Arabian Radio Network launches two digital brands

Investing in the right content and talent is the key, says COO Steve Smith.

Investing in the right content and talent is the key to making sure a radio station in the UAE is successful, Steve Smith,  COO of the Arabian Radio Network (ARN) said.
Four radio stations have shut down in the past year, including Radio 1 and 2, Josh and Hayat. However, Radio 1 and 2 were bought over by new management a few months after their closure was announced.
Even though it has been a rough year for the broadcast industry in the country, ARN is continuing to invest more in the industry and have recently launched two new digital brands - Al Khaleejiya Classic 100.9 and Al Arabiya Cassette.
Smith told Khaleej Times that the radio industry can still have a bright future in the UAE, however, management teams need to make the right investments.
He said:  "There is room for more radio to be successful, but the content is the key component. Content really drives the success or failure of a radio station. That's investing in great talent, training great talent, continuing to find new talent and making sure that your format fits what the consumer is wanting. If don't invest in that, you will fail."
"I believe, and so does ARN, that radio has a wonderful future in the UAE. Sheikh Zayed Road is never empty, so people are in their cars constantly. But it all comes down to great content and making sure that you're everywhere.
"The second thing that is really important is that your strategy has to include being everywhere and what I mean by that is being on every platform, so we're on OSN, we're on e-live, we're on terrestrial and we're on your smartphone - we're everywhere. If you get these two things right, the future of radio is absolutely going to explode."
ARN's Al Arabiya Cassette is an extension of Al Arabiya 99 and will offer listeners Arab hits from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Meanwhile, Al Khaleejiya Classic, an extension of Al Khaleejiya 100.9, will cater to UAE and GCC nationals with Khaleeji music.
The radio network has launched a total of nine extensions of existing terrestrial services last year, some of which includes Virgin Beats, Virgin Chill, 92 Rock, 92 Smooth and City Dance.
When asked if the digital brands affect the number of listeners on their terrestrial services, Smith said:  "That was one of our concerns, but to our surprise, the numbers have actually gone up. When listeners are tuned in digitally into the extensions, they can access the existing ones they listen to in the car as well."
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai