Radio X’s tongue-in-cheek video addressing ‘male-focused’ PR further alienates listeners
A Radio X video addressing the station's now-abandoned claim it has an exclusive focus on 25-44 year old males has riled some listeners.
Radio X, which last week rebranded from XFM with the launch of a TV ad announcing the return of Chris Moyles to breakfast radio, received flak for its push to become the "first truly male-focused" radio station for 25-44 year olds.
To address those feeling excluded by the station’s limited audience focus, Radio X released a “public service announcement” on Facebook.
This is a public service announcement from Radio X.
Posted by Radio X on Monday, 21 September 2015
Many expressed their unhappiness with the tone of the video which featured the following voiceover: “Recently it was said that Radio X was a station with a male focus, now a lotta people interpreted this as a women can’t listen to this station but that’s not the truth. Radio X is a station for men, but it is also a station for women too. We love women at Radio X, your make-up and your high heels; you’re just so damn cute.
“We’re also not a station for middle-aged people either, we love you crazy teenagers with your One Direction and spot cream and in addition to this we also accept men and women from the gay community. I’m not gay myself but I am a big fan of Alan Carr he is so funny."
It concluded: “Here at Radio X we don’t just want men, we want everyone. So spread the word, Radio X is a station for everybody, men and women, gay and straight, young and old.”
One viewer said he message of inclusiveness was ruined by the video "ironically, by stereotyping, patronising and being generally offensive".
Condemning the station's own original marketing on the air, Moyles said: “If you've read about Radio X being a radio station being for men only, that is rubbish, nobody agrees with this except for the one person who put it in the press release."