BBC Radio 2 to unveil older presenters/more public service elements in daytime

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  • slimjimslimjim Posts: 718
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    I don't doubt that an hour of light programme guff during the day would be something akin to suicide for Radio Two. While it has its faults, it at least has a broad appeal from early morning to evening. Slapping an OAP-special minority programme in the middle of the day would wreck continuity, and see millions of people retuning.

    I suspect a lot of people in factories, offices and at home just want to keep their radio tuned to the same station all day. That's what would be lost.
  • BundymanBundyman Posts: 7,199
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    slimjim wrote: »
    I don't doubt that an hour of light programme guff during the day would be something akin to suicide for Radio Two. While it has its faults, it at least has a broad appeal from early morning to evening. Slapping an OAP-special minority programme in the middle of the day would wreck continuity, and see millions of people retuning.

    I suspect a lot of people in factories, offices and at home just want to keep their radio tuned to the same station all day. That's what would be lost.

    Exactly!

    R2 back in the mid 80's had an hour of David Jacobs 1930s music at lunchtime. There is a place for that kind of thing, but not during the daytime hours.

    Today R2 does very well during the day, the best way to wreck that is put any kind of specialist music on for an hour.

    People will just tune out & if it's a works/office radio, it becomes easier not to put R2 on at all as you know you''' need to tune out later.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,407
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    I find it odd that just because radio 2's remit is from 35 year old (I am at the younger end of that) that they suppose that older presenters are required to attract older listeners. But it also smacks of a split personality that causes issues
    Given that TW has just stepped down and Chris Evans has taken over it would be interesting to know how the demographics have shifted to I guess a younger audience.
    I now only listen to Radcliffe & Maconie & overnight to Janice Long and Alex Lester as I find the focus does not interest me. CE & SW are too juvenile, for me. I don't listen at the weekend after Zoe Ball.
    This can't end well
  • John WJohn W Posts: 861
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    slimjim wrote: »
    Slapping an OAP-special minority programme in the middle of the day would wreck continuity, and see millions of people retuning.

    Yes of course - the light programming would be aimed at a different audience! :rolleyes:

    You think it's OK that for 10 hours R2 is aimed at just ONE audience sector?
    slimjim wrote: »
    I suspect a lot of people in factories, offices and at home just want to keep their radio tuned to the same station all day. That's what would be lost.

    Yes of course, but that ignores the music tastes of an equally sized audience who can't bear to listen to daytime R2 these days.

    The 'other' audience IS there! Add all the specialist evening and weekend audiences up and it's several million, and they would tune into the same programmes during the week in homes and offices

    - factory staff might have to vote! :)


    John W
  • Satellite FreakSatellite Freak Posts: 517
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    John, how many times does it have to be explained to you WHY Radio 2's daytime schedule is the way it is? If you had your way Radio 2 would be hauled back to the 1970s.

    LISTENING HABITS have CHANGED. What's more, Old Pilot is correct: Radio 2's older content (Carrington, Jacobs, Teal, Titchmarsh) does appeal to an audience which is dying out. These programmes will probably not exist in a decade time.

    Programmes like Sounds of the Sixties, Bill Kenwright, Mark Lamarr's Shake Rattle & Roll, Alternative Sixties etc are much popular than those programmes which you would like to see introduced to daytime Radio 2.

    This debate has been done to death. You call for Radio 2 to introduce programmes which would appeal to a MINORITY AUDIENCE. Do you honestly think having Carrington, Jacobs and Titchmarsh on during the day playing music from the 1800s through to the 1940s would be successful? :rolleyes:

    These programmes exist on other parts of the schedule where they perform WELL and have built up a LOYAL AUDIENCE. It's already been announced that Radio 2 will be introducing older presenters (Tony Blackburn and Len Goodman are just two).

    Radio 2 is perfectly fine as it is, though I am AGAINST the truncation of the award-winning Radcliffe & Maconie Show. It's an insult that they have lost their Thursday night slot to the pointless Radio 2 In Concert, which airs classic concerts which are almost 20 years old.

    Live music? Is this what the Trust really had in mind?

    In Concert could easily be moved to Saturday nights which is where concerts and live music used to be heard. Paul Gambaccini could replace the awful Alan Carr show.

    I am also against the presence of Graham Norton, Dermot O'Leary and Alan Carr. These presenters are worthless and do not contribute a great deal to the network.

    I'd like to hear Johnnie Walker and Bob Harris on Saturday afternoons instead. Chris Tarrant would be fine on Sunday mornings. These older presenters appeal to a much wider audience than those you want to hear during the day. :rolleyes:
  • Satellite FreakSatellite Freak Posts: 517
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    John, here's something else for you to consider:

    Carrington and co would be a ratings disaster during the daytime and their presence would cause Radio 2 to see an audience decline. The audiences would defect to commercial radio - which would be disastrous for the BBC.

    These programmes would then face the axe because they would be regarded as a waste of money and a failure.

    It would be suicidal for Radio 2 and risk the future of the very presenters would want to hear on daytime Radio 2.

