Erm, talking of companies called Capitol (weak, I know), the Capital Radio Group yesterday confirmed it had gained permission from the broadcasting regulator OfCom to merge the two Choice FM radio stations in London. Up until now there have been two Choice stations - one serving Brixton and South London, the other North East London. Merging the two offshoots is the first major change made by Capital since it gained full ownership of the once independent Choice FM. Once the two London stations are merged Capital will be looking to roll out the Choice brand to black communities all over the UK.
Some in the local communities that Choice was set up to serve, especially in the Brixton area, fear the move will dilute the station's commitment to the African-Caribbean audience - claiming local and specialist music programming is already being threatened (even though OfCom's conditions for merging the two station's output was the maintenance of local news and an increasing commitment to specialist music).
But Capital's Graham Bryce, who is overseeing the development of Choice within the group, defended the move, telling the Guardian: "We have juggled the hours a bit. A couple of specialist shows will have an hour less and a couple of one-off shows from the weekend have not made it on to the new schedule. We are trying to keep 99% of specialist music in our output. I think we'll provide London with better specialist shows which before were only available in north or south London".
However the editorial director of black newspaper New Nation, Michael Eboda, argues that the merged output is another sign of Capital interfering with the Choice brand, and rejecting the African-Caribbean audience it was set up to service. He told reporters: "Ever since Capital's takeover Choice has been going away from its remit to be a community station providing access for the community to music they can't hear on any other legal station. Capital want to change the audience. Choice was a genuine community station and well-liked, but it isn't now. They [Capital] don't want its listeners any more."
Capital will be hoping that the support of Choice's founder, Patrick Berry, who has stayed on as Chairman of the station, will help alleviate concerns among the Choice FM faithful. He has told reporters it has always been his "long held ambition" to create a London-wide radio station, adding: "it means that all listeners can get the best of Choice right across the capital and is an important platform to develop the brand nationally."
However neither Bryce nor Berry commented on the decision to inflict Richard Blackwood on us all via a new weekend show on the station - surely an unnecessary measure.