Absolute Radio is trying to put a brave face on the Q4 Rajars, the radio industry’s flaky yet revered regular metrics system, after losing nearly a fifth of its listeners since renaming from Virgin Radio through its acquisition by Times of India Group last September…

“If I suddenly changed my name from Clive to Paul overnight, it would take you a while to adapt to calling me Paul,” wrote COO Clive Dickens strategy and planning head Adam Bowie. Bowie Dickens defended the radio listening figures with online stats: “Time spent online exceeds competitors – over 45 minutes for Absolute Radio versus under 20 minutes for other commercial radio stations.

“(We have) 500,000 total VIPs (users with online profiles) versus 275,000 for Virgin, 600,000 people downloaded podcasts since October We have 43 percent more calls and texts to studio than when we were Virgin Radio. I could go on.”

Virgin Radio was Europe’s first radio station to stream live online and, despite digital director James Cridland’s departure to the BBC, has retained a genuinely innovative edge, with blogs, forums and other community features plus a multitude of multi-platform listening options. Check the site...