Galaxy 102.2 gets in touch with its audience

Global Radio are probably wishing they'd removed all local programming from their network, after someone managed to break into West Midlands Galaxy 102.2 and started to swear on air, apparently. The phrase "I'm still fucking here" might have been heard, depending on who you choose to believe.

Police arrested the intruder, although it's believed John Noel Management is offering to represent him.

Scottish XFM dances away

XFM in Scotland - which originally won its place on the FM airwaves as Beat 106, promising Scottish alt-rock - is to be turned into a Galaxy branded dance station after the completion of the GCap-Global merger:

In an email to staff Darren Henley, the managing director of the music brands Classic FM, Xfm and Choice FM, said the process would "take a month or two".

"In the meantime we will still be broadcasting as Xfm Scotland but inevitably our focus will move towards the launch of the new station as the weeks go by," said Henley.

"I know that there has been a lot of uncertainty and change over the past few months for everyone in Glasgow - and I really do appreciate the very professional way in which you have all carried on working so hard and your willingness to embrace change."

Although, presumably, the staff who present indie shows are now going to have to embrace the change of not actually having a job any more.

Global, of course, is thrilled at what it sees as a chance to sell more advertising - sorry, bring an experience of some sort... new... what is it, again?

The Global Radio executive director, Richard Park, said: "Central Scotland can prepare itself to receive Britain's fastest-growing radio station aimed at young people and the prospect of the output from the Glasgow studios is an exciting one."

The people in Central Scotland who already enjoy XFM, presumably, aren't important and won't be able to stand in the way of this "fast-growing station aimed at the young peoples".

However will Global pay for their GCap takeover?

By cutting costs, of course: Heart and Galaxy are going to "network" much of their programming. James P emails with this:

Only breakfast and drive shows will survive on Galaxy (Heart also get to keep their local mid-morning programmes). Everything else will be networked, with Global claiming it will offer a "quasi-national proposition to advertisers". It's also being described as a 'cost-cutting measure'.

The Global chief executive has an interesting reason for this disposal of local shows; "People assume networking is about big name DJs. It's not, it's about quality presenters. If you take 50 different radio stations there cannot possibly be 50 good presenters at every station in a particular slot. Why not take the two or three quality class players and put them across the network".

The sad part is that he doesn't seem to question why there aren't '50 good presenters at every station in a particular slot', or wonder if it's maybe because the increase in networking across commercial stations means a reduction in the hours for those slots where 'good presenters' got their first break. In the past, off-peak slots could be used to try out new talent. Now they're filled across the country with the same presenter who's, you know, adequate.

Still, when the 'quality class players' decide to take that better job at the BBC or a bingo channel and Global realise there are no experienced presenters to take their place, I suppose there's always ex-Big Brother contestants...

It also misses the things that local radio do really strongly - or did, to be honest, before cost-cutting set in - which is to be local. It's like saying "what's the point of gossiping with people in your street, who might not be very good at it? We'll have one, giant gossip, covering your entire region - you won't actually hear any gossip about people you know, but it will be delivered in an expert fashion.

A Galaxy of swearing

Ofcom has ticked off Galaxy in Manchester after presenter Rob Ellis got sweary against the disabled [pdf link; page 9] on-air and said:

“...I reckon every spacker in Manchester could go to Toys R
Us…meanwhile I am having to walk fucking miles with me kids in the rain...”

Of course, this is the sort of thing which can happen on live radio.

Unfortunately, the programme wasn't live; it had been pre-recorded which compounded the error. Surprisingly, though, Ofcom seems more worried about a presenter having trouble operating the recording software than the idea that people who think "spacker" is acceptable for use whether on or off air are getting access to microphones.

It didn't help that Galaxy waited a week before apologising, and then didn't bother to explain what they were sorry about.

In light of all this, Ofcom had no choice but to... erm, say it wasn't right.

Curiously, the last North Western radio presenter to inadvertently appear on air saying "fuck" - Simon O'Brien, who had the decency to resign - has resurfaced: He's joining the resurrected City Talk in the New Year.

Kiss off: EMAP dump dance network

MediaGuardian is reporting that EMAP is about to offload Kiss to Global Radio; the idea being that Global will merge the Kiss brand with its own Galaxy network which covers a similar not-especially-challenging dance beat.

Those of you with long memories will recall that the Galaxy stations used to be branded Kiss, under a licence from EMAP, until the publisher took the name away.

It's not thought that the Kiss TV network forms part of the deal.

Heart murmurs

The future of Heart and Galaxy is up in the air this morning as owners Chrysalis announce a review of their business. Amongst the possible options are a demerger of the radio and music divisions:

Chrysalis chief executive, Richard Huntingford, added: "The latest Rajars and current trading confirm that we start this process from a position of considerable strength.

"We have no preconceived view on the outcome of the review, other than a commitment to ensure Chrysalis Radio's participation in the long-term development of the UK radio sector and thereby deliver the greatest benefit to all stakeholders, including shareholders, listeners, advertisers and employees."

Our instinct here - and forgive us our cynicism - is that the second on that list of stakeholders might be lowest in list of priorities.

Galaxy and Kiss snuggle up

The Chrysalis-owned Galaxy radio network and EMAP's Kiss are to work together in a bid to take on the might of the BBC.

Yes, that's what they say, anyway.

We know that some Galaxies used to be Kiss anyway before EMAP threw a brand-hissy, but let's let that one lie, shall we?

Galaxy and Kiss already share a dance music Top 40 chart, the Fresh40, on Sundays. We do wonder, though, if one side is a little keener on the link-up than the other:

The Chrysalis Radio group head of programming, Pete Simmons, told MediaGuardian: "We are talking at management and programme director level, both commercially and in terms of programme content.

"We won't be sharing a breakfast show Monday to Friday, but there are other ways we can complete with the BBC.

"The figures for Kiss and Galaxy are great at the moment. People talk about kids not listening to radio anymore and it's just not true."

An Emap spokeswoman said the new radio projects were still at the discussion stage.

Now, if that's not one side booking the church and flicking through wedding invitation designs while the other is still wondering if he's going to return her calls, we don't know what is.