By Ayanna Kirton, Staff Reporter
Wilson-Messam
IN A bid to capitalise on the growing importance of the youth segment of the population to corporate advertisers, HOT 102 FM has sought to broaden its appeal by changing its programming to attract a younger audience. Widely perceived as a radio station that targeted a more mature audience with its heavy analytical news and talk show programming, it is currently running a television advertising campaign geared to lure young listeners.
In an interview with the Financial Gleaner, general manager for HOT 102 FM, Andrea Wilson-Messam, said the move was made to increase the diversity in the station's programming while maximising advertising earnings.
"It is profitable for us, both financially and programme-wise, to be creatively diverse," Mrs. Wilson-Messam said.
"Substantively our target audience hasn't changed. But we've acknowledged that even that segment does not listen to us 100 per cent of the time. Therefore we have hired new disc jockeys (djs) to rev up the station's engine at those down times, (which are typically) very late at night, mid-afternoon and on Saturdays."
"We want to create mass appeal so that everyone can feel some of the 'heat' through our varied programming," she explained, referring to HOT 102's programme categorisations in which the station rates the content of its programming based on the various stages of 'HOT': ranging from 'simmering' talk shows to 'sizzling' contemporary music and entertainment based programming.
NICHE-ORIENTED
In an industry where radio stations are becoming more and more niche-oriented, HOT 102 has opted to go a different route.
"We are not going into niche markets. We don't want to be put into a strait-jacket, limiting ourselves to one particular segment of the population," said the general manager. Thus, their intention is to try to build brand loyalty from the youth market.
"We want our audience to grow with us to listen to HOT 102 when they want to get 'jiggy' enjoying our hot new djs," she said. "Then as they mature, there will be a need for other types of entertainment, all of which can be found on our station."
Now owned by the CVM Communications Group, Mrs. Wilson-Messam said the acquisition of HOT 102 FM last July has enabled the radio station to make considerable advances as a business.
"We have seen a 100 per cent growth in revenues and profitability has increased by 400 per cent within the last year," she said. Formerly owned by Western Broadcasters Limited, Mrs. Wilson-Messam said the station was largely a western station, catering mainly to that section of the island. Since the acquisition, however, she said it had become more of a national broadcaster, conducting the bulk of its business in the island's capital with offices and a studio in Kingston while still maintaining its Montego Bay studio. "We're very pleased with the strides we've made since CVM took over ownership," she said. "We are now a Jamaican station and our (soon to be launched) marketing campaign will bring to the fore all that we have in store for listeners."