    Specialist programmes pull in wider audiences at night. The average Joe and Joanne Bloggs do not want to hear Titchmarsh playing Beethoven and opera pieces, and Carrington and Jacobs playing old crackly old records during the day.
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
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    John W wrote: »

    You think it's OK that for 10 hours R2 is aimed at just ONE audience sector?

    But it's not. Radio 2's dayitme output attracts a wide and varied range of listeners, both in terms of age and what they are doing. Light music, on the other hand, would amount to narrowcasting rather than broadcasting.

    Specialist shows - as good as they are - attract smaller audiences. Those who are at home during the day can still listen to them via Iplayer.

    And please don't start your patronising "older people don't listen on computers". If you'd been listening to Radio 2 for the past week you'd know about the First Click campaign, specifically aimed at encouraging older people to get online.
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,758
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    slimjim wrote: »
    I don't doubt that an hour of light programme guff during the day would be something akin to suicide for Radio Two. While it has its faults, it at least has a broad appeal from early morning to evening. Slapping an OAP-special minority programme in the middle of the day would wreck continuity, and see millions of people retuning.

    I suspect a lot of people in factories, offices and at home just want to keep their radio tuned to the same station all day. That's what would be lost.

    The market is no longer around for this type of programming in daytime. Radio 2 could do this in the eighties because most older people liked MOR music and instrumentals, now most older people would probably want to hear the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Radio 2 works perfectly well as it is now and doing a Frances Line would kill the network and leave millions of listeners with nowhere to go as Radio 1 is just chart rubbish now and ILR is little better.
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,758
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    I could add that non pop programmes certainly have their place on Radio 2, but not in daytime. It would be a backward step for Radio 2 to play forties music in daytime.
  • Martin PhillpMartin Phillp Posts: 34,583
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    Compared to Smooth, R2's current 60s to now format is broader, however in a time where PSB should be more distinct, surely it woudn't cause too much harm to playlist two pre 1964 tracks per hour. I can easily hear new music elsewhere on the BBC or on Smooth.
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
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    Compared to Smooth, R2's current 60s to now format is broader, however in a time where PSB should be more distinct, surely it woudn't cause too much harm to playlist two pre 1964 tracks per hour. I can easily hear new music elsewhere on the BBC or on Smooth.

    Definitely. But that doesn't mean there should be a specific "light hour" during the daytime. And if you break in down you do occasionally hear older tracks on Radio 2, withing features like Steve Wright's non stop oldies, Moira's Golden Oldie in breakfast and Tracks of My Years with Ken Bruce.
  • Satellite FreakSatellite Freak Posts: 517
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    Glenn A wrote: »
    I could add that non pop programmes certainly have their place on Radio 2, but not in daytime. It would be a backward step for Radio 2 to play forties music in daytime.

    Not only would it be a HUGE backward step, it would also mean Radio 2 would be hauled back to the eras some listeners are still living in: the '60s and '70s. :rolleyes:
  • John WJohn W Posts: 861
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    Definitely. But that doesn't mean there should be a specific "light hour" during the daytime.

    If there is a significant audience for it then R2 ought to provide daytime programming. Pre -1950 music still appeals whether played by the original artistes or by current artistes.

    Moira's Golden Oldie in breakfast and Tracks of My Years with Ken Bruce.

    Do you honestly think a jazz fan will listen in to the Evans show every morning just to hear one track that Moira plays? :rolleyes::p

    Folks with a taste for the older sounds will not settle for playing evening programmes on iplayer in the daytime. Those music fans are into quality sound, they mostly have good hi-fi, and would enjoy hearing their music played on the radio especially as a radio programme would play something unexpected and something that they had not heard for while.

    The fans of today's pop mostly have ipods etc and listen to podcasts and they don't need 10 hours of R2 radio every daytime.

    John
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
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    John W wrote: »

    Do you honestly think a jazz fan will listen in to the Evans show every morning just to hear one track that Moira plays? :rolleyes::p

    Folks with a taste for the older sounds will not settle for playing evening programmes on iplayer in the daytime.

    Those music fans are into quality sound, they mostly have good hi-fi, and would enjoy hearing their music played on the radio especially as a radio programme would play something unexpected and something that they had not heard for while.

    The fans of today's pop mostly have ipods etc and listen to podcasts and they don't need 10 hours of R2 radio every daytime.

    John

    Well I'm sure there are a few jazz fans in Chris Evans' millions of listeners john. The difference is that the vast majority don't feel the need to post patronising comments on DS.

    Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that given Iplayer's massive popularity, people who like specialist music are doing just that.

    Radio 2 doesn't just play "today's pop" and never has done. It's appeal is its wide remit as an entertainment network.

    Once again you are making sweeping generalisations with no evidence to back up your claims.

    And since we've had this debate on this forum before I'm having no further part in what will obviously turn into a "John vs Scott" match.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 452
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    I suppose a few more older presenters would'nt go a miss:

    I can see the weekday line up now:

    0200-0500 Brian Matthews
    0500-0630 Gloria Hunniford
    0630-0930 Sheila Tracy & Patrick Lunt
    0930-1200 Ken Bruce
    1200-1400 Brian Hayes
    1400-1700 Jimmy Saville
    1700-1900 Micheal Aspel
  • John WJohn W Posts: 861
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    Bundyman wrote: »
    Exactly!

