Cornwall's 105 to 107 Itchy FM - Ofcom Licensing

audience interaction (on or off-air). Our local sales strategy is set out in the Financial forecasts section
of this application.
Visiting audience
In September 2004, Cornwall County Council reported that ‘Nearly Five million visitors are now
attracted annually to Cornwall. Only London and Devon attract more. What’s more 29.1% (source;
Cornwall Visitor Survey Annual Report 2002 – 2003) are 16-34 – nearly 1.5 million! While RAJAR
cannot (yet) register these listeners we are confident that local and national clients will recognise that
our extensive marketing and profile will result in a vast majority of this transient youth audience tuning
in to ‘Cornwall’s 105 - 107 Itchy FM’.
This transient market has such an impact on Cornwall’s economy that we are certain that the station
will attract significant additional advertising revenues from this audience.
This, alongside the county’s unique Cornish identity makes the station unusual and IMD Radio Cornwall
believes its approach of upbeat presentation, first class marketing and well tested mix of hit modern
music will result in a high 15-34 audience.
We are aware that in order to attract the attention of short term non-local youth audience, we need to
ensure that our marketing is very prominent and targeted. We recognise that this marketing
requirement should have a positive effect on revenue potential, as we are able to invite our advertisers
to participate in this essential audience marketing activity, sponsoring station events and other below
the line marketing initiatives. Our commercial research supports this assumption, as local and national
advertisers have stated their enthusiasm for being able to benefit from the kudos of sponsoring a lively
young station’s events and activities.
IMD’s experience of presenting youth facing media and marketing opportunities to national youth
targeting brands alongside specific national advertiser research has identified a client base with an
appetite for using Itchy FM and its events programme to credibly interact with this potential “summer
time” audience of 1.5m young people.
Itchy FM also benefits from the national recognition of its brand, representing trusted youth opinion.
Itchy’s Guide Books (now in their 6th year) are sold across 850 retailers throughout the UK. Aside from
a launch sales uplift, an average of 20,000 books are sold at retail each month, plus distribution of
books free of charge on campus to students, and through national bulk distribution with the broadsheet
newspapers (Independent, Telegraph etc). It is the UK’s best selling city entertainment guide and its
distinctive editorial tone help to position the book series as an “insider’s guide”. This brand reaches
around 1.5m young people across 16 UK cities, as well as the Cornwall county edition. We are
confident this brand recognition will assist our aims of attracting a visiting audience, and have based
our on-air editorial sound on Itchy’s distinctive cheeky, fun tone.
Seasonal sales uplift
Our wide range of planned events activities will attract both audience and local and national
advertisers. Our biggest events will take place during the summer season.
Many local businesses specialise in servicing the summer market. Cornwall’s Community Strategy
states that “The service industry which caters for both the resident population and tourists dominates
Cornwall’s economy”. This is no surprise - “Newquay has a population approaching 100,000 in the
peak of the summer – five times its resident population.”
“Your station targeting a youth market would have great advertising potential during this period, and like
most other businesses in Cornwall would generate the majority of its revenue during the summer.”
Tony Townsend, Marketing Manager, PAVH International Ltd
(Newquay's biggest entertainments company)
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