Sally's radar tuned to success on airwaves

Sep 29 2008 by Chris Knox, The Journal

OVER the years, Metro Radio has become a North East institution, with listener figures that far outstrip some of its national competitors. Christopher Knox met the woman behind it all, Sally Aitchison.

TO say that Sally has done her bit for Metro Radio would be putting it mildly. From securing Metro’s new home in the middle of Newcastle’s prominent Swan House roundabout, to getting the station’s name up in lights at one of the city’s premier music venues, she has put her life’s work into ingraining the brand into the consciousness of the North East public.

It is her powers of persuasion, coupled with her knack of making the right decisions at the right time, that have helped her to the top of the pile.

This business savvy helped her out in one of her first jobs as a market seller in her home town of Stockton. As a youngster, she absorbed a lot from what went on at the market and even picked up a few tips that she is not too proud of.

“Stockton market was a excellent start for me and taught me a lot about what its takes to be successful in business. I was even told to put at least one rotten piece of fruit or veg at the bottom of each customer’s bag,” she says.

“I have to say though that not all market sellers do this. I wouldn’t want anyone calling the station to say that I’ve given them a bad name.”

Though she would most likely laugh off the suggestion, Sally cuts an impressive image as a hard-selling businesswoman and it is easy to see how she has become so successful.

However, that does not answer how she has been able to do this in an industry which is traditionally regarded as male-dominated, and it is here that her 11 years of experience in advertising is key to her leap up the media ladder.

This experience has provided her with an uncanny ability to judge the changing mood of the North East public as well as how the Metro brand is perceived by its listeners.

“I never had the problem of a glass ceiling or even a concrete one, as it is known today.

“I was always surrounded by women during my advertising and sales days and by taking this route I was able to make a mark for myself and get noticed by the radio executives.” Despite her focused demeanour, she admits that she didn’t know what she wanted to be while at school, with A-levels in art, English and sociology giving little hint as to the path she would eventually follow.

“I honestly didn’t have a clue what to do,” she said. “I was thinking I would go to university, but in the end I decided to take a year out and get a job.

“Looking back it was a good decision.”

It was at her local Jobcentre that Sally spotted a receptionist position at Radio Tees – now TFM – but was told the position was closed. This didn’t deter Aitchison, who insisted on an interview anyway and landed the post, so beginning her meteoric rise from humble receptionist to managing director.

“Receptionists have the most important role in any business, as you automatically become the public face of the company,” she says. “I picked up most of what I know about how radio stations operate during my time as a receptionist. It was certainly one of the more interesting periods in my career.

“I had to take calls from a vast range of people, from people who had lost their budgies to people consider- ing ending their lives with no one else to call. It was certainly an eclectic mix.

“The thing about a radio station is that it can become an extension of someone’s group of friends or family and you have to understand the impact you can have on people’s lives.”

One memory that Aitchison wishes she could forget from her career as a receptionist is the time when she was asked out on a date by singer-turned- comic Charlie Drake.

“Although I was flattered, it’s fair to say that the whole thing was a bit embarrassing,” she said.

“But it just shows the range of people that you get calling you up at a radio station.”

It was while she was superintending the phones at Radio Tees that she also juggled a number of other part-time roles, including market seller. As a part-time rock chick, she was also asked to pick up the mic and host a late-night rock show at the station, along with seasoned DJ Mark Gregory, who would go on to become her creative director.

The show, which aired on Saturday night between 10pm and 2am, gave Aitchison free rein to play her favourite music, something that is in stark contrast to today’s closely scrutinised playlists on Metro.

She said: “It was quite liberating, being able to choose what songs we wanted. Most of the time I would want to get a track on by Rainbow and Mark always wanted to play Megadeth.

“Saying that, it was probably those kind of choices that kept us from bringing in the listeners like we do at Metro. Back then it was much less business-orientated and we had daft fun eating jelly and drinking wine on air, which wouldn’t happen now.”

Sally’s defining moment was to come soon after with the death of her father when she was just 21. He had owned a fabric stall on Stockton market and taught her much about the sales environment.

“Losing my dad at such a young age was devastating as he was such an important figure in my life,” she said. “It really did make me take stock and refocus on what I wanted out of life. In many ways it instantly changed me from a young girl into an adult.”

After being promoted to managing director for Metro Radio/Magic 1152 in 2001, Sally set about the task of increasing listeners through a series of aggressive branding campaigns.

One of her proudest moments was the pivotal role she played in securing the naming rights for the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena in 2004, which she says in itself became one of the most successful advertising campaigns she has been part of.

The kind of artists that come to the venue reflect the mix of music put out by Metro Radio, allowing the station to become an intrinsic part of the build-up to concerts, attracting more listeners as a result.

Sally said: “The arena has attracted so many world-renowned artists, including most recently Kylie Minogue and Westlife.

“Leaving a concert at the arena leaves you on a high, and then what’s the last thing you see as you leave the venue?

“Metro’s name in 6ft lettering.”

Another major effort by Sally to bring Metro into the 21st Century was choosing a new site for the station after its old home in Swalwell, Gateshead, became outdated.

Once again Sally’s radar for spotting key marketing opportunities was spot on, with the move to swanky new offices at Newcastle’s Swan House roundabout in 2005 representing the ideal location.

The site now incorporates three recording studios along with an open-plan office which allows its departments to work closer together.

She admits that she had to twist a few arms to land the site and that her neck would have been on the line if the costs of the move did not equate to increased listener figures.

She said: “Drivers can look up and see the company logo emblazoned across the studios. I went to the board and said, ‘I’ve found the most amazing spot. Thirty three million cars go round this roundabout, and if you were buying a billboard in the centre of Newcastle this would be the billboard you would want to buy’.

“It’s also great having everyone on one floor. You no longer need to send internal emails or make phone calls to other people in the building.

“As a result, things move much quicker, which is what you want when you’re dealing with a live radio station that requires on-the-spot decision- making.”

As far as the future of radio goes, Sally is a firm believer that it will always have a place among the world of MP3 Players, which can essentially allow listeners to become their own programme directors.

“When I first started working for Metro it is fair to say that local radio was a bit of a cottage industry, where we could do anything and put out anything we wanted.

“Times have changed a bit since then. We have got to be on our toes a lot more to ensure that our listeners don’t go off and find other forms of entertainment.

“I also believe that the fact we have high-calibre DJs such as Tony Horne and Alan Robson has allowed us to keep growing while other stations have seen their listener figures go down.”

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THE QUESTIONNAIRE

What car do you drive?
Mercedes CLK convertible

What’s your favourite restaurant?
The Bridge Inn at Stapleton

Who or what makes you laugh?
Peter Kay, although he needs to come up with some new material

What’s your favourite book?
Positioning, The Battle for Your Mind – Reis Trout

What was the last album you bought?
The Script, The Script

What’s your ideal job, other than the one you’ve got?
Buyer for a major shoe designer.

If you had a talking parrot, what’s the first thing you would teach it to say?
Radio advertising delivers results

What’s your greatest fear?
My children coming to any harm

What’s the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
It’s OK to make mistakes, as long as you don’t repeat them

And the worst?
Northern Rock shares

What’s your poison?
White wine

What newspapers do you read, other than The Journal?
Every Sunday paper going

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
£10 for a day’s work at Stockton market.

How do you keep fit?
Powerball

What’s your most irritating habit?
Grinding my teeth

What’s your biggest extravagance?
Shoes and handbags

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with or admire?
Emmeline Pankhurst

Which four famous people would you most like to dine with?
Jack Nicholson, Simon Cowell, Harrison Ford and Freddie Mercury

How would you like to be remembered?
Generous