Mohamed Fayed has bought the struggling women’s radio station Viva! for £3 million. Fayed, the owner of Harrods, has been trying for some time to establish a media empire with the formation of a new media arm called Liberty Publishing. He recently tried to buy The Observer newspaper for £25 million but the bid was rejected (Newsline 20/03).
Since its launch 10 months ago Viva’s listening figures have been dropping steadily: it has recently emerged that for long periods at the weekend the station does not even register on RAJAR because there are fewer than 500 listeners.
It is believed Liberty Publishing plans to broaden the appeal of Viva! to encompass men, though the station will have to comply with its original licence agreement to broadcast to a mainly female audience.
Stewart Steven, Chairman of Liberty, said: “It is a small but significant building block in the company’s plan to create a new and independent media company in Britain.”
Liberty Publishing: 0171 225 6737
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