لا ترضوا بالجزرة حين تدفعون ثمن الكافيار

I can’t stress how happy I am of the leak earlier this year, and how lucky I was that I got on the good side of the guys behind it and apart from getting to meet Sir Richard Branson this week, I got the first scoop into what Virgin Radio Lebanon is gonna be all about, and how, as so many of us have wondered, will it compete in the already over-saturated English-speaking radio channel industry.

Here’s a summary I broke down into an easy-to-read list of what Najy Cherabieh, the General Manager, had to tell me.

1- It’s All About Social Media

It’s not an extra thing for them, it’s the most important one. Everything will be online and you can think of the FM as the manifestation of what’s happening online. Form song requests to competition participations, roadshows, events and even “hype” gauges, it’s all going to be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Whatsapp.

2- Studios Open for the Public

Radio studios in Lebanon are usually apartments that were refitted, and rarely have any human eyes seen them. I mean, has anyone seen a radio studio? I’ve seen two, and I was not impressed. The Virgin Radio Lebanon one will not only be open to listeners, but also has a fully-equipped bar and a large rooftop lounge where I’ve been told events will be held, such as interviews, small shows and even signing sessions.

3- 10 Hits in a row

Most stations have a 3 or 4 song interval between ads, and if you’re like me, you switch to another one the second ads start to play. The ad campaign, which I didn’t get at first, is that VRL will play 10 hits back-to-back between radio spots, so that’s a solid 35-40 minutes of uninterrupted music, making actually putting the radio on outside of your car when stuck in traffic a viable option.

4- No self promotion

All the stations are number 1 in Lebanon. All of them have exclusives. All of them are the biggest, etc. VRL won’t ever do any of those things because it’s against the Virgin branding guidelines. So, yaaaay!

5- Ad-less Weekends

After 4:00PM on Fridays and Saturdays, there will be no ads at all. That means that when you’re going to a club, back from one or wherever else you were, you won’t here 3-minute epic poetry about whichever washed-up artist is coming to Beirut. I think this is awesome, and would be interesting to see how other stations react or try to adapt to that.

6- Non-Electronic Weekends

I’ve always loved the fact that all the 3 big stations feature electronic music sets on the weekends. But, I also am aware of how almost everyone else hates that. Plus, if you’re an EDM connoisseur, chances are you get your fix online, not on a weekly radio show the old-school way. VRL will have the same type of music all the time: commercial hits, even on weekends, which I think a lot of people will enjoy, given that the lowest listernship for the other 3 stations is on weekend nights.

7- Listener-controlled playlists and frequencies

A hit station usually bombards us with the same song 20 times a day for weeks, and if we hated it at first, we’ll be singing it by heart after a couple of days stuck in Beirut traffic. VRL won’t do that, in fact, new songs will have a very low frequency starting off, and the favorites will get played more often. There will be a “music jury” page online that anyone can log on to and upvote or downvote a song they like, and based on that, it’ll be played more often the more upvotes it gets. Why I think this is particularly cool? Well, imagine a rising Lebanese talent manages to produce a radio-worthy song. Getting it submitted, you could get your fans to upvote it, making it go up the charts, without needing to spend big money and getting favors!

8- Mandatory Replies

If you interact with anyone in VRL online, they have to answer you back, even if you’re being a dick. Usually, radios here act all high and mighty and getting in touch is a hassle most of the time, or your comments go unnoticed. At VRL, every email, comment, message will be answered, and they’re very serious about that, which is a leap in terms of customer service in Lebanon’s FM world.

9- No Expensive SMSes and They Call Back

Usually, when you text the 4-digits radio stations ask you to, you’re charged 1.5-2USD which the station gets 60% of, and you rarely ever get a reply back. VRL has no SMS line and you can enter competitions, submit requests, etc. via any social media platform, including popular chat client Whatsapp. Also, they’ll call you, you don’t have to call them. No money spent, it’s all free from your end.

10- Roadshows 2.0

Radio roadshows in Lebanon are usually standing in a mall, asking people a couple of questions and maybe giving away a few prizes with radio music playing in the background. VRL has a whole team just to organize those roadshows into something fun and interactive, with LED screens integrating all the social media feeds into one space, from which the winners would be chosen. I think this is cool because it gives everyone a chance, your name doesn’t need to be drawn and you don’t need to dial a busy number 2321 times and then hold for 13123 minutes for a mere chance to give an answer and participate… Plus, for advertisers, they’ll get a nice package of online, offline and “below the line” coverage, not just 3o-second spots. So, it’s sort of a new revenue flow for the station that ultimately means less air time for annoying spots.

A Few Notes

Of course, all these awesome things wouldn’t be possible without the massive infrastructure and support of Virgin all around the world. You must understand that the other stations did not have that kind of support, even NRJ, which is also an international brand, but open as a franchise in Lebanon and managed fully by Lebanese. VRL is jointly-managed by Lebanese entrepreneurs and businessmen and women as well as the Branson Group.

The radio won’t play songs older than 4-5 years. It’s all about the latest hits, so don’t expect Jimmi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. It’s about the pop and hiphop that’s new and fresh, but based on what listeners like, not what’s the freshest and wants to be pushed onto you by force.

I love the minimal ads too, and the lack of self-promotion as well as how accessible the station and its employees will be. At first, honestly, I thought it was just another radio station that will be mediocre and bring nothing new but a frequency. But, after being given the presentation today and allowed to ask anything I wanted, I am now a believer and am excited to see how it all plays out starting this week!

Oh, and Anthony Salameh, a Lebanese-born Australian stand-up comic, is gonna be hosting the morning show, and I think it’s genius getting a comedian as a morning radio show host. Chris Fade will be on in the afternoon, and a special show will air from 7-11PM which Mr Cherabieh has told me will be quite “different”.

Photos