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CSB08_034-035_ClassicFM 11/6/08 8:01 am Page 34

From the moment Classic FM went on-air, media pundits and buffs alike were ready to write off the idea of a commercial station playing classical music. However within months of launch, Classic FM had an audience of more than four million people, with many listeners coming to classical music for the first time in their lives. Sixteen years on, Classic FM attracts six million listeners every week.

Market Development of the Year award from the them the ability to rate and ban tracks. In Classic FM is the UK’s largest commercial Marketing Society. addition, an eighth stream, Classic FM TV, radio station, with an audience of six million features short-form classical music videos. people every week, including more than a Product Other features, such as the Listen Again quarter of a million children (Source: RAJAR). Providing an antidote to life in the 21st player, the -only programme Arts Alongside Classic FM, there are more than century is central to Classic FM’s Daily, the music download service and a 500 radio stations broadcasting across the proposition and from launch, the vision was range of podcasts, are giving users unique UK on FM, MW, online or DAB. to treat Classic FM not simply as a radio and compelling content and new reasons to station, but as a brand in its own right. This visit the site. Achievements philosophy has driven forward a number of A free premium service for registered users Classic FM’s pioneering approach to its new and successful ventures over the years, provides a monthly newsletter. This has programming, advertising and marketing has making Classic FM one of the strongest driven the station’s customer relationship won the station many accolades, including brands in radio. management programme to new more than 10 Sony Key to Classic FM’s success as a truly heights, with 450,000 people Awards. Classic FM has been voted multi-platform brand has been its currently signed up to receive UK Station of the Year four times, ability to identify and pioneer new email news from the station. and has been nominated for the ways of engaging consumers. Online Working with Universal award on six occasions. It continues to be a core part of this. Classics and Jazz (UCJ), has won two Awards Classic FM’s revolutionary Classic FM’s CD label for On-Air Station Sound. online service – MyClassicFM.com continues to go from Other awards include – boasts seven audio streams, all strength to strength, Campaign Medium of the of which allow listeners to control with annual sales Year and the UK Brand exactly what they hear, by giving topping the 500,000 1992 1994 1995 1999 2000 2001 At 6am on 7th September, Classic FM is named Classic FM Magazine Classic FM launches Classic FM is named The Royal Liverpool Classic FM launches with UK Station of the launches and quickly its Music Teacher of UK Station of the Year Philharmonic Orchestra Handel’s Zadok the Priest. Year at the Sony becomes the UK’s the Year Awards. for the third time and becomes Classic FM’s Four months after launch, Radio Academy best-selling classical also collects the Orchestra in the the station is attracting Awards. music title on UK award for On-Air North West. 4.2 million listeners news stands. Station Sound. a week.

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who make a real difference to the musical life of their students. Classic FM’s involvement with the Schools Proms meanwhile, celebrates the very best of the UK’s vibrant musical scene. Classic FM has its own charity, Classic FM Music Makers, which funds a range of music education projects, including Music Quest, which is delivered by The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts. All of these activities – both on-air and off-air – are scrutinised by the Classic FM Consumer Panel, an independent body composed of Classic FM listeners and chaired by Lord Eatwell.

Promotion Classic FM has concentrated on two different target markets in order to grow its audience base. Traditional above-the-line brand advertising using outdoor, cinema, TV and press, has been used to talk to a national audience. mark. As well as a range of compilation Recent Developments Alongside this, strategic partnerships have albums, Classic FM and UCJ have joined Despite its success in bringing new been forged with music and art organisations together with HMV to create The Full Works, audiences to both classical music and to promote the brand to people at a local a range of more than 100 CDs of the greatest commercial radio, Classic FM has not rested level. These partners include the London classical works played in full. on its laurels. In spring 2008, the station Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool The first issue of Classic FM Magazine launched its most significant change in Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia rolled off the press in 1995. It is the programming output in its 16-year history. Orchestra, Welsh National , the UK’s best selling classical music title on hosts Classic FM’s morning Canterbury Festival and the Barbican Centre’s news stands, with average monthly sales show from 8am until noon. It consistently Mostly Mozart festival. of up to 41,591 (Source: Audit Bureau rates as the biggest programme anywhere on of Circulations). commercial radio. At the other end of the Brand Values Classic FM has developed a range of day, is the voice of Smooth Classic FM remains committed to its aim highly successful books, which tie in to Classics at Six. Broadcast every evening of presenting classical music to an ever- programming on the station. The Classic FM between 6pm and 9pm, the show features increasing audience by being modern, Friendly Guide to Music has been a notable three hours of relaxing classics. relevant, involving and accessible. These success and was the best-selling classical Every evening Classic FM underlines its values have delivered Classic FM the largest music book in the UK in 2007. commitment to playing classical pieces in commercial radio audience in the UK. This Most recently the station has also launched their entirety, with The Full Works, presented unique upmarket audience comes to Classic the Classic FM Yamaha Red Recorder Pack, by John Brunning on weekdays and Natalie FM because the brand offers them an which is the first in a range of branded Wheen at weekends. emotional benefit – an antidote to the stress musical instruments. Other weekend presenters include Myleene of modern life. Klass, the composer , , and . www.classicfm.com Meanwhile, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen presents the weekly Sunday Spa. Blur bassist follows on Sunday Things you didn’t know about mornings at 11am for the major new 100- Classic FM part series, The A to Z of Classic FM Music. The weekly programme is the biggest The sound of birdsong intrigued commission in the station’s history and audiences and the media across the aims to provide the definitive guide to summer of 1992. It was, in fact, the test classical music. transmission of Classic FM. Even Brian Off-air, music education is a subject close Johnston ruminated over it whilst to the station’s . The annual Classic FM commentating on Test Match Special. Music Teacher of the Year Awards seek to recognise those classroom music teachers Classic FM sponsored Queens Park Rangers during the first high profile season of England’s new elite 2003 2005 2006 2007 Premier League. The station launches Research commissioned Classic FM launches Classic FM is named Classic FM Arts & Kids by Arts Council England the Classic FM UK Station of the Year Classic FM shares more audience with Week. The following year, shows that Classic FM is Presents label. at the Sony Radio BBC Radio 4 than any other radio station. Classic FM signs its first instrumental in bringing Its first release is Academy Awards – composer-in-residence, new audiences to the of British tenor for a fourth time. , formerly of concert hall. . The first piece of music ever played on The Divine Comedy. Classic FM was Handel’s Zadok the Priest.

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