Can I assume that you're a fan of commercial radio, unable to accept its flaws? I used to be a great fan of radio, but it all went very wrong over the years and I can't bear it any longer. If you want to brush my 'journey' under the carpet, go ahead, I'm really not that bothered if the same short-sighted treatment of radio that brought us down to this level is still entrenched enough to finally deliver the death blow.
Stations should be forced to provide commentary on the local football team?! Revenue straight into the pockets of fat chairmen and prima donnas?
In any case Rother FM do a darn site better job than Hallam at covering what's happening in Rotherham. If any station shouldn't be on air it's them with their Saturday mornings live from that famous South Yorkshire city: Edinburgh.
I take it you mean Boogie and Dingo's big saturday show been listening to that for years on Clyde 1
I actually dont mind Paddy McGuiness on a Sunday morning on Clyde 1 even though it is from England it is a fun show for a Sunday. But did prefer Galloway Sunday when Robin Galloway was with Bauner
There are many things wrong with commercial radio but there are still local stations - particularly here in the North - which continue to deliver good audiences and play a valuable role in their communities.
It is my opinion that the licensing of regional stations was the Radio Authority/Ofcom's biggest mistake because it sucked just enough audience out of markets to take smaller local stations to the brink. It should only ever have been heritage stations and smaller services. When you look at the choice offered by the majority of regional licenses now you can't help but think that they were a layer of stations that brought nothing new to the dial.
I just don't recognise the picture you paint of local stations.
And actually, that's really the only time now.
I recall the local station (now a homogenised Breeze outfit) a couple of years ago, when some bad weather hit, they couldn't broadcast any meaningful information, because their internet connection had failed ! Pretty useless eh ?
BBC LR is mostly watered down nonsense these days (perhaps it always was?).
Maybe what's needed is for Radio 2 or Radio 4's transmitter networks to be re-engineered to allow local opt outs, but only if something traumatic locally occurs ?
There are many things wrong with commercial radio but there are still local stations - particularly here in the North - which continue to deliver good audiences and play a valuable role in their communities.
It is my opinion that the licensing of regional stations was the Radio Authority/Ofcom's biggest mistake because it sucked just enough audience out of markets to take smaller local stations to the brink. It should only ever have been heritage stations and smaller services. When you look at the choice offered by the majority of regional licenses now you can't help but think that they were a layer of stations that brought nothing new to the dial.
I just don't recognise the picture you paint of local stations.
Real Radio Scotland/Scot FM was a regional combo of the Radio Forth and the Radio Clyde local station areas including both Edinburgh and Glasgow. It was similar to like a region e.g. combining Manchester and Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds or Birmingham and Nottingham.
Real Radio and Scot FM were not ilr stations as we knew it.
There are many things wrong with commercial radio but there are still local stations - particularly here in the North - which continue to deliver good audiences and play a valuable role in their communities.
It is my opinion that the licensing of regional stations was the Radio Authority/Ofcom's biggest mistake because it sucked just enough audience out of markets to take smaller local stations to the brink. It should only ever have been heritage stations and smaller services. When you look at the choice offered by the majority of regional licenses now you can't help but think that they were a layer of stations that brought nothing new to the dial.
I just don't recognise the picture you paint of local stations.
I disagree with that slightly. Think back to 1994:
The North West had a jazz and soul station
The West Midlands had a soft rock station with an album slant
The North East and Central Scotland had talk based stations
Fast forward 20 years and they are now all pop stations. Therein lies the problem. A spineless regulator that did not regulate and allowed groups to dictate what kind of station these regionals became rather than what they were set up to be
I disagree with that slightly. Think back to 1994:
The North West had a jazz and soul station
The West Midlands had a soft rock station with an album slant
The North East and Central Scotland had talk based stations
Fast forward 20 years and they are now all pop stations. Therein lies the problem. A spineless regulator that did not regulate and allowed groups to dictate what kind of station these regionals became rather than what they were set up to be
Possibly because all four stations you mention were loss making.
Something I don't understand is why these ruined stations don't all have one name.
