Capital relaunches 95.8 into a narrower market

Capital Radio Group is repositioning its London station 95.8 Capital FM to target 25- to 34-year-olds with its programming and marketing activities. The strategy is being developed by the station’s new managing director Keith Pringle, who took over the role in July (MW July 31).

The move is part of a strategy to introduce more consistent programming, targeting a focused group rather than a broad audience.

The new schedule, which launches on Monday (September 29), will include a more intensive mix of music during the day, such as half an hour of non-stop music every hour during the work day.

The evening line-up will be refocused towards the core age group to include acoustic sets and coverage of London’s big gigs and premieres.

The changes also involve Emma Forbes, who defected from Heart 106.2 in April, taking over the weekend breakfast show with fellow ex-children’s TV presenter Andi Peters.

Marketing director Carl Lyons says Capital believes that by focusing on 25- to 34 year-olds, it will still be able to deliver a strong 15- to 44-year-old market for its advertisers.

The repositioning follows poor performances in the recent Rajar figures. Its share of listeners dropped from 10.3 per cent for the quarter ending June 2002 to 8.9 per cent, for the same period this year.

The radio station is also launching the second phase of its London Sound promotion, an on-air competition where listeners have to identify certain sounds to win cash. It will be supported by a television and London Underground campaign, created by Delaney Lund Knox Warren.

Lyons says that he is keen to start using a variety of media. Recently, the station has advertised on coffee cups and sandwich bags.