Beyond that says its director Ron Coles: We have our eyes on licences for any large area with a

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Beyond that, says its director, Ron Coles: "We have our eyes on licences for any large area with a total audience over two million."Its idea is to capture an audience of mature people disenfranchised by the obsession of radio and television with youth culture. But, says one media buyer, Saga has to throw off its Thora Hird image if it is going to be successful. He said: "The truth is that the company is still associated with incontinence pads and walk-in baths. I'm in my 50s, and if a Saga holiday brochure landed on my mat I would curl up and have myself put down."Saga is keenly trying to brighten up its image. It has in its sights a generation situated somewhere between Ms Hird on a Stannah stairlift and Jonathan Ross who, when he is not exposing his private parts on They Think It's All Over, presents a programme on Radio 2.The BBC easy-listening station has, in the eyes of Saga, lowered the age of its target audience so much that it has alienated many of the big-spending over-50s."Fifty to 64-year-olds have more disposable income than any other age group," says Mr Coles, "and the over-50s spend about £145bn a year, which is more than 40 per cent of total personal consumer spending."Saga's vision of its market is summed up by its on-air slogan, "from Bing to Sting", and the playlist on the company's existing digital radio stations includes Boyzone, The Beautiful South and Celine Dion as well as Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.

Saga research has revealed that Roy Orbison appeals to all age groups.The new FM stations will also broadcast celebrity chat and entertainment news, but Posh and Becks are unlikely to feature much. A more likely line-up would include Robert Redford, Goldie Hawn, Annie Lennox, Debbie Harry, Sue Lawley and Terence Stamp, all of whom have appeared on the cover of Saga's popular subscription-only magazine, which, in terms of its circulation, is second only to Reader's Digest.Ron Coles says there is a huge market opportunity. Other radio stations appealing to older listeners, he argues, tend to have different specialist remits. He cites Classic FM and Radio 4.Most advertising agencies, though, are unswayed by the notion that "old is the new young, and 50 is the new 40". Despite a barrage of articles proclaiming the sexiness of Joan Collins and the youthful qualities of Joanna Lumley, they argue that securing the brand loyalty of younger consumers is more important.Mr Coles disagrees.

"Our research shows that there is no difference at all between the old and young on their openness to a marketing message," he says.In practice, Saga-man and Saga-woman change their major brands regularly. According to the advertising executive Neil Jenner of the Senior Agency, the over-50s account for 45 per cent of all car sales in Britain and 80 per cent of luxury cars, as well as 50 per cent of face care products and 35 per cent of travel. "The advertising business is run by businessmen aged around 28 to 35," he says, "and it is about time they woke up to the fact that there is a very interesting and dynamic market out there."A mark of the success or failure of Saga Radio, he believes, will be its ability to pull in leading-brand advertisers, rather than local carpet warehouses and conservatory manufacturers. If it manages to pull in big names such as Gap and Nescafé, both of which have good reputations among the over-50s, it will have broken the mould..