A radio station owned by the Guardian Media Group has called in a marketing agency to help it appeal to an older generation of listeners, it is reported today.

Media reports state that the firm has hired Dye Holloway Murray to attempt to gain a larger market share of the demographic for Smooth Radio.

The move can be seen as testament to the attractiveness of such listeners to the media provider, which orchestrated a pitching competition between Dye Holloway Murray, Clear Marketing and Hooper Galton for the deal.

Currently, the station has a following of about 2.2 million each week - about two per cent of the entire radio listening public, according to Rajar figures.

Formerly Jazz FM, Smooth Radio plans to target listeners aged between 40 and 59 - perhaps prompting its recent hiring of DJ Tony Blackburn.

Earlier this month, the Guardian reported Tony as saying: "I'm delighted to be joining up with some of the best-loved names in the industry and really looking forward to bringing my own unique style of broadcasting to Smooth."

In 2007 he published his memoirs - Poptastic: My Life on Radio.