Station Profile: Rock Radio (Manchester)

Joe Radcliffe

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Joe Radcliffe started at GMG Radio five years ago, working most recently as sales director (north-west), where he oversaw the commercial activities of Smooth and sister station 105.4 Century FM. He is now station director for the newly launched Rock Radio Manchester.

l What's the biggest challenge Rock Radio faces?
As a very young station, the challenges we're facing are to increase our audience in preparation for our first Rajars next year and to draw listeners away from other stations, as well as building up a solid commercial foundation for the future.

l How should you be adapting to stay successful in the future?
Rock Radio already provides content and music that the audience can't find anywhere else and we've had some positive feedback in the first few months on air. Listening to that feedback is crucial. Also, making sure that we adapt if necessary and fine-tune the output - listener interaction is so key.

l If you could make one big change to commercial radio, what would it be?
There'd be lots more Rock Radios up and down the country so rock fans could hear great music every day. World domination for Rock Radio would be great!

l Did GCap make a mistake by dropping Planet Rock?
Anything that restricts choice in the industry is unfortunate, especially with a genre such as rock music, where choice is limited to start with. Rock fans who live outside a Rock Radio TSA [Total Survey Area] are missing out on their favourite genre of music and there is clearly demand out there.

l Do you think there's been an erosion of localness in radio?
There are still plenty of stations which are truly local with local news, local presenters and local content. There will always be room for stations that address the people who live near their studios, driving on the same streets every morning. That doesn't mean radio has to be parochial. We recently gave away tickets to see Bruce Springsteen at Old Trafford, a gig yards away from the station, that our listeners across Manchester really wanted to be involved in.

l What's your opinion of Freesat?
Anything that brings more platforms to people has to be a good thing and be of great benefit to the whole industry. Hearing more stations within the home will introduce people to choices that they may not have realised were there.

Station Fact File

Launched: 5 May 2008
Head office: Laser House, Salford Quays, Manchester
Number of staff: approx 20
Owned by: GMG
Key presenters: Steve Berry, Mike Sweeney, The Moose,
Paul Anthony, Jon Kirkman
Key producers: Verity Britton, Mike Russell
Key executives: Joe Radcliffe – station director, John Myers – chief executive, John Simons – group programme director, Hugh Evans – head of presentation
In a nutshell: "Manchester's first classic rock station. Great music, great presenters, great conversation" – Joe Radcliffe, station director
Rajars: First figures to be released Jan 2009