GWR Secures Sponsor For Rock Radio Trial

GWR has secured Carling as the sponsor of a month-long trial of its rock-based radio station, The Storm, in Wolverhampton.

The short-term broadcast is part of the station’s bid for the third West Midlands regional FM licence, which is due to be advertised later this year. Carling will sponsor both the drive-time and breakfast slots, between 19 August and 5 September and will air tailored music ads throughout the rest of the station’s programming.

Commenting on the deal, Stuart Cain, Carling’s head of sponsorship, said: “We committed to live music and teaming up with The Storm seems like a perfect opportunity to bring the brand to music-loving people in the West Midlands. We think that the rock music scene is rarely reflected on local radio and that The Storm is the station to correct this.”

The Storm, which currently broadcasts on DAB digital radio, Sky Digital and the internet, faces competition from a number of other radio groups, which are also bidding for the West Midlands licence. GMG is planning to extend its recently acquired Jazz FM format to the frequency (see GMG Bids For New Licences For Jazz FM), SMG intends to launch its Virgin Radio brand on a regional level (see NewsLine) and Emap intends to use the licence to launch rock-based Kerrang! radio (see Emap’s Kerrang! Rocks The Airwaves).

Earlier this month GWR formed a new division called “Creation” to oversee all the creative programming and online content across its portfolio of local radio stations (see GWR Gets A Management Make-Over).

GWR Group: 020 7284 3000 www.gwrgroup.com

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