It is good to hear from someone who is looking forward to the launch of Worthing's new station, 107.7FM Splash FM.
However, Miss D E Williams (Letters, December 11) has been misinformed on a couple of points.
She incorrectly states we will be targeting the 25-54 age group when, in fact, we will be targeting the 35-54 demographic, with a broader appeal to the 25-70 age group.
The decision was made after extensive market research. From this, we identified the audience least well served by local commercial provision was above 35 years of age.
Our research indicates 34 per cent of all respondents (15-70) said they would be extremely or very likely to listen, with a further 45 per cent stating they would be fairly likely to listen.
While I accept Miss Williams may not find all the output of Splash FM to her liking, I am confident elements of our music output are likely to appeal to the more mature listener.
Furthermore, our speech content (which will account for up to 35 per cent of programme air time) will be rich in local content, news, sport, what's on, regular features, interviews and audience interaction via telephone, fax and email.
In terms of style, without appearing to be out of touch or prudish, we will not resort to a laddish delivery with a constant diet of sexual innuendo or use of soft swear-words which have become voguish elsewhere on radio.
Presenters will be well informed about the music being played, have good local knowledge and, wherever possible, be locally sourced.
Splash FM plans to provide a service that is truly inclusive for all the family.
To that end, we have included two programmes on our schedule that are intended to score strongly with an audience outside our target 35-54 audience: The Brunch Bunch, hosted by Dave Benson Phillips for young parents and their children, and Smooth Operator, designed to satisfy easy-listening music fans of 55-70 years old.
This show will draw on melodic classics from the past 40 years. Additionally, David Hamilton will present a three-hour oldies show called Gold Coast. This is just a sample of our Sunday programming.
As far as Jerome Kern and other great songsmiths are concerned, we intend to provide a platform for local musical societies who will be showcasing this kind of music.
Splash FM plans to launch this spring on 107.7FM and invites everyone to tune in and judge for themselves.
-David Cunningham, Director, Splash FM, Worthing
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