Absolute Radio Re-Sign Ian Wright into 2012/2013 Barclays Premier League Football Season with extended show

06Jan

Rock ‘N’ Roll Football Goes From Strength to Strength

We have continued to grow and develop our Rock ‘N’ Roll Football brand by re-signing Arsenal and England legend Ian Wright into the 2012/2013 Barclays Premier League football season and extending his show meaning it now runs from 5 – 7pm every Saturday afternoon.

Ian Wright’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Football’, offers our listeners post match analysis, and entertainment, creating radio which shows what happens when football, music and
comedy collide. He features on Absolute Radio and Absolute Radio extra, the station’s red button service, with guests in 2011 including Harry Redknapp, Joey Barton, Noel Gallagher, Piers Morgan, Gareth Bale, Frank Lampard, John Lydon and James Corden to name a few.

Ian Wright follows pre-match build up with Russ Williams from 1.30pm, with commentary on a selected Barclays Premier League fixture at 3pm from award winning commentator Jim Proudfoot. Both Russ and Jim have also signed extended contracts.

As of January 2012 Wright is set to host a music driven football preview show every Saturday morning from 9-11am on brand new Digital service Absolute Radio 70s. The station has asked
listeners to name the new programme by creating a poll on the Absolute Radio Facebook page. Listeners are currently voting for two choices – Rock ‘N’ Soul Football and Saturday Wright Fever.

Ian makes regular appearances on the stations flagship Breakfast show with Christian O’Connell as Absolute Radio’s ‘Voice of Football’ and enjoys continued success with the ‘Ian Wright Podcast’. Furthermore he can be found on Twitter @Ianwright0 and having only joined in November 2011, already boasts over 150,000 followers and counting.

In under two years Ian Wright and Rock ‘N’ Roll Football has helped the station achieve a significant increase in audience and awareness for it’s football offering. Absolute Radio’s audience as reported by RAJAR is over 10% year on year with 43% of all Absolute Radio listeners recognising that the station is the home of exclusive Barclays Premier League
football commentary, a recorded 20 % increase from H1 2011. (Source EMR Music Panel May 2011 & Nov 2011)

We combine a unique digital football strategy at www.absoluteradio.co.uk/football  housing an in-depth ‘Match Day Centre’ section plus a complimentary ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Football Live Scores’ iOS and Android app for each of the twenty Barclays Premier League teams. The Live Scores application is currently one of the top 50 free sports apps in the itunes store and has achieved 131,000 total downloads to date with 34,000 combined weekly active users.. Absolute Radio were also one of the first to launch on Apple’s iAd in Europe and commissioned it’s 3rd highly targeted campaign to launch season two of Rock ‘N’ Roll Football in August 2011, winning a Marketing Society Award for the campaign in the process.

See what FC Business are saying about us here

 

Categories: Absolute Radio absolute radio extra football 7

Posted by jonny on January 6, 2012

NEW VACANCY: Absolute Radio’s Promotions team are looking for a Promotions Exec to join the team

05Jan

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Promotions, the Account Exec will be responsible for providing all round support to the Promotions Team, including running and implementing on-air Promotions. They will also be responsible for a small agency patch and will be required to create and maintain a strong working relationship with contacts,
and have the ability to sell in promotional opportunities.

 

Responsibilities include

 

Administrative Responsibilities

  • Work with the team to ensure all promotions documentation is up to date
  • Use the internal planning system to generate laydowns, run campaigns and book promotions –
    liaising with scheduling department
  • Work with Account Managers and take on responsibly for the implementation of booked promotions – on-air and online
  • Ensure all audio is accessed and sent to the client where relevant
  • Maintain prize-winner database
  • Use various systems to create Post Campaign Reports presentations and Case Studies for use by the wider sales floor

Sales Duties

  • To identify and secure new business opportunities across development agency patch
  • To pro-actively develop partnership opportunities for target clients
  • To build internal relationships with several departments, ensuring the smooth running of
    promotions inc. Programming, production and digital
  • To develop and create promotional sales pitches/documents and plans
  • To educate and support the wider sales team on specific properties
  • To support Head of Promotions and Account Managers with overall promotions initiatives
    internally and externally

