[brooky148]

Welcome to Real Radio 2009 from Music 4.

New jingles from the team here at Music 4 now feature on all of the 'Real' stations in Scotland, Yorkshire and Wales and on the re-branded stations broadcasting across the northwest and northeast of England (previously Century Radio).

This package features a fresh new vocal sound from Music 4 and has been designed to maximise listener recall for RAJAR with the ultra powerful message “you're listening to Real” built into every cut. Sounds simple, but we reckon this is going to prove to be very effective.

John Simons, Group Programme Director says: “We’ve always aired high quality jingles on Real Radio and to coincide in with the re-branding of Century to Real, we were looking for a change of style. Music 4 came up with some great ideas for us”.

We are certain these new jingles will help take these stations to their next stage of development.

Take a listen to a fairly comprehensive selection of the jingles created for Real Radio in the northwest below (and look out for extra cuts and beds that will be added shortly).

http://www.music4.com/musicservices/catalogue/603/real-radio/north-west-full-jingle-package.html

[IainJohnstonMember]

Very punchy!

“fresh new vocal sound from Music 4 and has been designed to maximise listener recall for
RAJAR with the ultra powerful message “you're listening to Real” built into every cut.”

And VERY unfortunate!….they've used a similar logo that their competitor
here – Fife's Kingdom FM – have had for ages on their TM custom, including running the logo
with synth etc at the front of the cuts – that'll confuse the listeners when they fill their RAJAR
diary (the supposed reason for these “memorable” new jingles!

First, it was the “Asda” logo in Manchester, and now this!

Do these London-centric people never actually venture out beyond the M25 ring and
listen to what actually goes on elsewhere beyond the horizon visible from the Gherkin?

[cserpentuk]

I've been listening to these all morning on Real NE… I *really* don't like them!

I don't feel it fits in with how what was Century NE comes over on air, whereas I felt the Bespoke ones fitted quite nicely. I don't even think the presenters (inc the newsreaders) feel particularly comfortable with them either!

[Barras]

Wixy1360 wrote:
Very punchy!

And VERY unfortunate!….

You got in there before me Wixy !

I was working on a little bit of audio which is quite confusing to listen to, even for a seasoned jingle ID collector like me…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1238409103_3680_FT70290_key_real_logo.mp3 filename:key_real_logo.mp3

Someone over at Music 4 has a fondness for Reelworld.

As you can see in the audio title, Key 103 is first and then the Real Radio logo.

[cserpentuk]

Oh I foresee a new intra-station fight going on here! Real have liners now saying they claim the Best Variety of Music (how cliché) vs Metro's More Music Variety.

Have you listened to the new imaging on air David? What's your thoughts there?

[robertpobjoy]

I for one was up at 6am to hear the launch here in the North East… Sad sendoff… would have expected a better launch coundtdown and a better hark to the past of Century… The music4 package… very dissappointing package initially, I haven't been a fan of music4 work in the last couple of years, but i think we should just wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. I don't think that the presenters and news team are fully aware of how the cuts should work and understandably will be nervous / uncomfortable. Give em' a chance to run in. As for the overall suitability for the NE station, it seems as if Real are aiming at a slightly younger audience than Century previously did. If they are, good – Metro certainly need a good kick up the backside to help get their imaging in order!! For elsewhere in the UK, I agree… music4 should have been more aware about sonic logos etc, and not to overlap them!

[cserpentuk]

I wasn't up at 6, I'm guessing they just slipped from the network feed into a countdown and then went into a relaunch?

I was exceptionally sad and asked for an old jingle during the request lunchtime yesterday as a send off!

I agree entirely with what you say about Metro, their imaging is absolutely shocking, and their PD needs a good boot up the backside. Metro tend to think they're the best and rest on their laurels unfortunately. Century has aimed at Generation X for a while now, obviously Century was originally aimed at the 25-49 group (moreso at the upper end of that), but now they've definitely got an excellent range of variety – I was shocked to hear the Shamen on it the other week on the 'golden' hour!

[Paul]

Does anyone have a recording of the relaunch sequence?

[olly92]

Prepare for stupid question thats been answered a hundred times.. just cant find the responce..

How do you download the files from music 4?

Thanksss

[brooky148]

I use Internet Download Manager, and it integrates with Firefox, i just click on it and it downloads the MP3.

[mbMember]

Hmmmm anyone think they sound a tad like Fife's Kingdom FM ?

[IainJohnstonMember]

Hmmmm anyone think they sound a tad like Fife's Kingdom FM ?”

Thats EXACTLY what I said in Post #2 above Michael! :^)

Kingdom has a HUGE overlap with Real (Scotland) not just in Fife but all of Edinburgh
and westwards too.

The logo is 99% the same (different key?), they start some of the cuts with the logo, etc.

I found some audio earlier that someone had posted elsewhere – have a listen!
(Edit: audio now deleted at the behest of the compiler – IJ)

If it was New York or London instead of 400 miles away from “the centre of the media universe”
would TWO stations have jingles that sounded virtually the same, especially the “big” station
seemingly trying to sound like its smaller (and actually excellent) competitor?

[Paul]

OllyH92 wrote:
Prepare for stupid question thats been answered a hundred times.. just cant find the responce..

How do you download the files from music 4?

