening.
Coast Country FM proposes "a mix of
new country and classic country gold"
targeting 30-55 year olds, on the
grounds that "the Severn Estuary has
a higher level of interest in country
music than any other region in the
country." Chairman Robert Jenkins
held the same post at Radio Wyvern,
MD Robert Yarnold was Wyvern's
founder and Chief Engineer, whilst PD
Mark Williams has just exited Buzz
FM, following stints at Radio City,
Beacon and Metro. Each peak-time hour
will include "three snappy links (20
secs each)" and "one snappy trivia
quiz" and the group argues that "so
many people in our survey said they
were tired of dance music, rave,
modern music and kid's (sic) music."
Radio Investments holds 25% of the
bid's £275,000 capital, complemented
by Yarnold and Williams with 7~%
each, and a weekly reach of 8% is
targeted in the first year.
Radio Severn plans "a new kind of of
quality, speech-based service which
will help improve the image of ILR"
by broadcasting "high quality news
and current affairs coverage with a
first class service of regional
weather, traffic and travel
information." Daytime shows will
comprise up to 78% speech,
supplemented by music (including the
cited example of The Muppets' Halfway
Down The Stairs) . MD David Jones is
Controller of News &Current Affairs
at TVS, PD John Curzon is Editor of
English Language News Programmes at
BBC Wales, and Radio 4's John
Hurnphreys promises to be Honorary
Director of a planned regional
training initiative. Radio
Investments holds 15% of the group's
£900,000 capital, and the GWR Group
and a local newspaper have expressed
interest in participation. The
audience will be ASCI over-35s, and a
weekly reach of 20% and 10 hours/week
are targeted within three years.
Select FM describes itself as an
"adult inspirational" station
offering "a combination of younger,
easy listening, mellow rock and
information rich, yet measured, news
and features programming." Its
"speech programming for the enquiring
generation" accounts for 22~% of
daytime output, combined with "a
judicious selection of rock, pop,
soul, R&B and popular jazz." Three
senior staff of London-based
independent producer Rewind are
involved in the bid - Michael Story
as Chairman, Richard Seabright as
Marketing Director and Chris
Parry-Davies as PD. 80% of the
group's £800,000 capital is owned by
satellite production company
Starstream, with the remainder held
by Rewind and Broadvision Radio.
The Radio Authority will announce its
decision within three months.
BUZZ SOLD FOR. £1
Troubled Birmingham incremental Buzz
FM has been sold for £1 to Cary-Wood
plc, headed by ex-Radio Nova boss
Chris Cary. The deal, completed on 23
Dec, gives Cary's company control
over 97% of the station's shares,
after former owner Radio Clyde had
reportedly considered 14 possible
buyers. The remaining 3% is retained
by investment group 3i and station
founder Lindsey Reid.
Reid and Cary have known each other
since both were DUs on 70s offshore
pirate RNl, where Reid was called
Mike Lindsey and Cary was known as
Spangles Muldoon, and both
subsequently worked on BBC Radio
Birmingham and shared a house in the
city. Cary has already introduced
some programming changes since taking
control.
"Our A-playlist is coming around a
lot more than it was before," says
Technical Director Lindsey Reid.
'~e're playing more familiar hits
more often now. We have
commercial-free hours now and are
saying ,while other stations claim to
be playing more music, Buzz FM is
really doing it' which is true! We're
using the computer to play
back-to-back music between lOam and
2prn, and two of those hours are
commercial-free."
Cary is thought to be interested in
applying for the forthcoming West
Midlands regional licence, and would
use Buzz's Birmingham studios for an
enlarged operation serving 2~ million
people. If this application were to
fail, Cary might alternatively lobby
the Radio Authority to increase Buzz
FM's TSA to cover the whole of
Greater Birmingham from an improved
relocated transmitter at Sutton
Coldfield.
Station Manager Tony Ingham,
appointed by Radio Clyde, has left
Buzz FM, as has afternoon DJ Adrian
AlIen, who Ingham had installed, and
late night presenter Mark Williarns
who was part of the original 1990
line-up. The station lacks a national
saleshouse at present since its
agreement with the Radio Sales
Company expired at the end of
November.
