Bell Media has sent legal letters, complained to the CRTC and is raising all the hell it can after news leaked that Virgin Radio competitor The Beat 92.5 is planning to rebrand once again, this time using what Bell calls a “confusingly similar” name: Fur Gym Radio.
Described in an internal branding strategy document as a way to attract the female demographic by reminding them two things they love — expensive clothes and places to meet buff guys — Fur Gym Radio 92.5 would keep the same hot adult contemporary music format, but would reflect a name that focus groups identified with more positively than the blandly-named The Beat.
Bell argues in a strongly-worded legal threat against The Beat’s owner Cogeco Diffusion that “Fur Gym Radio” sounds too much like “Virgin Radio” and that it is a “blatant attempt to confuse listeners into believing” that The Beat is associated with or endorsed by the Virgin brand.
Cogeco representatives wouldn’t comment on the threat or the rebranding exercise. As far as anyone at the station is concerned, it’s still status quo as “92.5 The Beat”.
That’s a good one. Check out my own: http://fyimusicnews.ca/post/81379904403/canadian-media-ownership-on-the-table
Happy April 1 everyone!
Gotta admit that this proposed logo looks similar to the Virgin Radio 96 one. Plus the brand “Fur Gym” sounds phonetically similar to Virgin. However, is it really smart of them to emulate Virgin Radio? If folks want Virgin Radio, they will listen to the real mccoy, no? Why not find an identity that is all their own?
The news came as a complete surprise as after the last ratings when the Beat did so well it was thought in radio circles that Virgin might be changing its name to the Treat to possibly get more listeners itself.
Oops! I am slow today. I forgot it was April Fools.