[Spencer]

The frustrating thing about these spin-offs is how off-target they are to the main brands.

Smooth has Smooth Country and Smooth Chill which aren't exactly core to the brand, Absolute has Absolute Radio Country and now this Radio X Classic Rock station that plays mainstream rock but the core brand is indie/alternative rock.

I know why they do it to boost the Rajar of the overall brands for advertisers, but doesn't make it an easier sell to listeners who may associate the brand with something completely different.

Absolute Radio Country does stick out like a sore thumb amongst the other Absolute stations. It would have probably sat better as Magic Country.

But it did feel at the time that rebranding Country Hits Radio under the Absolute Brand was something of a consolation prize for reallocating Absolute’s London FM frequency to GHR.