Talking Radio: Clive Dickens

Clive Dickens

• Increase image
• View all images

Could 2009 see the renaissance of breakfast time for commercial radio, asks Absolute Radio programme and operations director Clive Dickens.

Whether you are a commuter, parent or school child, breakfast radio accompanies you from the moment you wake to your place of work or the school gates.

And in a prolific media environment, with numerous and varied media outlets, where iPlayer is making entertainment on-demand a reality, breakfast radio remains unique in that nowhere else offers the same personal relationship.

It delivers music, news, weather, the day's information, and entertainment every step of the way, whatever your route.

But it can go beyond that: good breakfast radio reinforces a sense of community. It can be part of the fabric of living in a certain place at a certain time: back in the 1990s listening to Chris Tarrant on Capital was as synonymous with London life as the Standard or getting the Tube.

However, in recent years it seems to have taken a while for UK commercial radio to get breakfast right. There's been lots of trial and error since the Tarrant vs Evans era and it can't have helped that almost all commercial stations have changed hands in the past couple of years.

But that's all changing and 2009 will herald a new era of breakfast radio. Presenters across commercial radio have bedded in over the past few years. Nick, Jamie, Neil, Johnny and Christian - having been handed freedom, investment and creative support - are at the top of their game.

The demand has always been there - 90% of the UK's population listens to breakfast radio, and it is the ideal medium in a tough economic climate simply because it is free and mobile.
Add to that the rise of in-car DAB digital listening (over 40% of men already own or listen to DAB thanks to the relatively recent availability of affordable products offering crystal clear audio) and a crucial "space" (ie the car) is unlocked for advertisers which, in turn, invest in promotions that provide an added draw for listeners.

Team-based shows, which rate highly with listeners (over 60% prefer them), strong presenter talent and comedy content are set to remain the big mainstays of the breakfast show format.

But while it is true to say that the breakfast show is the station's brand before 10am, and so demands considerable investment and creativity, this shouldn't be at the expense of the rest of the output. In particular, hometime [drivetime] is strategically a strong "bookend" to the workday for increased listener retention and, in my view, it is underprioritised by UK programmers. Why fall in step and animatedly engage with people on their way to work but drift alongside them on the way home?

Creativity and personalities, given free rein to develop, should be celebrated (and financially supported) across a station, particularly on breakfast and hometime. And it would seem that, for the first time in years, the commercial sector has significant investment to draw on.

Not only does innovative output, creative freedom and a reasonable level of funding reinforce listener affection and loyalty, it attracts emerging talent. These are all key if the sector is to capitalise on the opportunities ahead.