Page 62 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 1 2013
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PROFILE
|
THE CHANNEL
NAME
John Ogden
JOB
Network Director
COMPANY
The SpectrumRadio
Network
PRO
FILE
British Asian entrepreneurs. We
were convinced that there was room
in the market for a radio station
targeting London’s young British
Asian community. My radio skills,
matched with their passion for their
community, led to us bidding for
London’s last analogue radio
licence. We won and Club Asia
Radio was born.
As well as being in charge of the
launch I was heavily involved in
sales and marketing as Business
Development Director. The
recognition came when we won the
prestigious HSBC Bank award for
the UK’s best business start-up.
With Club Asia now a huge
success I was becoming fascinated
by London’s broader demographics.
I could see the enormous potential
of a radio station central to
London’s diversity.
Then, in 2008, the call came from
The Spectrum Radio Network – the
only multi-ethnic radio station in a
city where over 300 languages are
spoken. With Spectrum I was being
offered the opportunity I was
looking for.
ABOUT THE SPECTRUMRADIO
NETWORK
Established for over 20 years, the
Spectrum Radio Network is made
up of four stations. Spectrum
558AM broadcasting across London,
two Digital Audio Broadcasting
(DAB) channels in London and SKY
Channel 0185 broadcasting across
the whole of the UK and parts of
Western Europe.
Our radio stations are licensed to
serve London’s cultural diversity. As
part of our mission we also provide
airtime for international broadcasters
who want to broadcast across
London or the UK, in English or in
their own language. We understand
and give guidance on all regulatory
and technical issues. We make it a
simple, affordable and easy process
for international broadcasters to
reach audiences in the UK.
International broadcasters use
us to broadcast their output in
London and The Spectrum Radio
Network is the solution for radio
stations looking for broadcast
airtime. Some radio stations take a
MY CAREER
I am the Network Director of the
Spectrum Radio Network in London.
Licensed to service cultural diversity,
we offer broadcast airtime to overseas
and UK based broadcasters.
Fascinated by the power of radio I
started working as an intern at my
local station in the North of
England. I studied radio journalism
and then got my break at a CHR
music station. I progressed to News
Editor and then into programming. I
moved into management when I
joined the BBC, running a news/talk
radio station. By the time I left it
was nominated for, and eventually
won, a Sony radio award.
One of the most exciting stages
of my career came when I ran the
station owned by Harrods chairman,
Mohammed Al Fayed, 963AM
Liberty. It was an experience that
saw me develop my commercial and
management skills and gave me the
opportunity to work with some of the
biggest names in UK broadcasting.
After three years as managing
director of Liberty I was looking for
my next big challenge. I wanted to
launch and run my own radio station.
The opportunity came through a
chance meeting with two young
few hours every day. Others, such as
Sout al Khaleej from Qatar, take 24
hours a day. We can assist with
marketing and offer an easy route
to getting on air. Broadcasters can
either have their feed relayed on
one of our stations or use our studio
complex in London.
Current and past clients include
China Radio International from
Beijing, Voice of Russia from Moscow,
Polski Radio from Warsaw and Sout
al Khaleej from Qatar. Others are
based in the UK and broadcast to
large ethnic groups such as
Ghanaians, Tamils, Mauritians,
Ethiopians and Cantonese. We also
have faith groups taking airtime
such as Christian, Sikh, Jewish and
Muslim groups. We are the only
radio business in the UK offering
this facility.
LATEST INITIATIVES
The Spectrum Radio Network is
now hosting a new Ghanaian station,
Diamond Radio, on SKY 0185.
We are in tune with the
developing demographics of London
and are soon to launch an Afro-
Caribbean station on DAB across
London. Called “Pan Afric” it will
have programmes hosted by
presenters from all over Africa and
the Caribbean. We are talking to
broadcasters from African and
Caribbean nations to let them know
about the opportunity to broadcast
in London.
In addition, we are talking to broad-
casters from all over the world who
are interested in having broadcast
airtime in the UK’s capital city.
FUTURE STRATEGY
The SpectrumRadio Network is a
major investor in Digital Audio Broad-
casting (DAB) using two channels in
London. The UK Government is com-
mitted to DAB as the future means of
distribution for UK radio. We want to
take more DAB channels as the
demand grows from international
broadcasters who want to be heard in
the world’s most diverse city.
OUTLOOK
In a globalised world our mission is
to match audiences with the global
message.
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ISSUE 1 2013
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THE CHANNEL
