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Opus Digital, the GWR Group’s digital sales division, has secured a

raft of spot advertising deals to be broadcast on its new digital radio

channels.

Planet Rock and Core have attracted new advertisers who are, according

to Opus Digital, keen to experiment with interactive radio. The two

channels, launched last Monday, are now up and running on the national

digital multiplex, Digital One.

Core has already won airtime deals with Budweiser, Metz, Renault, Warner

Brothers, Nescafe, NatWest and the One to One Zone. Rock music station

Planet Rock has attracted Guinness, Honda, PC World, Renault, BT and

Microsoft.

Jack Daniels and Mars Flyte have ads on both channels.

Although the new digital multiplex is already attracting advertisers,

Opus could not disclose the going rate for ad spots, but said that the

’costing reflects the uncertainty of audience size’. It’s also likely

that GWR’s existing analogue advertisers will be offered cost-effective

airtime to sample digital.

Opus Digital sales head Steve Cray claimed that while audience reach is

indecipherable on the new digital medium, it already offers advertisers

advantages over and above analogue. ±±¾©Èü³µpk10s are exposed on three

different platforms including the internet, Sky Digital and Digital One

and many of GWR’s existing advertisers will have the opportunity to

elevate campaigns to a national level. Cray said: ’We are aware that we

really need to build audiences at this stage. People will be dipping in

and out of our new channels, so their snapshot has to be exciting.

Innovative advertising is essential.’

From next week, Opus is advertising the film The Matrix on Core, in a

deal with Warner Home Village.