.-1' a
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HA1 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
i radio news 1993 page 2

3. Revised categories in this year's
Sony Awards mean there will be three
stations of the year - national,
metropolitan and local ***** Radio
2 wins the Grand Prix of the N1
Universite Radiophonique et
Televisuelle Internationale for Hiles
Kington's programme Water, Water
Water ***** BBC Radio Lancashire's
new schedule sees newsreader Eleanor
Moritz join breakfast DJ Al Clarke,
Ann O'Brien take over afternoons, and
Neil Pringle replace Julie Pringle on
weekend breakfasts ***** Radios 3 &
5 share coverage of next year's
international cricket ***** Spectrum
Radio/London Head of Presentation
Jon Kaye joins BBC Radio Essex as
Senior Producer of its Colchester
studio, only months before East
Anglian Radio opens a new Colchester
FM opt-out in the town ***** And,
despite the BBC having two years ago
abandoned plans for a local Dorset
station, it is now opening an FM
opt-out of BBC Radio Devon for Mid
& West Dorset, pre-empting the
impending launch of the county's new
commercial station Regent
Radio/Weymouth ***** Extolling the
virtues of increased speech content
in local radio, BBC Radio Cumbria
Manager Hike Marsh says the station's
reach has improved at breakfast,
lunch and drivetime by 7P-, 80% and
42% respectively since 1990 ***** At
LBC/London, computer company Lotus
sponsors the weekly Computer Focus
feature in the First Edition show and
the station's Technology Week *****
Er, what? Virgin Radio MD John
Aumonier says of the station's new
home at 93 Chertsey Road, Woking: "We
were extremely fortunate that the
Woking building became available."
But weren't the former County Sound
studios unused for a year, and aren't
RADIO WAVES
they owned by Allied Radio, of which
Aumonier was MD until last May?
Marketing and promotion is to be
housed alongside the three upgraded
Waking studios, though the sales
operation stays in London *****
Festival Radio/Brighton relocates
to 6B Steine Gardens, Brighton BN2
1WB ***** Reorganisation of BBC Wales
onto a single site means the second
floor of Cardiff's Broadcasting House
becomes the radio centre and home to
Radios Wales/<:ymru ***** IRS MD Pat
Falconer says "Jazz fill's decision
is mad" to leave the saleshouse and
set up its own team for national
advertising ***** London reggae
pirate Vibes fill celebrated its
first birthday with a Xmas Eve party
at the Spring Gardens Club *****
Chiltern Supergold is running a
trail in Italian for its co-promoted
Zucchero concert at Hammersmith
Apollo on 1 Feb ***** BBC Radio
Horthampton wins the Plain English
Campaign's Cryst~l Clear News award
for its output, particularly the
weekday Point To Point show *****
Clever airtime buying, or pressure
sales tactics? 210flll/Reading is
running ads for rape alarms into news
reports of rape cases, and LBC' s
bulletins covering the IRA's pre-Xmas
bombs were sandwiched by ads for
anti-blast window protectors *****
Radio Luxembourg's dying five hours
on New Year's Eve were relayed on its
former 208AM channel, as well as
Astra ***** Stravinsky's Dumbarton
Oaks concerto was the most frequently
played work on Radio 3 last year
***** Chiltern Radio/Bedford
breakfast producer Emma Scott joins
Galaxy Radio/Bristol as presenter
***** Anoraks at Bush House? Mike
Read's BBC World Service show
Replace A Disc uses 70s offshore
RADIO DIARY
pirate RNI's theme song Man Of
Action by the Les Reed Orchestra as
its opening music ***** Ex-GLR and
LBC producer Syd Burke replaces Zak
as Programme Controller at WNI/Wood
Green ***** Alka Seltzer sponsored
Atlantic 252's year-end rundown of
1992's top singles in a £60,000 deal
***** BBC World Service Deputy MD
David Witherow becomes acting MD
until John Tusa's successor starts
work ***** Classic fill's launch
advertising was awarded "wasted
opportunity of the year" by Campaign
magazine ***** Capital RadiO/London
appoints Martina Dodson to the new
post of Client Sales Director *****
BBC Radio Lancashire needs a
weekend breakfast show
presenter/producer and Programme
Assistants for Andy Peebles' morning
show and Ann O'Brien's afternoon slot
(0254-680455) ***** London Media
holds a one-day course on radio
interviewing & presenting (26/28
Feb), and ten-week evening classes on
essential radio (from 8 Feb) and
advanced radio (from 10 Feb).
