Capital Network - Launch medley

The Capital network launched on 3rd January 2011, bringing together the eponymous London station with a clutch of heritage 'Hit Music' and Galaxy stations across the UK, reaching 7.1m listeners.

Whilst the previous brand-names are regarded with great affection by many, including me, the logic for the strategic move was clear. Assembling stations in targeted brand clusters where they could fight powerfully for ad revenue and market themselves effectively against both powerful UK-wide BBC competition and rival media. Had the commercial radio industry launched in the 70s with some national mainstream brands, with a layer of sustainable locals gilded on top, life would have been altogether simpler. And if the commercial industry had been launched a few decades earlier, that would have been better still.

The re-branding was discharged efficiently on-air, and accompanied by what is widely recognised as one of the best TV ads for radio. Enjoy here a medley of the well-co-ordinated opening moments across the UK.

At the end, enjoy Hirsty's Daily Dose, on the huge 1m+ audience station in Yorkshire. Hirsty, doing the launch segment live, finished his opening link with the words 'this, for the very first time, is Capital FM'. Save for the 'FM', in a nod to the wise, he had recreated the first words on London's Capital in 1973. just as Moyles repeated Radio 1's first words when he arrived on the breakfast show at last.