MUMBAI: UK’s Absolute Radio is to launch an 80s station catering for “reluctant adults” who want to reconnect with the tunes of their youth, says a report in the Guardian.
The new station, Absolute 80s, will be broadcast from early December on the internet and the London DAB – digital audio broadcasting – slot currently occupied by Absolute Xtreme.
Absolute 80s aims to be a “nostalgia trip” for 30- to 54-year-olds, playing 80s pop from the likes of the Human League, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Prince, ABC, Depeche Mode, Blondie and Bon Jovi.
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The new station will operate as a jukebox format, without DJs, while the evening playlist will have a party feel.
Xtreme, inherited from previous owners Virgin, will be ditched, with fans of its new music offering directed to Absolute’s new listener-led service dabbl.
Absolute’s chief operating officer, Clive Dickens, said there was gap in the market to cater for over-30s who wanted to stay in touch with their fun-loving youth.
“These are people who have responsibilities, are members of families but still want to participate and have fun and be involved in music. A huge chunk of our audience grew up in the 80s,” he said.
The new station will sit alongside the main national Absolute Radio station and the group’s other London digital station, Absolute Classic Rock.
A fourth service, dabbl, will be available online and on DAB, allowing listeners to vote for the music they want to be played.
Dickens said dabbl would initially be a London-based service on DAB but would soon expand its reach to parts of the south of England including Essex, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Bristol.
He said the Xtreme station had suffered from intense competition in the London market from the likes of BBC 6Music, Xfm, NME Radio and Kerrang, says the report.
Absolute changed its name from Virgin after it was bought from SMG by a division of the Times of India Group for ?53.2m last year.
