What’s Your Name?

Name-calling, I was always told as a child, is not nice. Having an actual name though is fundamental. I know what to call you, to alert your attention, know when I am talking to, or about, you. Fundamental as I said.

As you may know- and I’ve mentioned this before in posts and podcasts, my work name (Dick Stone), is not my REAL name. Long story and not unusual for the media world to have an “on-air” name and I know of many in the industry who have a similar situation. When I left the on-air schedule, I was already fairly well known in the company as Dick, and so the thought of reverting to my real name didn’t really enter my head. As the years passed, it became harder to contemplate reverting to my real name, and I also kind of liked having a private and public persona.

That said, I could have done it. It would have taken a lot of effort, and a flood of confusion for a while and I would have lost all the history and track record, but time, effort and energy would have eventually reframed a new name, a new identity. The calculation which meant it never happened was about the eventual reward. Would it be really worth it in the end? The conclusion I came to was a resounding NO. As stupid as Dick Stone is as a name, (and I have wandered around conferences, meetings and events with DICK on a badge for over 35 years), it has a legacy, history, and uniqueness with which a fresh restart wouldn’t compare.

My social timeline is full of comments about names at the moment. Old radio station names have changed. Station names which, just like me, have a legacy, meaning and affinity to an area, people or region. That’s where the similarity ends really, unlike my own situation, the long term benefits outweigh the short term negatives. I believe that learning from history, respecting the heritage, legacy and reputation is important, but not being a prisoner to it in the process. It’s not the first time that radio stations have changed names either, there have been many over the years for a variety of reasons. Radio Victory, Devonair, Centre Radio, Gwent Broadcasting- all as a result of a business change (liquidation, licence change etc). GWR, Essex FM, Trent, Galaxy, 2CR, Horizon, Chiltern, Fox, and more all for single brand identity reasons. Mercia, BRMB, Beacon, Wyvern again for single brand identity and business change re-start reasons. In my own backyard, Gem began life as Radio 106, then Century 106, then Heart 106, then Heart East Midlands, then just Heart, then Gem 106, then just Gem. All for business reasons that made sense for the business operating the licence.

Some of these stations have an anniversary coming up, in the region of 50-40 years since they first appeared. That in itself is both impressive and a demonstration of just how old the business model is. There are few other businesses which would be expected to maintain the same way of operating, hours of opening, service levels and requirements from either when they began, or even just a few years ago. That said I too lament those days of local radio, more than just a few local or regional hours and non-network output. There are a few cliches involving barn doors and horses or milk and being upset.

I understand the angst I see sometimes on social media when changes occur. Some of the names have been around since they first appeared on air, Radio City for example. Of course, unless you forget it spent a while as 96.7 City FM too, so it’s not an unchanged run either.

All of the change reaction is just that, a reaction to the change. Change takes time to get used to and whilst change for the sake of it is a little frustrating, this change, like those before it, has a good strong business reason. A single identity gives a far easier run for promotion, logistics, marketing, promotion, co-promotions and more. I’ve lived through these kind of changes, and been managing more times than a I care to remember. They can be stressful, take acute attention to detail and a clarity of focus.

I’ve said in a blog post before that the Bauer Hits Radio network did localise well, with local station names on each site. Read my blog from a while ago on how well it is done, and comparing to how it was done before the likes of Zetta today.

There is a LOT of detail to crunch through with a name change. Small granular detail that at times can seem like walking through treacle. The effort is worth it in the end, and it takes a while to cover it all. If you are a media person and you stop across one of the brands, and uncover something that hasn’t been sorted out yet, a detail that has not changed or been updated, try not to use it as a metaphor for something wider, or trying to point out that the changes shouldn’t have happened. I’m certain that the people involved are working extremely hard, covering a lot of minute detail and relying on systems, updates and complicated timelines and actions to fall into place. Think about your last house move, how frustrating, intricate and complicated it was. You wouldn’t have thanked someone, in the middle of those events, pointing out anything you might have missed or not got around to just yet because you were focus on some bigger things. Multiple that by many thousands and you have the enormity of the job in a rebrand.

Well done to those involved. It takes tenacity, focus, energy and a determination to get through it.