Owners ‘committed’ to local radio future
A director at Bauer, the owner of Spirit FM, has offered his reassurance to listeners about the integration of the station into Greatest Hits Radio – Sussex.
Peter Davies, the business development director, radio for Bauer Media, responded to the growing opposition to the plans for the Chichesterbased station.
He said: “I hope I can reassure you that Bauer remains absolutely committed to the future of local radio in Chichester and we remain confident that the integration of Spirit FM into Greatest Hits Radio – Sussex will deliver the content we know our listeners in the area value.
“From extensive research and 40 years of operating radio stations in the UK we fully appreciate the central role that local radio can play in a community, such as Chichester.
“Local radio is not just critical in reporting on local issues, but also in promoting and binding that community together. The integration process will mean changes to the way Spirit FM and our other stations are operated, however I would like to reiterate that these changes are essential to ensure that Spirit FM remains the great source of local news, information and entertainment that its listeners cherish in the future.”
Mr Davies added: “Our ambition is to ensure our stations are able to deliver a mix of the local content that our listeners value the most – local news, traffic and travel and information – alongside the high quality national and regional content that has driven the growth in commercial radio listener numbers across the UK.
“We recognise that some of our acquired stations undergoing integration, including Spirit FM, have been successful in their markets, however the media world is changing rapidly and so are consumer habits. Listeners are increasingly migrating towards digital platforms and so the radio industry must evolve to reflect changes in audience behaviour or be at risk of becoming economically unviable in the long-term.”
Mr Davies said Bauer ‘fully recognise Spirit FM’S outstanding track record in charity work and we are looking at ways that we can work with local charities to maintain that support’.
He added: “At Bauer we also have good cause to be proud of our own track record of championing charities and local causes.”
He went on to cite Government and Ofcom local radio consultations in 2017 and 2018 and added: “All of the changes we are now implementing are fully compliant with the Ofcom rules and so do not require further consultation.”