Absolute Radio to launch 80s station

03Nov

Digital station Absolute 80s to target reluctant adults with pop from the likes of Duran Duran, the Human League and Prince.

Absolute Radio is set to launch a brand new radio station to complete it’s offering – Absolute 80s, an 80s station catering for reluctant adults who want to reconnect with the tunes of their youth and offering a new opportunity for Absolute Radio’s commercial partners.

Absolute 80s aims to be a “nostalgia trip” for 30-54 year olds, playing 80s pop from the likes of the Human League, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Prince, ABC, Depeche Mode, Blondie and Bon Jovi.

The new station, Absolute 80s, will be broadcast from early December on the internet and the London DAB slot currently occupied by Absolute Xtreme.

The programming of Absolute Xtreme will evolve into a fresher and more relevant platform for it’s core demographic for 16-35 year olds by moving across to the station’s newly launched dabbl offering. The station will fine-tune it’s music policy to include new music, live music and tracks from the 90s and Noughties.

dabbl is the new digital offering from Absolute Radio produced using a new and innovative mechanic of user-generated music programming – the platform sees listeners directly choose the music based on a vote system developed in-house by One Golden Square Labs. The station streams live on the internet, and on DAB in London.

This strategy is part of Absolute Radio’s move to be a music and entertainment brand with audio at its core that is in transition from an analogue to a digital world.

Absolute Radio is now the first radio group to hit the 50% national digital listening penetration target set out in the Digital Britain report earlier this year. Digital innovation is core to the station’s business and Absolute Radio continues to lead the radio industry. The station recorded 51.5% of the station’s national listening on a digital platform, compared to the industry average of just 21.1%.

Comments (13)

Yorkshire Pud @ November 3, 2009 at 1:33 pm | Permalink

Any plans to transmit via Sky digital Radio ? Not all us “oldies” like the listening to the radio via the internet when living north of London.
You seem to forget the you are a National radio station not just a Capital station.
Steve @ November 3, 2009 at 1:48 pm | Permalink

What about an Absolute 90′s? The 80′s is old enough to be on classic gold now…..
adam @ November 3, 2009 at 1:55 pm | Permalink

@Yorkshire Pud

Yes – Absolute 80s will be on Sky Digital in the radio section where it’ll replace Absolute Xtreme. It’ll be similarly available on Freesat, Virgin Media, and of course on-line.
Marty from new yawk @ November 3, 2009 at 3:28 pm | Permalink

Will there be presenters on the Absolute 80s station?
Thomas Northall @ November 3, 2009 at 6:40 pm | Permalink

This is a great move but I live in the West Midlands and thus wont be able to listen why the London bias? I thought Absoute was a national station once again Absolute goes down in my estimation.
Patrick @ November 3, 2009 at 8:13 pm | Permalink

I am excited about Absolute 80′s but I listen to Absolute Xtreme over here in the states all the time and with it going away it means one less station to listen too. I can’t get dabbl in the states.
Rob Waters @ November 4, 2009 at 12:59 am | Permalink

As I’m outside of the UK, I can’t listen to dabbl. Does this also mean I won’t be able to listen to Absolute Extreme?
Jason B @ November 4, 2009 at 10:03 am | Permalink

I’m disappointed that we’re going to be losing Absolute Xtreme – it was one of my favourite radio stations and much preferred to it to XFM during the daytime as it played a much broader scope of tracks. I might try out NME Radio…

I hope this doesn’t mean we’ll be losing Geoff’s Sunday night Absolute Xtreme show as it’s great to hear the new/classic alternative/indie tracks he plays on the main radio station.

And… will Absolute 80s get a simulcast of Christian O’Connell and Geoff much like Xtreme and Classic Rock? If so, why?
Dominic Small @ November 4, 2009 at 11:26 am | Permalink

Two of my favourite genres of music are alternative and 80s, so whilst I am gutted to lose the excellent Xtreme, it was operating in a crowded market and it will be good to have an all-80s station, something which hasn’t really existed in the UK before. Good to hear that dabbl will take on some of the Xtreme brief, so that the baby ain’t thrown out with the bathwater completely!
Adrian in Devon @ November 4, 2009 at 1:54 pm | Permalink

I live outside London so will have limited access to Absolute 80s. With AM being the natural home for oldies why not simulcast Absolute 80s nationally via 1215, keeping the Absolute main service on DAB? That would give the whole country an additional choice of Absolute stations.
kimsy @ November 15, 2009 at 9:47 am | Permalink

I don’t want the 80′s I want xtreme. Absolute keep going on about playing new music and what do they do? They get rid of xtreme and replace it with absoute 80′s. the 80′s have been and gone its NOT new
Chris Martin @ December 4, 2009 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

Disappointed that Absolute 80′s didnt make it onto Digtial 1 DAB, there seems to now be a right old ball selection on Digital One, Only the three national stations have any quality programming, surely the is a bigger market for an 80′s station than 2 Christian Stations …
Phil @ December 8, 2009 at 5:04 pm | Permalink

Really disappointed that dabbl is only available in London on DAB from 7pm. I listened to Absolute Extreme all the time – bring it back or improve the availability of dabbl!!!