The Arrow - Ofcom Licensing

Application for the new local
radio licence for Manchester
1

GENERAL INFORMATION
(a) Name of Applicant, Address, Telephone and Fax Nos., E-mail address
This must be a single legal entity: either a body corporate or a named individual person. If the former, a copy
of the certificate of incorporation must be included with the application.
The Arrow (Manchester) Limited
(b) Main Contact (For Public Purposes)
Please nominate at least one individual to deal with any press or public enquiries.
Daniel Owen, Director of Regulatory and Public Affairs, Chrysalis Radio.
(020) 7470 1065
The Chrysalis Building
13 Bramley Road
London
W10 6SP
daniel.owen@chrysalis.com
(c) Proposed Station Name (if decided)
106.1 The Arrow
2

SECTION 105(A): ABILITY TO MAINTAIN PROPOSED SERVICE
1. Ownership And Control Of Company Which Will Operate The Licence
(a) Board of Directors
(i) Provide the name, occupation, other directorships, other media interests, backgr ound and relevant media
experience of each director (executive and non-executive), including the proposed chairperson.
Non-Executive Chairman
Damian Walsh
Occupation: Chief Executive, Mondiale Publishing
Other directorships: Mondiale Publishing Limited
Galaxy Radio Manchester Limited
British Entertainment & Dance Association Limited
Total Production Magazine Limited
Night Magazine Limited
Bar Exhibitions Limited
Momu Limited
Damian Walsh brings to 106.1 The Arrow a lifelong involvement in Manchester, a deep
passion for the music industry, significant experience of commercial radio, an
understanding of working in a regulated environment and a strong track record of
managing a profitable media business.
Damian was born in Manchester in 1962 and after gaining a degree in economics at
Cambridge University returned to his native city to start a publishing company based on
a deep commitment to music-based entertainment. Twenty years on, Mondiale
Publishing, of which he is Chief Executive, publishes nine magazines around the world
allied to a number of exhibitions and awards programmes in the UK and Europe, all
from its South Manchester offices.
Mondiale produces the leading magazines for the UK club industry and for the global
live music and touring industries – Night Magazine and Total Production International
respectively. While Night focuses on the dance music sector, Total Production is
dedicated to coverage of the whole live music industry, which has as its base the major
US and UK rock tours.
Allied to the media business, Damian represents Mondiale on the National Council of
the Production Services Association, which looks after the interests of the touring concert
production industry and he sits on the National Committee of the British Entertainment &
Dance Association. Both organisations represent their industries at government level
and with Local Authorities on the myriad of regulations that govern both the concert
and club sectors.
Damian was a non-executive director of Galaxy in Yorkshire for five years, enjoying a
hugely successful period for the Leeds-based station before becoming non-executive
Chairman of Galaxy 102 in Manchester in 2004.
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A huge Oasis fan, Damian lists ‘What’s the Story Morning Glory’ as his favourite rock
album, and their last appearance at Maine Road in July 2005 as the best gig he’s ever
attended.
4

Executive Director
Phil Riley
Occupation: Chief Executive, Chrysalis Radio
Other directorships:
Chrysalis Group plc
Chrysalis Digital Radio Limited
Chrysalis Holdings Limited
Chrysalis Media Plus Limited
Chrysalis Radio Limited
Chrysalis Radio Holdings Limited
Chrysalis Radio London Limited
Chrysalis Radio Midlands Limited
Chrysalis Radio North West Limited
Chrysalis Radio Online Limited
Chrysalis Radio Yorkshire Limited
Digital News Network Limited
Faze Three (East Midlands) Limited
Galaxy Radio Birmingham Limited
Galaxy Radio East Midlands Limited
Galaxy Radio Limited
Galaxy Radio Manchester Limited
Galaxy Radio North East Limited
Galaxy Radio Yorkshire Limited
Heart Radio Limited
LBC 1152 Limited
LBC Radio Limited
London Broadcasting Company 1996 Limited
MXR East Midlands Limited
MXR Holdings Limited
MXR Limited
MXR London Limited
MXR London Holdings Limited
MXR North East Limited
MXR North West Limited
MXR Scotland Limited
MXR Wales and the West Limited
MXR West Midlands Limited
MXR Yorkshire Limited
Arrow Digital Limited
The Arrow (Glasgow) Limited
Central Region News Radio Limited
North East News Radio Limited
North West News Radio Limited
RadioCentre Limited
Digital Radio Development Bureau Limited
RAJAR Limited
A huge fan of rock music, it was Phil’s belief that UK radio was neglecting adult rock
music fans which led him to spearhead the development of The Arrow as a digital
format for the MXR consortium, in which Chrysalis is a key shareholder. Chrysalis’s
subsequent decision to roll out The Arrow beyond MXR’s regions and into London and
Central Scotland highlights both a corporate and personal commitment to the concept
behind The Arrow.
Manchester born and bred, Phil has an outstanding record of commercial radio
management since joining BRMB in 1980 as a graduate trainee. After hugely successful
stints at Midlands Radio and XTRA-AM in Birmingham, and Radio Aire and Magic 828 in
Leeds, Phil joined Chrysalis Radio as a founding director in 1994. As Managing
Director/Launch Director, Phil masterminded the launch and start-up operational phase
of both 100.7 Heart FM in the West Midlands and Heart 106.2 in London. He has played a
major role in establishing Chrysalis Radio as one of the leading new entrants in the UK
radio industry, and was promoted to the role of Chief Executive in June 1999.
Phil is also active in the development of digital radio. He is Chairman of the MXR
multiplex company and also sits on the board of the Digital Radio Development Bureau
(DRDB).
Phil has had an active role on a number of wider industry bodies. He has held full board
membership of the RadioCentre (previously the CRCA) for 8 years, having previously
also been a board director of the RAB.
As one of the world’s biggest Bruce Springsteen fans, Phil’s happiest moment was
watching The Boss play ‘Independence Day’ on 4 July at Wembley Stadium. His
favourite rock album of all time is ‘Hotel California’ by The Eagles.
5

Executive Director
Don Thomson
Occupation: Commercial and Operations Director, Chrysalis Radio
Other directorships: Arrow Digital Limited
Chrysalis Productions Limited (resigned 21.01.99)
Chrysalis Media Plus Limited
Chrysalis Radio Limited
Chrysalis Radio London Limited
Chrysalis Radio Midlands Limited
Chrysalis Radio North West Limited
Chrysalis Radio Online Limited
Chrysalis Radio Yorkshire Limited
Faze Three (East Midlands) Limited
Galaxy Radio Birmingham Limited
Galaxy Radio Limited
Galaxy Radio Manchester Limited
Galaxy Radio North East Limited
Galaxy Radio Yorkshire Limited
Galaxy Radio Wales and the West Limited
(resigned 18.12.00)
Heart Radio Limited
Radio Advertising Bureau Ltd
Hit 40 UK Ltd
Don has a successful record of media sales and commercial management – including
10 years’ commercial experience in Manchester – having held senior management
positions in both radio and television sales over a number of years. Don started his
media career in 1979 as a Local Sales Executive at Piccadilly Radio in Manchester,
before moving to LWT in 1981, where he was responsible for managing the Regional
Sales operation for seven years. In 1988 he returned to Piccadilly Radio as Sales and
Marketing Director. An active member of the Manchester Publicity Association, he
became Chairman of the Association in 1988-1989.
In October 1989, Don moved to London to set up Yorkshire Television’s radio sales arm
as part of Media and Airtime Sales Ltd. In his four years with the Radio Sales Company
he worked with numerous start-up radio stations including Atlantic 252 and Jazz FM, and
handled the national sponsorship and promotions contract for Transworld
Communications.
In June 1994 he joined Chrysalis where, as Sales Director of 100.7 Heart FM and Heart
106.2, he was responsible for the establishment of the stations’ local, regional and
national sales functions. In December 1995 he was appointed to the Chrysalis Radio
Board as Group Sales Director. In June 1997 he became Commercial Director of
Chrysalis Radio.
Don was an active board member of the Radio Advertising Bureau and is chairman of
JICRIT. He is also chairman of Hit 40 UK, the company formed to run the new
commercial radio music chart, and recently became the commercial radio industry
representative on the board of the BCAP.
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Canned Heat’s ‘Canned Heat Cookbook’ is Don’s favourite rock album, and Queen’s
performance at the Apollo in Manchester in 1979 was the best concert he’s ever been
to.
7

Executive Director
Alan Carruthers
Occupation: Programme Director, The Arrow
Other directorships: Chrysalis Radio Midlands Ltd
Galaxy Radio Birmingham Ltd
Born and raised in North Yorkshire, Alan spent the first half of his working life in the
entertainment industry, managing a variety of venues around the UK. In 1989 he moved
over to radio, joining the fledgling XTRAam in Birmingham as a Producer, becoming
Programme Controller in 1990, a position he held for the following four years.
In 1994, Alan was recruited by Chrysalis as Operations Manager for the launch of 100.7
Heart FM, the company’s first radio station. Alan became Programme Director in 1999,
and in the following 6 years the station achieved record figures for both audience and
revenue.
In 2001, Alan also took on the responsibility for programming The Arrow on digital radio,
a job he now does exclusively. Alan has been The Arrow’s guiding force since its launch
on digital. He turned the unique adult rock format into a reality, applying his incredible
passion for, and knowledge of, rock music, as well as his formidable skills in identifying
and motivating presenting talent. The popularity of The Arrow on digital, and the loyalty
of its following, is due primarily to Alan’s devotion to distinctive, high quality rock music
radio. He has instilled in the digital service the characteristics of authority and maturity
that will be The Arrow’s hallmarks on FM, as well as introducing innovative features –
such as The Arrow Pocket Guide to... – that have earned The Arrow respect as more than
just an all-music digital radio service.
Since The Arrow’s Programme Director role became a full-time job last year, Alan has
been able to deploy greater resources to developing the output of the digital service.
This has included a stronger presenter presence on-air, more music features, greater
emphasis on the regional components of the service and the development of more
specialised strands of programming such as Captain America, a weekly programme
devoted to all things Americana.
As testament to his creative and programming talents, for both Heart and The Arrow,
Alan was voted Commercial Radio Programmer Of The Year at the CRCA ntl Awards in
2003.
The Arrow owes its authenticity and credibility to Alan’s expertise and passion for great
rock music. His guidance will be essential to The Arrow in establishing itself as the home
of rock music in Manchester.
Alan’s favourite rock album is ‘American Beauty’ by The Grateful Dead, and the best
rock gig he’s ever been to was the Rolling Stones concert in Manchester in 2004.
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(ii) If there are firm plans to appoint any further directors, provide information (with details of any
specific individuals in mind).
We intend to appoint a Managing Director/Sales Director for the station after the award
of the licence, who would also be a member of the Board of Directors.
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(b) Proposed Investors and Shareholding Structure
Full details of the proposed shareholding structure should be provided, including :
(i) Names and addresses (the latter may be submitted in confidence) of all existing or proposed shareholders.
Name of
Investor
Chrysalis Group plc
Address
The Chrysalis Building
Bramley Road
London, W10 6SP
% of total
shares
% of total
investment
100% 100%
(ii) Total number, class/classes of shares and issue price of shares (specify voting, non-voting, preference,
other etc.).
Classes of
share capital
Number
Par
value
Issue price
(if different)
Voting 2,000,000 £1 n/a
Non-voting
Preference
Other (specify)
(iii) All voting shareholders and holders of 5% or more of non-votingshares and loan stock should be named.
State the number, class/classes and price of shares to be issued to each investor.
Name of investor Number of shares Class of share Price per share
Chrysalis Group plc 2,000,000 Ordinary voting £1
(iv) Outline any shareholders agreements or arrangements which exist.
Not applicable.
(v) Where a corporate body other than a current Ofcom licensee will be providing 30% or more of the
required funding, details should be given of its directors and main shareholders, and of its activities.
Not applicable.
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(c) Involvement of the Applicant in Specified Activities
Details are required of the involvement by the applicant and its participants (including shareholders or other
subscribers of more than 5% of the applicant's total funding requirements) in any of the activities listed below,
and the extent of the interest. For these purposes, the applicant includes associates of the applicant (i.e.
directors and their associates and other group companies).
(a) Advertising agencies;
None.
(b) Newspapers;
None.
(c) Other broadcasting interests;
Chrysalis wholly owns the companies holding the local analogue licences
broadcasting as Heart 106.2 (Greater London), 100.7 Heart FM (West Midlands), Heart
106 (East Midlands), Galaxy 102 (Manchester), Galaxy 102.2 (Birmingham), Galaxy 105
(Yorkshire), Galaxy 105-106 (North East of England), LBC 97.3 (Greater London) and LBC
News 1152 (Greater London).
Chrysalis is also a 39.1% shareholder in MXR Holdings Ltd which, through its subsidiary
MXR Ltd, owns and operates the local digital radio multiplexes for North East England,
South Wales & the Severn Estuary, the West Midlands, North West England and Yorkshire.
It is also a 7.5% shareholder in Now Digital (East Midlands) Ltd, which owns and operates
the local digital radio multiplexes for Nottingham and Leicester.
Chrysalis holds a Digital Sound Programme Service licence, under which it broadcasts
Heart, Galaxy, The Arrow and LBC across various local digital radio multiplexes.
(d) Bodies whose objects are wholly or mainly of a religious nature;
None.
(e) Bodies whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature;
None.
(f) Local authorities;
None.
(g) Other publicly-funded bodies.
None.
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2. Financial and Business Plan
(a) Overall Financial Strategy
Provide a concise summary of how the applicant considers it is able to establish and maintain, throughout the
licence period, its proposed service, and how this licence fits in with the investors' strategy.
The Arrow will be owned and operated by Chrysalis Group, a major FTSE-listed media
company and the third largest radio operator in the UK. Throughout our history we have
consistently out-performed our industry peers because of our focus on quality and
service. We would not be applying for this licence if we didn’t think it would enhance
our existing portfolio and our financial strength.
Chrysalis is known in the City and the advertising industry for the strength of its senior
management team. As Dresdner Kleinwort analyst Richard Menzies-Gow said: “We
believe Chrysalis Radio management is among the most progressive thinking in the
industry, and we expect it to fully exploit any attractive opportunities.” We operate
across a variety of successful brands and formats and we believe that The Arrow is a
viable, distinctive format that will increase the overall share of commercial radio listening
by providing a unique new choice for Manchester.
Our success in launching new services in major markets is on record. Galaxy 105-106 was
the most successful launch of an analogue regional service ever. We outperformed our
own stretching targets by being true to the brand and focused in our approach. The first
RAJAR survey for Galaxy 105-106 gave us a 19% reach. From that point on the station
grew and only now – seven years on – is it levelling out, having spent much of the last
five years as the biggest commercial station in the North East.
We will use this hard-earned expertise to repeat that success with The Arrow in
Manchester.
Manchester has been part of the Chrysalis Radio success story for eight years now.
Since the beginning of 1998, when we launched Galaxy 102 following its rebrand from
Kiss 102, the station has seen its reach grow by nearly 93%, from 228,000 listeners to
440,000 listeners per week, and its market share has more than doubled from 2.6% to
5.6% (RAJAR Q4 1997 vs Q2 2006). In the year prior to our acquisition, revenues for the
station were £1.4m, with a loss of around £200,000. In 2005, revenues were £3.7m, with
profits at £600,000. Significantly, all this has been achieved without sacrificing the
relatively specialised appeal of Galaxy’s dance format.
Our ability to establish and maintain the service depends on our ability to attract an
audience and sell that audience to the marketplace. In an ever fragmenting media
marketplace tighter, under-served demographics are of great appeal to the major
advertisers and agencies. We anticipate the audience to be slightly older than
commercial radio in the region. The current stations provide a predominantly femalebiased
under-40 demographic (see Table).
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Station
Average Age by reach
(Source: RAJAR Q2 2006)
Galaxy 26
Key 103 30
Century 31
Capital Gold 37
Smooth 39
Magic 44
We believe our strength and experience will mean we are more than capable of selling
this audience locally as a valuable demographic to offset the challenge of the older
male audience to national agencies.
This is supported by the appreciation in the advertising industry of the strength of our
management approach at Chrysalis, and our emphasis on providing the best possible
service for advertisers. As Jonathan Barrowman, Head of Radio at Initiative, told Brand
Republic: “The music policy and general programme development links well with its
skills at building brands that are both consumer-facing and advertiser-facing. Not all
advertisers and agencies are making the most of what Chrysalis has to offer but I'm sure
that will change in 2006.”
Whilst advertising executives were once cynical about the value of a station like Galaxy
for instance, which was unlikely to be their own station of personal choice, they are
more likely to be in our target demographic. We can be confident of a positive
response to The Arrow from local advertisers, as our clients will also be listeners.
Marketing
The ethos of Chrysalis is one of creativity and innovation. We have a significant track
record in making our marketing budget work hard. Our track record across our brands
demonstrates our ability to create high levels of listener awareness for The Arrow and,
more importantly, to convert awareness into listening, listening into revenue and
revenue into profit. Our business plan commits to a marketing spend of nearly £1.7
million in the first three years of the licence.
The Arrow is already heard in the North West on the MXR multiplex. We pioneered the
format because we believe in it. Last year we increased the resource behind the service
appointing a full-time senior level Programme Director to oversee the output. Having
existing digital carriage in the region future-proofs The Arrow for the digital age. Our
confidence in Manchester as a perfect market for The Arrow will be cemented by our
commitment to move The Arrow’s national digital network to the North West within a year
of the launch of the FM service. If our application for the Liverpool licence is successful,
as well as this one, this would clearly allow us to share back-office resources between
the two stations, thereby reducing the cost base for both. Production of the output for
The Arrow’s digital network would be shared between the two FM stations, depending on
where we felt the most appropriate talent for each show was based. If our Liverpool bid
is unsuccessful, the relocation of The Arrow Digital to Manchester would clearly enhance
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the city’s reputation as a major media and cultural centre in the UK. It will also
strengthen the output and commercial appeal of both the FM and digital stations. The
Arrow on digital will be more attractive by having access to content that we cannot yet
justify providing on a digital-only basis.
This will allow The Arrow to build a more stable audience nationwide, which will
enhance the reputation of the brand overall with national advertisers. The Arrow is
guaranteed continuing carriage on the MXR North West multiplex and its presence on
FM will therefore also help to drive digital radio take-up in the region.
Radio is at risk of becoming a stale medium if it fails to offer something that matches
digital media for unpredictability, personality and unique appeal – in short, radio has to
be sexy again. This is not just an issue for youth-targeted brands. Devices like iPods
have universal appeal and, as we have already seen with digital radio, it is more likely
to be those in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have the financial means to be early
technology adopters. The Arrow is designed to sound more adventurous and more
passionate than the radio stations of today. The long-term prospects of the radio
industry as a whole will depend on stations like The Arrow to re-invent the sex appeal of
the medium.
Divisional Strategy
Chrysalis’ divisional strategy for radio is to be the most exciting and successful of the
UK’s Big Three Radio Groups, by owning and operating stations with high profit potential
in major markets, and by exploiting our geographical spread of assets and our brandled
approach in both analogue and digital.
We supply a whole range of services to our stations, including a high level of divisional
management support with expertise in sales, marketing, programming, research,
engineering, HR and finance, all of which are constantly available to local managers.
We also use all of our regional agency sales teams – amounting to over 60 professionals
– to sell all of our stations across agencies throughout the UK. This level of sales support
would be available to The Arrow from the outset. All of our stations are linked by a
sophisticated IT network, with the ability to transfer audio throughout the network
instantaneously – The Arrow would immediately be connected to this system. In
particular, this system allows all of our stations the ability to access guests from our
London headquarters, where both Heart 106.2 and LBC are based. The size of these two
stations, and their formats, means the throughput of guests is constant (be they
politicians, news makers, showbiz, music, film stars etc), and many will have some
relevance to The Arrow, allowing the Manchester output to be enhanced because of
this network effect.
The final element in Chrysalis Radio’s strategy which directly impinges on The Arrow is
our digital vision. We have extended all of our current analogue brands onto digital
platforms, and for our music brands in particular we have expanded coverage so they
all now broadcast to most of the major UK markets, creating a quasi-national network.
We have also invested heavily in developing The Arrow as a format new to radio, but
one which broadens choice in the markets where it is currently available in digital
(which includes the Sky platform). An FM presence for The Arrow would give the digital
network access to richer, more varied original content, boosting the appeal of the
nation-wide digital service. This would obviously have major benefits for the Manchester
14