Concessions available (071-278-6601)
***** Midlands Radio Action Trust
needs a Coventry-based Media Trainer
(0203-559229) ***** Radio Broadcast
Managers are wanted "to join strong
finance team for new licence
applications" by DFM, PO Box 37,
Gosforth, Newcastle NE13 1LA *****
Art imitating life a little too close
for comfort? At the staff Xmas party
of Radio Channel, BBC For
Europe's fictional commercial
station (Fri 11.30-11.45am 648AM) ,
there were ugly rumours of programme
changes and possible job losses. The
station's owner, Lady B, is remaInIng
tightlipped about the first RAJAR
results *****
12 JAM ABERDEEN closing date for re-applications for AM &FM licences serving 230,000 adults, starting 29 Jul 1994. Info:
Radio Authority
24/25/26/27/28 JAM MIDEM RADIO at Palais Des Festivals, Cannes, France. Info: International Exhibition Organisation,
Metropolis House, 22 Percy Street, London W1P 9FF tel:071-528-0086
25 JAM RAJAR first audience research figures from joint BBC/ILR system released publicly
27 JAM WHAT FUTURE FOR RELIGIOUS BROADCASTING? debate at Abbey Centre, London SW1 10.30am-4.3Opm. Voice Of The Listener &
Viewer, 101 Kings Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ tel: 0474-352835
9 FEE LEEDS closing date for licence re-applications for AM &FM licences serving 1.23m &770,000 adults respectively,
starting 1 Sep 1994. Info: Radio Authority
9 FEE SOUTHEND/CHELMSFORD closing date for licence re-applications for AM &FM licences serving 1.53m and 770,000 adults
respectively, starting 12 Sep 1994. Info: Radio Authority
10 FEE WHAT FUTURE FOR REGIONAL BROADCASTING? debate at Committee Room, House of Commons 6-7.3Opm. Voice Of The Listener &
Viewer, 101 Kings Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ tel: 0474-352835
17 FEE WHAT FUTURE FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES? debate at Abbey Centre, London SW1 10.30am-4.3Opm. Voice Of The Listener &
Viewer, 101 Kings Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ tel: 0474-352835
2 MAR LUTON/BEDFORD closing date for licence re-applications for AM & FM services serving 1.03m and 0.68m adults
respectively. Info: Radio Authority
2 MAR NORTHAMPTON closing date for licence re-applications for AM & FM services serving 540,000 and 320,000 adults
respectively. Info: Radio Authority
2 MAR AYR closing date for licence re-applications for AM &FM services serving 510,000 and 220,000 adults respectively.
Info: Radio Authority
3 MAR WHAT FUTURE FOR LIVE MUSIC? debate at Committee Room, House of Commons 6-7.3Opm. Voice Of The Listener &Viewer, 101
Kings Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ tel: 0474-352835
9 MAR SCARBOROUGH closing date for new licence serving 65,000 adults on AM or FM. Info: Radio Authority
10 MAR WHAT FUTURE FOR FARMING &RURAL PROGRAMMES? debate at Abbey Centre, London SW1 2-4.3Opm. Voice Of The Listener &
Viewer, 101 Kings Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ tel: 0474-352835- . ~,.. .
RADIO NEWS PO BOX 514 HARROW MIDDLESEX HAl 4SP tel 081 427 6062 fax 081 861 2694
f radio news 1993 page 3

4. National
National
NW England
Severn Estuary
Coventry
Coventry
Dundee/Perth
Dundee/Perth
Ayr
Ayr
Northampton
Northampton
Luton/Bedford
Luton/Bedfocd
Leeds
Leeds
AM
AM 47rn
FM 4,300,000
FM 1,600,000
AM 620,000
FM 530,000
AM 280,000
n~ 240,000
AM 510,000
FM 220,000
AM 540,000
FM 320,000
AM 1,030,000
FM 680,000
AM 1,230,000
FM 770,000
Southend/Chlmsfd AM 1,530,000
Southend/Chlmsfd FM 770,000
Aberdeen AM 230,000
Aberdeen FM 230,000
Scarborough AM/FM 70,000
High Wycanbe AM ?
Pembrokeshire FM 85,000
Weymouth FM 80,000
North Wales AM/FM 130,000
Carlisle FM 150,000
Glenrothes FM 260,000
Colchester FM 120,000
Slough/Windsor FM 390,000
Harlow FM 100,000
Morecambe Bay FM 180,000
Montgorneryshire AM ?
Cheltenham AM ?
REGIONAL
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~ radlo news 1992 page 4