Heart is Coming - 2009

If one sought to create a vibrant UK commercial radio sector, maybe one would not, as they say, start from here.

The UK joined the party very late, with the first 'official' stations not launching until 1973, by which time commercial radio was well-established in more sensible countries around the world as part of the advertising ecology. The next hurdle was the piecemeal approach to rolling out the stations: as governments vacillated and stalled. It was a further twenty years before some parts of the UK were served by commercial music radio at all. Even in London, it was a staggering 17 years before further stations were added to the original LBC/Capital duo to enrich the commercial audience. Early commercial radio audiences were simply not big enough across the country to be a serious commercial vehicle.

Early regulation also dictated that stations were originally in separate hands, and subsequently in a number of hands. Although national advertising sales houses would form to make buying airtime from different stations simpler, it has been simply more complex than buying TV.

Despite all the above, commercial radio is now a huge success, being listened to by 63% of 15+ each week (Rajar Q4 2011, UK TSA). It remained though, structurally puzzling. Ad agencies knew what ITV was doing; but not what each of the UK's 300 commercial stations were. The fact most had different names did not make it any easier.

The new 'second tier' of stations was more cohesive. We understood the battle better. As complementary licences were awarded, like Heart in London, Chrysalis Radio sensibly ensured it enjoyed the name of its West Midlands sister. Clutches of the later stations began to adopt the same identities: the 'brands' had begun.

Meanwhile, whilst the original stations treasured their birth-names, as did their audiences, even they would wrestle with the expense and complications of marketing them. Even those who love the 'old days' as much as I do could not escape the facts.

Global Radio (the group formed around the kernel of Chrysalis Radio, later embracing the GCap stable) dared to do the unthinkable. It announced in 2008, that it would change the name of a significant proportion of its UK local stations to 'Heart'. Whilst audiences of individual stations have risen and fallen, there is no evidence that this roll-out overall has impacted adversely on audiences; and there is significant evidence that it has helped advertisers understand it better. Particularly valuable in the worst economic downturn in commercial radio's history at the same time as growing DAB transmission costs are added to analogue; and an ever more competitive BBC.

Had the UK had some powerful national commercial FM brands from the 1950s, supplemented by some great, proud local stations in markets where they can be sustained, then this necessary radical brand surgery would have been unnecessary. Listeners would have had great local - and great national - stations; and the industry would be much more resilient. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

And I really liked the transitional imaging here.