FM licence, as it would allow us to attract national advertisers by emphasising the
network value of their involvement, and also allow us to attract talent to work for the
station because of its ability to offer national exposure. Relationships with the record
industry, vital for this format, would also be bolstered by the inter-linking of digital and
analogue services.
Moreover, we recognise the challenge to radio posed by developments in new
technology. Mobile devices, from the iPod to the integrated multimedia sets of the
future, risk taking from radio the mantle of providing portable audio entertainment and
information. As an industry, we need to address this challenge and Chrysalis believes
that the key to our continued success is in the strength of our content. Radio continues
to be best placed to provide live entertainment and information that is genuinely
spontaneous and unpredictable, that is locally relevant, and that broadens the listener’s
horizons rather than making them hear things they already know. The Arrow is part of
our strategy to preserve the unique appeal of broadcast radio.
In the modern information age, commercial radio has never faced more challenges to
its place in the media world. The combination of both compelling and distinctive
content, cross-platform access and solid marketing support are essential to any new
broadcasting venture. We believe they make The Arrow the right choice for
Manchester.
The rationale for two applications
Our analysis of the Manchester radio market showed that, where it is possible to discern
a clear under-served gap in such a crowded and competitive environment, it is
amongst listeners over 35. Two unserved genres, in particular, are apparent. If there is
any mainstream music format still absent from Manchester, it is surely classic rock – and
our research for The Arrow demonstrates clearly that this is the one music genre that
offers a unique combination of appeal and broadening choice. However, it is equally
clear that Manchester lacks any kind of local commercial talk radio format. Our
submission of two separate bids for this licence reflects our belief that these two options
are equally valid, and each represents a real opportunity to provide a service that is
both popular and distinctive. We are equally committed to both propositions. Each
offers a compelling business rationale, and we would be proud to offer either GMBC or
The Arrow to the listeners of Manchester.
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(b) Funding
Detail the sources of finance that will be used to fund the licence, under the following headings:
(i) Share capital
(ii) Loan stock
(iii) Leasing/HP facilities (capital value)
(iv) Bank overdraft
(v) Grants and donations
(vi ) Other (please specify)
Where relevant, provide information on:
(i) Loan terms (e.g. interest rate, repayment terms, redemption/conversion terms ) ;
(ii) Assets leased.
All of the funding identified above should be confirmed to the applicant. Explanation should be provided if
this is not the case.
£ £
At launch At peak
(i) Share capital 750,000 2,000,000
(ii) Loan stock/medium term borrowing
(iii) Leasing/HP facilities (capital value)
(iv) Bank overdraft
(v) Grants and donations
(vi) Other (please specify)
TOTAL 750,000 2,000,000
(c) Financial Projections
The purpose of this question is to allow the applicant to demonstrate its understanding of the market. The
forecasts should be based on reasonable assumptions that are logically applied and just ifiable. The applicant
should provide financial projections on an annual basis for the licence.
The projections must include:
(i) Profit and loss accounts
(ii) Balance sheets
(iii) Cash-flow forecast s
The period covered is at the discretion of the applicant, but should be justified. The forecasts should be
supplied on an Excel spreadsheet or similar, with any accompanying guidance notes.
This section must include a full listing of the underlying assumptions on which the financial projections are
based, relating such assumptions clearly to other parts of the application (e.g. proposed format, extent of
coverage area).
The applicant should detail how revenue figures were derived, distinguishing between local, national and
sponsorship revenue.
The response to this question may be submitted in confidence.
Financial projections have been supplied in confidence.
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(d) Audience Projections
Provide the following information:
(i) The projected adult (aged 15+) population of the Total Survey Area (TSA) within which it is intended to
measure the listenership of the service;
2,327,000
(ii) Projections for listenership ratings (e.g. weekly reach, average weekly hours of listening) over the fir st three
years of the service, with detailed demographic br eakdowns as appropriate;
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
15+ TSA Pop’n 2,327,000 2,327,000 2,327,000
15+ Reach % 11 13 14
15+ Reach 256,000 303,000 326,000
15+ Avg Hours 6.0 7.0 8.0
15+ Total Hours 1,536,000 2,121,000 2,608,000
The Arrow is targeted specifically at those aged 40-59, with a slight male skew in its
appeal. We should expect this to be reflected in the audience profile more directly in
the second year, although initially we anticipate a slightly younger profile bearing in
mind the increased propensity for immediate trial of new media in younger age groups.
Year One Population Reach Reach % Avg Hours Hours
15+ 2,327,000 256,000 11.0 6.0 1,536,000
15-24 399,000 32,718 8.2 3.5 114,513
25-34 365,000 40,880 11.2 4.5 183,960
35-44 453,000 59,538 13.1 7.5 447,519
45-54 358,000 48,939 13.7 7.9 386,615
55-64 320,000 40,960 12.8 5.8 238,563
65-74 432,000 32,966 7.6 5.0 164,830
75+ 1,133,000 135,406 12.0 6.6 893,679
Male 1,194,000 120,594 10.1 5.3 642,321
Female 1,168,000 149,436 12.8 7.2 1,072,698
40-59 Male 2,327,000 256,000 11.0 6.0 1,536,000
(iii) The expected impact of the proposed service on existing services, in listenership terms;
As the only station specifically targeting mature adults with a male bias, we expect
listening to be attracted from a range of existing stations which currently only partially
satisfy our core market’s needs. People who love Adult Rock can only find it elsewhere
17

on the dial as a minor ingredient within generalist formats. The following table shows the
percentage of respondents to our survey research who said they would listen every day
to The Arrow, having had a concept description of the station read to them.
All
adults
BBC
R1
BBC
R2
BBC
R4
BBC
GMR
Any
BBC
Any
ILR
Any
Comm
25% 23% 30% 15% 28% 24% 29% 27%
There is fairly strong demand among listeners to Radio 1 (23%) and Radio 2 (30%). ILR
listeners and commercial listeners taken as a whole are also more likely to listen than
the total 15+ sample.
Based on these findings, we expect to increase commercial share in the area both by
converting BBC listeners at a higher rate than existing ILR listeners, as well as by
generating wholly new listening from Adult Rock fans who may have become
disillusioned with radio altogether.
(iv) The basis on which the estimates above have been calculated, and any assumptions taken into account.
To provide a benchmark for our audience projections we used the findings from our
quantitative research survey – including an assessment of responses to our questions
about likelihood to listen. We anticipate a reach of 11% of 15+ adults in our first year,
growing to 13% in Year 2 and eventually 14% in our third year.
The projected reach in Year One is equivalent to over a third of the proportion of 15+
adults who said in our survey that they would listen “every day” to a station which we
described to them fully reflecting the proposed output of The Arrow. The 11% figure is
also just over a quarter of the proportion of adults who said they would listen “often” to
The Arrow after listening to a sample of its musical output. Even allowing for the
overstatement of propensity to listen which direct questioning can generate, we regard
this as a cautious and achievable estimate. Chrysalis Radio’s track record of successful
launches – and of exceeding our projected audience levels – helps to underpin this
confidence.
Projected growth in reach in the second and third years of operation is based on our
experience of new stations’ early audience patterns, and on our analysis of the
performance of the region as a whole to date. A similar process has taken place for our
assumptions about average hours.
Compared with the established stations in this TSA, we believe our projections are
realistic with a reach % figure that is under half of Key 103. We are also confident that
our more focused programming will provide a firm foundation for listener loyalty,
making 6.0 average hours a week very achievable. We have also noted that ‘All
stations’ total hours per head of population on our core market of 40-59 year olds are
2.5% higher in the TSA than among all adults (3.5% higher for 40-59 year old males). This
illustrates that mature adults in our market are more loyal listeners to the medium.
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3. Transmission Proposals
(i) Provide details of the transmission site you propose to use, under the following headings:
(a) Name and National Grid Reference of site;
(b) Height of site above Ordnance datum (in metres);
(c) Height of transmitting aerial above ground level (in metres);
(d) Radiated power in either o r both planes of polarisation, and aerial radiation pattern (if no aerial radiation
pattern is submitted, it will be assumed without exception to be omni-directional). The applicant should confirm whether he believes that his intended mast aperture will be available, and
whether , where required, planning permission can be obtained.
Where appropriate, evidence to support this belief should be provided. Details of any negotiations which have
been entered into with the site owner should also be provided.
106.1 The Arrow proposes to use the following transmitter site:
Site name Sunley Building
Grid reference SJ 844 983
Site height above
Ordnance datum
Aerial height above
ground level
44 metres
130 metres
Radiated power 500 Watts vertical + 500 Watts horizontal
Antenna Omni-directional
Arqiva has offered us site-sharing facilities at Sunley Building. No planning permission is
required because the antenna will already be in place on the new structure at Sunley
Building and the changes required are all accommodated within the building.
Sunley Building, by virtue of its location, provides excellent coverage of Manchester and
surrounding area.
19

(ii) Please provide a detailed computer predicted map (in colour) of the coverage anticipated using the
transmission site and parameters descr ibed above.
20

(iii) Describe proposed arrangements for transmission provision (installation, maintenance and repair.
Our transmission provider Arqiva is well resourced to install the complete system and
subsequently maintain and monitor the transmission parameters. Telemetry and remote
monitoring systems provide information back to its control centre e.g. carrier power,
lack of modulation, etc. on a 24-hour basis. Its maintenance personnel are highly
trained with the necessary spares and test equipment to resolve any problem quickly.
Arqiva currently provides our Galaxy 102 transmission service and that of the other
Manchester licensee (XFM) broadcasting from Sunley Building, so we are confident it
can add our new service and provide our required on-going transmission to a high
standard.
(iv) What is the anticipated time-lapse between the award of licence and start of broadcasting?
We anticipate that 106.1 The Arrow will commence broadcasting within six months of the
award of the licence.
21

Section 105(B) and (C): Catering for tastes and interests/broadening choice
4. Proposed Format
106.1 THE ARROW
Format Outline
Station Name 106.1 The Arrow
Licence Area
Greater Manchester (as defined in licence
advertisement)
Frequency 106.1 MHz
Hours of Broadcast
24 hours a day (at least 19 hours per day
locally produced and presented)
Definitions
Speech
Music
Peak time(s)
Daytime
Locally made
Character of Service
Detail
excludes advertising, trails, sponsor credits and the like
and will be calculated over the period specified.
percentages are calculated as a percentage of the total
tracks broadcast in the specified period.
refers to weekday breakfast and afternoon drive output,
and weekend late breakfast.
is 0600 to 1900 weekdays and 0800 to 1400 weekends.
refers to output produced and presented from within the
licence area and must include peak time.
A CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC STATION FOR LISTENERS OVER 35 IN
MANCHESTER.
The music programming will be a unique mix of rock music, in its many and varied forms.
Whilst the station will have broad appeal to listeners over 35, its core target audience will
be 40-59s, with a male bias. The dominant constituent of this mix will be rock music from
the 60s, 70s and 80s, together with a selection of more recently recorded songs. No
recorded tracks less than five years old will be played although some more modern music
may be included if it is part of concert footage or recorded live. At least one-third of the
tracks played will never have made it into the UK Top 20. Specialist music programmes,
taken from the rock genre, will be broadcast in non daytime hours, and will include regular
concert and session music recorded in the Manchester area, including music from rock
artists based in and around Manchester.
The station will be music-led, but information of particular local relevance will be in
evidence throughout programming, with bulletins containing local news running at least
hourly during peak-time. National or regional news will feature at other times. Speech
should account for not less than 10% of daytime output.
22

