Two new JACK stations launch in Surrey and South London
By James Cridland for media.info
Posted 7 August 2015, 1.00pm bst
JACK and JACK 2 are launching on DAB Digital Radio across Surrey and South London tonight at midnight, and have already launched on Radioplayer and Tunein.
JACK, who claim they're the most awarded local radio brand in the UK, have started their expansion plans by launching two new stations on the Muxco Surrey and South London multiplex, which covers 3.8 million potential listeners.
The main JACK station will carry the JACK breakfast show “JACK’s Morning Glory with Trev and Caroline”, which won a prestigious joint Presenter of the Year Award at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards last month; and playing what they want through the day.
JACK 2 offers a chance to play what you want: joining JACK 2 Oxfordshire as the UK's only radio stations allowing listeners to control the music. This new station uses Futuri Media's LDR technology, allowing listeners to vote for their favourite songs on jack2.com and using JACK 2's mobile app.
Just like their sister stations in Oxfordshire, both stations will offer local JACKtivities and regular traffic updates. The station has announced a local sales team for the Surrey area.
DAB is especially popular in the area: 45% of the area use DAB weekly, as opposed to a 35% figure for the whole of the UK. The Surrey multiplex's transmission map shows good coverage of much of South London, and even parts of central London. If you can find BBC Radio Surrey on your DAB set, you should find the two new stations; if not, it might be worth looking at a retune.
The stations are operated by Oxis Media, which acquired the JACKfm brand for the UK and Europe from Canada’s Sparknet Communications earlier this year. The Oxfordshire stations are enjoying one of the highest audience figures since the licence was awarded over twelve years ago, now reaching 104,000 listeners weekly.
Clive Dickens, Oxis Media's Chairman, said: "We're thrilled to be launching two brand new JACKs into Surrey and South London. We will have a strong local commercial presence in the area as we introduce our brand to local businesses over the coming months. As always, JACK will be at the cutting edge of all things digital and we’re excited to work with various local advertisers to help reinforce their commercial messaging. We acquired the JACK brand outright earlier this year which enables great opportunities for growth, and this is the first of a number of expansion announcements we plan to make in the next twelve months."
"Now, millions more will enjoy JACK playing what we want. We just hope they don't ask for a request," he added.
One of my favourite bits of the station, which I've been listening to this morning, is a positioner saying: "You're listening to JACK's no repeat workday. Or, if you're unemployed, JACK's no repeat... day."