AIBU to be pissed off at XFM's axing and even more so at the Men Focused Rebranding?

[RedToothBrush]

Global Radio are axing XFM - both London and its Manchester sister shows.

Instead they are replacing it with a rebrand radio station called Radio X fronted by Chris Moyles on its Breakfast Show.

Their pitch is that 'Its target audience will be men aged between 25- to 44-years-old, and will play rock and guitar-based music'.

Not only am I distraught that Manchester is loosing a place which championed and promoted local music and musician, but I'm also incredibly peeved at this rebranding being pitched at men only.

Global's own description of XFM's current listenership and target audience is as follows:
XFM listeners are engaged, eclectic and influential.

As a community, they’re loyal and enthusiastic. As music fans, they’re passionate and supportive. And as an audience, they’re exactly what advertisers crave. They go to gigs, live events and club nights, they have taste when it comes to music culture, cinema, video, gaming and exhibition, and they’re the kind of people who help form opinions across the world of music and entertainment. Put simply, they’re huge consumers and tastemakers. And that means XFM offers huge opportunities.

And its listenership is 'Slightly favoured by men at 63% compared to women at 37%'. And now women are apparently being erased in this rebranding. With '79% of those who listen to XFM across the UK are aged between 15-44.'

So effectively the difference really seems to be that women are being axed from the target demographic.

It doesn't even make commercial sense for male listeners. A hell of a lot of XFM listeners listen to XFM because they never could stand Moyles and the axing of the Manchester radio station is going to destroy its huge percentage of the radio listenership up here.

Its a sad decision for music lovers. Moyles, Vernon Kay, Johnny Vaughan and Ricky Wilson are Blandsville Extreme.

AIBU in thinking that the whole pitch is both a travesty for music and really has a sexist vibe to it, that women don't like guitar bands and rock music?

What music and radio should I be listening to instead according to Global's bollocks logic?

(And BBC PLEASE don't axe 6Music now).

Boon < sigh>

I give up *throws phone at wall

The hypocrisy is just astounding.

Would you say that on a site marketed to and created for black people if were talking about a radio station specifically marketed to white people?

The majority of heard voices in today's society is still middle-aged white men. We need things to readdress the balance, not skew it further. Why does the station have to be catered to men? Why not "people who like rock"?

So by that logic we should be banning Woman's Hour. It hasn't always existed and something was there before so therefore it's taken something away from those who aren't women.

Sorry, you can't have it one way and not the other. If branding products for women is okay then ditto men. There will still be music on it.

And just as men can post on Mumsnet if they want women can still listen.

I'm very fed up about this. I always listen to xfm. Totally see why Eddie temple-Morris quit now. Moyles' radio persona I personally find crude and offensive. I know many, many people who will now stop listening. I don't have the money for a digital radio so have to rely on computer for 6music. Ffs.

I just can't understand why a commercially successful radio station would choose to move from "People who like good music" to "Men in a specific age range who like good music" - particularly when the new demographic is a far more saturated market. Seems like a poor commercial decision to me, even beyond the fact that I'm pissed off at being newly excluded.

Oh and DH encouraged me to post about this on MN, because he is so pissed off at the sexist nature of the move.

He doesn't want a man-station. He wants a music-station.

I'm also highly doubtful of Chris Moyles's ability to know what good music is so I imagine the "who like good music" part will be abandoned before too long as well.

London you're clearly very dedicated to your thoughts on the subject, so sadly there's no opening your eyes.

When you are in the minority to blatantly exclude you further is damaging. Not sure why that's hard to understand.

RedToothBrush that might be my favourite post of all time.

So by that logic we should be banning Woman's Hour. It hasn't always existed and something was there before so therefore it's taken something away from those who aren't women.

Woooo. Women got given one whole hour of radio time just for them. How gracious.

wasn't part of the point that the other 23 hours and all the other stations were men dominated.

Good to see the balance being addressed with a whole new radio station for men to take on Women's Hour then.

