Radio Plymouth - Ofcom Licensing

(a) Range & Variety of Music
RADIO PLYMOUTH
Our research shows a particular demand for a variety of music. On Radio Plymouth we will play
more quality tracks from the last 50 years and offer greater variety. We will have a more extensive
and varied music policy than any of the ILR stations available to listeners in the Plymouth area. Our
playlist will feature over 5,000 quality songs and this extensive library will ensure lower song
repetition than on the other local services.
Radio Plymouth will mix all genres and styles of popular music. We will play a much broader
repertoire of songs from popular artists, plus some artists and songs that are seldom heard these
days. At Radio Plymouth we are acutely aware of the very particular musical tastes of our audience,
our audience research and anecdotal evidence points to a clear demand for “specialist shows” such
as our Sunday request show.
Our focus groups also wanted more music with greater variety and less talk during the breakfast
show, we will give it to them. Radio Plymouth will play an average minimum of 10 tracks per hour at
breakfast, and in the crucial 7 -9 am slot, compared to Plymouth Sound’s 7.5; Pirate FM’s 6.5;
Classic Gold’s 7.5 and Atlantic FM’s proposed 8. This would give our listeners at least 20% more
music at breakfast.
Our music will be a broad choice from the past 50 years with not more than 20% coming from the
last eighteen months and not more than 20% from beyond 35 years ago. This compares with
Plymouth Sound’s 90% from the past 15 years, and Pirate FM’s 39% from the past five years and
58% from the past 15 years. 90% of Classic Gold’s music was chosen from between the years of
1960 and 1990. Atlantic FM’s music will be broader but starting in the 60s.
We intend to keep our music percentage and variety at the same level during afternoon drive; for the
rest of daytime the number of tracks will not fall below an average of 7.5 per hour.
(b) Local Content
We will inform our listeners about what is going on in the UK and the world (discussing it with them
on-air when appropriate) but we won’t forget that they are also hungry for information that improves
the quality of their own lives – i.e. regular, reliable, local news, information and entertainment.
Locally produced and presented news bulletins and headlines will run from 06.30 to 19.00 each
weekday, with five minute bulletins at 07.00; 08.00; 17.00 and 18.00 (not less than three minutes at
other times); 10 minutes at 13.00 and a half-hour news magazine programme at 18.30. During
weekend daytime local bulletins will be of not less than three minutes.
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