Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Section 105 (B) and (C): Catering for tastes and interests/broadening choice<br />
Pop (Kylie Minogue, McFly, Girls Aloud); Adult Contemporary (Dido, Robbie Williams, Joss<br />
Stone); Urban (Black-eyed Peas, Mario, Justin Timberlake); Contemporary Rock (U2,<br />
Coldplay, Oasis) and Classic Adult Contemporary (Elton John, the Bee Gees, Queen).<br />
Classic Adult Contemporary scored most highly for total likelihood to listen, with 62% of all<br />
respondents showing some likelihood. Adult Contemporary, Urban and Modern Rock all<br />
scored just under 50% and Chart Pop was the least popular, with 40%. When we look at the<br />
core target audience of 25-54 year olds, while Classic Adult Contemporary remains the most<br />
popular with 63% likelihood to listen, it’s more closely followed by Modern Rock (62%), Adult<br />
Contemporary (57%) and Urban (a surprisingly high 56%, showing how firmly modern R’n’B is<br />
now established in the pop mainstream). Chart pop now climbs to 45%.<br />
When we asked respondents what other genres of music they’d like to hear more of on the<br />
radio, “current pop music” was named by 47% of 25-34 year olds and by 34% of 35-44 year<br />
olds. This phrase could of course refer to music of all genres, but it shows that today’s music<br />
is very important to a substantial part of our target audience. There were also strong positive<br />
responses to 60s, 70s and 80s music. Amongst specific genres of music, R’nB, rock and<br />
country were chosen by – respectively – 19%, 18% and 17% of respondents, although<br />
country was mostly popular only with the top end of our target age range and beyond.<br />
Our music will take its cue from the variety of people’s responses. In fact, <strong>Rother</strong> <strong>FM</strong>’s music<br />
variety was mentioned as a strength by many of those who heard our RSL (see our answer to<br />
Question 7 for details). We will blend the best of today’s adult contemporary, rock, pop and<br />
R’n’B with well-loved hits from the 1960s to the present day, forming the basis of our “Hits and<br />
Memories” music format. We will have a database of 6,000 songs, with 2,500 in rotation at<br />
any time. The songs in rotation will be refreshed on a monthly basis to ensure a wide variety<br />
are played. The shortest separation between two plays of the same song will be just over<br />
four hours, for our A-list current tracks. At least 25% of tracks played will be more than ten<br />
years old.<br />
Of those more “specialist” music forms mentioned by survey respondents, both rock and<br />
R’n’B will be an important part of our general music output. We will play classic rock songs<br />
from artists like Guns’n’Roses, Meatloaf and Queen. We will also be keen to support new<br />
bands, particularly those with regional connections: the Lincs <strong>FM</strong> Group has enthusiastically<br />
got behind Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, who even name-check <strong>Rother</strong>ham in their song “Fake<br />
Tales of San Francisco”. R’n’B and urban artists such as Usher, Nelly and Amerie will also<br />
feature, particularly on our current and recurrent playlists. However, <strong>Rother</strong> <strong>FM</strong> will not be<br />
afraid to say no to songs with lyrics that might prove offensive to parents and children<br />
listening together.<br />
The Lincs <strong>FM</strong> Group’s Yorkshire stations all carry a weekly country programme, produced<br />
and presented by Ridings <strong>FM</strong>’s Programme Manager John Tolson. We plan initially to<br />
broadcast this show on <strong>Rother</strong> <strong>FM</strong> on Sunday evenings. More country music was requested<br />
by 14% of 45-54 year olds and 20% of 55-64 year olds, and as we’ve experienced in both<br />
Doncaster and Barnsley, towns with a strong mining heritage tend to have a liking for country<br />
music. We do recognise that those wanting to hear more country music are at the upper end<br />
24