5. Programming Philosophy
(i) This sub-section of the application should take the form of a statement setting out the applicant's overall
progr amming philosophy and vision for the radio service. (ii) The strategies which the applicant proposes to implement in regard to:
• catering for the tastes and interests, general or particular, of persons living in the area;
• broadening the range of local commercial services available in the area;
• the provision of local material, if any;
• the proportion of locally-made programming, if any
should be set out in this section
(iii) If appropriate, the applicant may also provide a typical programme by-programme weekday schedule,
to give a flavour for the direction of the station.
The Arrow is All Rock Radio.
The Arrow was created first and foremost to be distinctive. It will be clearly and
immediately different from the stations that already exist in the region – whether they be
the younger focused Galaxy, Xfm or Key, the slightly older and female targeted Smooth,
or the broader pop hits offerings of Century, Magic, Capital Gold and the small-scale
stations. And it will be a station of distinction – easily identified for its quality and
credibility.
Manchester likes its commercial radio. This is due in part to the rich heritage of
innovative commercial radio in the area and the expectation built up in the audience
of an uncompromising approach to great local radio.
The Arrow will further enrich the landscape with a format that will at last provide a high
quality service for the under-served predominantly 35+ male audience. Put simply, the
philosophy behind The Arrow is ‘All Rock Radio’. We will use our knowledge of this
marketplace to deliver a service which we firmly believe will be a success from its first
RAJAR and provide a service the like of which is not available on analogue radio
anywhere in the country. By increasing choice for the listener we will increase the share
for all commercial radio.
‘Stuff you don’t hear on the radio any more.’
The mission for The Arrow in Manchester is to give commercial listeners a new choice on
FM. Our programming philosophy is very much listener-centric. Our listener, typically
male in his forties, feels that his needs are not catered for on the radio. The Arrow will put
on his radio the classic rock songs from his album collection - not just the songs that
charted 30 years ago but the essential album tracks which were the soundtrack to his
life. Predominantly we will concentrate on classic rock from the 60s, 70s and 80s. We will
use our off-peak hours to go deeper into the sub-genres of rock with specialist shows
and live performances. With Xfm now launched in Manchester, The Arrow will be a pure
classic rock alternative. Whilst we recognise the appeal to many of our listeners of some
modern rock, we need to recognise that this need is now catered for locally. Unlike our
previous applications, therefore, our proposal for Manchester does not include any
modern rock and music less than five years old will never feature on 106.1 The Arrow,
unless it is recorded live and broadcast as part of our regular concert footage.
The term rock can describe a wide variety of music. We choose to call it “guitar-based
popular music with an edge”. ‘Rock’ is an extremely difficult term to define. Indeed, we
23

think you would struggle to find a comprehensive written definition of any music genre –
one that would both include everything in the genre, and exclude everything outside it.
As with all genres, there will be tracks that are quintessentially, unarguably rock, and
tracks that may straddle related genres, including pop, country, folk and blues. Even
our suggested description of guitar-led music with an edge is clearly problematic. Not
all rock is guitar-led. Not all guitar-led music is rock. The music on The Arrow on digital
reflects the diversity and range of the genre but every single track is unarguably ‘rock’.
The same would be true of The Arrow in Manchester.
‘Rock’ is one of those terms that defy written definition, but you know them when you
hear them. We have chosen not to offer a formal definition of ‘rock’ in our Format as this
would allow us to reflect the full range of rock music without fear of being in breach of
our Format by playing a track that was unquestionably ‘rock’ but which lay outside the
formal definition we had laid down.
If this approach were considered unsatisfactory by Ofcom, then we offer the following
definition as the best fit that we can devise for The Arrow’s output:
“’Rock’ is defined as a form of modern Western popular music that is commonly,
but not exclusively, characterised by the predominance of electric or acoustic
guitars and the presence of a strong drum-led backbeat. It includes a wide
range of sub-genres, including classic rock, modern rock, soft rock, pop rock,
country rock, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues, heavy metal, punk, progressive rock
and Britpop. On The Arrow, classic rock will be the dominant sub-genre. Other
sub-genres may feature throughout the day as well as in specialist shows offpeak.”
Chrysalis is uniquely placed to provide quality rock music to the Baby Boomer
generation. We have been a leading name in rock for over 35 years. Founded in the
late 1960s to develop artists like Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and Ten Years After, Chrysalis,
and other independent record labels like it, placed the UK at the forefront of rock music
at just the time when the Baby Boomers were in their teens. There can’t be many
potential Arrow listeners who don’t have at least one Chrysalis album in their collection,
from acts like Blondie, Pat Benatar, Huey Lewis & The News, Billy Idol, Spandau Ballet,
Sinéad O’Connor or Ultravox.
We know that the quality of a classic rock track is not always reflected in its popularity in
the singles chart. Some of the greatest rock music of all time was produced in the age
of vinyl, when the album was a work of art in its own right. Where pop acts of today
might be focused on making accessible three-minute songs for radio airplay or
download, the rock acts that will feature on The Arrow were driven by creative integrity
and pure inspiration. We know that some of the greatest rock music – Stairway to
Heaven, Brown Eyed Girl, Sympathy for the Devil, Back in the USSR, Sex and Drugs and
Rock and Roll, and Thunder Road, to name just a few – never made it into the UK singles
charts. Classic album tracks and songs that were never huge hits as singles already
make up a large proportion of the music on The Arrow on digital. To bring to our
listeners the full depth and range of experience that rock music has to offer, we are
committed to having at least one-third of the music played on The Arrow be tracks that
have never appeared in the UK Top 20.
24

The Arrow will further distinguish its output with knowledgeable presentation from
articulate and credible experts who will add depth to the music with their understanding
of the playlist and the target audience.
Live performance is central to the heritage and quality of rock, and live music will play
an important role at The Arrow. Manchester’s pedigree in live music is too rich to ignore,
as its ongoing role as a major cultural and entertainment centre. Our regular on-air
guides to events and entertainment around the region will focus strongly on music
performance. Mancheste r Rocks – a short-form feature including brief previews, reviews,
venue guides and excerpts from interviews – will be at the heart of our commitment to
keeping listeners informed about the region’s music scene. A longer, one-hour show,
each Tuesday and Friday evening – Mancheste r Rocks – Live – will include more indepth
features such as interviews and live sessions.
Rock fans do not demand huge amounts of speech but when someone does talk there
is an expectation of intelligence, knowledge, humour, understanding of, and respect
for, the music. Our speech output will be primarily information. The news service will be
accessible and comprehensive; it will be local but not parochial; it will deliver the
important stories from home and abroad.
Whether it is through our news, sport, weather or travel updates, The Arrow listener will
always feel fully informed.
We will also furnish information about the music they love; The Arrow Live Guide and
Manchester Rocks will provide details of cultural and music events in the region and
latest gig news.
The Arr ow Pocket Guide to… is already an established feature on The Arrow on digital
which takes the documentary format to entertain and inform the audience on one
subject in depth.
As well as respecting the listener, The Arrow will respect its locality too. We have
recognised that Manchester is fiercely local – Mancunians are proud of their city. This
doesn’t mean they expect strong Manchester accents on air. It does mean that they
expect us to know the local area and understand the passions of its people.
BBC Radio 1’s historic underperformance in the city further demonstrates the preference
for a Manchester based, rather than London station. The Arrow will bring the music our
listeners love to the region they are proud to live in. It will also be the station to finally
give Radio 2 – still a dominant force in radio in Manchester – a run for it money.
Catering for Local Tastes and Interests
Every aspect of The Arrow’s output has been tailored to the meet the specific demands
of listeners in Manchester. Our intensive programme of research – detailed later in this
application – has given us a clear and comprehensive picture of the tastes and interests
of the region’s radio listeners.
Our starting point is the appeal of The Arrow’s music proposition. Adult Rock is
undoubtedly popular. In our core target audience of 40-59 men, it was clearly the
favourite choice from all the musical formats we tested that were not already provided
25

in the region. 75% of the respondents to our research said they would listen at least
once a week to a station playing The Arrow’s rock music mix.
We also found considerable interest in a number of sub-genres of rock music, and these
will be catered for in a range of specialist music shows. New Wave and rock ‘n’ roll
each commanded significant appeal in our research, and each will find its place in our
programme schedule.
We know from our research what listeners in Manchester want the overall sound and
feel of a new radio station to be like. They want the music to be defined by its quality
rather than its age. They want to hear music with meaningful lyrics, performed by its
composers using real instruments. They don’t want to hear presenters endlessly prattling
on, but they do want some personality and wit from presenters who share their passion
for great music, and can lead them to discover artists and tracks that are new to them.
The Arrow will also provide all the local news and information that our research shows
our audience expects. This will be more than the obvious news, weather and travel
updates – although these will be comprehensive, reflecting their paramount importance
to listeners.
Local events and gigs came very high in the list of audience priorities that emerged
from our research, and we believe this will be a unique strength of The Arrow. Not far
behind in terms of audience demand were local music and interviews with rock artists,
and The Arrow will be the only place to find all these on a regular basis.
You would expect sport – particularly football – to feature strongly in any list of
requirements of The Arrow’s target audience in Manchester. Whilst there clearly was
some expectation of sports coverage from respondents to our research, it was more
muted than might have been expected – probably reflecting the ample provision of
sports news and commentaries on other radio stations in the region. In a region with
one of the great Premiership rivalries – and not forgetting the area’s other football
teams, or its passion for rugby and cricket – we clearly cannot ignore sport altogether,
but we will respect our listeners’ desire to let the music claim top billing. We will provide
news and updates on the big sports events of the week, but we won’t let live
commentary or lengthy sports phone-ins and discussions interrupt the flow of the music.
Staying constantly in touch with our audience’s expectations is something that Chrysalis
Radio takes very seriously. We invest heavily in a range of ongoing research exercises
for each of our radio stations, and The Arrow will be no exception. Through both our
research and listener feedback, we know that The Arrow will always be able to respond
to changes in listener interests and demands. The Arrow will always be the perfect fit for
Manchester.
Broadening Choice
The radio market in Manchester has historically been served by the greatest number
and range of commercial services after London, increased since the recent launch of
XFM that was awarded the last Manchester licence in 2005.
Manchester is presently served by a wide range of radio services, ranging from wide
regional coverage to localised commercial, ethnic and community stations though not
all of these are available in all parts of the new licence area.
26

• Regional : Smooth FM and Century FM
• Greater Manchester : Key 103, Magic AM, Capital Gold, Galaxy 102, XFM
• Localised : Imagine (Stockport), Revolution (Oldham), Tower (Bolton & Bury)
• Ethnic: Asian Sound (East Lancashire)
• Community: All FM (South Manchester), Oldham Community Radio, Pure Radio
(Stockport), Salford Community Radio, Tameside Community Radio, Wythenshawe
FM.
Our examination of the formats of these stations is summarised below, as well as our
sampled analysis of the actual broadcast output of the regional and local stations
currently operating.
We have undertaken significant research into the Arrow format in many areas around
Britain, including that undertaken in Autumn 2004 when we applied for the previously
available licence for Manchester. We pointed then to the absence of rock music on the
radio in Manchester, as well as a deficit of listening among older people. Ofcom
preferred, at that time, to expand the offer in Manchester by licensing a rock station
specifically targeting young listeners under 35.
Published RAJAR data to June 2006 do not yet include XFM, which only launched on 15
March, but it is natural that the station will have attracted listening among its younger
target. As an early indicator, XFM’s ‘national’ reach in the Manchester area (Galaxy
TSA) tripled from just 13,000 in Q1 2006 to 48,000 in Q2. This seems more likely to result
from the launch of the FM service than from expansion in the previous digital audience.
In any event, XFM further reinforces the bias of existing commercial services toward
young audiences.
Our analysis convinces us that there is still a place and demand for another music
station in Manchester, provided it is based on a distinctive popular music genre and
focused on the under-served adult audience. That is The Arrow: a station playing adult
rock music.
EXISTING STATIONS & FORMATS
North West Regional Services
• Smooth FM (GMG) : Originally, licensed in 1994 as Jazz FM, the station subsequently
adopted a new identity as Smooth FM, with daytime music programming featuring
soul, blues and R’n’B. Jazz is now largely provided in specialist shows.
• Century FM (GCap): The second regional station commenced broadcasting in 1998
with a mixed speech and music format. The station still retains a significant, though
now reduced, speech commitment: a third to half of daytime output is speech, now
largely provided in ‘blocks’. Music is mainly adult contemporary, with easy listening
and soul.
The key features of these stations are their regional character (a wide area of over 5
million adults) and their specific format output. Neither of these stations can focus on
Manchester, nor do they play rock music or target the adult audience of The Arrow.
27

MANCHESTER FORMAT SUMMARY – REGIONAL STATIONS
Local Output Music Speech Other
CENTURY FM
North West
Region
SMOOTH FM
North West
Region
A full-service talk & music station with 24-hour news targeting primarily
25-54 year olds
Min 20
hours/day local
Local/regional
news 06 to 22h
weekdays and
peak-time
weekends
50% adult
contemporary
modern easy
listening, classic
easy listening &
soul/Motown
Challenging &
regional
Daytime 33%-
50%
20% other times
Smooth is targeted at North West listeners of all ages who particularly
like jazz, soul, blues & R’n’B
Min 7 hours/day
local
Greater Manchester Services
Broad jazz, soul,
blues & R’n’B
categories
Min 45
hours/week
specialist
programmes of
recognised jazz
genres
Music is
‘supplemented’
by speech
(unspecified)
News hourly
during peaktimes
Three bulletins
during breakfast
with local news
Journalistic
presence in
London or
North West
Dispensation
from normal
automation
limits
Manchester’s heritage ILR service, Piccadilly Radio, has now become Key 103 and
Magic AM. Although the programme formats are differentiated, there is some
inconsistency as Key claims to target both younger listeners and those up to 45, whilst
Magic seeks those over 30. Rather than being complementary, their target audiences
therefore aim to overlap to a considerable extent.
These are joined by another AM service, now Capital Gold (after various changes of
ownership and format).
• Key 103 : Key remains a ‘standard’ broad-based ILR FM station and the station with
the most listeners in the area. Music is essentially current and recent chart hits;
speech requirements are minimal (just 10% in weekday daytimes) – though we
found this easily met and exceeded.
• Magic AM : Previously aimed at older audiences, Magic’s entry target is now
described as over-30s playing classic pop hits. Programming is now mostly
networked with other Magic stations around the country.
28

• Capital Gold : Capital Gold is in an unusual situation in Manchester, where it is an
additional format in the market rather than an offshoot of the heritage ILR service as
in other markets where the brand is present. Music is described here as ‘adultoriented
rock and easy listening’ whilst all other Capital Gold formats specify a
‘classic pop hit-led service’. The difference more reflects historical accident than
output, as Capital Gold is also networked most of the time.
More recently, two new services have extended choice in Greater Manchester.
However, both of these have been aimed at younger listeners, though featuring very
different music formats.
• Galaxy 102 : Galaxy is aimed at listeners in their 20s with a format based entirely on
modern rhythmic hits and dance-oriented tracks.
• XFM : The latest addition, XFM, targets the same young age groups as Galaxy, but is
based on modern and alternative rock music rather than dance rhythms.
There is a clear bias among Manchester stations towards younger audiences, the focus
of the leading heritage station and both of the more recent FM services. Older listeners
are largely limited to the AM stations; but these are hardly local services and attract only
marginal listening. Only XFM plays rock music, primarily new alternative tracks aimed
at young listeners.
The Arrow will play a wider range of rock music, focused on older classic tracks, aimed
specifically at adult listeners whose interests are not served by existing formats.
MANCHESTER FORMAT SUMMARY – CITY STATIONS
Local Output Music Speech Other
KEY 103
MAGIC1152
AM
A contemporary and chart music and information station for 15-44
year-olds
Min 18
hours/day
local
Up to 10
hours/week
Syndicated
Predominantly
(90%)
current chart
hits, new
releases & hits
up to 3 years
old
Max 50% over 3
years
Local new
hourly during
peak-times
Speech min
10% week-day
daytimes
A music-led over-thirties station for the Greater Manchester area
Min 4 hours a
day local
Classic pop hits,
mostly over 5
years old
Max 30% hits
less than 5 years
old
Minimum 15%
weekday
daytime
Local news
hourly during
peak-times
29

