Evaluation Question 3 (Script)

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Global Group (This Global Limited) are the media group that own the radio station XFM, which was launched in 1997, as an Alternative/Indie Music radio station. As there is currently no magazine that goes hand in hand with this radio station, it is my thought that there is a gap in the market here, so I must first find the similarities between my audience, and the audience of XFM. Looking at the front page of the XFM website, I notice that the bands on the front are similar to my music magazine’s acts. On the Xfm website, I saw an article about The Libertines having a big reunion gig at Hyde Park, and I wrote in my research that The Libertines were very influential over the music I put in my magazine.

When I went to the ‘Artists’ page, which lists all artists played regularly on XFM, I could see Jake Bugg, The Stone Roses and David Bowie all clearly listed, which shows the similarities between my audience and theirs as they are the acts with article advertised on the front and contents page of my magazine. The pictures on the website are also quite bright, and while this may not appeal to the hardcores and emos in my target audience, it does work very well in attracting Skaters and Hipsters to the radio station and website.

When looking at the recent changes to the radio station, I found that there have been several expansions and some downsizing to the radio station in the past ten years. In 2006-7 the radio station was expanded to have branches in Scotland, Manchester and South Wales. The branch in Scotland was soon rebranded to Galaxy Scotland and then Capital Scotland. The South Wales station was then sold and became Nation Radio. On the 7^th April Real Radio XS will be rebranded to XFM. This is to swap from taking Real XS Manchester’s networked shows to XFM London’s. These many changes to the company both increasing the station’s reach and decreasing it show that Global Group are always interested in making more money. XFM itself even started out as an independent London station until they were bought by Global in 2000.

My idea is that as there is a shared demographic between XFM and my magazine, Global Group would definitely be interested in expanding XFM once more to get publishing rights over PICK magazine, as it is an altogether new way for the radio station to spread awareness of it’s existence, while being a strong brand to put on the front of my magazine.