Melody FM Makes Final Transition To Magic

EMAP Radio has completed the rebranding of London’s Melody FM to Magic FM and is promoting the new identity through a £3.5 million marketing campaign. The ad campaign, created by Mother, launches across satellite and terrestrial television in the capital today.

EMAP bought Melody for £25 million in February last year and was forced to sell its Cardiff-based Red Dragon Radio so as not to exceed the ownership limits monitored by the Radio Authority (see Emap Expects To Improve Melody’s Financial Performance). Capital Radio took Red Dragon off EMAP’s hands in May for £18.25 million (see Capital Radio Acquires Red Dragon Radio).

Following the deal EMAP said that it would improve Melody’s financial performance by incorporating the station into its Magic network and marketing it to national advertisers. Since then Melody has been gradually rebranded: first as Melody, the Magic of London; then as the unwieldy London’s Magic 105.4 Melody, and now finally simply as Magic 105.4.

Alongside the change in name, the station’s playlists have also been slightly altered to draw in a younger average audience. When EMAP bought Melody, 60% of its audience were over older than 55; this has since fallen to 40%. According RAJAR figures, Melody increased its average weekly reach from 998,000 to 1,126,000 between Q2 and Q3 last year. Quarter on quarter share of listening was also up, by 1% point to 11%. RAJAR data for Q4 1998 is due for release on 5 February.

The marketing campaign features music which is drawn from the Magic playlist and each ad ends with the strapline: “As if by Magic. 105.4FM.”

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