CAPITAL GOLD
GALAXY 102
XFM
An adult rock and quality easy listening station aimed primarily at
over-35s
Min 4
hours/day
local
Adult-oriented
rock and easy
listening
Max 50% from
last 15 years
Un-quantified
speech – a
base of
information,
sport, whatsons
and leisure
features
Local news
hourly during
peak-times
A rhythmic-based music-led service for 15-29 year-olds
Locally made
on week-day
day-times and
6 hrs Sat & 7 hrs
Sun
Contemporary
& classic
rhythmic music
– current &
recurrent hits
Dance & club
genres, soul &
r’n’b
Classic tracks
max 50%
Speech max
25%
Local news
during
weekday
peak-times
A thorough
service of local
information,
features,
entertainment,
whats-ons, etc in
non-local
output
Particular
appeal for
listeners in their
20s
16 hrs/week
specialist music
An alternative music format for 15-34 year olds … guitar-led quality
modern & classic music
Local 20
hours/day
Arrow from Ofcom Formats
Artists will be
generally
“alternative” –
alternative rock,
modern rock,
Britpop & pop
rock.
Min 70% current
& re-current
alternative
tracks
Local listings,
music news &
news for tastes
of the
audience
Specialist
comedy shows
45 hours/week
specialist shows
Min 2 hours/day
request
programming
3 lives
sessions/week
30

Localised Commercial Services
Three small-scale commercial stations serve specific parts of the Greater Manchester
area: Imagine FM (Stockport), Revolution FM (Oldham) and Tower FM (Bolton & Bury).
These stations apply similar format principles, common to most stations of this kind
around the country, though naturally with differences to reflect local opportunities and
sensibilities:
• Local focus, with a high level of locally-produced output:
• Broad appeal across local adult groups, notably the 30-year band aged 25-54;
• A wide music mix, including both current and recent hits with tracks from the last
three to four decades.
These are small stations, whose distinctive purpose is to serve a broad range of listeners
in a specific locality. None of these stations is designed to serve the Greater Manchester
area of the new licence, nor do they have the musical or demographic focus of The
Arrow.
MANCHESTER AREA FORMAT SUMMARY – SMALL-SCALE LOCAL STATIONS
Local Output Music Speech Other
IMAGINE FM
Stockport
A locally-focused music & information station for Stockport
Min 22
hours/day
local
Top 40 hits from
1960s to today.
Max 45% current
& re-current
Minimum 20%
daytime
Local news at
least hourly in
peak-times
REVOLUTION FM
A truly local full service station aimed at 25-54 year olds playing AC
and Soft Rock hits
Oldham
Adult
Min 20% Min 2 weekday
Min 18
Contemporary, daytime daytime
hours/day Soft Rock & Local news at extended (5
local
Ballads.
least hourly min) news
Other genres during peak- bulletins
max 50%
time
A full service local station for adult listeners within the area
TOWER FM
Classic hits from Min 15% Min 2 weekday
Bolton
Min 20
last 25 years. daytime daytime
hours/day Current chart Local news at extended (10
local
max 25%
least hourly min) news
during peaktime
bulletins
Arrow from Ofcom Formats
Ethnic Minority & Community Services
• Asian Sound
Principal among these stations is Asian Sound, a commercial service aimed at Asian
ethnic groups across East Lancashire. Originally licensed in Blackburn, its coverage was
31

extended with an additional transmitter toward Manchester. Asian Sound provides a
clearly distinctive service targeted at Asian listeners. Asians constitute the largest ethnic
minority in the Manchester licence area, with 116,000 adults aged 15-plus (4% of the
total) in the Galaxy TSA (RAJAR).
• Community stations
A further tier of small-scale localised radio will be provided by a number of recentlylicensed
community radio stations. By nature these are low-powered services, designed
to serve small geographic areas and specific communities of interest. Speech output is
aimed at a range of specific interests and groups, whilst music is wide-ranging and
often eclectic.
MANCHESTER AREA – COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS
ALL FM South
Manchester
Specialist programmes for particular interest
groups, etc. Music – gold, Asian, African, Irish –
specialist music overnight.
OLDHAM
Oldham Children & students; over-60s;black & ethnic
COMMUNITY RADIO
minorities; special interest groups
PURE RADIO Stockport Disadvantaged & unemployed. Contemporary
and adult rock, with specialist world music,
urban and blues/soul
SALFORD COMMUNITY Salford Contemporary & classic music, also featuring
RADIO
dance, bhangra, classical, etc.
TAMESIDE
COMMUNITY RADIO
Tameside AC music with magazine-style programming,
some CHR & oldies. Youth output in evenings
and at weekends.
WYTHENSHAWE FM Wythenshawe Magazine-style programmes in daytime;
specialist shows evenings and weekends.
The Arrow from Ofcom
The Arrow will clearly differ from these stations both in its nature and programme output.
Examination of the format requirements of the existing stations in the Greater
Manchester area shows quite clearly that there is no station that presently provides, or
could provide, the musically and demographically focused adult rock service
proposed by The Arrow.
Listening Profiles
Before deciding to make this application we asked ourselves, as will surely Ofcom,
whether there is a place in Manchester for another music-based station. We analysed
RAJAR listening data in detail – this is summarised in Section 105(d) below. Here we
summarise the profile of listening to existing stations in Manchester, rather than absolute
audience levels.
• Existing ILR stations clearly attract most of their listening from those under 45; this will
naturally increase once Xfm is included in listening data. Listeners under 45 already
32

account for two-thirds of listening to local commercial stations – and over 80% for
those under 55.
• Thus, under 45s account for 75% of listening to the heritage station Key 103, with
similar or greater proportions for the localised stations Imagine and Revolution
(Tower has a wider audience spread, but 80% of listening is still among under 55s).
• The regional station Century FM has the same overall profile of listening as Key 103,
though slightly less listening among 15-24 year olds. Nevertheless, under 45s
account for over 70% of listening to Century. Smooth’s ‘specialist’ music attracts a
slightly older audience – less 15-24s, but 70% of listening among 25-54 year olds.
• It is the BBC that clearly attracts older radio listeners – two-thirds of listening to BBC
stations is among people over 45 and those over 55 account for half of listening. This
is even more pronounced for listeners to BBC local stations: people over 55 account
for three-quarters of listening, with 50% coming from those 65 and over.
There is clearly a gap in the provision of commercial services in Manchester for adult
listeners, particularly those over 45.
The Arrow
Century
Smooth
Key
Magic
Gold
Galaxy
Imagine
Revolution
Tower
All ILR
All BBC
BBC Local
2%
4%
3%
7%
7%
8%
7%
15%
13%
5%
20%
7%
21%
21%
12%
17%
25%
10%
9%
7%
16%
8%
48%
14%
Manchester Listening Profiles
Rajar Q2-2006 (Arrow projections)
24%
16%
16%
42%
24%
20%
29%
26%
27%
24%
17%
24%
25%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Format & Listening Summary
25%
32%
31%
44%
22%
21%
25%
31%
21%
36%
26%
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
We have examined in detail the formats and listening profiles of existing stations in
Manchester. This clearly shows how younger age groups in Manchester are already
best-served by a wide range of mainstream and more specialised music formats.
26%
12%
17%
50%
11%
16%
17%
12%
16%
30%
11%
9%
15%
11%
18%
10%
11%
9%
33
11%
6%
11%
4%
8%
3%
4%
4% 0%
5%
5%
2%

15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
KEY 103 Current & recent Chart Hits
MAGIC AM Classic Pop Hits
CAPITAL GOLD Adult-oriented rock & Easy listening
GALAXY FM Rhythmic & Dance
XFM Alternative & Modern Rock
CENTURY FM Adult Contemporary & Easy
SMOOTH FM Jazz, Soul, Blues & R’n’B
IMAGINE FM Top 40 from 60s to present
REVOLUTION AC, Soft rock & Ballads
TOWER FM Current & Classic Hits from last 25 years
THE ARROW Adult Rock
This leads us to believe that the best way to fill any remaining music gap in Manchester
would require a service aimed at an older adult audience and focusing on music that
other stations do not currently play – classic rock music.
We are convinced that The Arrow will fulfil both of those requirements.
BROADCAST OUTPUT
Formats set the framework for stations’ programming and the boundaries within which
that may be varied. However, formats do not demonstrate how that framework is
actually applied to broadcast output. We therefore undertook a spot-check and
analysis of actual output in order to provide quantifiable comparative measures.
In this context, we looked specifically at the music played on each of the existing
commercial stations.
Music Focus & Eras
The pattern of music played is clearly related to the target and appeal of each station,
as one would expect. Indeed, these differences confirm the distinctive music profile
and target appeal of The Arrow.
• The youth-oriented stations, Galaxy and XFM, play (each in its own style) almost
exclusively current and recent tracks. Galaxy played almost 80% of songs from the
last 18 months and 90% from the current decade; for XFM 70% were current/recurrent
songs from the last 18 months and over 80% from the last 5 years or so.
• Key 103 places less reliance on current and recurrent songs (43%) though this still
represents the largest category played. Together with songs from earlier in the
current decade (28%), the contemporary hit programming of the station accounts
for over 70% of music output. The balance is made up of songs from the 90s (17%)
and 80s (11%); unsurprisingly, almost no songs over 25 years old are played.
• The two AM stations, Capital Gold and Magic, focus heavily on ‘golden oldie’ titles
over 25 years old – these represented over 85% of output on Magic and over 70% on
Capital Gold, that also played a higher proportion of 80s hits than Magic. Neither
station played any significant proportion of songs from the last 15 years.
• Whilst Century FM has a higher speech content, in terms of music its output is spread
fairly evenly over the current and previous two decades – 31% since 2000 (17%
34

current and recurrent), 29% from the 1990s and 32% from the 80s. Again, there are
almost no songs over 25 years old.
• The other regional station, Smooth FM, provides a musically-focused mix based on
soul, blues, r’n’b and jazz. Emphasis is on tracks from the 70s and 80s, that made up
nearly 70% of output, together with younger and older titles from the 90s and 60s and
a complement (10%) from the current decade.
• The localised stations naturally show the broad spread of music, consistent with their
aim of appealing to a wide age range in a specifically local area. The pattern is
similar throughout, in keeping with other small-scale stations all around the country.
Current and recurrent hits account for between a quarter and a third of music
played; together with hits from the last five years (current decade) this accounts for
some 40-50% of output. The balance is mostly songs from the 80s and 90s, with few
tracks over 25 years old. (Revolution conforms with the pattern, but emphasises a
slightly younger music profile than Imagine or Tower.)
ILR MANCHESTER – MUSIC OUTPUT BY ERA
Century Smooth Key Magic Galaxy Gold XFM Imagine Revolution Tower
2005 + 17% 7% 43% - 79% 3% 70% 26% 33% 24%
2000-4 14% 3% 28% 1% 11% 2% 12% 12% 17% 18%
90s 29% 17% 17% 2% 10% 3% 13% 20% 28% 24%
80s 32% 30% 11% 10% - 19% 3% 35% 7% 29%
70s 7% 29% 1% 43% - 36% 1% 7% 9% 4%
60s 1% 13% * 44% - 37% * - 5% 1%
Arrow from Intelligent Media, 24-25 July 2006.
In contrast, The Arrow plays a mix of music concentrated on its adult target (70% from
the 70s and 80s). The station’s listeners are not followers of new releases, but do not want
to be left in a ‘golden’ time-warp either. Whilst The Arrow on digital includes a spread of
current and recurrent tracks (10%) and songs from the previous 15 years (around 15%),
in Manchester it is proposed that no tracks will appear that are less than five years old,
thereby securing even less overlap than the minimal level recorded here with Xfm.
This provides a unique balance that is not available from any other station,
independently from the further focus of The Arrow exclusively on rock music. The only
station that shows a similar prevalence of tracks from the 70s and 80s is Smooth FM; and
Smooth plays wholly different styles of music as its format states and our detailed title
analysis confirmed.
THE ARROW – MUSIC OUTPUT BY ERA
Total 2005+ 2000-4 90’s 80’s 70’s 60’s
Titles : 301 4% 4% 9% 29% 40% 14%
Airplays :
351
9% 4% 9% 27% 38% 13%
Arrow from Intelligent Media, 24-25 July 2006.
Although not included above, we have also examined the comparable output of BBC
Radio Manchester (92 songs played during the 19 hours of local output monitored). In
terms of the era of music output, this shows that BBC Manchester more closely resembles
the spread of music played by The Arrow, with similar emphasis on the 70s and 80s
35

(55%), though slightly more titles from the last 15 years. But, when we examined the
songs actually played, it was again clear that they might be drawn from the same eras
but certainly not the rock genre.
The extent of music overlap between stations was the next step in our analysis.
Music Overlaps
To assess the overlaps we again compared the actual music output of each of the
existing stations on a title-by-title basis with that broadcast at the same times by The
Arrow (transmitted digitally in the North West). The first task was to identify the titles that
were played by both The Arrow and each of the other stations during the simultaneous
periods examined. The overlap between the commonly-played titles could then be
calculated, both as a proportion of the output of the ILR stations concerned and of The
Arrow. The total of songs played naturally varied between stations, both according to
the proportion of output dedicated to speech or advertising and the underlying period
monitored (24 hours for the regional/city-wide stations and 13 hours daytime for the
smaller localised stations).
• Quite clearly, The Arrow plays very different music to any of the existing stations: at
least 85% of the music played by The Arrow was not heard on another station.
• The greatest overlaps were with Capital Gold (14%), Key 103 (10%) and XFM (8%).
This is both minimal and natural.
• Capital Gold concentrates it programming (75%) on hits from the 60s and 70s; some
of these will obviously also fit with The Arrow’s rock format – indeed, it is a measure of
the extent to which The Arrow differs from Capital Gold that there is no greater
overlap.
• The overlap with Key 103 was just 7% in the number of titles but 10% in airplay. The
effect is similar with XFM. A common title may be played only a few times by The
Arrow but more often on a hit-oriented station. Looked at the other way (below),
those same titles account for a lower proportion of The Arrow’s output. This overlap
will clearly be reduced further in Manchester by the commitment to play only music
that is at least five years old.
• The overlap with any of the other stations was just 5% or less.
36

