New era in radio needed

The management of Bauer said ‘expanding the Hits Radio will ensure listeners to these acquired stations benefit from multi-platform digital distribution’.

This is ‘gobbledygook’.

Then they say they can continue to broadcast in an increasingly competitive digital and voice activated world ... meaningless... except for voice activated... where is our voice?

Radio stations have speech and music. Spirit FM appears to be 70 per cent music, 20 per cent adverts and ten per cent speech.

LBC (Leading Britain’s Conversation) is a phone- in programme but has only 40 per cent speech with a repetetive news every 15 minutes and adverts and a high price for the telephone charge for phone in. Its reach to people is poor.

The community of Chichester (which is different from Bognor) might appreciate a local news station which helps them through the post pandemic era.

It will ease loneliness and isolation and give people information and guidance of value.

The community can get news, traffic and weather from the BBC any time they want it.

I am not sure whether Spirit FM has achieved the reach to the community I would like... is there a phone in? Shame... if not... it needs to understand its listeners’ needs.. how better to do this than in a two- way street – its called sharing the radio waves.

My hope would be for a local radio which is 70 per cent speech and 30 per cent music (classical, opera, jazz, soothing and humorous pieces – a wider spectrum).

If the broadcasting licence fees are obstacles for a volunteer group they should be reduced or abolished.

Are there any skilled and experienced radio broadcasting people out there in Chichester to bring on a new era in local broadcasting .... maybe a group of volunteers?

MIKE HARVEY

King George Gardens Chichester