Skills, Experience and Knowledge

  • Developed agency and client contacts, ideally in promotions departments
  • Good working knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  • Excellent presentation and negotiation skills
  • Understanding of OFCOM and RACC codes and guidelines
  • High standard of communication skills – oral and written
  • Able to prioritise and manage numerous projects at one time
  • Ideally a minimum of 1.5 years experience in media or radio sales and previous experience in an S&P
    team, or alongside creative departments in a sales house
  • Understanding of digital media and other marketing mediums an advantage
  • Passionate and enthusiastic with a good eye for detail
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Creative and pro-active
  • Knowledge of TGI, RAJAR and planning systems and advantage

 If you would like to be considered please send a full CV to:

Caroline Hinton – Head of HR, Absolute Radio

One Golden Square, London, W1F 9 DJ

Or e-mail: caroline.hinton@absoluteradio.co.uk

Closing Date: 16 January 2012

Absolute Radio is committed to equality of opportunity for all.

Please indicate your disability on your application. This information is required

so that all who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the position

will be invited for interview.

 

Categories: Absolute Radio Careers 0

Posted by jonny on January 5, 2012

Absolute Radio adds Xbox to ‘Redefining Radio’ Event

05Jan

We have added Xbox to the line-up for our digital event in conjunction with Ed Vaizey – Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries at the Houses of Parliament. ‘Redefining Radio’ – How the internet is transforming radio will showcase thought-leadership from key players within the digital & audio industry including speakers from the BBC, Radioplayer, Facebook, Absolute Radio and broadcaster, writer and comedian Dave Gorman – with Rohan Oommen, General Manager of the Xbox LIVE business in EMEA now added to the bill.

The exclusive, invite-only business breakfast event will set out to demonstrate to decision-makers the emerging opportunities the internet has provided to radio, its ability to transform the medium as it moves from linear broadcast on one device – to unique audio content delivered via multiple platforms.

The full speaking line-up is now: Ed Vaizey – Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Karla Geci – Strategic Partner Development – Facebook, Tim Davie – Director of BBC Audio & Music & Founding Director at UK Radioplayer Ltd, Clive Dickens – COO Absolute Radio & Non-Exec Director at UK Radioplayer Ltd, Comedian, Writer and Broadcaster Dave Gorman and Rohan Oommen, General Manager of the Xbox LIVE business in EMEA.

Redefining Radio – How the internet is transforming the boundaries of UK radio will take place at the Houses of Parliament on January 12th 2012.

www.redefiningradio.co.uk
Hashtag: #redefiningradio

Read what Music Week are saying about us here

Categories: Absolute Radio Events 0

Posted by jonny on January 5, 2012

Absolute Radio Launches on Samsung Smart TV Platform

04Jan

We’ve launched a fully loaded Absolute Radio app for the Samsung Smart TV platform

Designed in-house at Absolute Radio and built by the TV App Agency, the App, available now, gives Samsung Smart TV owners direct access to live streamed HQ audio from the Absolute Radio Network – including Absolute Radio, Absolute Radio 60s, Absolute Radio 70s, Absolute 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Absolute Radio 00s, Absolute Classic Rock and Absolute Radio extra.

The Samsung Smart Hub interface allows one-click access to all Absolute Radio audio streaming in High Quality, with tabbed navigation that enables the user to easily switch between stations and shows using their TV’s remote control. Real time ‘Now Playing’ and ‘Up Next’ information is included, alongside track artwork and Twitter messages from the on-air presenter.

QR codes are also a feature giving smart phone consumers the ability to find out more by scanning the QR code from selected marketing banners on screen with their smartphones and tablets. Users will have access to a wide variety of products including the free Absolute Radio Rock ‘N’ Roll Football Live Scores app – the stations fully loaded Barclays Premier League commentary and match day centre application.

The app is be available to download for free from the Samsung Smart TV app store now.