ARROW MUSIC OVERLAP - % ILR STATIONS’ AIRPLAY
Century Smooth Galaxy Capital Gold Key 103
Total Airplays 248 290 320 302 236
Common
Titles
4 1 - 40 12
Overlap
Airplays
7 1 - 42 24
Overlap
Airplays %
2.8% 0.3% - 13.9% 10.2%
Magic XFM Imagine Revolution Tower
Total Airplays 324 330 128 133 135
Common
Titles
14 14 3 2 7
Overlap
Airplays
15 27 4 2 7
Overlap
Airplays %
4.6% 8.2% 3.1% 1.5% 5.2%
Arrow from Intelligent Media, 24-25 July 2006.
The pattern is very similar when one looks at the ‘reverse overlap’, the proportion
commonly-played songs represent as a percentage of The Arrow output. Differences
are largely a result of programme priorities and rotational emphasis.
Again, the station with the biggest overlap was Capital Gold at 13%. But, measured
against The Arrow’s airplay, no other station exceeded 5%. This included Key 103 and
XFM, confirming the reverse effect of lower programming priority on The Arrow for
current tracks compared with the emphasis on those stations on new music.
ARROW MUSIC OVERLAP - % ARROW’S AIRPLAY
Century Smooth Galaxy Capital Gold Key 103
Common
Airplays
4 1 - 40 12
Airplays % 1.3% 0.3% - 13.3% 4.0%
Magic XFM Imagine * Revolution * Tower *
Common
Airplays
14 14 3 2 7
Airplays % 4.7% 4.7% 1.7% 1.1% 4.0%
Arrow from Intelligent Media, 24-25 July 2006. Total Arrow airplays 301 (* airplays 175)
The results of this analysis repeat and are wholly in-line with the similar research we
undertook in the Greater Manchester market in October 2004.
As a final check, we looked at the extent to which the music played on The Arrow
overlapped with the Greater Manchester stations collectively rather than individually (for
this purpose, Century, Smooth, Galaxy, Capital Gold, Key 103, Magic, XFM). This
showed that just a quarter of the songs played by The Arrow, whether measured by
number of titles or airplays, could also be heard during the same period on ANY other
commercial station in the area.
37

Examination of the actual output of existing stations confirms that:
• There is presently no station in the Greater Manchester market that has the distinctive
music profile and target appeal of The Arrow;
• The music played by The Arrow is different from that of any existing station, with at
least 85% (and generally well over 90%) of music not heard on other stations during
the same time period.
CORROBORATIVE RESEARCH
The Arrow continues to offer a unique music proposition. This has been confirmed time
and again as we have researched this format around the UK.
Initially, we compared The Arrow’s theoretical main music library with stations' output.
But since The Arrow started digital broadcasts in 2002, we have been able to compare
its live output with that of other stations. Our previous analysis now covers the live output
of 46 existing ILR services. This includes the main Manchester stations that we examined
in the same way almost two years ago, with the same results as today. What is
consistently striking is that there has never been more than 15% overlap between the
music played by The Arrow and any of the many stations studied, whatever their size,
coverage or location. The Arrow is truly a unique and different music format.
THE ARROW – MUSIC OVERLAP ANALYSES
Yorkshire Scotland Manchester Solent North East Liverpool
Aire FM 9% Clyde 8% Capital 12% 2CR FM 3% Alpha 7% City FM 6%
1
Gold
Classic 15% Clyde 11% Century 5% Capital 11% Century 3% Magic 9%
Gold
2
FM
Gold
AM
Kiss 0% Beat 7% Galaxy 0% Classic 6% Galaxy - Juice -
FM
102
Gold
FM
Magic 11% Forth 1 12% Key 103 9% Fire 0% Magic 6% Century 1%
AM
FM
107.6
AM
Pulse 14% Forth 2 12% Magic 10% IOW FM 5% Metro 5% Smooth *
FM
AM
FM
XFM 6% Real 11% Smooth

The Arrow in Manchester
Localness has always been central to the success of commercial radio. In Manchester,
37.7% of all radio listening is to local radio stations, compared with 34.1% nationwide.
Our research shows that our target audience particularly values local information and
local relevance.
We take seriously our commitment to local output. Our listeners are rightly proud of
their city, and they expect their local radio station to share and reflect their love of
Manchester. Moreover, the city has a strong musical heritage, and a vibrant rock music
scene, which currently has no outlet on local radio here.
The Arrow in Manchester will be unique to Manchester. It will serve the specifically local
needs of our listeners in the city. You will hear the localness in every aspect of our
output.
Speech is the most obvious way of delivering locally relevant content. Our research
shows that rock music fans do not want too much speech getting in the way of the flow
of the music. But when our presenters open their mouths, they need to say something
meaningful and relevant. There is the expectation – here as elsewhere – of a
comprehensive local news and information service on local radio. Our local news
team will provide up-to-the-minute coverage of the major news stories affecting the
region, and the major cities within it.
Regular local weather forecasts and traffic & travel updates will help listeners get
through the business of the day. Our guides to local events and live concerts will cover
the wide range of entertainment and culture throughout the region and nearby, and we
will invest in the technology to be able to deliver live or recorded outside broadcasts
from the many venues, large and small, across the city.
But it is not just in our speech content that our localness will be apparent. The Arrow will
be the champion of live music in Manchester. Manchester Rocks will be the showcase
for live performances from classic rock acts in and around the region. Manchester
Rocks – Live will augment this coverage with in-depth interviews, live sessions from bands
playing locally, as well as documentary features and retrospectives to enhance our
listeners’ knowledge of the music they know and love.
This role will be cemented by our promise to re-locate The Arrow’s national digital
network to the North West if we win the FM licence. This will enhance the region’s
credentials as a vital media force in the UK, and offer a nationwide platform for the
region’s entertainment scene. The best live music will find a natural home on The
Arrow’s digital network, making The Arrow a showcase for Manchester across the UK.
39

The Arrow’s proposed programme schedule
Monday to Thursday
0600 – 1000
1000 – 1100
1100 – 1500
1500 – 1600
1600 – 1900
The Breakfast Show
A mature, witty, and entertaining start to your day
Upbeat music, with the emphasis on familiar tracks. Lively, humorous
presentation style, with information-rich speech to get everyone set up for
the day
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – The Live Guide
The Vintage Years
60 minutes of upbeat classics
An upbeat mix of classics from the 60s and 70s with a knowledgeable
presenter giving background to the music. A more eclectic range than
Breakfast, with album tracks and undiscovered gems
The Long Lunch
Rocking good company into the afternoon
An up-tempo adult rock mix, with a variety of familiar and less familiar
tracks. Studio guests, ‘Album of the Week’, competitions and ‘Workplace
of the Day’.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
The Vintage Years
60 minutes of upbeat classics
An upbeat mix of classics from the 60s and 70s with a knowledgeable
presenter giving background to the music. An eclectic range of music,
with album tracks and undiscovered gems
Drivetime
Friendly and informative for the drive home
An adult rock mix, moving the tempo up a gear. Focus on the evening’s
entertainment, for listeners going out or staying at home. Entertainment
news from the world of rock.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
1900 – 2000 The Rock Request Jukebox
We play the listeners’ favourites in this all request hour. Listener calls on air,
plus requests by letter, text, and e-mail.
News & Sport – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
40

Monday to Thursday
2000 – 2100 Specialist Shows
2100 – 2200
2200 – 0100 Rockmania
0100 – 0600
Monday: I Do Like Mondays
The best punk and new wave
Tuesday: Manchester Rocks – Live
Our focus on live performance from around the city
Wednesday: Eight O’Clock Rock
Music from the greats of rock ‘n’ roll
Thursday: Madchester
Manchester giants, including Oasis, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays plus
new sounds from local bands
The Vintage Years
60 minutes of upbeat classics
An upbeat mix of classics from the 60s and 70s with a knowledgeable
presenter giving background to the music. An eclectic range of music,
with album tracks and undiscovered gems.
An eclectic mix of new and old rock, including album tracks and
undiscovered gems. Presented by a true rock aficionado, this is the show
to discover the hidden greats of rock. Occasional live sessions from artists
playing in the region.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Night Moves
Laid back humour with mature idiosyncratic wit
The Arrow night time mix with a classic rock emphasis and additional
album tracks. Plus another chance to hear highlights from the day’s
output, shared with Arrow digital listeners around the UK.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
41

Friday
0600 – 2000 As Monday to Thursday
2000 – 2100 Manchester Rocks – LIVE
2100 – 2200
2200 – 0100
0100 – 0600
A close look at the region’s live music scene. Previews, reviews, interviews,
live sessions and studio discussion.
The Vintage Years
60 minutes of upbeat classics
An upbeat mix of classics from the 60s and 70s with a knowledgeable
presenter giving background to the music. An eclectic range of music,
with album tracks and undiscovered gems.
Rock Party Weekend
Full on rock for the weekend
Break out the air guitar and turn the amp up to ‘11’. Minimal presenter
presence – the show lets the music speak for itself for maximum
enjoyment. Includes ‘Five of the Best’ – five tracks from one great artist
back-to-back
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Night Moves
Laid back humour with mature idiosyncratic wit
The Arrow night time mix with a classic rock emphasis and additional
album tracks. Plus another chance to hear highlights from the day’s
output, shared with Arrow digital listeners around the UK.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
42

Saturday
0600 – 1000
1000 – 1300
Saturday Breakfast
A bright, uptempo, informative and down-to-earth start to the day
Upbeat music, with the emphasis on familiar tracks. Lively, humorous
presentation style, with information-rich speech to get everyone going for
the weekend
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Saturday Morning
Fresh sounding upbeat classics
100% classic adult rock, and a bit of fun for your Saturday brunch. Travel
news for listeners heading into town, or away for the day, including those
heading to big events and sports fixtures. Competitions and trivia.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
1300 – 1400 The Week In Rock
Birthdays, anniversaries and news from years gone by in this week, with
the rock tracks that were the backdrop
1400 – 1800 The Arrow Weekend
Classic rock with updates from the major sports events of the day.
Scoreflashes, football half-time and full-time reports, plus regular updates
from major rugby, racing and cricket fixtures.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
1800 – 2000 Rock with Laughter
2000 – 2100 Roots of Rock
2100 – 2200
Two hours of great comedy and great rock. Sketches and parody songs
from the week’s events. Guest appearances from the stand-up circuit in
Manchester. Focus on comedy club events around the region.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Specialist show playing homage to the music that created the rock genre,
with blues, rock ‘n’ roll and vintage rock classics from artists such as BB
King, Elvis Presley, Elmore James and John Mayall.
The Vintage Years
60 minutes of upbeat classics
An upbeat mix of classics from the 60s and 70s with a knowledgeable
presenter giving the background to the music. An eclectic range of
music, with album tracks and undiscovered gems.
43

Saturday
2200 – 0100
0100 – 0600
Rock Party Weekend
Full on rock for the weekend
Break out the air guitar and turn the amp up to ‘11’. Minimal presenter
presence – the show lets the music speak for itself for maximum
enjoyment. Includes ‘Five of the Best’ – five tracks from one great artist
back-to-back
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Night Moves
Laid back humour with mature idiosyncratic wit
The Arrow night time mix with a classic rock emphasis and additional
album tracks. Plus another chance to hear highlights from the day’s
output, shared with Arrow digital listeners around the UK.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
44

Sunday
0600 – 1000
1000 – 1300
Sunday Breakfast
A relaxed, informative and down-to-earth start to the day
Start your Sunday with a lively dose of quality adult rock. A more laidback
feel to ease you into the day. Acoustic rock and soft rock. Focus on
the region’s car boot sales, with information on where today’s sales are
happening, and listeners and studio guests describing their recent musical
finds
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Sunday Brunch
Fresh sounding upbeat classics
100% classic adult rock, and a bit of fun for your Sunday morning. Travel
news for listeners heading into town, or away for the day, including those
heading to big events and sports fixtures. Competitions and trivia.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
1300 – 1400 The Great Manchester Rock Quiz
The Arrow’s weekly rock quiz. Listeners compete on air to be the last
person left answering questions on rock music. Annual summer
competition pits pub quiz teams against each other in outside broadcasts
held around the region
1400 – 1800 The Arrow Weekend
Classic rock with updates from the major sports events of the day.
Scoreflashes, football half-time and full-time reports, plus regular updates
from major rugby, racing and cricket fixtures.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
1800 – 1900 The Arrow Roundtable
We review the week’s new rock releases with local journalists and music
industry figures. Listeners contribute by phone, text and e-mail
1900 – 2000 The Arrow Pocket Guide To…
2000 – 2100 My Pod
‘Rockumentary’ feature giving the background to the legends of rock
music
Celebrities pick their 10 favourite rock tracks and their all-time favourite
concert
2100 – 2200 The Vintage Years
An upbeat mix of classics from the 60s and 70s with a knowledgeable
presenter giving the background to the music. An eclectic range of
music, with album tracks and un discovered gems
45

Sunday
2200 – 0100 Rockmania
0100 – 0600
An eclectic mix of now and old rock, including album tracks and
undiscovered gems. Presented by a true rock aficionado, this is the show
to discover the hidden greats of rock. Occasional live sessions from artists
playing in the region.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
Night Moves
Laid back humour with mature idiosyncratic wit
The Arrow night time mix with a classic rock emphasis and additional
album tracks. Plus another chance to hear highlights from the day’s
output, shared with Arrow digital listeners around the UK.
News & Sport – Travel – Weather – Manchester Rocks – The Live Guide
46

Section 105(D): Evidence of local demand or support
6. Evidence of Demand
This section should provide an analysis of the reasons as to why it is considered that there is a demand for
the type of service proposed, with reference to the size and nature of the proposed target audience.
If original market research has been undertaken, please provide the following information for each piece of
research:
a) A statement of the key objectives of the research;
b) The specific questions that the research sought to answer;
c) How the research was conducted;
d) The size and composition of the sample(s);
e) When and where the research was conducted;
f) A summary of the main findings from the research, showing how these demonstrate evidence of demand
for the service proposed;
g) Full data tables for any quantitative research undertaken (these may be submitted in confidence).
Please provide your responses to (a) – (e) in tabular format.
47

Objectives of
research
To identify gaps
in the Manchester
radio marketplace
To examine the
Manchester radio
marketplace
To establish initial
demand for The
Arrow concept
Gauge opinions of
actual Arrow
output on DAB
radio
To establish appeal
of The Arrow and
refine station
format
Arrow Research Methodology
Specific
questions
What does the
current
radio marketplace
look
like? What type of
radio station would
plug the major
gaps?
How popular are
various radio station
formats? Which of
these formats are
already catered for?
What are listeners’
thoughts on current
radio provision?
What are their
thoughts on a range
of radio specific
issues and in
particular The
Arrow?
Which shows did
people listen to?
What did they
like/dislike? How
does it compare to
other stations?
How popular is the
Arrow concept?
What are the other
music and speech
requirements of
listeners?
How research
was
conducted
Desk
Research
Format Test
Focus
Groups
DAB
Broadcast
and Indepth
Interviews
Quantitative
Survey
Size and
composition of
samples
RAJAR Q2 1999-Q2
2006
Approx. 3,000
sample in Key 103
TSA
811 sample of 16+
year old adults
4 focus groups
consisting 8 adults
in each – 35-64
years old adults
20 in-depth
interviews among
35-64 year old
adults
803 sample of 16+
year old adults (see
Appendix for
profile)
When and
where research
was conducted
In-house in August
2006.
Morris Hargreaves
McIntyre
conducted
telephone
interviews between
27 July and 13
August 2006.
Morris Hargreaves
McIntyre
conducted the
groups on 8 and 9
August 2006 in
Manchester.
Respondents
listened to the
Arrow on DAB
between 10 and 21
August 2006. Morris
Hargreaves
McIntyre
interviewed on 30
August to 1
September 2006.
Morris Hargreaves
McIntyre
conducted
telephone
interviews between
23 August and 20
September 2006.
48

OUR AIMS
The primary objectives of our research programme were as follows:
To examine the current radio marketplace and find out where gaps exist for a new
service;
To determine the extent to which The Arrow would be perceived as broadening
choice (having already gauged how much it would actually broaden choice,
through our monitoring and analysis of existing stations, detailed in question 4a);
To help us to refine the station’s format to address specific local needs.
In order to achieve these objectives, five stages of original research were undertaken:
Desk Research
An analysis of existing radio listening patterns through a detailed examination of RAJAR
data
for the Key 103 TSA.
Format Test
A format test exercise would give us a good indication of the level of appeal of The
Arrow, as well as discovering the popularity of other potential radio station formats.
Additionally, this test would reveal which format types were already well catered for in
the
region.
Focus Groups
In-depth discussion with our potential listeners would help gauge initial reaction to The
Arrow
concept and provide insight into radio listening that would guide our proposal.
DAB Broadcast and In-depth Interviews
In order to discover what people actually think of The Arrow output we decided to
interview people who were exposed to the station over a period of one week. We could
then discover in greater detail what the target demographic thought of specific shows
and
how it compared to the other stations they listen to.
Quantitative Survey
This was conducted to establish in more detail the level of appeal of The Arrow, and
provide us with information to allow us to refine the programme proposition for the
Manchester
market.
49

