Station Profile: Magic 105.4
- Published: 14 November 2007 09:27
- Author: Yvette Mackenzie
- More by this Author
- Last Updated: 14 November 2007 09:27
Station fact file
Head office: Mappin House, 4 Winsley St, London, W1W 8HF
No of staff: 50
Key presenters: Neil Fox, Gary Vincent, Paul Phear, Steve Priestly, Danny Pietroni, Angie Greaves, Eamonn Holmes
Programming: Adrian Stewart, acting programming director, and Liz Parkin, commercial programming director
Key executive: Andria Vidler, managing director, Emap National Radio
Audience figures: 2.02 million listeners a week
In a nutshell: "Magic's confident 'More Music, Less Talk' format is unique. The commitment to play the widest range of new and enduring hits ensures the station stands out in the London market" – Andria Vidler
What the experts say: "Magic's formula of 'more music, less talk' has left Capital and Heart in the dust" – Ian Burrell, Independent
On air with: Neil Fox
Fox worked on the Pepsi Chart Show for more than a decade and was a judge on ITV's Pop Idol. Every weekday from 5.30am he wakes up Magic's London listeners. He was the top commercial breakfast show host in the latest Rajars.
What did it take to get to number one?
Determination, a thick skin, a great team and realising what our audience wanted to hear in the morning.
What is the secret of a successful breakfast show?
Knowing your audience and trying to give them all the things that they need to get them up and out in the morning in a way they want to hear it.
Who do you perceive as your biggest rival?
In the commercial radio sector it is Heart, but realistically it's BBC Radio 2.
What time do you get up for your show?
4.30am.
How do you prepare yourself?
I ride my bike into work come rain or shine and that tends to wake me up - there's nothing like an open-faced helmet in the morning.
When you think of a typical Magic listener, who do you imagine?
I imagine she is a bit like my wife: 34, with three kids, trying to get a family up and out and off to work and school in the morning.
What do you do once you have finished your show?
First thing is a cup of tea and then I sit down with my producer and Adrian, our programme controller, for 10 minutes to discuss how it went.
Why did you get into radio in the first place?
I was finishing my degree in America and heard all of these great American radio stations and knew then that's exactly what I wanted to do.
Does the radio industry get too excited by technology at the cost of top-notch content?
Yes, engineers have a lot to answer for!
What would you do if you were in charge of Ofcom for a day?
Lighten up.
What's the biggest technical glitch you've had?
Total studio malfunction including microphones and the back up studio. When we realised there was nothing we could do, we sat down for a nice cup of tea and watched the ensuing panic among the engineers.
