Capital-Radio-UAE-Profile
One of the world’s best known and most–loved radio brands, Capital Radio, will soon be broadcasting across the UAE, playing all the top chart hits you know and love from the ‘60s, ‘70s, & ‘80s, plus a selection of today’s easily listening top chart artists.
Capital Radio began broadcasting in London in 1973 and since then it has spread to seven international countries, all independent to each other, and become one of the most respected and renowned radio stations in Europe.
Now Roger Paine, a former station manager and breakfast show presenter of the original Capital Radio UAE, is re-launching the exciting new station right here in the UAE.
Paine and his team promise a unique blend of popular chart music from the ‘60s, ‘70s &‘80s, along with contemporary easy listening chart hits and personality DJs. There will be daily competitions, local news and chat together with specialized weekly guests in Paine’s Drive Time show daily 4-8pm. Every Sunday UAE resident expert Keren Bobker will join the Capital Drive home @ 6 pm for 30 mins on everything you need to know about and living and be working in the UAE.
In an email interview with Roger Paine, who is one of the driving force to relaunch the radio channel, answer few of my question to know more about him and Captial Radio UAE.
Q&A with Roger Paine
Q: Please tell us little more about Capital Radio in the past and uniqueness about the relaunch?
Capital radio is a globally respected radio brand with a 45-year broadcasting pedigree. In the UAE Capital Radio was previously based in Abu Dhabi from June 1979 to 1999. I used to present the breakfast show on the station from 1983 to 1986 and over the same period of time I was also the Station Manager.
Q: What makes Captial Radio content unique from the currently available content in UAE Radio station?
Capital is unique to the other current 11 English radio stations based in the UAE for the following reasons
1) Capital is the only radio station that plays any constant music from the 1960s and 1970s all the other stations play music that’s either current, dance or from the late 80s & 90s.
2) Capital is not formatted to just 400 music tracks, which is what the other music stations do, all these 400 tracks are then placed on endless rotation, which means loads off repeats and so boring to listen to.
3) Our DJs will have a free choice and pick 50% of the music they play from our music base of the 60s, the 70s & the 80s and some of today’s easy listening chart hits, and there are over 15,000 tracks to choose from.
4) Were not a ”more music less talk”, play 3 tracks in a row and then it’s just a DJ with a time check. Capital will never adopt this output style, it’s boring and my iPad can play endless music and more importantly play it in the order I want. Radio is about engaging the listen building a relationship. All our DJs will all have content galore in there shows including in mine on Drivetime between 4-8pm, I will have a finance expert, capital chef plus daily competitions, engaging the listener and stopping them from leaving their car, this is the art of a great broadcaster with a blend of memorable music.
Q: As you are launching the Website version first and around the end of the year, expected the FM radio channel, How do you expect to get your listeners to tune in to web-based radio channel?
We have every social media connection on our dedicated www.cruae which has an easy listen live. Our target audience is mature over +35 AB1 professionals. Online listening is growing rapidly in the UAE along with the rest of the World and will eventually be the number one form of radio listening. Norway has this year switched off all its FM transmitters and moved over to online and DAB broadcasting. The UAE has a DAB on its roadmap for roll out.
Q: With the high cost of Data charges in UAE, do you think UAE listeners would go for web-based Radio when there are multiple options on FM radio while driving?
Our target audience 35+ don’t worry about small data charges, that’s for the youngsters. Logging into our dedicated www site will only use 1GB data per 1000 minutes, so 16.6 hours. If you download the recent UAE Neilsen RAM measurement report August 2018 you will see the online figures rapidly increasing. As we’re offering something unique in terms of music not being played from the 60s and 70s with a local UAE focus why wouldn’t anyone listen?
Q: As per the article, you have mentioned the listener has to download software from the web which can tune to any other world station. How are you expecting the listener to tune to your channel? Is there going to be a direct link from your website later?
There’s no need to download anything. The article states our dedicated www.cruae.ae you can listen live, this www goes live in a few days. In addition, there are many free to download apps as referenced that will carry our station free to use and blue tooth into your car or home.
Q: As for the Web-based version, will listener get 128kps quality music and higher?
Yes
Q: Will you have request song facility for listeners and how are planning to inform the particular listener about his/her request?
On the www site, there is a dedicated request email the studio, ease of contact page which has a received email response.
Q: How are you planning to market Capital Radio and increase listeners database?
Of course on a daily basis with social media leading the brand awareness, along with many PR articles such as this one.
Brief about Roger Paine
Roger Paine, or as my radio name ”Young Roge”, is no stranger to the UAE. One of the original Capital DJs in Abu Dhabi in the 1980s, Paine went on to work alongside Noel Edmonds in the UK and then back in the UAE was the drive time and weekend brunch DJ on Radio 2 from 2002 to 2010. Paine has a 30-year broadcasting pedigree to rely on and is extremely passionate about personality radio and music from the 1960s,70s, and 80s.
How to listen to music on Capital Radio UAE
Officially launching across the UAE on September 2, 2018, the station will initially only be available.
Click here for the website www.cruae.ae
You have to download free-to-listen mobile apps such as My Tuner Radio
you can get in touch on social media like Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UAECR/
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