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 8

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

Absolute Radio Digital Digest by Owen Smith

23Dec

Merry Christmas Eve Eve to all!  Yes, twas the night before the night before Christmas, and all through One Golden Square, not a creature was stirring, except for me trawling the internet for Christmas themed ‘Digital Digest sign off paragraph videos’, and online holiday season facts.  I’m still looking as I write this very paragraph.  Yes it’s Christmas time once again, and I personally cannot wait because I am one of those losers who pretty much lives for Christmas Day.  At this very moment I’m pretty sure I’m actually 95% Starbucks Eggnog Latte.  In fact click on that link.  Click on that link now.  Take a gander at the ‘Did You Know?’ section of that website.  Do my eyes deceive me, or are Starbucks claiming that here in the UK we call Eggnog ‘Eggflip’.  Egg.  Flip.  Brilliant, I’ll add that to the list of flat out lies about this country that are currently circulating, somewhere between we all have bad teeth and we all sound like Geoffrey the butler.  Anyway, step away from the turkey and grab your eggflips, as we’re about to launch into another Digital Digest.

This week, online (with a Christmas theme)…

SCRAP THAT!  I’ve just found this.  Hilarious isn’t it!  The way that they’ve turned the instantly recognisable Siri beep into a sound that sends a jolt of fear right through your soul!  They way that by hook or by crook you just cannot shut her down!  The way she stabs a man in the heart!

It’s a documentary, you fools.  And I told you it was going to happen.  I’ve cancelled Christmas lunch, and I’m off to Tesco to purchase enough supplies to last me for what I think will be a six month duration that is the Siri Apocalypse.  It’ll be just like 28 Days Later, except that it won’t be zombies crashing through your skylight, it’ll be commercial airline pilots, jumping to their deaths to escape the onslaught that is a plane full of passengers blindly following their Siri’s advice to break the windows open for a breath of fresh air.  If you’re lucky enough to find yourself unwrapping an iPhone 4S on Sunday morning then congratulations, your loved ones have just purchased you a Pandora’s Box of trouble that you do not want to open.  Of course, I’m kidding.  I would bloody love an iPhone for Christmas.  I want to play Grand Theft Auto 3 on the train for a start.  But knowing my parents, I’ll probably be receiving a five pack of blank VHS tapes again.

Anyway, digital news!

Britney Spears this week became the first Google+ user to reach 1,000,000 followers.  She also has over 15 million facebook followers, and almost 12 million twitter followers.  Interestlingly, the only other musician in the top five most followed users is na-na-na-na-naa, the one and only D O Double G.  It’s been reported that Google presented Spears with a number of presents to celebrate the reaching of this milestone, namely a platter of meat and a garlic bread braid.  Yes, that’s a complete fabrication but I realised that this story wasn’t really going anywhere, so I felt I had to finish it with a gag.  How can I make up for this?  Well, how about some Christmas cheer?  Here’s Snoop Dogg taking Santa Claus straight to the ghetto, and a holiday treat from Google: type ‘Let It Snow’ into the Google search bar…

Other news this week – fingers, who needs them?  Not us anymore apparently.  Not only did the latest Xbox Live update expand even further upon the voice control technology of the system (I spent all of last Sunday shouting “SKY TV” at my telly, like some sort of angry drunk) but a new report by the BBC earlier this week revealed that Tel Aviv based tech company XTR3D is moving touch-less, motion controlled software into the mobile phone market.  Using a mixture of facial recognition and voice activated controls, our own fingers may become a thing of the past.  Perhaps, in the down time that our digits can now take, you might want to keep them active via other means – and before you finish that sentence with some smut riddled responses, here’s a few examples of what I mean.  Maybe take up fingerboarding?  Finger puppetry maybe?  Failing that, sign them up for a life of terrorist activities or turn them into the living dead.

I’ve prattled on for quite a while there, so App of the week will quite simply go to the brand new Absolute Radio apps.  Like Pokemon, you’ve got to catch them all.  Listen to our station in glorious high quality, wherever you are, whenever you are!

Thats it for the final digital digest before Christmas…  Time for the good stuff.  I leave you with Santa like you’ve never seen him before (he’s Santa and he knows it), the most awesome Christmas fails and pranks ever (there’s nothing like ruining a child’s Christmas is there?), some dogs barking Jingle Bells, and finally (it’s an oldie) two quite excitable children on Christmas morning.

My Mum and Dad put a Wii made out of Lego in a Nintendo 64 box, so I was both disappointed yet ecstatic in equal measure.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.

Categories: Digital Digest Media mobile Technology 0

Posted by owen on December 23, 2011

NEW VACANCY: Absolute Radio’s Agency Sales Team is Recruiting for an Independent Agency Sales Exec

23Dec

 

 The Role

You will support an Account Manager as well as manage and service a portfolio of developing media agencies with a focus on increasing commercial revenue.

Responsibilities include

  • Constant pitching for new business to maximise revenue streams.
  • Negotiating airtime revenue schedules
  • Develop excellent and productive contacts with agency personnel including Buyers and Planners.
  • Sell across all Absolute Radio opportunities (including, sponsorship & promotions and digital).
  • Work towards and meet sales targets.
  • Delivery and maintenance of required administration procedures.
  • To deputise for the Account Manager in his/her absence
  • To help other Account Managers/Sales Executives when appropriate.
  • Build strong relationships with all team members

Skills, Experience and Knowledge

  • Previous experience with a media owner selling to agencies.
  • Experience in selling radio preferred but not essential.
  • History of successful pro-active sales pitches.
  • Strong agency contacts with planners and buyers.
  • Good understanding of customer brands.
  • Proficiency in Word, Powerpoint and Excel

Personal characteristics

  • Must have a passion for radio
  • Creative, strategic thinker
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Self starter
  • A flexible team player, with a ‘can-do’ attitude and a sense of humour.
  • Ability to build relationships across the business
  • High level of written and oral communication

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: January 06 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 December 23, 2011