Thanksss

Copy & paste the following code into the address bar when you're on the Music 4 site. Hit enter. Then go to listen to the cuts, and you'll be given the link. Just right click to download.

javascript:handleResponse = function(){if(http.readyState == 4){var r = http.responseText;if(r.indexOf('|') != -1){u = r.split('|');for(i=0;i<u.length;i++){k=i;i++;t=u;if(t.indexOf('flashvars') != -1){t=t.replace(/\n/g,'').replace(/\r/g,'').replace(/.*file=/,'').replace(/&.*/,'');t='<a href="'+t+'">'+t+'</a>';}document.getElementById(trimString(u[k])).innerHTML = t;}}}};void(0);

[olly92]

thanks for the help guys! much appreciated!

[barrydavidallanbda]

Take a listen to the cuts
http://www.music4.com/musicservices/catalogue/603/real-radio/north-west-full-jingle-package.html

I like Music 4 jingles but the moyles jingles work better..is it because they use a solo voice….I think these jingles sound like Bespoke beds and new singers rather than a music 4 package..

But then you cant be to far away from the station style the listeners know, so maybe thats why they sound like the old package …Real Ray-De-O

Any other ideas on how they could have sung the logo to make it stand out

[barrydavidallanbda]

Not as good as Moyles and Ray Foley cuts .. ……..

[mbMember]

Remember all those JAM sound-a-likes for Moyles!!?? I actually think this is so near to the TM Kingdom package that you do woner about the principals of copyright infringement.

[robertpobjoy]

Michael Bolton wrote:
Remember all those JAM sound-a-likes for Moyles!!?? I actually think this is so near to the TM Kingdom package that you do woner about the principals of copyright infringement.

Indeed! Now a comment from Mr Stevens is required! hahaha.

It's a shame. I do hope Kingdom FM have complained to TMStudios!!

Oh and cserpent – I suggest you email Trevor James at Metro – I have in the past – did I get a response? Did I heck.

[cserpentuk]

What's the point? Metro don't give a crap about us really

[NickySMember]

This could be where Music4 got the logo idea from – and they are ten years old …
http://www.music4.com/musicservices/catalogue/185/ultimate-radio/full-station-package.html

[mbMember]

maybe by those new Real jingles sound very very very like Kingdom FM, to near to be a pure coincidence. If I were TM I would consider taking action I believe that strongly that they are too alike.

[NickySMember]

Also on the sounding the same issue – I think the Wise Buddah Hallam FM News Cut sounds like the Music4 BBC London logo ..
http://www.wisebuddah.com/?p=jingle&cat=14&client=150

[mbMember]

Yes you are right – but I think the compilation shows that alomst cut by cut the jingles are more than similar. It's just my opinion. I really like the Kingdom fM package and thought the Real Radio package is quite nice – just a bit of a “sound-alike” package.

[IainJohnstonMember]

I notice others over on Digital Spy starting to notice too (and not just a well-known correspondent from Essex!)

Suggestions of “bit like This Is Heart”, or “like the Swansea Sound” ones, etc, as well of course as the
Revolution had the Kingdom custom re-sung.

According to “an industry source”, the Music4 “fresh” jingles for Real Radio are indeed supposedly
based upon the THREE(???) Music4 cuts for the obscure Ultimate Radio RSL in Kent in 1999.

NOT very “fresh” then? Stale more like.

With Reelworld's obsession with the 3-note “Kiss FM” and 4-note “Zee100” logos that go back many
many years, I can understand that, but the Kingdom one is a very distinctive (and possibly quite
original) variant tweak on the “Q-95” one that of course turned up via JAM on Key 103 and others.

The Music4 package shall we politely say is extremely “close-to-the-mark”, in cut structure & design
as well as the logo.

If all the “Reals” were in areas where no competitor had this very distinct logo, it wouldn't matter a
monkeys – but say if GMG had commissioned Music4 for this to have been Smooth instead of Real,
I would think Richard Park at Global would have had a few choice (Fife-accent-punctuated) words to
say if Smooth had brought in such a package sounding darned close to that of Heart in London etc
(NB – Richard Park by the way comes from Kirkcaldy – slap bang in the middle of the Kingdom of Fife).

Points to remember:-

1) The previous Bespoke packages for Real/Century all used the aging “BRMB” logo from years ago.

2) even WABC New York paid royalties for the “I'll Take Manhatten” logo for “Seventy-Seven” – until
one note got changed.

3) The late George Harrison was successfully sued for “My Sweet Lord” being very vaguely akin to
“He's So Fine” by the ShangriLas.

Its only jingles – but these do seem to be a bit on the blatant side rather than mere coincidence.

[Barras]

cserpentuk wrote:
Oh I foresee a new intra-station fight going on here! Real have liners now saying they claim the Best Variety of Music (how cliché) vs Metro's More Music Variety.

Have you listened to the new imaging on air David? What's your thoughts there?

As you`ve pointed out cserpentuk the content and strapline of the vocal imaging is more-or-less the same.

Even though several people have been slagging off the Real jingles in this post, I still have a bias towards “sung” jingles being used rather than liners. Having said that, I think the Tony Horne liners work well on Metro – have you noticed cserpentuk, it`s a different male voice on Horne`s liners compared to the regular Metro liners ?

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