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
Desk research
The aim of the market study was to provide us with a picture of the current provision of
radio in Manchester, particularly in terms of demographic appeal. This part of the
country has a competitive radio marketplace, with a few long-established heritage ILR
services (Key 103, Galaxy Manchester and Magic 1152), and the two regional stations
105.4 Century FM and Smooth FM. Despite what appears to be a relatively crowded
region, we sought evidence of more subtle variations in appeal, as well as analysing
longer-term trends in the marketplace that might indicate a neglect of certain
demographics.
Format Test
The aim of the format test was to gain an insight into the popularity of a selection of
different radio station formats. This simple approach allowed us to see clearly not only
which genres of music would be popular for a radio station, but also which were
already perceived to be currently supplied by existing stations. This initial test would
then provide confirmation of the potential gap in the market and dictate the format with
which we would apply for this licence.
Focus Groups
We obtained further valuable guidance on our proposals through qualitative research.
Through focus group exercises, we sought to get a detailed impression of the views of
our target audience on existing radio provision in the Manchester region, tastes in
music, speech and presentation style, and on a range of specific radio issues such as
news, live music and localness. We were also able to obtain a more in-depth reaction
to The Arrow’s proposed music output.
DAB Broadcast and In-depth Interviews
To get a more detailed look at what people thought of The Arrow, we felt it was vital to
interview respondents who had been exposed to the station over an extended period of
time. Only in doing this could we have a greater understanding of specific shows, how
The Arrow compares to other stations and of course what we could be doing better to
provide a more complete station for the region.
Quantitative Survey
Using the results from the format test, we were able to further refine the programme
proposition in order to gauge its overall appeal in the region by means of a quantitative
survey research exercise. We sought, through this exercise, to establish existing listening
habits and to verify respondents’ likelihood to listen to a station fitting The Arrow’s
description. More specifically, we used this research to determine the level of appeal of
a range of music and speech features, and listener attitudes to a spectrum of radio
related issues, including style of presentation and the importance of localness. By
playing music clips, we also gauged the appeal of The Arrow’s proposed music output.
50

METHODOLOGY
Desk Research
Chrysalis Radio’s research team conducted an analysis of RAJAR data from Q2 2006 to
provide a ‘snapshot’ of current radio listening patterns within the Key 103 TSA.
Additionally, they analysed RAJAR data for each quarter from Q2 1999 to Q2 2006 to
assess historic trends in listening patterns and profiles.
Format Test
We compiled nine pods of music that best represented both the different types of radio
station currently on offer in the region and other possible licence winning genres. This
covered genres ranging from Modern Rock, Dance/R&B, Gold, Easy Listening and
Classic Rock. Having heard each genre, respondents were asked to give it a score and
then state whether they thought there were any existing stations playing that type of
music. Fieldwork was conducted by the research agency Morris Hargreaves McIntyre.
The format search was a telephone research exercise, conducted between 27 July and
13 August. 811 interviews were conducted with all respondents aged 16 and over living
in the Key 103 TSA.
Focus groups
We conducted four focus groups on 8 and 9 August 2006 in central research facilities in
Manchester. Each focus group had seven or eight participants, aged 35-64. One group
was all male, another was all female and the other two were both mixed but with the
ages separated into 35-49 and 50-64. All participants were music radio listeners.
The discussion guide for the focus groups was designed by The Arrow project team at
Chrysalis Radio with advice from Morris Hargreaves McIntyre, who also moderated the
focus group sessions and provided a summary of the findings. A full report, including
transcripts of both focus groups, is submitted in confidence with this Application.
DAB Broadcast and In-depth Interviews
Respondents were asked to listen to the Arrow on a DAB radio, as provided to them by
Chrysalis, for the duration of the week and asked to record comments and answer
simple questions in a diary. The respondents were then telephoned at the end of the
week and asked further questions about the output.
Twenty telephone interviews were conducted by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre and
completed between 30 August and 1 September.
Quantitative Survey
803 telephone interviews were conducted between 23 August and 20 September. All
respondents were aged 16+, and lived within the Key 103 TSA. The questionnaire was
designed by The Arrow project team at Chrysalis, who also analysed the data.
Fieldwork was conducted by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre.
51

OUR FINDINGS
Desk Research
In order to decide upon our application for this licence, the research team at Chrysalis
undertook a detailed examination of the existing radio marketplace in the Manchester
region, using Q2 2006 RAJAR and trended data available.
Commercial analogue radio in Manchester better serves the younger end of the
market. Current figures show that 73.3% of 15-34s listen to commercial analogue radio
compared with only 62.1% of all adults and 56.6% of 35+ year olds. When looking
specifically at local commercial FM radio, the difference is far greater with 68.8% of 15-
34s, 34% higher compared with all adults. For 35+ year olds % reach is only 40.4% -
18.7% below the all adult audience.
The market share for 35+ year olds in Manchester on local commercial radio is currently
30.2%. Historically 35+ share has fallen (16.8% down on Q2 1999). Share for 15-34s,
however, has remained high with 57.9%, only 0.5% lower than recorded in Q2 1999.
Looking at The Arrow’s target demographic of 40-59 males the market share is low at
36.8% and is 14.4% down on Q2 1999. It is clear that there is a need for a commercial
station to suit the tastes of the older end of the market and The Arrow would serve this
underrepresented audience.
This chart shows the demographic and sex distribution of the individual radio station
audiences in the Key 103 TSA based on reach. Along the horizontal axis is displayed the
average age of each audience and vertically, the proportion of males. The graph
shows the large quantity of local commercial stations with a higher proportion of under-
40 year olds than the average – further emphasising the need for a local commercial
FM alternative for the older age groups, currently dominated by the BBC and national
commercial stations.
% sex profile
90
Male
80
70
60
50
40
Female
30
20
10
Manchester Marketplace
Radio 1
Galaxy Manchester
105.4 Century FM
talkSPORT
The Arrow
Key 103 Magic 1152
Radio 5
Radio 2
Radio 4
Classic FM
Radio 3
Radio Manchester
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Average age
Source: Rajar Q2 2006 – Key 103 TSA
The Arrow figures taken from Manchester quant study 2006
52

This % reach index graph provides a clearer look at the dominance of commercial
radio stations for the younger audience in the Key 103 TSA.
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
100.7
99.7
15-34
35+
83.7
108
134.1
All Stations All BBC Radio All ILR
All radio listening for 35+ year olds is marginally below average, indexing at 99.7 and
they are 16.6% less likely to listen to local commercial radio at this time.
Looking at market share in the Manchester region we can see that commercial radio
better serves 15-34s with 65.5% share versus only 39.6% for 35+ year olds (indexing at
84.7). Key 103 and Galaxy Manchester are very much geared towards the younger
market both indexing very highly, (Key 103 at 161.1 and Galaxy Manchester at 249.2).
105.4 Century FM has a slightly broader appeal, however still doesn’t index well for 35+
year olds (83.3) versus 15-34s (145.0).
%
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
All BBC Radio
All Commercial Radio
All ILR
Current Market Share
All ILR FM
BBC Radio 2
Key 103
BBC Radio 1
Galaxy Manchester
All!Adults
15-34
35+
105.4 Century FM
BBC Radio Manchester
Smooth FM
83.4
All ILR AM
Magic 1152
53

Smooth is the only commercial FM station that 35+ year olds can turn to with 5.5% share
and an index of 112.2. Other than this Magic 1152 is the only other commercial choice
for the older end of the market and with this being on AM the station has been in
dramatic decline. Since Q2 1999 Magic 1152’s % reach has dropped from 13.3% to 3.6%
for all adults (15.4% to 4.1% for 35+ year olds). With very little choice on commercial
radio for the older end of the market there are a large amount of 35+ year olds listening
to BBC Radio 2 (market share of 22.4%) as the only real alternative for music radio that
suits older tastes. It is clear from this information that there is a gap to be filled at the
older end of the commercial market.
Format Test
Conducting a format test is vital in establishing both the viability of a format as well as its
ability to broaden choice. It establishes, to use the marketing cliché, both the gap in
the market and the market in the gap. An uninformed observer might look at the
Manchester radio market and presume that some kind of classic easy listening format
for over 50s was the most obvious unserved gap for listeners in the region. As our
research has demonstrated time and again, that simply is not the case. Of the formats
tested that do not already exist in the market, classic rock is the most popular, ahead of
classic easy listening – among all adults and our target demographic of 40-59 males.
No other music format matches The Arrow for combination of popular appeal and
broadening choice.
The nine music pods below were played on rotation during format test interviewing.
These represent seven genres that currently exist in the region on local commercial
radio and three other potential new genres. The names themselves should only be
considered as labels for the overall sound of the songs making up the groups – at no
point were any labels or descriptors of music genres suggested to, or by the research
respondents. The pods each consist of seven songs, allowing the sound to be fully
developed and to minimise the polarising effects that using fewer tracks may have.
Top 40 (Key 103)
Keane – Is It Any Wonder
Lilly Allen – Smile
Pink – Who Knew
Kelly Clarkson – Breakaway
James Morrison – You Give Me Something
The Feeling – Fill My Little World
Sandy Thom – Wish I Was A Punk Rocker
Gold (Capital Gold)
The Beatles – Ticket To Ride
The Commodores - Easy
Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another
Hero
Rod Stewart – Maggie May
Dusty Springfield – Son Of
A Preacher Man
Abba – The Winner Takes It All
John Lennon - Imagine
54

Dance/R&B (Galaxy)
Infernal – From Paris To Berlin
Shakira – Hips Don’t Lie
Nelly Furtardo – Maneater
Mary J Blige – Be Without You
Armand Van Heldon – My My My
Pussy Cat Dolls – Buttonz
Southside Hustlers – Right Before My Eyes
Adult Contemporary (Century)
Bill Medley/Jennifer Warnes
– I’ve Had The Time Of My Life
Daniel Powter – Bad Day
UB40 – Red Red Wine
Shola Ama – You Might Need Somebody
Ce Ce Peniston - Finally
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
Maroon 5 – This Love
Easy Listening (Magic/Smooth)
Luther Vandross – Never
Too Much
George Benson – Give Me The Night
Candi Station – Young Hearts Run Free
Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing
George Michael – Careless Whisper
Randy Crawford – One Day I’ll Fly Away
Will Young – All Time Love
Classic Rock (The Arrow)
Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven
David Bowie – Jean Genie
The Eagles – Hotel California
REM – Shiny Happy People
The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
Oasis - Wonderwall
U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Classic Easy (50+)
Batchelors – I Believe
Frank Sinatra – New York New York
Petula Clark – Downtown
Ella Fitzgerald – Every Time I Say Goodbye
Harry Connick
Jr – Recipe For Love
Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger
Chubby Checker – Let’s Twist Again
55

Modern Rock (Xfm)
The Kooks – She Moves In Her
Razorlight – In The Morning
The Zutons – Valerie
Own Way
Arctic Monkeys – When The Sun Goes Down
Orson – Happiness
Snow Patrol – You’re All I Have
Red Hot Chilli
Peppers – Tell Me Baby
Country/Folk
Aaron Tippin – Come
Friday
Bonnie Raitt – Something To Talk About
Billy Dean – Race You To The Bottom
Gretchen Wilson – All Jacked Up
Glen Campbell
– Galveston
Dolly Parton
- Jolene
Gary Allan
– Best I Ever Had
This table shows the popularity of each music po d in terms of the mean score given to it
by respondents rating it from 1 to 10, where 1 is hate and 10 is l ove. This provides us with
the appeal of
each m usic genre and helps us to decide which format we will apply
for
the
licence with.
Scale 0-5.9 6.0-6.4 6.5-6.9 7.0-7.4 7.5-7.9 8.0+
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Top 40 7.0 7.0 6.8 5.8 4.9 3.4
Gold 5.1 6.2 6.5 7.7 7.9 7.3
Dance/RnB 7.3 6.4 5.8 5.3 4.2 3.2
AC 6.1 6.5 6.7 7.4 7.3 6.3
Easy Listening 5.2 5.9 6.8 7.5 7.2 6.0
Modern Rock 6.7 6.2 6.0 4.6 4.1 3.8
Classic Rock 4.9 6.1 7.0 7.2 6.5 5.2
Classic Easy 3.2 3.9 4.1 6.0 6.6 8.1
Country Folk 2.4 2.7 3.0 4.2 4.8 5.2
The top 6 genres listed in the table are already in existence in some form in the
Manchester marketplace, and, perhaps unsurprisingly are all relatively popular among
respondents. The Top 40 genre is a particular favourite among 16-44 year olds, while
Dance and RnB is popular among 16-34 year olds. The older age groups favour Gold,
and Adult Contemporary is somewhat popular among all demographics. Modern Rock
produces a good result for 15-44s,
which bodes well for the new Xfm format. Looking at
genres
not currently
represented,
Classic
Rock stands out by appealing
to a wide
demographic,
and in particular 35-54s. Classic Easy has a slightly less broad appeal
56

with good scores for 45+ year olds and very high score for 65+ year olds. Country/Folk is
the least popular genre with very low mean scores.
35-64 40-59 Male 40-59 Female Male All
Top 40 5.9 5.9 5.7 6.0 5.6 5.8
Gold 7.3 7.4 7.4 6.9 6.7 6.8
Dance/RnB 5.2 5.1 4.7 5.8 4.9 5.3
AC 7.1 7.2 6.9 7.0 6.3 6.7
Easy Listening 7.1 7.3 6.9 6.8 6.0 6.4
Modern Rock 5.0 4.8 5.1 5.1
5.3 5.2
Classic Rock 6.9 7.1 7.4 5.8 6.5 6.1
Classic Easy 5.4 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.3
Country Folk 3.9 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.7
Classic Rock maintains its popularity in Manchester among
its wider and core
demographic and the mean scores are far higher than the other potential genres.
Males 40-59 provided a mean score of 7.4 for Classic
Rock
versus 5.4 for Classic Easy
and 4.1 for Country/Folk.
The following chart shows the percentage of respondents who said they would listen to
each genre of music often or occasionally.
Listen
Often/Occasionally
(All Adults)
AC 84%
Gold 83%
Easy Listening 78%
Classic Rock 74%
Top 40 71%
Dance/ RnB 60%
Classic Easy 59%
Mod Rock 56%
Country Folk 37%
AC and Gold are very popular genres of music followed by Easy Listening. Classic Rock
fairs extremely well at fourth for all adults with 74%. This is ahead of Top 40, Dance & RnB,
and Modern Rock, even though they are currently serving
Manchester and the Classic
Rock format is underrepresented. Classic
Easy and Country/Folk
come out in the
bottom three.
Another important aspect of this initial format
test was to find out not only respondents’
favourite music genres but also whether they could attribute
any of them to a station
currently broadcasting in the region. The table below provides the percentage of
respondents who claimed that there was no station that
currently plays each type of
music.
It follows that the higher this percentage the bigger gap there is in the market for
that particular genre (although this will of course need to be combined with its
popularity).
57

