Second Listen: London's Heart 106.2
Written Oct. 25, 2007 by Sean Ross in Content + Terrestrial Radio with 1 Comment
Four years ago, London's Heart 106.2 scored a surprise upset of then-dominant Top 40 Capital FM with an AC format that anticipated the disco-flavored blend that would eventually materialize at WLTW (Lite FM) New York and other successful U.S. ACs. Since then, Heart and mainstream AC rival Magic 105.4 have become mainstays at the top of the London ratings and it's actually news, as was the case this time, that Capital (which is sounding pretty good these days) had rebounded to third place.
But the news did send me back to Heart for the first time in six months or so. At first it seemed that the station had moved a little further toward the mainstream pop side. The stretch beginning with the Four Tops is more typical, although there does seem to be less actual disco than there was a few years ago. Here's the station at 4:40 p.m. today.
Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time"
Take That, "Shine" (one of the reformed '90s hitmakers' comeback hits)
Kelly Clarkson, "Because Of You"
George Michael, "Faith"
Abba, "Dancing Queen"
Phil Collins, "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)"
Plain White T's, "Hey There Delilah"
Four Tops, "I Can't Help Myself"
Macy Gray, "I Try"
James Morrison, "You Give Me Something"
Madonna, "Borderline"
Alicia Keys, "Fallin'"
Prince, "1999"
Spice Girls, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" (their reunion single, just released here as well)
Ben E. King, "Stand By Me"
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What continues to baffle me in the London market is that the actual output of these stations has only a vague connection to the formats they are licensed to broadcast by Ofcom. Heart is licensed as a "MELODIC ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC-LED SERVICE FOR 25 to 44 YEAR-OLD LONDONERS", Magic is licensed as "AN EASY-LISTENING SOFT MUSIC-LED SERVICE AIMED AT THE MORE MATURE LONDONER (AT LEAST OVER 35)", and Capital FM is a "A CONTEMPORARY/CHART MUSIC-LED SERVICE FOR UNDER 40’S". But then Smooth FM is also an "AN EASY LISTENING STATION", according to Ofcom. The net result: too many stations playing similar music, resulting in most of the audience slipping away to non-commercial BBC Radio Two. London's #1 commercial station has a 6.2% share, while Radio Two has a 10.8% share (RAJAR Q3 2007). Commercial radio's massive challenge is to get back audience from Radio 2, not simply to cannibalise its commercial competitors!