Radio City, Metro Radio etc all simulcast the same crap with the same awful DJs 24/7 but couldn't they just rename them to something like Bland FM?
Global did this sort of thing with the likes of Marcher Sound when they renamed it to the tragic Heart 103.4 and then launched the even worse Capital in it's place.
Something needs to be done about radio in the UK, Ofcom won't do anything as they're too busy fining TV channels for pointless things.
The West Midlands had a soft rock station with an album slant
Its worth mentioning the original Heart West Midlands wasn't a huge success. 18 months after launching it was refocused to become more mainstream. Almost immediately the figures went up.
Its worth mentioning the original Heart West Midlands wasn't a huge success. 18 months after launching it was refocused to become more mainstream. Almost immediately the figures went up.
Or was it refocused to become more like its London counterpart, launched exactly a year after the Midlands station?
Heart 100.7 was actually a decent station in 1994-95. Ironic they had a jingle at that time saying 'we don't just play the same 40 songs' or something like that....
There's nothing wrong with radio in the UK. All that's happened is it's moved with the times.
My grandad loved steam trains. He used to travel all around the country and write down the numbers. When they were phased out he just couldn't look at diesels in the same way so he found another hobby. He accepted that things change and that there are usually very good reasons for the changes. You don't think steam trains would be viable today do you?
Perhaps, if you can't come to terms with the way the radio industry's changed it's time for you to find another hobby too.
There's nothing wrong with radio in the UK. All that's happened is it's moved with the times.
My grandad loved steam trains. He used to travel all around the country and write down the numbers. When they were phased out he just couldn't look at diesels in the same way so he found another hobby. He accepted that things change and that there are usually very good reasons for the changes. You don't think steam trains would be viable today do you?
Perhaps, if you can't come to terms with the way the radio industry's changed it's time for you to find another hobby too.
'It's moved with the times' is what all these lazy companies like to spout when they can't be arsed to provide a proper service anymore.
So you think it's good that local news is being ignored so they can focus on stories in London? or people can't find out about traffic or school closures when it snows because they're too busy talking about One Direction? How depressing:(
'It's moved with the times' is what all these lazy companies like to spout when they can't be arsed to provide a proper service anymore.
So you think it's good that local news is being ignored so they can focus on stories in London? or people can't find out about traffic or school closures when it snows because they're too busy talking about One Direction? How depressing:(
My local Bauer station still has local news and still covers school closures in mind numbing detail. Bauer know that's why people listen and it's part of why they've retained the heritage names.
They also know that listeners don't care too much about where the presenter taking about One Direction is sitting.
So you think it's good that local news is being ignored so they can focus on stories in London? or people can't find out about traffic or school closures when it snows because they're too busy talking about One Direction? How depressing:(
Local news, traffic and school closure information can easily be found online.
My local Bauer station still has local news and still covers school closures in mind numbing detail. Bauer know that's why people listen and it's part of why they've retained the heritage names.
Why would anyone listen to output you describe as "mind numbing"? Surely that makes a stronger case for radio not to broadcast this type of information?
Listeners aren't bothered about heritage names as the Heart and Capital rebrands of the likes of Broadland, Invicta, Hereward etc clearly demonstrated.
Why would anyone listen to output you describe as "mind numbing"? Surely that makes a stronger case for radio not to broadcast this type of information?
In Scotland the public would be outraged if the radio Clyde name was scrapped. The tragic bin lorry accident last week showed that the regions are needed as Radio Clyde acted and opted out of the network programming such as In Demand and aired there own show on Clyde 1 & 2, Dedicated to bringing the latest news and traffic updates which were needed and wanted by the public.
I thought the average listener didn't think or care about where a presenter is... Why should they think any differently at breakfast than the rest of the day?
The tragic bin lorry accident last week showed that the regions are needed as Radio Clyde acted and opted out of the network programming such as In Demand and aired there own show on Clyde 1 & 2, Dedicated to bringing the latest news and traffic updates which were needed and wanted by the public.
When events like this happen of course it's right for stations to opt out of network programming as the public will want local information. Thankfully these occurrences are rare and there's really no compelling need for stations to be local outside peak listening times.
