As a comparison I believe Radio Caroline is like an old steam railway line, but slightly different in that this unique service can still attract a new audience, but reminds me of the current politics that’s around. We’re looking backwards and we’re not looking at the direction of travel.
AM is coming to an end, rather like when we were hoping for Manxmann on LW it doesn’t make sense. Today’s radio is a very different animal, made up of listen again, internet delivery and multi platforms.
One of the most cost effective is DAB delivery and if the station cannot afford a whole London presence on say London 3 then in my opinion you’d want to cover a large built up area using the ssDAB’s. I can only go by my experience in the east London/Essex area. When I’m at home I’ll have Caroline on if I’m the mood, the same when at Work in the Holborn area. I use Alexa, I’ll use DAB in the office, when on London transport I’ll use the App, works on the majority of lines I use.
When I’m in the car I’ll try AM but it’s a tough listen and the North London DAB is a hit and miss affair, my journeys are short like most and about 20 to 30 minutes in traffic. I then choose an alternative if I had been listening to the current Caroline offering at home.
Don’t get me wrong I do listen to other radio but the frustration is the obsession with providing more power money and resources to a diminishing market. I’m extremely grateful for the guys who have done the work on AM, when in a clear area it’s a good signal, but ultimately I listen for the entertainment offerings and the convenience of receiving that entertainment.
I understand there is no bottomless pit of money, but East London/Essex is a legacy area that Caroline covered, plus City DAB in Southend I feel would help in attracting new listeners or keep existing ones who get fed up when AM falls short.
And yes I do understand it’s all about me and my listening so is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea on this forum.
