Emap Radio Creates New Format For Manchester Bid

Emap Radio has created an all speech radio format in its bid to win the new Manchester FM commercial radio licence.

Piccadilly Talk will feature Manchester focused conversation, news, sport, current affairs and Manchester specific issues. Emap Radio’s Terry Smith, who is leading the bid, said: “Piccadilly Talk is the all speech station that Manchester has been waiting for. The key to good radio is making people believe that they have joined a club and the whole concept of Piccadilly Talk is to create an environment for social networking, which welcomes listeners to interact with like-minded people.

“Piccadilly Talk will be innovative in a rapidly changing world. This will be reflected in its speech content, its technological advances and its corporate and social responsibility. It will provide an original new service with a number of clever ideas and unique programmes to create a welcomed and valued addition to radio listening.”

Piccadilly Talk will have a fully interactive website and will transmit its news bulletins into all of Cabitvate’s taxis serving Manchester Airport and Manchester’s expanding tram system.

This is the second speech format from Emap Radio which is currently under consideration by Ofcom. Emap Radio City Talk is in its bid for a new FM commercial radio licence in Liverpool (see Talk Radio Looks Likely For Liverpool).

The new radio licence will broadcast to the City of Manchester and the surrounding area, reaching a potential audience of 1,450,000 adults. Bids for the licence must be submitted for consideration to Ofcom by 3pm today.

Emap: 01733 568 900 www.emap.co.uk