Emap digital radio launches aim for over-25s

The magazine publisher and radio station operator Emap is to launch three new national digital radio stations on the free-to-air Freeview platform designed to appeal to listeners aged over 25.

The Hits, a chart music and chat station, Q, a music station based on its Q magazine, and Magic, a national version of the London-based service that plays classic hits, will all go live on Freeview at the beginning of July.

Tim Schoonmaker, the chief executive of Emap Performance, said: "Freeview is demonstrating that the way people listen to the radio is changing. It is becoming clear that in the digital world consumers want to listen to the radio wherever and whenever suits them best – whether it is delivered via their television, their radio, their computer or their mobile phone."

Emap has already launched three stations – the London-based dance music station Kiss, heavy-metal station Kerrang! and pop station Smash Hits – nationally on the same platform.

The three new stations are expected to appeal to an older age group. "Smash Hits and Kerrang! – 75 per cent of the people listening are 15-24 [year olds]," Mr Schoonmaker said, adding the bulk of the listeners for the three new stations would be "25 [year old] plus".

Freeview, the successor to ITV Digital, is a partnership between the BBC, British Sky Broadcasting and the transmission company Crown Castle. At least 600,000 Freeview boxes are believed to have been bought since the service was launched at the end of October.

Figures published by Radio Joint Audience Research [Rajar] last week showed that Kerrang! attracted 771,000 listeners a week while Smash Hits got 759,000 listeners. Kiss added 932,000 listeners outside the capital, taking its national reach to 2.4 million listeners.