Comments
I take it you mean Boogie and Dingo's big saturday show been listening to that for years on Clyde 1
It is my opinion that the licensing of regional stations was the Radio Authority/Ofcom's biggest mistake because it sucked just enough audience out of markets to take smaller local stations to the brink. It should only ever have been heritage stations and smaller services. When you look at the choice offered by the majority of regional licenses now you can't help but think that they were a layer of stations that brought nothing new to the dial.
I just don't recognise the picture you paint of local stations.
And actually, that's really the only time now.
I recall the local station (now a homogenised Breeze outfit) a couple of years ago, when some bad weather hit, they couldn't broadcast any meaningful information, because their internet connection had failed ! Pretty useless eh ?
BBC LR is mostly watered down nonsense these days (perhaps it always was?).
Maybe what's needed is for Radio 2 or Radio 4's transmitter networks to be re-engineered to allow local opt outs, but only if something traumatic locally occurs ?
Real Radio Scotland/Scot FM was a regional combo of the Radio Forth and the Radio Clyde local station areas including both Edinburgh and Glasgow. It was similar to like a region e.g. combining Manchester and Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds or Birmingham and Nottingham.
Real Radio and Scot FM were not ilr stations as we knew it.
I disagree with that slightly. Think back to 1994:
The North West had a jazz and soul station
The West Midlands had a soft rock station with an album slant
The North East and Central Scotland had talk based stations
Fast forward 20 years and they are now all pop stations. Therein lies the problem. A spineless regulator that did not regulate and allowed groups to dictate what kind of station these regionals became rather than what they were set up to be
Possibly because all four stations you mention were loss making.
Radio City, Metro Radio etc all simulcast the same crap with the same awful DJs 24/7 but couldn't they just rename them to something like Bland FM?
Global did this sort of thing with the likes of Marcher Sound when they renamed it to the tragic Heart 103.4 and then launched the even worse Capital in it's place.
Something needs to be done about radio in the UK, Ofcom won't do anything as they're too busy fining TV channels for pointless things.
Or was it refocused to become more like its London counterpart, launched exactly a year after the Midlands station?
Heart 100.7 was actually a decent station in 1994-95. Ironic they had a jingle at that time saying 'we don't just play the same 40 songs' or something like that....
There's nothing wrong with radio in the UK. All that's happened is it's moved with the times.
My grandad loved steam trains. He used to travel all around the country and write down the numbers. When they were phased out he just couldn't look at diesels in the same way so he found another hobby. He accepted that things change and that there are usually very good reasons for the changes. You don't think steam trains would be viable today do you?
Perhaps, if you can't come to terms with the way the radio industry's changed it's time for you to find another hobby too.
'It's moved with the times' is what all these lazy companies like to spout when they can't be arsed to provide a proper service anymore.
So you think it's good that local news is being ignored so they can focus on stories in London? or people can't find out about traffic or school closures when it snows because they're too busy talking about One Direction? How depressing:(
My local Bauer station still has local news and still covers school closures in mind numbing detail. Bauer know that's why people listen and it's part of why they've retained the heritage names.
They also know that listeners don't care too much about where the presenter taking about One Direction is sitting.
What's wrong with you?
Local news, traffic and school closure information can easily be found online.
What about those who do not have internet access?
Why would anyone listen to output you describe as "mind numbing"? Surely that makes a stronger case for radio not to broadcast this type of information?
Listeners aren't bothered about heritage names as the Heart and Capital rebrands of the likes of Broadland, Invicta, Hereward etc clearly demonstrated.
Absolutely correct! (apart from Breakfast)
They need to move with the times as well!
How dare you say this you dirty ****er.
You cant go online when your driving to check traffic
I thought the average listener didn't think or care about where a presenter is... Why should they think any differently at breakfast than the rest of the day?
No they wouldn't. Nobody was "outraged" at Marcher Sound, GWR or Southern FM rebranding to Heart.
When events like this happen of course it's right for stations to opt out of network programming as the public will want local information. Thankfully these occurrences are rare and there's really no compelling need for stations to be local outside peak listening times.
Your forgetting that Radio Clyde has been on air since 1973