Profile - Vidler's vision to make things happen

Magic 105.4 managing director Andria Vidler is too busy relaunching Heat Radio with an untried new ad model to worry about the dark cloud hovering over Emap's future, reports Julia Martin.

"If you have a vision of where you want to take something, you can make it happen. Anything is possible," says Andria Vidler, managing director of Magic 105.4, with unflinching conviction

The sentiment seems to sum up the woman whose formidable remit includes heading London's current number one radio station, steering a review of Emap's digital radio stations, and also leading the relaunch of Heat Radio.

"Andria is a real 'make things happen' person," acknowledges colleague Karen Stacey, broadcast sales director at Emap Radio.

Indeed, Vidler has helped steer Magic to the top slot, and while she's wary about predicting the results of this Thursday's Rajars, she allows that "the station's output was strong over the quarter, so I'm pleased with the sound, music and marketing".

With that accomplished, she has since turned her attentions to the relaunch - "although it feels like a launch" - of the digital radio station carrying the label of one of Emap's most successful magazines.

Following the unveiling of heatworld.com just two months ago, Heat Radio is being transformed from a jukebox-style digital station into one featuring a mix of music and celebrity news that will provide Heat addicts with around-the-clock hits.

Apart from being the UK's first celeb-focused radio, the station has also caught observers' attention for its ad model, which is eschewing spot ads in favour of integrated advertising through sponsorship, promotions and ad-funded programming, limited to just five advertisers at launch.

With negotiations in the final stages with four clients and several more apparently jostling for the last spot, it seems the exclusivity and new approach has certainly tapped into something.

"It would have been easier to launch with the traditional way of selling," admits Vidler.

"We have a lot of demand from advertisers and Emap Advertising is all set up to sell it, but because we wanted to create something new and bespoke that we thought would work really well with advertisers, we ran with this and I'm really thrilled with the response we've had."

It's not just the ad model that is appealing. Heat is a phenomenally popular brand - the magazine sells more than 500,000 copies a week - so advertisers are buying into a famous name and an established relationship with consumers.

And Heat isn't the only well-known brand to be getting an audio makeover. Stablemate Closer will also be launching as a radio station next year as part of 4 Digital's rolling-out of the second digital multiplex.

Along with the power of Channel 4's own branded stations, Vidler believes the move is helping commercial radio to shape up as a significant competitor to the BBC, long seen as a shadow looming over the sector.

"The BBC doesn't scare me," she says bullishly. "For two years the commercial sector has looked in at itself, but new programming, with good creative insight into what audiences want, has to benefit overall listeners, and if they have more choice the BBC is up against stronger competition."

An ex-BBC staffer herself, one thing Vidler has brought over from her time at the corporation is the strategy of cross-promoting, something she concedes the Beeb does "incredibly well" - although it was not always the case.

"When I first talked to the BBC board about cross promotion between 5 Live and Newsnight, I was told I was asking them to prostitute themselves," she recalls.

Though she's cagey about exactly how it will work for Heat, she does say: "Heat has gone from being a magazine to a brand with multiple touchpoints, and marketing campaigns will evolve from being magazine-only to being represent-ative of a brand."

The same will be true, she notes, for any other branded stations that may emerge from the review she is leading of Emap's national digital stations - whatever they may be.

"I can't say we're going to launch 'x', because we've got so many options on the table, and we will conduct audience research around the concepts before we press buttons, but we're hoping to have news in the autumn," she reveals.

All this against a backdrop of uncertainty, as Emap Radio is widely believed to be ripe for acquisition. But, says Vidler, she is far too busy to worry about what may or may not happen several months down the line.

"I know the term 'business as usual' is often used to hide what might be going on, but genuinely, I'm so busy with 'business as usual'," she says. "It's really exciting and I just hope the sale doesn't get in the way of the exciting things."

Media Week 14-Aug-07