How did Boom come about?
David Lloyd (left) writes:
Our crazy idea was hatched back in the sunshine summer of lockdown 2020 - by a group of old friends with a dream.
I was semi-retired after having a whale of a time for forty years presenting on and running a host of radio stations from Virgin Radio to LBC.
Paul 'Doctor Music' Robey and I felt strongly that radio no longer catered as well for people who dared to be older. We’d both spent some time at the BBC and had observed Radio 2 and local radio changing their character.
I dropped a casual note to an old colleague, Phil Riley (pic right). He’d been the brains behind the launch of the Heart radio brand; and, amongst other significant roles, he’d headed the last venture where we’d worked together running a clutch of commercial stations in the Midlands.
If Paul and I had the dream – Phil was the man who could help us bring it to reality. In a sense, bright ideas are the easy bit.
We all felt personally too that we wanted another throw of the dice. We felt we still had the energy to start something fresh – aged in our 60s.
As we carved out our plans, we began to appreciate that the way we felt about our own lives was so common amongst the generation we planned to serve. A feeling that society was all too keen to put to one side the tastes, interest and abilities of people on the grounds of age. Boom’s very existence was proof that older people could take risks and have fun.
Our goal was a station of broad appeal to older listeners still living life to the full – one where many great oldies were played but which would not define itself simply by being an oldies station. Not a pastiche of the stations we grew up with but a real, familiar-sounding companion for today. And one which reflected the varied musical memories through the entire lives of its audiences through a huge record library.
Naming a radio station is a task riddled with difficulties - and we were very nearly called something totally different. Phil came up with 'Boom' (as in baby boomers). I'll confess I was noisily cynical, given that name suggested to me an abrasive station for youngsters with pants showing. Listeners too were cautious in the ensuing research. But – not for the last time – we ignored what ‘evidence’ we had and went for ‘Boom’. In a sense, not sounding like a sleepy radio station for old folk is exactly our spirit. And, I’ll readily admit now, it’s a great name. No-one forgets it. No-one confuses us.
Although creating a radio station, in a sense, is quite cheap and easy these days thanks to modern technology, and all sorts of impressive radio projects are being launched all the time, we wanted to be a major alternative for listeners to the huge BBC Radio 2. David vs Goliath. That meant bringing together some great UK broadcasters, making sure we could be heard across the UK on DAB and online – and marketing ourselves so that people know about us.
The cost of delivering that major new radio brand would, therefore, be significant – and not a venture we could consider without the right backing. Phil opened his personal cheque book; and Paul and I dipped into our pension pots, which one should only do with huge care. Phil also had a persuasive way with old friends and colleagues who also agreed to risk a few pounds. It is a risk too – like any new venture. We were - and are - hugely grateful to those individuals.
Once the funding was in place, we could begin the task of deciding exactly how the station would run, what music we’d play, how we’d promote ourselves - and secure the services of presenters who would really make a difference. And we’d have to make sure that our income covered our costs if we were to stay around.
That’s a whole different story - and one we’ll begin to share with you in future newsletters.
In the words of Paul Robey, Boom is the station we’ve spent our lives preparing to run. And, even though we are working harder now than we’ve ever worked in our lives, we’re having a ball - thanks to your enormous enthusiasm. Your feedback touches us daily.