Capital Shakes Up Management To Win Back Listeners
Capital Radio has restructured its senior management team and has put veteran programming executive, Keith Pringle, in charge of its flagship London station in a bid to increase listening.
The restructure will see Pringle move from his current role as group programme director to the newly created position of managing director of 95.8 Capital FM. The change has prompted Capital FM Network managing director, Andrea Vidler, who was responsible for the flagship London station, to leave the company.
In another move designed to increase focus on 95.8 Capital FM, group operations director, Paul Davies, will take on a greater operational role in the running of the station. He will lead a new team charged with winning back listeners and strengthening its leadership position in London.
The shake-up means that management for the Capital FM Network has been split into two separate teams. One will focus solely on 95.8 Capital FM and the other, led by John O’Hara as regional managing director, will handle all other stations outside of London.
As part of the wider restructure, Andy Johnson has been appointed head of group programming and Ric Blaxill has been made creative director.
Commenting on the initiative, Capital Radio chief executive, David Mansfield, said: “Our mission to win back listeners to our flagship station is a significant challenge. Not surprisingly I have given our most senior people the task.”
He added: “Capital in London still enjoys commercial brand leadership and it is critical we distance ourselves further from the competition. We have the strongest brand name, a format that allows us to have the flexibility we need in music and presentation and a great team of people capable of achieving success.”
The group will make a further announcement about 95.8 Capital FM’s programming and marketing strategy in the Autumn and will reveal the future of the Chris Tarrant breakfast show in November.
The latest RAJAR results for the three months to March 2003 show that the flagship London station saw its weekly reach drop by 10.5% year on year to 2.4 million. Its share of listening also slipped well below the 10% mark in the face of increasing competition from its fiercest rival, Heart 106.2 (see RAJAR Results Q1 2003 – Capital 95.8 FM Feels The Heat In London).
The last few months have seen 95.8 Capital FM introduce a number of changes to its play-list and programming line-up. The station also recently launched a major TV and cinema advertising campaign strengthen its position in the London area (see Capital Lures New Listeners With Major Ad Campaign). All eyes will be on Capital Radio later this week when the latest RAJAR data for the three months to July is released.
Capital Radio: 020 7766 6000 www.capitalradiogroup.co.uk
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