Virgin Launch Details

Virgin Radio is already planning to change its AM frequency for an FM one. At the station’s press launch this morning Richard Branson confirmed he is hoping to change the band as soon as possible, either by swapping with or buying out an existing station. Branson announced he will be approaching the BBC about a possible swap with Radio 4 but suggestions that he might try and buy Radio 1, seen as the station’s main rival, were dismissed.

Virgin begins broadcasting officially at 12.15 pm on Friday although 24 hr test transmissions have been in progress since last Sunday. There is much speculation over the first record to be played with the station claiming only 3 people know and they will not be revealing it. The station’s presenters include Chris Evans, Russ Williams, Tommy Vance and Emperor Rosko. The first show on Friday will be presented by Richard Skinner.

Chief executive David Campbell predicts the station will break even at the end of 1994. It is aiming for a ‘conservative reach’ and is currently guaranteeing advertisers a weekly audience of 3.3m. The station is reluctant to predict the demographics of its audience other than to say it will fall mainly into the 20-45 age group. Virgin has a number of advertisers booked that are new to radio, including Perrier and Hewlett Packard, and has 5 of Campaign’s top 30 brands already booked.