# Coast 103.2



## bowsher260 (Dec 28, 2011)

Anyone know why coast is gone from the radiowaves?


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Because people only like $hitty music around here.


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## bowsher260 (Dec 28, 2011)

Not a very helpful response is it. 

Ask a simple question, get a daft reply.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Simply because it wasn't making any money, so wasn't financially viable anymore. Just to pay the 'hire' of the transmitter and frequency license is about 250,000 dhs a month. Sadly radio stations are a business and if they're not generating revenue - or even to pay the staff wages, then they are no longer viable.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Oh please, ligthen up dude.

It did not make enough revenue so it got shut down. Is that better?

Now, why do you think that would be?

Because people only like $hitty music around here.


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## bowsher260 (Dec 28, 2011)

Thats a shame, thanks for the answer.


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

Good question. 
I remember it was raining one day in January 2014 (a Monday), and I was in the car listening to Coast 103.2. Suddenly the transmission was cut-I put it down to the lousy weather conditions. Later on, I couldn’t get anything when I tuned in. It works fine on my radio app on my smartphone-maybe it’s a ‘ghost’ version that exists only on the web (and of course, virtually no costs)? 
I’m glad someone asked this question here-I’ve wanted to ask the same myself, because driving in Dubai has become less fun without 103.2. It sounds like an exaggeration, but I spend so much time in my car, and music is such a big part of my driving experience, that a bad set of songs, or an annoying presenter, or 8 commercials in a row (your typical Dubai radio station basically) ruins it. 
The closest replacement I can find is Virgin Radio (can’t remember the freq. off the top of my head). Plays the same easy-listening/adult contemporary/80s+90s mix (along with a relatively tolerable selection of current hits). Can anyone else recommend good stations to tune into? 
I do think it’s a shame that Coast FM is no more-I remember when they first started, they had billboards in the street advertising their launch (maybe 10 years ago). Judging from mentions here and there on the web, they did seem to have a loyal (but small?) following in Dubai.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

bowsher260 said:


> Not a very helpful response is it.
> 
> Ask a simple question, get a daft reply.


it may have been blunt, but it is factually the correct answer.
no-one listens, no advertising revenue = death.


The music radio stations in this country are great if you are an easily pleased 14 year old girl, with extremely limited horizons.

beyond that, you are out of luck.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

The station that closest resembles what Coast was is Radio 2! 99.3.


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## bowsher260 (Dec 28, 2011)

Cheers choco, omar.


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## Beamrider (May 18, 2012)

Reading in this thread multiple opinions about $hitty radio music, I would like to know what do you believe are the criteria to define music "good" and what a radio should broadcast accordingly.

I promise this is not troll bait - I am a "weekend warrior" musician, I have had DJ experience in greener years and am seriously interested in your opinion.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

having a playlist extending to approximately 7 songs at any one time, usually from whiny middle of the road artists is not the answer.

The answer is for a radio station to genuiniely broaden their horizons, and look at the full body of music available.

Even radio stations that dare to venture further back in time than 15 minutes ago, into 80's and 90's tunes, for example, still manage to limit the playlist, across a whole weekend to about 11 songs, despite being proud to offer music across a 20 year spectrum. If they were genuinely playing music across this spectrum, you wouldnt here the same tunes repeated EVERY week...

Dubai needs a John Peel.
Every radio station in the world needs a John Peel.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Well, as someone who works in the industry - let me tell you exactly how this works. Firstly a station decides on its target audience and the demographic it chooses to reach. Much research goes into selecting the music for a playlist for a station. 'Testing' periods are carried out, where a cross section of that stations target audience is gathered and they rate the music - new tracks being considered are also 'tested' during this time, to see if people actually like it or not.

Research comes from big agencies such as Neilsen, plus what's big in the charts, plus historically what have been big tunes globally. Sadly when many people look at 'popular music' they only consider the US Billboard chart or the UK Top 40 - there are many many more that have to be considered. The UAE is a very tricky country as you have so many nationalities, from so many different backgrounds and your average listener certainly isn't going to be a middle-class, white, westerner.

As someone who has been head of music and programmed for several stations, I can honestly say, it is one of the toughest jobs to do.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Chocoholic said:


> Well, as someone who works in the industry - let me tell you exactly how this works. .


 <snip> 

Maybe that's the problem, the research tells you people want the same 7 songs over and over yet nobody stops to think "wait a minute" or is too scared to go against design by committee.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Mr Rossi said:


> <snip>
> 
> Maybe that's the problem, the research tells you people want the same 7 songs over and over yet nobody stops to think "wait a minute" or is too scared to go against design by committee.


