MUMBAI: Big FM is altering its Sunday programming across cities, keeping listeners’ preferences in mind.
Big will now introduce programming with a combination of entertainment, humour, entertainment customised according to individual needs of different cities. Some of the changes to be incorporated are information capsules for Kolkata and Chennai markets as the listeners need more news based content and on the contrary, Mumbaiites and Delhiites need more entertainment and light humour.
Says Big FM VP marketing Anand Chakravarthy, Contrary to the belief that listenership dips on weekends, we have recorded high listenership on Sundays compared to weekdays. 80- 85 per cent of our listenership is from home instead of out of home and on Sundays, these listeners are more attentive, so we plan to package refreshing content for them….
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By customising our content, we are looking at market differentiation. Normally, all stations have same FPC across all their frequencies with similar programming. Also, it is not enough to just speak the local language and play local music to be local but also have different tone for every market….
Earlier this month, Fever’s Delhi Station commenced altering its programming content and music to suit the preferences of its listeners, in accordance with the results of a just concluded listenership survey. Apart from music tastes, the survey also illustrated the need for more humour capsules and information bytes, Fever officials said. Fever had announced a Radio Survey in mid November 2008, calling upon radio listeners in Delhi and seeking their opinions, preferences and views pertaining to music and programming content on radio.
Synergy Media’s My FM too tweaked its programming earlier this year, based on the findings of a week-long seven State Radio Survey conducted in December, covering Chandigarh, Indore, Bhopal, Jaipur, Raipur, Ahmedabad and Raipur. My FM launched its new campaign giving the ownership of creating their own radio station to listeners. The campaign was unveiled in 17 cities across seven states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The new campaign adds fresh content and music to My FM’s repertoire, bringing in melodious, romantic songs, regional music, humour segments and English songs in tune with listener preference in the various markets.
Radio City had also upped their music quotient on weekends a fortnight back, with an array of new shows and segments coupled with music.
Big FM on its part, would now be making changes in its music as well as the content of programming. We would be introducing â€?Lazy Sunday Mix’ where the music would be soothing with tracks in medium and low tempo. This music will continue throughout the day and post six; we would tune into normal mode….
Big FM has planned different and station specific content across all its frequencies taking the listeners behavioral patterns and preferences on Sunday. As a radio station, we need to understand that each station differs from another and then develop content around that….
At the moment, we have horoscopes by astrologer Sanjay Jumaani which is aired across all stations. We are planning to introduce information about discounts, deals, plays, events, movie reviews for the listeners to plan their Sundays accordingly….
In times of recession, we are promoting the slogan, â€?Don’t worry, be happy’ and as an entertainment brand, we have make the listeners forget their worries. Towards the end of Sundays, we have inspirational poems and we end the day on a positive note to energise the listeners for a hectic week ahead….
Big FM would be promoting the new programming by extensive on air promotions and has also lined a couple of on ground activities during the weekdays.
RAM was introduced in Kolkata mid 2008 and Chakravarthy believes the weekly data as the best way to analyse positioning. Even before RAM, we had our quarterly research to analyse awareness and perception of our brand. With the weekly data by RAM, we plan our strategies accordingly….
Although many radio operators have been expressing their discontent over recession, Chakravarthy maintains, We have full inventory across all metros both in prime and non prime slots and have not been affected. Recession has proved as a boon for us as we have new advertisers on board. The advertisers have realised the reach of radio as IRS survey shows decline in print so the other effective medium to reach the pockets is radio….
He adds, The third quarter has been the best time for our radio station as it was a festive time and due to onset of slowdown, advertisers are looking for value a medium can offer within their budget constraints. With a pan India presence, radio can make a product visible across its networks with a multi-city avtivation, so we have many advertising shifting from traditional way of advertising to radio….
