The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : The message from South African radio station

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 07, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

The message from South African radio station

"A national radio brand should continuously reflect the dynamic lifestyles, attitudes and aspirations of the target audience"

Lotus FM, a radio station in South Africais now one of the country's leading contemporary public service broadcasters, says Shanil Singh, station manager, who was in Chennai recently. Programmes are heard not only by South Africans, but also by a majority of Indians there. Mr. Singh spoke to S.R. Ashok Kumar about how the station works and how it meets the demands of listeners.

Shanil Singh does not want Lotus FM to be called by its nickname, `Little India'.

"Lotus FM is an authentic South African radio brand. Our programming content, positioning and imaging reflect a station that continues to remain true to its South African-Indian identity: culturally rooted while projecting a progressive contemporary sound. Our audiences remain extremely diverse. Hence, a national radio brand such as Lotus FM should continuously reflect the dynamic lifestyles, attitudes and aspirations of our target audience. Our music content continues to be heavily influenced by international artists. We have been encouraged by recent developments in the South African music industry, which nurtures aspiring musicians. Our programming content is updated by research, including telephone testing of focus groups. These initiatives ensure alignment between audience needs and our programming strategy."

Diverse programmes

Lotus FM airs diverse programmes: from international music to songs in different Indian languages, including Tamil.

One can also listen to Hindi film songs. There are programmes catering to the South Indian audience.

A special one-hour programme called `Top Ten' airs Tamil film songsevery week. And a majority of the RJs are of Indian origin.

"South Africa has undergone a series of exciting changes over the past decade. With the imminent announcement of further licences in secondary towns, all indications point to a plethora of media options, which consumers can access in their respective languages. The audiences will invariably be diluted and radio stations will consequently become more niche."

So radio stations need to be extremely focussed and relevant to their audiences amid competing interests. Lotus FM has been driven by audience needs and these continue to provide us the competitive edge. The music, culture and overall identity of the stations will always set Lotus FM apart.

"The focus at Lotus FM over the past two years has been on continuous improvement of our on air product. While this will continue to be the focus for the stations, we intend to invest more in marketing campaigns in the coming year. In reality, marketing of public service radio stations has historically been neglected. Our plans are to use multiple platforms across television, cinema and related multimedia channels to drive home brand awareness. It is essential that media planners be constantly updated with the latest developments at the station," he adds.

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