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C4 vs NGW in bid for Digital Radio

(March 2007)

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BR
Brekkie
Four articles of interested from Media Guardian:

Main: http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,,2044784,00.html
4 Digital Bid: http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,,2044798,00.html
NGW bid: http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,,2044809,00.html
C4 response to NGW plans: http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,,2044834,00.html


In summary, a second digital radio mux is up for grabs to rival the current BBC dominated service. Two rival bids, one a consortium led by C4, the other from National Grid Wireless, who run two muxes on Freeview. Alot of the proposed content comes via estabhlished TV providers, along with the big names in commercial radio.


Proposed line up:

NGW:
Quote:
Adult/Album - aimed at young Radio 2 listeners, aiming to better reflect the music they listen too.
Channel 4 Radio 1 / Channel 4 Radio 2 - they've left space for two stations from C4 - something C4 aren't guaranteeing will happen if they don't win with their own bid. They also claim the stations NGW list don't reflect those planed by C4, so query how it affects their bid!
50-plus - aimed at old Radio 2 listeners - easy listening
Radio Luxembourg - competitor for Radio 1
Premier Christian Radio - religious
Rolling - 24hr news
Radio Play - "games, challenges and competitions" - a.k.a. rip-off radio
Asian - a mainstream commercial service targeting Asian population
FUN Radio - aimed at under 10s
Love Songs - surprise surprise - love songs, aimed mainly at women.
Colourful - "will target the UK's black, African and Caribbean communities" - is it just me who finds the "colourful" description a little bit racist?
BBC Asian Network - transfer from BBC mux - so BBC monopolising more space then



4 Digital:
Quote:
E4 Radio - interactive music and entertainment spin-off from E4
Channel 4 Radio - talk based channel, including comedy, drama and documentary
Pure4 - "music and modern culture" - wonder if a TV equivalent is on the cards?
Talk Radio - from UTV
Closer - spin-off from the magazine
Sky News Radio - 24-hour rolling radio news - wonder if ITN/IRN were asked first?
Sunrise Radio UK - "station offering mix of Asian music and culture" - not 24/7 Eamonn Holmes then!
Virgin Radio Viva - aimed at women 15-30
Original - album-led music station for 40- to 59-year-olds
Radio Disney - children's station



Radio is always a grey area here - but I think here with the 4 Digital bid especially we're clearly seeing estabhlished TV companies moving into the radio market.

It's also almost a certainty stations from the winning bid will end up on all digital TV platforms too, especially those from C4 - which are interesting in themselves as the spin-off get a spin-off with E4 Radio, while will Pure4 make an appearance as a TV channel - perhaps the likely C4/EMAP music channel.


Anyhow, vote and discuss now!
JO
Jonny
I voted for 4 Digital. They seem to have a well thought out, selction of stations offering a bit off everything.

Whereas the NGW bid looks like they've thrown every genre into a bowl, mixed it together and the result is a rather messy lineup.

In short, the 4 Digital bid appears professional, the NGW bid appears lackluster.
FN
FromtheNorth
Quote:
a second digital radio mux is up for grabs to rival the current BBC dominated service


Technically, the third national radio mux.. BBC, Digital One and this the second national commercial multiplex.

The Channel Four bid does appear the stronger.
BR
Brekkie
FromtheNorth posted:
Quote:
a second digital radio mux is up for grabs to rival the current BBC dominated service


Technically, the third national radio mux.. BBC, Digital One and this the second national commercial multiplex.

The Channel Four bid does appear the stronger.



My mistake then.


Agree the C4 one looks stronger - the NGW bid seems quite vague with no specific channels - just ideas of channels. We all could have come up with a bid like that.

Where NGW compete I guess is their experience on the technological side of things, both in running analogue radio stations and Freeview muxes.
OV
Orry Verducci
C4 is definately the stronger one, and I would love to see those stations on my DAB, so it gets my vote. When you say Radio Disney on the list of C4's stations, do you mean Capital Disney?
BR
Brekkie
No idea:

See: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/03/nr_20070329a

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