Virgin became Absolute Radio today

‘Absolute Radio’, that was the name they settled on after months of debate about what should succeed ‘Virgin Radio’.  They looked at their letterheads or the name of the company on the door that they were walking into every morning and suddenly had a lightbulb moment!

I think it’s a really good name. The bit I didn’t ‘get’ was why none of the pundits sussed that it was the most obvious name to give the station, as that was the name of the company!

If it’s really true that the format is changing to a more realistic one (larger number of songs, personality presenters, less highly structured and restrictive links), then that’s also got to be good news, surely?

I’d assume that the whole music and presentation format will slowly bend towards the new style over the coming weeks even though I hear there’ll be an official end of Virgin and new beginning for Absolute, rather than a slow morphing from one name to the other.

Hmmm. Radio stations closing down and opening up, an anorak’s dream! I might even listen.

Apparently it’ll have a ‘no repeat workday’ section (10am thru 5pm) when songs won’t be played more than once.

Hey, Absolute: Here’s a request for you: Please don’t have the DJs or stupid liner-men constantly telling people it’s a ‘no repeat workday’ or constant flagging up of such things about the format.

Just get on and do it without telegraphing it.

The excitement of radio should be that things bubble away and happen without the mechanics of what’s happening being effectively explained on air. I think of it as being like a scenic coach journey – you want the driver to be using the PA system to tell you what great and interesting stuff is outside, you don’t want him telling you every time he changes gear or where the petrol gauge is pointing, do you?