Rother FM - Ofcom Licensing

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