[Ash101]

Some more news from Bauer today – Lincs FM will be taking Hits Radio network programming outside breakfast from next Monday.

radiotoday.co.uk 

I find it curious that Bauer insist on keeping heritage station names like Hallam, Gem, Viking, Pulse 1 and now Lincs, rather than biting the bullet and going for a full Hits Radio rebrand, which at least would allow them to market it properly. It feels like an indication that they don't have confidence in the brand.

If they really pushed it in the same way as they have with GHR, it might actually get a bit of momentum behind it. As it is, it's more of a nondescript sustaining service for a load of stations with nostalgic names that probably no longer resonate with the target audience.

Surely it's time either to rip the plaster off and go for a full semi-national Hits Radio rollout if they actually think the brand is working, or cut their losses and do something different like networking Kiss instead – a station with a clear and well defined proposition.

Yes I agree. I don't really think the 'Hits Radio' name works very well... it's a little bit messy having the name inside 'Greatest Hits Radio' because realistically the word greatest doesn't actually mean 70/80/90s music. Most people would have an opinion on Taylor Swift having a 'greatest' song for example.

They'd be best trying a new name and just rolling it out across the whole lot. The heritage names just bring the product down as it means messy split links where they have to shout the station name over the end of the song before picking up the link live.

[Jon]

I think most people would know by ‘Greatest Hits’ they basically mean oldies. It’s also obvious from all the marketing and talent attached to that brand. That’s what you’re getting. I think that’s one stations where there isn’t an issue.

As for Lincs FM becoming part of the Hits Network. Seems like a way to kill off that brand, I’d always assumed the mix old skewing before having never actually listened. It’s not sure surely going to lose that audience it’s retained since the switch to DAB?

They might as well keep the heritage brands if having used a national brand for the Hits stations they own hasn’t worked. At least it gives them a point of difference over Capital and Heart in the mind of the listener.

---

Pirate's an interesting one. I've not listened for a while, but they seemed to be aligning themselves more closely with GHR in terms of the music and imaging.

You’d imagine going on this weeks logic at Bauer they’ll be thinking of turning Pirate FM into Greatest Hits and they‘d keep Pirate FM on digital taking the Hits network.

[Toby brown]

Pirate's an interesting one. I've not listened for a while, but they seemed to be aligning themselves more closely with GHR in terms of the music and imaging.

Pirate actually takes hits radios Imaging

[Spencer]

Pirate actually takes hits radios Imaging

Oh interesting. At one point they were definitely using some GHR beds.

I've just put it on now, and I hear they're using the Biggest Hits/Biggest Throwbacks strapline too. Although the music is very much not the Hits Radio playlist.

[Belmont]

Oh interesting. At one point they were definitely using some GHR beds.

I've just put it on now, and I hear they're using the Biggest Hits/Biggest Throwbacks strapline too. Although the music is very much not the Hits Radio playlist.

And that is exactly how Lincs went. Moved from GHR beds to refreshing to Hits and strapline, playlist remained typical Lincs for afew months but gradually moved more towards Hits. Almost entirely Hits in the last couple of weeks before today's announcement.

[Jonny]

Yes, it's certainly a slow, drawn out death that benefits no-one long term.

The Planet Radio page that displays all the remaining non-Hits named stations, with hotchpotch branding and playing the same show, sums up the ridiculousness of the whole charade.

The writing is clearly on the wall. In the case of this news - make the big changes now, Lincs name takes the flack, no-one cares when Hits Radio eventually supersedes it.

[Stooky Bill]

I think they were intending to expand the Hits Radio brand into other genres, a few years ago there was a sister station called Country Hits Radio. They even had a special 'live weekend' where the three stations cross promoted each other.

Country Hits swapped brands and became Absolute Country

[lookoutwales]

RAJAR numbers are out - and not surprisingly, BBC News focusing on how many listeners Vernon Kay has lost and how many Ken has taken over to GHR.

www.bbc.co.uk 

Vernon Kay takes Ken Bruce's radio crown but loses some of his listeners - …
Kay has 6.9 million listeners after replacing Bruce in Radio 2's mid-mornin…
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Somewhat more diplomatic commentary from Matt Deegan and Adam Bowie, which is always worth reading.

onaudio.mattdeegan.com 

RAJAR Q3/2023 - by Matt Deegan - Matt on Audio
GHR's latest success plus the battle for breakfast
  Source: onaudio.mattdeegan.com

www.adambowie.com 

RAJAR Q3 2023 – adambowie.com
adambowie.com HomeAudioRAJARPodcastsOfcom Podcast SurveysWritingKyrgyzstanDave Y…
  Source: www.adambowie.com

We're also probably starting to get a firmer idea of how the switch to DAB only has affected Lincs FM - down by around 61k in reach, while GHR on FM has added about 55k.

[James2001]

Noticed this week that Gem has gone the same way as Lincs- moved to DAB only with GHR taking over on FM. Likely leading to the winding down of the Gem brand.

[Ash101]

Noticed this week that Gem has gone the same way as Lincs- moved to DAB only with GHR taking over on FM. Likely leading to the winding down of the Gem brand.

That already happened with them taking the Hits Network outside of Breakfast... so I can imagine Gem will stay in this form for a while yet