Georgina Chang is the Vice-President of English Programming (Music), Radio Division at MediaCorp Singapore.

In a one-to-one with Asia Radio Today, she shares her views about competing stations and her strategies.

1. For an international audience, please can you describe English programming at MediaCorp, what comes under your remit and what doesn’t.

I oversee the English Music stations that includes Class95FM, the number 1 English station in Singapore (Hot AC) Lush 995FM (Indie music station) Gold 90.5FM (Classic pop) 987FM(CHR), as well as extensions of the stations 987TV and Class95TV (Online TV channels)

2. English programming is perhaps seeing some of the fiercest competition ever from SPH radio.  Do you see them as a major threat and how do you counter it?

Competition is great for any industry, it spurs on improvement. This is the worthiest opponent that we’ve had, and I’m enjoying how it makes the radio industry more vibrant. We’re challenged to evolve with our listeners and offer different levels of radio, instead of the same formula. Social media is a key component of the radio experience now, and gives us a holistic outreach to people. 987TV is one of our new initiatives, and it’s developed a deeper connection with the community we want to engage.

3.  Last year, you moved radio stalwart The Flying Dutchman from the Morning Express on Class 95 after more than a decade.  Was that a difficult call and how are listeners taking to the return of Joe Augustin, another radio legend?

Radio listening is a habit, and anytime you forcibly change people’s routine, they will take time to adjust to it. It was an organic move as the time was right. The music on Gold 905FM appeals to many of FD’s listeners, and I wanted to differentiate the stations clearly in terms of music and personalities. Joe brings a unique flavor to radio. He plays with witty allusions and involves the listener in a live reality radio experience. It’s not always slick, but it’s a sense of anticipation, adventure and realness.

4.    I’ve always been impressed that the five English language stations are really well differentiated.  In other markets, you often find several stations chasing the same audience and sounding very similar. So what’s the thinking behind this approach?

My goal is to offer a distinctly different menu that everyone can access depending on their mood and inclination. When you wake you, you want upbeat familiar pop tunes with lots of laughter, so you tune to Class95FM. When you go to bed, you want easy listening slow jams, so you tune to Gold 905FM. In between, you want to hear some good non mainstream music, so you tune to Lush 995FM.

One size does not fit all, and I recognise that people are multi-dimensional with voracious appetites for entertainment.  I programme by mood within the stations, and between the stations, to move through the day with people’s activities. Radio is an emotional medium, it will never die out because people want that conversation about local topics that affect them. No online playlist or CD collection, no matter how awesome, can offer the soul and community connection.

5. Lush 99.5 has won critical acclaim in its first decade but as a niche channel maybe hasn’t pulled in huge numbers.  Is the move to more indie music an attempt to carve a bigger niche?

Lush has always played Indie music, but this is the first time we’ve incorporated that into our branding. The “indie” culture is enjoying its popularity in Singapore now. It’s cool to say “I listen to Indie music”, so it’s naturally moving from the niche to the mass. The Laneway Festival was a catalyst for that amongst the masses and we’re seeing a lot of hipster cafes opening up. Lush 995FM has a unique sound and playlist, and we have listeners writing in from USA, UK, and Europe saying that they wished they had a station like this at home.

6. As an experienced radio programmer, what one other station (anywhere in the world) would you most like to run?

I’ve always loved the Lush format that plays great non-mainstream music, and focuses on strong lifestyle elements. I’d love to see the behind-the-scenes creative conceptualizing and organisation of the BBC group, especially BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. However, I truly believe that radio is all about connection to the community, and you have to truly understand the local community to gain long term loyalty.