    Today R2 does very well during the day, the best way to wreck that is put any kind of specialist music on for an hour.

    R2 does very well? Providing a broad range of pop music for a broad range (agewise) audience, yes.

    But R2 ignores the non-pop audience during the daytime, and many of them are folks at home or in their offices where they could choose to listen to an hour or so Radio 2 if it wasn't playing just pop music all day.

    John W
  • Lee MorrisLee Morris Posts: 2,824
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    Hi! All
    Something else that I saw mentioned I think here on Digital Spy was also more female presenters to be introduced to Radio 2 during the daytime, so what about Simon Mayo replacing Jeremy Vine and Lynn Parsons replacing Simon Mayo?.

    Maybe from January Chris Evens will start at 6am and finish at 9am which would mean that if Jeremy Vine started at 11.30am then maybe you could have a lunchtime show from 1-3 with maybe Simon Mayo with Steve Wright 3-5 and Chris Tarrant on Drivetime.
  • mine's a pintmine's a pint Posts: 778
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    Looks like there is a justification for a ' RADIO 2 LIGHT'radio station for pre rock and roll music ,show tunes etc, but due to the current economic situation , not really realistic .

    But the BBC should seriously give this some thought once the current economic situation does improve .
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
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    Looks like there is a justification for a ' RADIO 2 LIGHT'radio station for pre rock and roll music ,show tunes etc, but due to the current economic situation , not really realistic .

    But the BBC should seriously give this some thought once the current economic situation does improve .

    Is there? What evidence do you have to say there's a genuine market for such a station?

    The reason I ask is that - if it really wanted to - commercial radio could and should fulfil this kind of remit. That is, of course, if there really is a market for such a station.

    Saga went some way to doing this when it started. GMG changed this by turning the stations into Smooth.

    Now of course you could equally argue that the BBC shouldn't need to justify a Radio 2 Light station based on potential ratings alone. But the BBC Trust will conduct a "public value" test on any proposed new services.

    And regardless of the current economic situation, the BBC is saddled with a 6 year Licence Fee freeze and the additional burden of the World Service and parts of S4C.

    Since the BBC is most definitely cutting back in most areas, I fear those wanting a Radio 2 Light will continue to be disappointed.
  • old pilotold pilot Posts: 1,910
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    John W wrote: »
    R2 does very well? Providing a broad range of pop music for a broad range (agewise) audience, yes.

    But R2 ignores the non-pop audience during the daytime, and many of them are folks at home or in their offices where they could choose to listen to an hour or so Radio 2 if it wasn't playing just pop music all day.

    John W

    What do you want John..The Light programme pre 1967.

    You say;
    R2 ignores the non-pop audience during the daytime, and many of them are folks at home or in their offices where they could choose to listen to an hour or so Radio 2 if it wasn't playing just pop music all day.

    What is 'non pop?

    The Northern Dance Orchestra, Norrie Paramour,James Last,The Midland Radio Orchestra, ./.etc.

    Some would describe taht as lift music or muzak.

    Have you thought of getting an I-Pod to listen to what you want for an hour or more a day.
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
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    Didn't you know OP, only young people have Ipods or the ability to pick and choose what music they want to listent to and when?
  • John WJohn W Posts: 861
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    old pilot wrote: »
    What do you want John..The Light programme pre 1967.

    The Northern Dance Orchestra, Norrie Paramour,James Last,The Midland Radio Orchestra, ./.etc.

    .

    David Jacobs does play such light music most weeks on his show. It's not just nona-genarians who listen I'll have you know! :)
    old pilot wrote: »
    Have you thought of getting an I-Pod to listen to what you want for an hour or more a day.

    I have 'thought' of it.

    A string orchestra on an I-pod ? No.

    I prefer a room full of music, many folks do.


    John W
  • RikScotRikScot Posts: 2,095
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    John W wrote: »
    )



    I have 'thought' of it.

    A string orchestra on an I-pod ? No.

    I prefer a room full of music, many folks do.


    John W

    You can plug it into your radiostereogram...
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
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    John W wrote: »

    I have 'thought' of it.

    A string orchestra on an I-pod ? No.

    I prefer a room full of music, many folks do.

    Which can be achieved from any conventional hi fi system.

    Your arguments, though, seem to revolve around some strange notion that many folks sit in a room all day, are never on the move, and have an aversion to adapting to new technology.

    This forum and your own clearly demsontrate the exact opposite.
  • slimjimslimjim Posts: 718
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    John W wrote: »
    You think it's OK that for 10 hours R2 is aimed at just ONE audience sector?

    I think it's not merely OK but desirable that it's aimed at the broadest audience sector possible while retaining coherency and a degree of continuity.
    Yes of course, but that ignores the music tastes of an equally sized audience who can't bear to listen to daytime R2 these days.

    Well, I doubt that it's equally-sized, but stand ready to be corrected if you have some figures.
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