But then it becomes more complicated than that - when the average listener tunes in, in 20 minute intervals, the thinking is to ALWAYS be playing those hit songs. So if you're someone who tunes in for several hours at a time, or course you're going to hear repeats. An example of play listing - take a HOT Commercial Hit Radio station in the US - their A list artist songs will come around every 45 minutes! Yup, that quickly. It's not necessarily about what is in the playlist, but the format and what 'clock' a station is using.


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## MAW0504 (Oct 6, 2009)

Radio is laughable here....Dubai 92's 80s, 90s and nothing else weekend plays the SAME 80s, 90s tracks every week and this weekend added Adele's Rolling in the Deep to it....not sure when 2010 became part of the 80s or 90s?

I'm never going to recover from the demise of Rock Radio that used to be broadcast out of Fujairah. What a mix they played!!


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Radio 2 Rock is an online streaming station available here. Rock Radio - sadly same thing that happened to Coast - wasn't generating any revenue.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Chocoholic said:


> But then it becomes more complicated than that - when the average listener tunes in, in 20 minute intervals, the thinking is to ALWAYS be playing those hit songs. .


True, I get that for the very mainstream stuff and don't deny there is a large market for this format. But then people are complaining about the 80's / 90's station playing the same few songs when there's how much material in two decades? 

Surely one of the largest appeals of a nostalgic station is "wow, I forgot about that/them" "I loved this as a kid/teenager" or "I remember this from that holiday or when I did that job" ?

Is there and equivalent of the MCPS here? If not then there isn't even a financially excuse and only be attributed to laziness. In fact, basing output on 20 minute windows is lazyness. 

Why don't the programmers put in a real effort to get me tune in on purpose for a show and hold my attention for 2 hours? Much like the podcasts I eschew local radio for do. 


(Btw, rhetorical questions, I seriously don't expect a station to cater for my direct needs and I'm not holding you personally accountable. Just an interesting discussion  )


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

No, there's no MCPS or PRS here. You can't really look at 92, they cater mostly to Brits and boy does it show!

If I had my way, I'd program very differently, but sadly I'm not in a position to do that - so hey ho.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

I honestly just use my phone to stream online radio, even if I use a bundle of bandwith.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

I don't listen to 'commercial radio' as I hate the non stop ad's, DJ's, repetitive music etc. I used to spend a lot of time on the road back in the UK and would always hear the same songs at basically the same times everyday.

I now listen to 'Pirate' radio as they play the music I like i.e. Deep House, Dance and Hard House etc. Over here I just stream it as they broadcast on FM as well as online.


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

Why would anyone listen to radio today, in the age of cassette tapes and walkmans?


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Chocoholic said:


> No, there's no MCPS or PRS here. You can't really look at 92, they cater mostly to Brits and boy does it show!
> 
> .


not me, though...!

appreciate it's a thankless task.
Shame the lowest comon denominator ALWAYS wins in the advertising battle


Incidentally, I assume you have to have been sacked as a hospital radio night-shift volunteer to get a job presenting here?


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

vantage said:


> not me, though...!
> 
> appreciate it's a thankless task.
> Shame the lowest comon denominator ALWAYS wins in the advertising battle
> ...


Fnar fnar


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

vantage said:


> not me, though...! appreciate it's a thankless task. Shame the lowest comon denominator ALWAYS wins in the advertising battle Incidentally, I assume you have to have been sacked as a hospital radio night-shift volunteer to get a job presenting here?


Hospital radio - does that still exist in the UK? And on the subject of 'Brits', there's an awful lot of antipodeans sneaking onto the radio these days, noticeably on 92!


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Chocoholic said:


> The station that closest resembles what Coast was is Radio 2! 99.3.


I am glad I am not the only one that thought that - best of the 80's and 90's suits me and definitely not for 14 year olds


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## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

Not directly related to coast radio, but I stopped listing to UAE stations more than a year ago. In my car I have my own play list, and at home I got internet radio. I really got fed up with particularly these poor quality talk programs where they talk about real estate or banking with so-called experts...its just an extended commercial.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> Hospital radio - does that still exist in the UK? And on the subject of 'Brits', there's an awful lot of antipodeans sneaking onto the radio these days, noticeably on 92!


yes, it does!

if 92 caters to Brits, they need to stop prouncing Dubai 92 as "Dubai niney tyoo"
gives me the heave.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

twowheelsgood said:


> I am glad I am not the only one that thought that - best of the 80's and 90's suits me and definitely not for 14 year olds


I stopped listening to Radio 2 the moment they changed from "the best of the 80's and 90's" to "the best of the 80's, 90's and NOW" with a huge emphasis on NOW.


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