No Attribution (All
Adults)
Country Folk 77%
Classic Easy 58%
Classic Rock 52%
AC 44%
Gold 43%
Mod Rock 40%
Easy Listening 37%
Dance/ RnB 29%
Top 40 26%
Predictably, those genres chosen because they were already present in the
marketplace showed the highest levels of attribution, with the ‘new’ genres receiving
high levels of no attribution. Country/Folk was deemed not to have much presence
currently,
but again, this must be offset with low popularity scores. Classic Easy is
second and Classic Rock third for no attribution, however combining these scores with
the music popularity scores suggests that there is more room for Classic Rock to be
introduced
into Manchester’s radio marketplace. To reinforce this, when looking at
respondents scoring 7-10 for each genre, Classic Rock accrued 51% of all adults and
Classic Easy, only 39%.
Focus Groups
In order to greater explore the initial findings from the first two research stages, we
decided to conduct
some focus groups. These enabled us to better examine our
suspicions
that there was a gap in the market for a rock based music station. We also
gathered a more detailed picture of listening habits and preferences during the four
groups
of 35-64s – split one evening by age and by gender for the second evening.
Generation of real music lovers
Music is important to this generation; they
are passionate about music with eclectic
tastes. Music is a crucial part of their lives and is evermore important as they get older.
I probably wouldn’t get out of bed for a week [without music].
Just from being a teenager I have just always been into music and I have just followed
different things throughout my life and I still like music.
‘Madchester’
The ‘Madchester’
music scene had an impact on this group. For those who were born
and bred in Manchester, growing up in a city with strong musical identity was an
influence on them.
I grew up in Manchester when that ‘Madchester’ thing was going on, and so the
Mondays and the Roses and I went to all the clubs
and all that sort of scene is what I
came through.
Existing stations don’t meet their tastes…
When asked about the stations they currently listen to, most felt that those available
don’t suit their needs.
58

Radio
1 is seen as too young, a station they had grown out of.
It is a bit too trendy.
A lot of it is aimed at the younger market these days.
Radio
2 is perceived as having background music; inoffensive and easy listening. There
was
no passion from respondents about this type of music.
It is sort of easy going…you are sort of driving along and not really taking much noticed
of it, but it’s just there, it is pleasant.
I think Radio 2 is almost wallpaper music.
Century is about as close as it gets to the respondents’ tastes but it is still felt that Century
is a little too young for them, with too much banter.
Century is targeting
itself more at the 25/30’s and above and they play music from the
70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
There is a little bit too much chat and sport and phone-ins.
Generally
the stations in the market don’t fit in with their musical tastes.
All that modern rubbish, some of it is just so bad. That’ s why I don’t listen to the radio as
much as I’d like to.
[Radio 1] could
drop a bit more of the hip hop and put in a bit more of the guitar music.
…and there is no loyalty towards any particular station
Respondents
felt they didn’t have a favourite station and tend to flick between stations
because they aren’t enjoying the presenters or the music. They would like to have a
station they can call ‘home’ but they feel that stations were too narrow for their tastes
and lack depth.
I just switch around. I have no real loyalty.
I don’t feel attached to any particular radio station really.
Taste is determined by the stations and not the listeners
Respondents are tuned into the fact that stations, particularly Radio 1 and Key 103 will
use the same play list every day and believe that these are determined by the music
publishers.
The play list is dictated by the big record companies to my mind.
Radio 1’s too commercial for me, it’s too chart orientated. It’s like play lists that the MDs
might choose, not the DJ’s and listeners.
59

Talent
and authenticity is vital to this audience
Discerning
in their tastes respondents liked bands and musicians that were original,
authentic and not commercial, manufactured
pop throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. This
still applies to them and they remain passionate about the classics that can stand the
test of
time. When asked to describe what they consider as ‘good’ music:
It is about being talented.
They can play instruments.
Good songwriters.
I think that it is musicians; it is not manufactured rubbish you get.
Holding onto memories through music
Respondents use music to reminisce about their youth and important times in their lives.
I like to listen to music that brings things back…if you hear a record from say 25 years
ago and I remember
who I was with back then and that is what it’s all about ain’t it? If it
makes you feel good, what more could you want?
It is all memories of the different tunes of your life span. They just hit that certain note.
When I was going through my split from my partner…the best thing I liked when I came
home was headphones on Led Zep full blast in my ears.
Variety is crucial
It is
felt that radio stations continually play the famous tracks from big artists, yet they
don’t delve into the b-sides and album tracks that are just as good, if not better than the
commercial hits.
There are just so many tracks by the
Stones that are better…they always play the
popular tunes.
The big boys like Century and Key 103…they have got to get their listening figures up
and they get those up by playing Satisfaction rather than Brown Sugar.
Predictability and repetitiveness irritates this audience. They are aware that this is
because the play lists are narrow
and certain hit songs are to be repeated a number of
times in the day, however they’d still rather not listen to the same tracks over again.
If you sit there for two hours you’ll hear the same tunes about three or four times.
They play the music they want to hear. Like today on Chris Moyles, a competition
winner got through and they said ‘Oh what can we play today, what would you like to
hear?’ And he mentioned some record. ‘Oh sorry it’s not on
my play list’. So it works
around a play list and a script.
Embracing unfamiliar and different music
Despite having favourite
acts that they know and love from the past, respondents are
open to unfamiliar music and like to hear acts they haven’t heard before.
60

I want to hear new stuff, I don’t want to hear stuff I’ve already got, I’m looking to hear
some new music.
Reaction to the music pods
Nine
music pods were played during the focus groups to get and idea of the types of
music
that would appeal to the Manchester audience.
Classic
Rock
This genre was
well received by all, and it was felt that this was their kind of music. Many
felt the tracks were classic, building the base of a good collection of music. This is the
core of what they see as good quality music by talented
artists.
They are all superstars.
They are well known
people and they have been going for a while.
Bright and breezy and you have just got up and are ready for the day type music.
Modern
Rock
The majority
enjoyed this music; however felt they knew very little about the genre.
I know
every single track there, but I couldn’t give you the title and I couldn’t give you
the category, but I like it.
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Many commented on how much they listen to this kind of music. It was felt, however,
that this kind of music belonged in to specialist show.
A lot of music I listen to is from the 60s.
In a little programme of its own. Say a half an hour.
Punk
This pod had a positive response, particularly for those who were fans of the music and
were growing up
when this music came out.
The good stuff from the punk era transcends everything and I think it is great music.
I reckon, like everyone says, you could drop a Pistols song in and I bet half this room
would probably turn it up.
Ska
This
divided the respondents. Those who knew this genre loved it and reminisce about it.
Those who
didn’t know it very well still wanted to hear it.
It takes me
back somewhere and the clubs that I used to go to and friends and stuff,
because that was music that was in my age group at the time.
I don’t know much about it, but every time I hear it I think it is just wicked.
61

New Romantic
Seen as a more relaxing type of music, ideal for winding down to.
I would like it in the evening coming home, not in the morning.
New Wave
Although
a popular genre with some, overall responses were fairly neutral. This genre
did bring back fond memories, however.
I just remember going
off my head at a disco and you just couldn’t keep still at it.
Northern Soul
A few respondents were real fans of this music, with others not listening to it much at all,
but keen on knowing more about it.
There were some monster hits.
I want to know more about it, and so again I am open to it.
Heavy Metal
This genre was seen as something
that would fit in well with the rest of the music played,
however
only in small quantities and something not to play too late in the evening
because it is much louder.
Definitely my type of music.
To me it is not night time music. It is not after 9 o’clock music.
Forming a suitable music station
Overall respondents’ core music taste was for classic
rock but with added extras;
listeners were being discerning within the pods as to what they liked, but essentially the
music they enjoy always has the common elements mentioned earlier that make music
‘good’ to them.
They
want a deeper play list from the chosen artist, not obscure music but a range,
including more than just their biggest hits. They don’t want endless variety but their
demand is for ‘rock plus’, the classics combined with the ‘good’ half of the charts that
they
have always liked.
Here are a couple of quotes from respondents after
hearing all of the pods.
I think that what you have got there, if that is our radio station, it is a lively one isn’t it…I
think it’s an upbeat kind of selection.
I would listen. If that was on air I would tune into it, without a doubt.
Presenters
must be knowledgeable about the music
Although the presenter
is not the most important aspect of respondents’ ideal station it is
crucial that the presenter is passionate and has a clear knowledge of the music they are
representing. They are not keen on presenters
who talk between songs about irrelevant
stuff and feel it’s unnecessary.
62

I find that Terry Wogan can waffle on a little bit too long as far as I’m concerned.
I think a lot of stations basically you have disc jockeys going on there that have not a
clue what they are on about. Because it is like you have got someone playing 70s, 80s and…he was in his nappies at the time.
They have got to love the music.
Keeping it local
Respondents
were keen on making sure that the station is local and represents
Manchester’s
music tastes along with having Mancunian personalities.
Somebody who knows and can tell you what is going on in Manchester.
I think somebody who is local and knows the area.
More local, Manchester based artists
would be well received by this audience.
You have got to have some Manchester.
Some Manchester stuff like Inspiral Carpets.
Non-stop
music
This is something respondents’ spontaneously said they would like to hear more of on
the radio. There aren’t enough stations providing a non-stop music hour or evening
where it is all about the music and nothing else.
I was just thinking they used to have a non-stop hour on the radio, on Radio 1 and
various stations…which is a good thing but they don’t do enough of it.
Utilities
These are considered to be sufficiently serviced in the market, however it is understood
that they are important to listeners.
Mundane things like daily news and travel and locals news is important as well.
They
are happy to keep these necessities short and sweet, just a few minutes every hour
or so.
Headlines…I don’t need to know anything else.
Local weather…it can just be a line can’t it?
With
sport, as long as the listeners know what is happening it doesn’t need to be indepth.
Sports deadlines, results, any transfer news like that.
DAB
broadcast and in-depth interviews
To discover what
people really thought of The Arrow as a living, breathing station, we
asked 20 respondents to complete a diary across a week-long period and give their
63

views on the music, programming and presenters and how it compares with the current
marketplace.
A welcome change
Respondents
felt The Arrow provided a welcome alternative to their usual listening, filling
a gap and fitting their music tastes. They felt it was very different to their first preference
station
for many reasons.
It is more appealing to me…Smooth is more laid back and easy listening and more
placid as I say, but I like a little bit of oomph in the music and get up and go as my job
entails hard work and graft.
I knew
more of the songs on The Arrow and so I enjoyed it more… I’d probably switch
[from Xfm]. I would definitely listen to it, but not necessarily all the time.
Musical depth
The Arrow’s unusual tracks were loved
by all. Most respondents agreed the music was
less predictable, which they found refreshing. They have become accustomed to
stations playing the odd hit from their favourite artists welcome the opportunity to hear a
wider range.
It was less predictable, which I loved…there was obscure Beatles tracks, not obscure but
do you know what I mean, not the usual ones? I heard a Neil Young track that
I swear I
haven’t heard since I listened to Radio International at two in the morning.
A ‘rock’
station
Although respondents acknowledge a wide range of music is played, the rock music
identity
came across strongly to them. The Arrow is most certainly perceived as a rock
station.
I would describe it as a rock station, but it’s an entertaining one.
Music
meets the listeners’ needs…
Over half of the respondents
agreed that The Arrow is a station aimed at people who
like ‘good’ music. So although they view it as a rock station, they feel it covers a wide
range
of tastes and is aimed at people who enjoy quality.
Absolutely
totally different in more ways than one, like I mean the music is brilliant…it is
my type.
It’s a bit staid in a sense, Radio 2, and Arrow is quite different…well it’s kind of
invigorating really, it was the type of music you had on, and I suppose it’s something
different isn’t it?
…and there’s something for everyone
It was felt by most respondents that there is something to suit everyone’s tastes and The
Arrow doesn’t just focus
on old music, but includes newer tracks that they are interested
in hearing.
If you want a blast from the past with the modern stuff get it on.
64

I think it is quite broad if I am truthful, because the kids did actually listen to it with us
while
we were in the kitchen and things like that and they were laughing at some of the
old songs but they were actually singing and dancing to some of the other stuff.
All about the music
It is clear to respondents that The Arrow is primarily a music radio station, more so than
the stations currently
in the market. They appreciated the uniqueness of the station and
the music it played.
I don’t think any of the stations
that I’ve heard actually do it quite the same to be truthful.
More music,
less chat
The more music approach of The Arrow was very appealing to respondents. They felt
that music should take priority and that too much speech on a music station often
irritates them, interrupting the tracks. They listen primarily for the music and presenters
are there to deliver
this, which The Arrow succeeded in.
A radio
station is more about music isn’t it? A lot of people do these competitions and
what have you and yes it is exciting, but it takes it away from
what a radio station is.
I quite liked the fact that I would just listen to the Arrow when I just wanted the music
really and not the chat.
Presenting
style
Overall the presenting was considered as calm,
relaxing and unobtrusive. They liked
the fact the presenters weren’t overbearing and enjoyed being able to listen to a station
where music took
priority.
The DJ’s took a back seat I felt and the music was paramount and that
is perfect.
Respondents thought that the amount of music information given by presenters was just
enough
and provided a sense of the presenter’s knowledge of the tracks and artists they
were referring to.
They certainly seemed to know a lot about it, you know? I got the feeling like they
weren’t trying to bluff you.
The presenters were seen as genuine and passionate
about The Arrow, which was
refreshing to hear.
Their personalities came across as if they were really interested in what they were doing.
You know, they put a little bit of effort into it.
A regional feel
Although The Arrow on DAB is a digital station, most said that it felt regional. Listeners
were
happy with this regional sound and suitable for the style of the station.
It seems
more regional, but sort of appropriate.
Listener involvement
Many enjoyed the low listener involvement on the station
as it can be irritating and can
also
be found on other stations that are more suitable for that sort of programming.
65

I thought it was a very good idea…its different
from having quizzes and people phoning
in and so on, which irritate don’t they?
The last thing I want to listen to is my neighbour phoning up and talking to me on the
radio and so that suits me down to the ground really.
Utilities
Respondents felt that there was an ideal
amount of news and sport, and they enjoyed
the snippets of information given throughout the day.
They pitched it right for the type of station it was. It was brief, but it was inclusive. It gave
a good snapshot of the news of the day.
Brief overviews were definitely
well received by all. Respondents’ tend to switch to the
television or the Internet if they want to know more.
It was useful, not too much, because you know if you do want to hear the news there is
always somewhere you can go, isn’t there?
They were satisfied with the traffic news as well.
It was just very ‘oh by the way there is a bit of a traffic jam here’, it was no fuss and didn’t
seem to intrude, where a it can do so on other stations.
Local music and events information
There was an indication that
respondents would like to hear more in terms of local
events
and gigs within the entertainment news. Although The Arrow on DAB would not
have had this focus, this is something that the station would provide in Manchester.
…but local events as well and what is going on in your
local area and what is
happening over the bank holiday weekend and that sort of thing.
They could have been a bit more forthcoming with up and coming local bands.
Whilst new local bands is more likely
to be the preserve of Xfm, The Arrow would remain
the place to find out about live classic rock performances in Manchester, whether from
the original
artists on tour in the city’s major venues, or cover and tribute bands in
smaller pubs and clubs.
To summarise
Overall,
The Arrow was appreciated as a welcome change compared with stations
currently
serving Manchester. The majority of respondents were genuinely happy to
have discovered the station.
I loved
it.
I would turn that on first.
I’m going to leave it tuned to The Arrow.
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A pleasant outcome of this research is that respondents said that they would willingly
recommend
The Arrow to others.
I have been telling people all about it already actually…I’ve been mentioning I’ve
been listening to it and it really interests me.
I would recommend it to anybody.
Quantitative
Survey
The aims of this part of the original research were to refine our programming
proposition
and ultimately establish likelihood to listen to a station fitting The Arrow’s description.
Summary
of Results
Upon hearing a sample of The Arrow’s Adult Rock
format, 38% of respondents said
that they would listen often.
75% of respondents declared that they would listen at least once a week to the
station after hearing a description of its format.
Having appropriate music is the most important attribute for a rad io station, with
poor music, chart music and too much talking over the music being particularly irritating.
Localness is also an important aspect of a potential new radio station, with sport
being much less significant.
Likelihood to Listen to The Arrow
We read respondents the following description of The Arrow format:
A Manchester-based station playing four decades of quality adult rock, combining
popular rock hits with classic album tracks.
Music would include legends of rock like the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce
Springsteen and REM, as well as newer talent like Coldplay, The Thrills and
Stereophonics.
The station would also be a showcase for live music, featuring both new local bands,
and major music acts playing in and around Manchester.
The DJs would be friendly and well-informed and the station would include a concise
news and information service with a strong focus on Manchester.
A remarkable 81% of all respondents said that they would listen at least once a week,
and an equally impressive 30% declared they would tune in everyday.
67

