With Virgin Radio now being run by the UK-based Absolute Radio division of the new owners Times Of India Group, what name have they decided to use for the national rock station's new identity? Erm, Absolute Radio.
Yes, moving forward Virgin Radio will be known as Absolute Radio. We know this because listeners signed up to the station's VIP mailing list yesterday received a text message which read "Virgin Radio soon to be Absolute Radio".
As previously reported, when SMG sold the Virgin Radio licence to the Times Of India they were unable to pass on the licence to use the Virgin name because that is ultimately controlled by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, who compete with the Times Of India in the Indian markets. Hence the need for a new name.
The new name will coincide with a number of programming changes, which include the departure of JK & Joel and Robin Burke, and the arrival of Jo Russell, one half of the award-winning Jo & Twiggy breakfast show on Trent FM, and Tim Shaw who is, according to his official website, the "liberator of UK radio".
The Absolute brand will also be extended to Virgin's digital spin offs - which will become Absolute Classic Rock and Absolute Xtreme - while the station's new strapline will be "discover real music", presumably to distinguish themselves from all those other radio stations who only play fictional music.