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Media
Radio 7 rebrand given go ahead
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 9 February 2011
The BBC Trust has approved plans to rebrand Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra and to create a permanent online on-demand archive of classic Radio 3 and Radio 4 content. So that’s nice.
Radio 7 mainly broadcasts drama and comedy from the Radio 4 archives, with some comedy also coming from Radio 2 and occasionally olden days Radio 1. The appearance of old shows on the station often instigates the digitalisation of archive BBC content that has otherwise sat in dusty containers. Plans to rebrand the station as Radio 4 Extra, to better communicate the service’s links to the Beeb’s flagship speech station in a bid to boost audience, was first proposed early last year.
The BBC Trust report was complimentary of the services offered by Radios 3, 4 and 7, though encouraged station bosses to extend their audiences while retaining their channel’s distinct identities. It also noted that children’s content on 7 did not have a huge audience. With that in mind, the Corporation’s overseer green lighted plans to reduce the amount of kids shows on what will become Radio 4 Extra, instead making more such content available to download via the CBeebies website, and licensing it to other parties to broadcast, such as digital station Fun Kids.
Welcoming the Trust’s rulings, the boss of BBC Radio, Tim Davie, told reporters: “We welcome this report and the Trust’s recognition that listeners enjoy these distinctive services which also represent value for money. I am pleased that the Trust has approved the rebranding of Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra and hope we can build on the success of Radio 7 and bring its content to an even wider audience”.
He added: “We also welcome the Trust’s recommendation that we continue to build the appeal of Radio 3 and Radio 4 amongst potential new listeners in a way that preserves the quality and distinctiveness of the services and considers their existing, loyal audiences”.
However, not everyone is happy with the findings. Commercial radio trade body RadioCentre accused the Trust of encouraging the BBC stations to become more populist when that’s not really their remit, while also questioning whether the regulator had properly considered all the implications of the Radio 7 rebrand.
Their top man Andrew Harrison told reporters: “The BBC Trust’s call for Radios 3 and 4 to extend their appeal, whilst retaining their distinctiveness, is a contradiction in terms. It’s like asking a station to become more popular and less popular at the same time. Radio 3 and Radio 4 should be proud of their unique character and do all they can to retain it”.
He added: “The rebrand of Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra may well prove to be an important step in the radio industry’s drive to digital. However, by not following due process, the BBC Trust has undermined its own governance framework. We therefore call for an open and transparent consultation, in order to understand the nature and impact of these proposals”.