Read what NMA have been saying about us here

Categories: Absolute 80s Absolute Classic Rock Absolute Radio Absolute Radio 00s Absolute Radio 60s Absolute Radio 70s Absolute Radio 90s absolute radio extra Media on-demand content 10

Posted by jonny on January 4, 2012

2011 – What a Year!

30Dec

It’s been yet another action-packed year for the Absolute Radio team here at one Golden Square.

Who could forget the launch of Absolute Radio 60s, with station friend Cliff Richard helping us snaffle more than a few column inches. We also launched yet another station to compliment our decade station strategy –  Absolute Radio 70s – bringing pop, soul, new wave and mainstream rock, with a playlist that includes the likes of Elton John, David Bowie, Blondie and Stevie Wonder, to name but a few.

David Tennant and Noel Gallagher joined us to co-present the Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show and we undertook countless interviews across the year including,  Eddie Izzard, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Annie Lennox, Manic Street Preachers, Snow Patrol, Tim Minchin, Suede, James May, Alan Carr, Stephen Merchant and James Corden to name a few.

We also hired new presenters Chris Martin (no, his name really is Chris Martin), Pete Donaldson, Pete Mitchell and Richard Skinner and Christian Nash.

We revamped our entire network of IOS Smart Phone applications adding the two new DAB stations to the current series. Fresh apps for Absolute Radio,Absolute 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Absolute Radio 00s, Absolute Classic Rock and Absolute Radio extra completed our 6th generation app launch, in line with our forward-thinking ‘logged in and listening’ InStream personalised ads strategy.

And it was yet another year of awards for the One Golden Square team – we scooped no less than 7 Sony awards, 4 Arquiva awards and Freesat ‘Digital Radio Station of the Year’ as well as the Marketing Society Award for the campaign which saw Absolute Radio as the first brand to advertise on the Apple iAd platform with a highly targeted campaign to support the station’s investment in Premier League football commentary rights for Rock ‘N’ Roll Football. This, as well as awards from Starcom for the ‘Best Collaborations with media owners for work with Kronenbourg and Autoglass, the RadioWorks Media Team’s quarterly Outstanding Service Award.

Absolute Radio continued to pioneer in the digital space in 2011, becoming one of the first brands to launch the Facebook subscribe plugin with Breakfast Show host Christian O’Connell.

We rocked St Paul’s Cathedral as Elbow performed a completely unseen before performance in the crypt of one of London’s most iconic venues, Lenny Kravitz tore up the stage at one of London’s most exclusive secret venues and we yet again held our now famous Christmas Sessions at the House of St Barnabas with Madness and Ed Sheeran. All this against a backdrop of live outside broadcasts from the Isle of Wight Festival, Latitude, Hard Rock Calling plus content from 80s Rewind Festival, Glastonbury, Cornbury and V Festival across the summer. We also staged our very first ‘Boys Night In’ with the Rock N Roll Football  Wrighty, Jim Proudfoot and Russ Williams in aid of The Prince’s Trust.

We announced Simon Kilby from The Guardian as Absolute Radio’s new Commercial Director and Ben Barker as new Head of Agency Sales,  Emma Smyth as Head of Sponsorshop and James Wigley as Head of Digital Sales and waved Chris Goldson off into the sunset as yet another member of our glittering One Golden Square alumni as he took up a new position at national TV broadcaster ITV.

The year ended with revenue up 19% year on year, and in 2011 our network audience rose to a ten year high  - with Absolute Radio 80s reaching a momentuntal 1 million listeners as it turned the tender age of one!

We kick off again in the New Year with our pioneering event – Redefining Radio – ‘How the internet is transforming the boundaries of UK radio’,  set to take place at the House of Parliament on January 12th.

Happy New Year from all at One Golden Square, we are very proud of super, talented and spirited people – here’s to 2012!

Categories: Absolute 80s Absolute Radio Absolute Radio 00s Absolute Radio 60s Absolute Radio 70s Absolute Radio 90s absolute radio extra Absolute Radio Live Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show Comedy Events football marketing Media mobile Music People rajar Technology Uncategorized video 0

Posted by cat on December 30, 2011