91.4 Coast Fm News March 28th 2005

Some friends of Coast FM have been asking why we have gone to an all music format. We have done so after much soul searching and after asking a lot of questions in the marketplace.

We have always wanted the perception of Coast FM to be that of a truly international radio station, but over its first three years the station has perhaps been allowed to drift too far towards the British enclave. Our British listeners are important to us and it has hurt to receive criticism, some of it quite strident, of our new output. But we are very conscious of the fact that there are only about 4 thousand Brits among Limassol's total population of 200,000. That is 2%. If a small number of this 2% deserts us in our quest to make ourselves more acceptable to the remaining 98% it does not deflect from the correctness or the courage of the decision to change format. Expat reaction would be a dangerous barometer for us to heed when making important programming decisions. Since Coast FM went on air, Cyprus has become a member of the EU and there is now - more than ever - a need to be inclusive rather than exclusive in terms of the fare we offer our audience. We have become increasingly aware that a surfeit of UK news and gossip does not serve this purpose. How many locals, or visitors from countries other than Britain, have an interest in the affairs of Charles & Camilla? How many possess 3 grand's worth of satellite equipment on which they watch Eastenders? Great music, on the other hand, speaks for itself and has a universal appeal. In the interest of balancing our commitment to music with the need to maintain an information service, we are reintroducing news at 0700, 0800, 0900, 1300, 1600, 1700 & 1800 weekdays; and at 0800, 0900, 1300, 1700 & 1800 weekends.

We are delighted with the response of the majority, and early indications from audience research already point to an upswing in listening. Commercial breaks appear more conspicuously than before, and thus we are better able to serve both listener and advertiser alike. We will soon be adding new features: an interactive Music Hotline will inform listeners of programme content and enable them to pick tunes and send out recorded greetings; a Community Notice Board will – as its name suggests – deal with matters of interest and concern to Coast FM listeners, and airtime will be offered free of charge. Anyone who has heard great 21st century radio in other markets will have a good idea of where Coast FM is headed… and we are going there gleefully.

 

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