TBF I have never felt the urge to listen to Women's Hour. Is that what I should do, now I no longer have XFM because its not about music, its about the pink and blue divide and guitars not being for girls? You should listen to Pink Radio not Rock Radio.

Where else should I rant about the decline of XFM? And how do you know I haven't?

FWIW, there are not many general sites with such an active community on such a huge range of subjects and life in general. (And that's one of the reasons I joined MN rather than because it was about Women's Things).

Women aren't a minority though are they?

It's hypocrisy. Straight up out and out hypocrisy. If it should just be a music station then you should also feel that Mumsnet should just be a parenting site and not be aimed specifically at Mothers.

It's just a case of 'bias is fine as long as it's biased in my favour' really isn't it.

I saw this yesterday. .When Chris Moyles announced he was giving up show business I gave a party to celebrate.

He must have run out of money, hence his ghastly return. Am very sad that the line up is men. Is this why it's now X FM, ie X chromosome, ie male only?

It's hypocrisy. Straight up out and out hypocrisy. If it should just be a music station then you should also feel that Mumsnet should just be a parenting site and not be aimed specifically at Mothers.

But Mumsnet IS a parenting site not aimed specifically at mothers?

LondonGramma why are you so hellbent in silencing the discussion? If you want a thread about your perceived hypocrisy of mumsnet users then start your own and stop trying to hijack RedToothBrush's

london YES, women are a minority when it comes to being heard in the media. If you reject that idea then you really have been walking around with your eyes closed.

Are you a bloke?

Oh, fucks sake. What am I going to listen to now?

Is this 6music you're all mentioning any good?

Women aren't a minority though are they?

Depends how you define "minority". If we're talking sheer numbers in the population, no, but in terms of power and equality and privilege and representation in the media and society... yes, women are a minority.

YANBU. Omg! Shocked and annoyed. Have loved Xfm. Forever. And loved its Manchester sister. How depressing.

Why don't you go and start a thread about why MN is sexist London instead of hijacking and deliberately missing the point that this move is negative for both men and women. It patronises both and removes music from the focus whilst also marginalising women by removing them from their target market and in doing so suggesting that guitar music is not for women.

Then go start a thread about how men should not be SAHDs on here and see what response you get.

MN is about redressing the imbalance and for people want equality generally, as much as being a place where there are more women than men. As a rule, sexist views in favour of women do almost always get short shrift on MN. It is a pro-woman place in a sea of testosterone, yet somehow isn't more militant and anti-men, despite the misconceptions of hackers and trolls. It is actually pretty balanced all things considered.

And as I'm pointed out several times, using some evidence to try and support my view, the commercial nature of this move is highly questionable which makes it worthy of debate about why this is actually happening.

Perhaps we should segregate crowds at music venues.

Women at the back so they don't get hurt in the crowd please. Make sure they wear heels and short skirts and wear ear defenders so their delicate hearing doesn't get damaged.

(Trying my best to ignore Londongramma's hellbent stance that we are all wrong, wrong, wrong and not allowed to have an opinion on this)

duckyneedsaclean Radio 6 is really good, v diverse and entertaining. I've got into a fair few decent artists that 6 and XFM

Oops I meant 'through 6 and XFM'

I find 6Music ok but it can be incredibly obscure at times outside of the peak slots unless new age jazz is your thing... obviously I understand that BBC have a responsibility to host diverse music but I do/did usually switch to XFM!

I'm really confused
we listen to XFM in the office sometimes and we're in London

the range of stations we do get, I think there's room for a rock one tbh, esp a soft rock. I think they'll find their demographic has more women in it than they think but as a commercial decision perhaps they think there's loads of pop (true) and not much rock going on with stations?

the male/female thing does annoy me but marketing seems forever convinced that some kind of division needs to happen. No idea why.

I didn't realise this, but as part of this move, Global radio are handing back their broadcasting frequency for XFM Scotland. This means Radio X will only be available via DAB radio in areas of Scotland where it is currently broadcast.

Effective from Monday.

I guess the plus side for Scots is there is a free broadcast frequency and market going begging for anyone who wanted to make a punt at a new similar station.