MEDIA HEADLINER: Capital's rising star wants the group brands to work harder.(Capital Radio PLC's Chris Bennett)

Bennett's primary task will be to monetise the stations' audience.

Chris Bennett doesn't much care for the suggestion that he's been asked to 'do an Emap' at Capital. Last week, he was promoted to the new role of commercial development director, charged with the responsibility of making the radio group's content properties and brand assets work harder. Which sounds sort of familiar, but Bennett points out that Capital and Emap are very different beasts.

His role, he says, will be all about 'monetising' (beyond existing spot advertising and sponsorship) the relationship Capital has with eight million listeners a week across its national network of stations. 'In general, people don't tend to value things they get for free, but the opposite is the case in commercial radio,' he points out. 'It's free but listeners put a huge value on the relationship they have with it. The trick is to monetise that without adulterating the relationship.'

When you ask for details, the name of Craig David looms large. David's record label is Wildstar, a joint venture between Capital and Telstar: David's successful debut album, Born To Do It, has so far sold six million copies and contributed a seven-figure sum to Capital's bottom line. More of that would be nice, although Bennett admits you don't discover a Craig David every day of the week. But he does, for instance, envisage the release of more compilation CDs carrying Capital branding - such as, for instance, the Capital Gold Legends series.

And then there's publishing. The launch issue of X-Ray magazine, an Xfm spin-off published in a joint venture with Swinstead, sells 57,000, making it the UK's sixth-largest music title. Again, that model could be replicated.

And then there are new digital distribution channels to be explored. Content from a Capital event, such as Party in the Park, could be packaged for 3G network owners.

The potential, in other words, is there. Is Capital genuinely serious about reinventing itself? And is Bennett the right man for this job, some observers wonder. They say he's primarily an airtime trader and doubt if he has a grasp of the big picture needed to work the magic Capital clearly needs. This, after all, is an entrepreneurial job that will demand lateral thinking.