SCENES FROM THE EKR 1995 RSL BROADCAST
DEEJAYS BOB LE ROI AND PAUL MARTIN
& STATION MANAGER PETER LEUTNER
 
Following the very successful
RSL broadcast in December 1995, the EKR team commenced preparations
for it's application for the soon to be advertised East Kent "sallie"
licences.
The EKR team was strengthened
with the addition of a number of radio professionals. These included
former Invicta FM presenters Glen Thompsett (who became Programme Director)
and Mark Stafford (who brought the unique combination of having worked
in ILR radio and being a very experienced Finance Director). In addition
the board was strengthened by Barlo Bekerleg (an experienced Programming
Consultant) and Richard King (who had been involved in ILR radio since
the mid 1970's). The EKR team was also joined by former Invicta Sales
Director Eddie Startup who brought his wealth of experience to the marketing
and sales side of the project.
An extremely detailed and well
researched application was submitted to the Radio Authority in August
1996. This application covered two areas of the proposed East Kent licence
area. One as East Kent Radio Limited and another as EKR Coastline Limited,
in conjunction with the Dover based Coastline Radio group (who had put
together a successful RSL broadcast in January 1995).
The key to the EKR plan was
the sharing of resources between the two applications. However, in seeking
to be totally honest and open with the Radio Authority EKR clearly identified
the fact that both of it's applications were interlocked and controlled
by the same EKR management.
Despite articles in the radio
press by the Head Of Development at the Radio Authority, David Vick,
indicating that EKR's idea of sharing resources was acceptable, it appears
that the idea of covering such a large area was not favoured by the
Authority.
So, in January 1997, despite
having a business plan which required 20% less revenue than the winning
applicant ,a Marketing Budget 4 times higher than the winning applicant
and salary budgets around 20% higher (allowing EKR to offer quality
presenters), EKR's applications were unsuccessful.
Not only was the EKR team stunned
by this decision, but so was most of the radio industry. The EKR story
does not however end here............
In the early months of 1997
EKR began planning an exciting project which aimed to break the mould
of British radio. Over the last few years many radio professionals have
become frustrated at the growth of the large "all-powerful" radio groups
who have succeeded in creating an almost robotic style of music radio.
In October 1997 EKR launched it's "Pan-European"
radio station broadcasting from the Astra satellite on the sub-carriers
of Channel 35, the home of Challenge TV.
For more infomation on that EKR RSL click here.
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