Appeal of The Arrow’s Music
In response to being played a selection of music representing The Arrow’s Adult Rock,
38% of respondents said that they would listen often. This figure rises to 56% among The
Arrow target market of 40-59 year olds. When asked whether or not that would be their
favourite station, a total of 13% of all respondents (and 20% of 40-59 year olds) claimed
that it would be, indicating a potential P1 audience. The potential P1 audience has the
following profile.
51%
49%
7%
19%
Female Male 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
There was little attribution of the sound to any particular station. Century 105.4 received
the highest attribution of 15.9% and no other station came close to this. Altogether 44%
of adults could not attribute The Arrow clip to any current station.
Specialist Music Tastes
At the end of the research we also wanted to find out what respondents thought of
potential specialist music that we’d looked at in the focus groups. The results from this
part of the survey would help provide the content for specialist music shows and
indicate whether there was a strong enough demand for it to be played alongside the
core Arrow music.
Respondents were asked to state how often they would like to hear different types of
music on a scale from ‘1’ to ‘5’, where ‘1’ means they would not like to hear that type of
music at all and ‘5’ means that they would like to hear it a lot. The music played was
asked to be judged on the style it represents, not the individual song itself.
Modern Rock
The Kooks – She Moves In Her
Own Way
Razorlight- In The Morning
The Zutons – Valerie
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bill Haley & The Comets: See
You Later Alligator
Buddy Holly: Oh Boy!
Chuck
Berry: Maybellene
22%
23%
18%
11%
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Punk The Sex Pistols: Pretty Vacant
The
Ramones: Sheena is a Punk Rocker
The Stranglers: Peaches
Sk a
The Specials: A message to you Rudy
The Beat: Mirror in the Bathroom
Selecter: On My Radio
New Romantic
Japan: Ghosts
Spandau Ballet: Chant No. 1
Visage: Mind of a Toy
New Wave
Blondie: Union City Blue
Boomtown Rats: Lookin’
after No.1
The Jam: Going Underground
Northern Soul
Frank Wilson: Do I Love You
Timi Yuro: Hurt
Mitch Ryder: Breakout
Heavy Metal
Led Zeppelin: Black Dog
Black Sabbath: Paranoid
Motley Crue: Girls Girls Girls
The
table shows percentage of respondents who rated each music pod either ‘4’ or ‘5’
out
of ‘5’ and essentially revealing the popularity of each cluster (ranked by adults 40-
49).
69

Total Adults 16+ Adults 35-64 Adults 40-59
Arrow music
‘Favourite’
Modern Rock 54% 48% 48% 60%
New Wave 37% 46% 47% 56%
Rock n' Roll 46% 52% 45% 57%
Ska 28% 34% 36% 34%
Northern Soul 28% 35% 36% 34%
Heavy Metal 32% 33% 33% 39%
Punk 25% 23% 25% 37%
New Romantic 21% 27% 25% 37%
Modern Rock, New Wave and Rock ‘n’ Roll are the most popular music types here.
Popularity
is one thing, but being well liked is irrelevant if this type of music is already
catered
for in the current marketplace. To find out about attribution we asked
respondents
what station comes to mind when they hear that type of music, with the
following
percentages declaring that no station comes to mind.
No
Attribution
Ska
78% 77%
New Romantic
76% 74% 73%
Punk
Northern Soul
Heavy
Metal
Rock n' Roll
67% 66%
New Wave
Modern Rock
So, music types such as Modern Rock and Rock ‘n’ Roll, despite being popular are
among the lowest stations for ‘no attribution’. That is, 53% of respondents
could attribute
the
Modern Rock sound to a particular station. It should be noted, however, that Xfm
had only recently launched
at the time this research was conducted, so it is unsurprising
that
it have yet to make a significant impact on the consciousness of Manchester
listeners.
Of
ultimate interest, is to combine the two previous charts to reveal the balance
between appeal and attribution to provide a figure for the potential gap in the market.
47%
70

By simply multiplying the two figures (a high figure for appeal and ‘no attribution’ are
both
positive for a music genre) we arrive at the following finding.
Appeal
and Potential
Rock n' Roll
30.6
Modern Rock
25.2
New Wave
24.3 23.0
Heavy Metal
The
chart shows room for specialist music such as Rock n’ Roll and New Wave. Whilst
Modern
Rock clearly also has appeal, its provision on Xfm means that its inclusion on
The
Arrow would run the risk of diluting our distinctiveness.
The
age profile of each music type shows a big desire for Rock ‘n’ Roll music among the
older
end of the age range, with Modern Rock appealing to the younger market
particularly,
and generally has a very broad appeal. New Wave is a particular favourite
for
35-44s.
ka
S
21.8
20.5
Northern Soul
19.3
Punk
New Romantic
16.2
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Cluster
% 4/5 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Modern Rock 83% 66% 54% 51% 36% 29%
Rock ‘n’ Roll 20% 24% 35% 47% 78% 77%
Punk 32% 33% 30% 25% 14% 16%
Ska 16% 24% 40% 35% 24% 23%
New Romantic 10% 13% 39% 21% 18% 22%
New Wave 24% 30% 58% 43% 35% 23%
Northern Soul 10% 9% 25% 37% 46% 41%
Heavy Metal 39% 25% 35% 35% 27% 27%
Compatibility of Adult Rock Genres
In order to guide our programming format, we needed to check the compatibility of the
music
types. The table below shows the correlation in appeal between the various
music
types we tested. Each column represents the views of all those respondents who
gave
a score (out of 5) of 4 or 5 for the music type at the head of that column. The
percentage
is the proportion of these people who also liked the music type shown in
each
of the rows (i.e. scored it ‘4’ or ‘5’ out of 5). For example, 24% of those people who
liked
Modern Rock, also liked Rock ‘n’ Roll.
72

Cluster
Modern
Rock 4/5
Rock ‘n’ Roll
4/5
Punk 4/5
Ska 4/5
New
Romantic
4/5
New Wave
4/5
Northern
Soul 4/5
Heavy Metal
4/5
Modern Rock 42% 74% 55% 63% 66% 49% 70%
Rock ‘n’ Roll 36% 44% 60% 59% 50% 75% 54%
Punk 35% 25% 47% 43% 44% 29% 54%
Ska 29% 37% 52% 48% 48% 46% 42%
New Romantic 25% 28% 37% 37% 36% 34% 29%
New Wave 45% 41% 64% 63% 63% 51% 59%
Northern Soul 26% 46% 31% 46% 44% 38% 36%
Heavy Metal 41% 38% 67% 47% 43% 51% 41%
This table shows that certain genres of music are compatible, while others are less so. It
appears that New Wave is liked by Ska, New Romantic and Punk fans and Northern Soul
fans also particular like Rock ‘n’ Roll. However, a station playing both Modern Rock and
Northern Soul may be too much of a clash for listeners.
Positive
Attributes of Radio
Respondents were asked to rate the importance of a number of features on radio, rating
them on a scale of ‘1’ to ‘9’ where ‘1’ means they don’t care for it much at all, and ‘9’
means they value it so much that they would consider retuning to another station based
on that quality. This allows us to assess and compare the extent to which each feature
attracts support among the potential audience.
Suitable
music is clearly judged to be the most important aspect of a radio station, 74%
rating
it between ‘7’ and ‘9’. Among all adults it is Smooth FM which leads the way as
the
station that scores highest for ‘music that suits them best’. This suits the type of station
that
Smooth FM is, which is aimed at a slightly more niche market.
These
findings also confirm that most people are not too concerned about having upto-date
music; with the core arrow target of 40-59 year olds scoring it as low as 5.5 out of
9.
Playing old favourites is important, with BBC Radio 2 scoring best for this attribute. This
suggests
that such music that has dropped off the play lists of pop-based FM ILR stations
has strong appeal. There is also evidence of demand for consistency in approach, with
respondents
expecting to hear music they enjoy at all times.
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Positive Attributes to Radio
Music
suits
you
7.3 6.8
v
Old fa
ourites
Only good
songs
Negative Attributes of Radio
A similar question was asked regarding what things people hear on the radio that irritate
them.
Here, ‘1’ is something they do not find annoying at all, and ‘9’ is so annoying that
they
would consider retuning to another station because of it.
Inappropriate
music, including chart music, is a clear turn-off, with Radio 1 noted as a
station
which most plays irritating music. Stations that have a lot of talk and interruptions
and
that do not mention the songs being played also annoy. Old songs being played
is found to be the least irritating with only 17% rating it between ‘7’ and ‘9’.
Negative
Attributes to Radio
Don't like music
6.5 6.5
Talk & interptn
o
No song inf
6.7 6.7 6.6
6.4 6.2
Local news/info
More music,
less
chat
s
Nothing but chart
Knowledgeable presenters
No knowledge
5.7
5.3
6.3
Go
o
Bad T&T
Mostly bad songs
d T&T
5.9
Up-to-date
music
4.9 4.9 4.8
Music too young
Irrelevant news
5.6 5.5
Good
weather
Lots new songs
4.2
Lots old songs
3.3
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This data complements and reinforces the findings from the previous questions about
positive station attributes. The preference for ‘old songs’ over ‘chart music’ is particularly
stark. Interestingly, there is a high level of tolerance for ‘new songs’ which suggests that
the age of the music is not, in itself, an overriding factor; rather, it is the devotion to
following
ephemeral music fashions, and the youth-targeted Top 40, that annoy our
target
audience. Newer songs from the 80s and 90s that are of high quality and
consistent
with the overall musical approach to the station, regardless of their chart
success,
would appear still to be well received.
General
Attitudes to Radio
Attitudes
to radio in general were also sought. Respondents were asked to state how
much
they agree or disagree with a series of statements. This chart shows those who
agree
or agree strongly.
79%
72%
69%
Prefer FM to AM Plenty music at Prefer local More choice for Don't hear enough Lke to know about
home that's not on stations to London under 40s than Manchester bands Top 40 Single
radio stations over 40s on radio Chart
The majority of respondents (79%) prefer stations on FM rather than AM or medium
wave. This indicates that if an alternative to their current AM options was made
available they would be highly likely to switch over to FM. Almost three-quarters of
respondents
state that there is music they play at home which they don’t hear much on
the
radio, suggesting a definite need for a new entrant into the radio marketplace with
a different format to any currently existing.
This again confirms our instinctive approach
to serving this generation of listeners – this is an audience which has lovingly built up a
record collection of classic
favourites, and would like to hear those songs and others
like
them, on the radio.
There is clear dissatisfaction with the range of choice available to them at the moment,
with the current provision of radio in Manchester viewed as being primarily targeted at
younger listeners, with the Baby Boomer generation disenfranchised by the medium
they love.
Appeal
of Individual Speech Features
Respondents were then asked to what extent they would want to hear certain items on a
new station.
Localness, whether
in the form of news, traffic & travel or weather, is a very important
part
of what respondents would want to hear on a new station. Local news is seen as
particularly vital, with an emphasis on events, music and entertainment. North West
59%
53%
37%
75

listeners also clearly care about what’s going on in the world, with news in all forms
rating highly. People in the Manchester area also care about news in the wider region
but not as much as they do about their own locality.
These results should also be considered alongside the findings from the focus groups. It
appears that local news, weather and traffic and travel are important to listeners, but
should
only appear on the station in the appropriate way. That is to say: short, sharp
and
relevant.
Listener
interest in live and local music is also clearly apparent. Live music sessions,
features
on local music talent and new music from local bands all scored well, although
much
of this is territory which will already be well covered by Xfm.
89% 84%84%
79% 79% 79% 76% 73% 72%71% 71% 70% 67% 66%
59% 59% 57% 55% 54% 52%
47% 45% 43%
Local
news
Local
music
news
Local
info
Reg
T&T
Reg
weather
Live gig coverage
North
West
news
Artist
interviews
Live
sessions
New
local music
Local talent
features
UK news
Intnl news
Films
& videos
Quizzes and competitions
Road show appearances
Health
& fitness
Local sport
Music documentaries
Local sports events
Uk & Intnl sport
Sports
interviews
Local business
new
Least important among respondents is business, health and fitness and sport. Only 47%
want to hear about UK and international sports news and even local sport only
manages
to command the support of 55% of respondents.
Speech/Music Ratio
When asked what ratio of speech to music they would like on a new station, 57% of
respondents opted
for ‘all music’ or ‘mostly music’, compared to only 3% who chose
‘mostly
talk’ or ‘all talk and very little music’. Given the questions that preceded it, and
the
wording of this question, it is clear that respondents understood that they were being
asked
about relative speech levels within a station that would include at least some
music.
In comparison with existing music stations, an overwhelming 95% would prefer either
more
music or approximately the same balance. It is apparent that, if presented with a
further
music radio choice, listeners in Manchester would not welcome one with high
speech
levels.
s
76

36%
More music, less chat than
existing stations
Music: Speech Preferences
59%
5%
About same as existing stations More talk, less music that
existing stations
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7. Evidence of Support
This section should provide evidence of support, where appropriate, from the applicant's potential audience
or from prospective local advertisers.
The Arrow has the overwhelming support of listeners in Manchester.
There is clearly interest in having a new radio choice in the market. Respondents to our
survey were asked about their attitudes towards the launching of a new station in the
region. An astounding 92% of them agreed that they would be very keen to try it out,
irrespective of the format.
Our research also showed extremely high levels of support for The Arrow. When read a
description of The Arrow and asked how often they thought they would listen to it, 25% of
respondents said they would listen every day (35% among males 40-59), with the figure
rising to 75% of respondents who would listen at least once a week (84% among males
40-59). When played a selection of tracks representing The Arrow’s format, 38% (57%
among male 40-59) said they would listen often and 13% said that it would be their
favourite station. This figure gives the most accurate indication of the potential reach of
the station, and therefore represents a major achievement for a new service in a
competitive market. We then asked how this would affect their current radio listening
habits. 38% of respondents said they would spend more time listening to the radio in
general, with 13% stopping listening completely to a particular station. For 59% of the
respondents the introduction of The Arrow would mean they would listen less to any
particular existing stations.
We also sought to measure general support for a station like The Arrow even amongst
non-rock music fans. Respondents were asked: “Regardless of whether you would listen
or not, would you support a radio station like [The Arrow] getting a licence to
broadcast?” A staggering 95% of them said ‘yes’. This overwhelming support is an
extraordinary finding, and confirms our view that the Arrow is the station that Manchester
really wants to hear.
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Declaration
We confirm that, to the best of our knowledge and belief:
a) the applicant is not a disqualified person in relation to the licence by virtue of the
provisions of section 143(5) of the Broadcasting Act 1996 (relating to political objects);
b) no director or person concerned directly or indirectly in the management of the
company or the applicant group is the subject of a disqualification order as defined by
section 145(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1996;
c) no person involved in the application has been convicted within the past five years of
an unlicensed broadcasting offence and that the applicant will do all it can to ensure
that no person so convicted will be concerned in the provision of the service, the
making of programmes included in it, or the operation of a radio station if the applicant
is granted a licence; and
d) any matters which might influence Ofcom's judgement as to whether the directors
and substantial shareholders involved in the application are fit and proper persons to
participate in a radio licence have been made known to Ofcom.
Phil Riley
Chief Executive
Chrysalis Radio
79