Chrysalis Radio has confirmed it will enter the battle for the new radio licence in the West Midlands with a view to rolling out its recently acquired talk radio brand, LBC, around the country. Chrysalis chief exec Phil Riley explains: "Commercial speech radio has had great success in London and there is no reason why it can't be successful outside London. It hasn't been tried and I think we're the right company to do it.”
The revamped LBC, which launched at the start of the year, is as yet unproven, but Riley is optimistic. "By the time the WBC licence [WBC would be the name of the Birmingham station] is judged by the Radio Authority, we will have shown that we have turned the corner with LBC."
The bidding war for the new licence is currently dominated by rock stations. EMAP want to put its rock station Kerrang! Radio (which broadcast via TV network Freeview) into the frequency, GWR want to get an analogue licence for its digital rock station The Storm while Virgin Radio would like an FM licence in the area.