Absolute Radio and its sister stations will strengthen and extend Bauer Media’s national radio portfolio - Kiss, Kisstory, Kiss Fresh, heat, Planet Rock, Kerrang! and The Hits - which champion a variety of music formats across the UK.
Absolute Radio takes Bauer’s audience for its national radio portfolio beyond 10 million listeners. This runs alongside its Place portfolio, with 8.6 million listeners each week, through stations including Magic 105.4, Clyde 1, Key 103 and Hallam FM. The total audience reach across all platforms at Bauer Media UK now exceeds 20 million consumers every week, one-third of the UK population, says Bauer.
Paul Keenan, CEO, Bauer Media UK, said: “This is an excellent way to end 2013 and sets up a brilliant 2014. Radio is growing and continues to be deeply loved by audiences and advertisers. We will grow the much-loved Absolute Radio brands for the benefit of both listeners and commercial partners and in so doing deliver even more world-class content and brands to extend our position as a market-leading multi-platform media owner, delivering some of the UK’s most valuable audiences.”
Ravi Dhariwal, CEO, Times Of India, said: “Absolute Radio is going to a great new home, an international media business which has a real passion for radio and popular media brands. We have very much enjoyed our time as owners of these fabulous radio stations and we look forward to seeing and hearing how they grow with their new owners.”
Absolute Radio will be led by Bauer Radio’s London Managing Director, Steve Parkinson, reporting to Bauer Radio Group Managing Director, Dee Ford. In the most recent Rajars, the Absolute Radio Network, including the Absolute Radio station, recorded another long-term audience increase with an additional 445,000 listeners taking it to 3.4 million listeners (+15.1% Yr on Yr). The Absolute Radio station was also up 93,000 listeners (+6.0% Yr on Yr) taking it to an overall reach of 1.6 million. Its stellar presenting talent, says Bauer, includes Christian O’Connell, Frank Skinner, Geoff Lloyd and Pete Mitchell and the business continues to build a market-leading position for listening through the digital platform.
Keenan concluded: “Bauer is investing in radio. We believe in the long term vibrancy and relevance to listeners and advertisers of radio. It’s a medium with a great future. We stated our intention to grow our radio business and, after the acquisition of Planet Rock and the launches of Kisstory and Kiss Fresh in the first half of 2013, this is the next significant step in achieving our ambition to be the best commercial radio operator in the UK.”
In November 2013, Bauer Media UK announced it will be launching The Debrief in February 2014, a new multi-platform digital media brand for constantly connected, influential ABC1 20-something women.
