Radio 1 news background music

[Deleted User] · 30/10/12 - 15:50

Caught some of the new breakfast show recently and can't understand why the news has to have dance music playing in the background. Has society really become that dumbed down that we have to have a funky backing track to keep people interested in the news. It's really distasteful to hear serious headlines with this noise going on. Hearing the story of another soldier losing their life with a jolly disco beat in the background is just wrong. Radio 1 again trying to hard to be down with the kids.

Tom Holt · 30/10/12 - 15:54

It's been like that (albeit in various different guises) for as long as I can remember on Radio 1 (going back 10 years)... I guess it's just the Newsbeat presentation style compared with the other BBC News outlets.

[Deleted User] · 30/10/12 - 15:56

Tom Holt wrote: »

It's been like that (albeit in various different guises) for as long as I can remember on Radio 1 (going back 10 years)... I guess it's just the Newsbeat presentation style compared with the other BBC News outlets.

Yes it has but this music seems far more upbeat and dancy that previous music I remember.

Mapperley Ridge · 30/10/12 - 16:52

Your comment about being "down with the kids" is pretty ill informed, in my opinion. Newsbeat is one of the best examples of great writing and presentation aimed at a specific target audience - that audience being a group which wouldn't traditionally turn to the radio for their primary source of news. Backing tracks have been used for at least twenty years, and they're usually refreshed at the same time as the rest of the jingle package.

Mark C · 30/10/12 - 17:09

Mapperley Ridge wrote: »

. Backing tracks have been used for at least twenty years, and they're usually refreshed at the same time as the rest of the jingle package.

Yes, started by Capital in the 80s on 'The Way It Is', in my view it just trivialises the content. Fine for the Top 40 run down, or showbiz fluff, but crass in the extreme for murder, grief, and tragedy.

p_c_u_k · 30/10/12 - 17:19

I don't see any problem with a backing bed during the news as long as it's judged correctly. If you think this package is intrusive you should have heard some of the crackers in the 90s. In the more new music 90s era it was loud, brash and occasionally sounded like there was someone boiling a kettle in the background. I liked it but if you put me in charge of a radio station I would never have it as extreme as that.

TeleviixonMalta · 01/11/12 - 21:11

I think BBC Newsbeat's bed is fine!

I always thought that Galaxy had good news bed too

Martin Phillp · 01/11/12 - 21:19

I even remember Newsbeat using music during the Happy Sound era under Beerling, it's nothing new bar the change in music to reflect today's target audience.

markmag · 01/11/12 - 22:38

The short hourly bulletins didn't have backing music All the way through (apart from the half hourly bulletins during the gulf war, or the short headlines during Simon Mayos breakfast show) until Matthew Bannister came in. One of the first was Underworlds Pearls Girl, an absolutely manic track to have under the news. The current music is probably the worst they've had, previous few were quite good.

Newsbeat is a fantastic service and does its job brilliantly, although its starting to sound a bit stretched with the cuts that have come in.

[Deleted User] · 01/11/12 - 22:42

It annoys me as they always seem to play Ellie Goulding songs in the background - even when it is a tragic news story. Kind of lessens the tragedy, and mars the song for me too.

-ajm- · 01/11/12 - 23:03

I tend to find stations sound better with a bed as long as it's not too imposing. I don't think it works too well with Sky though which is probably why most stations don't have a bed when the news is from Sky. Just my thoughts.

p_c_u_k · 02/11/12 - 02:15

markmag wrote: »

Newsbeat is a fantastic service and does its job brilliantly, although its starting to sound a bit stretched with the cuts that have come in.

Come off it. Newsbeat is a fanastic service, but it was stupidly over-resourced.

If some people think they're overworked at Newsbeat they should try working in the private sector for a while.

p_c_u_k · 02/11/12 - 02:17

markmag wrote: »

The short hourly bulletins didn't have backing music All the way through (apart from the half hourly bulletins during the gulf war, or the short headlines during Simon Mayos breakfast show) until Matthew Bannister came in. One of the first was Underworlds Pearls Girl, an absolutely manic track to have under the news. The current music is probably the worst they've had, previous few were quite good.

On this point though, I agree. In the Bannister era, as much as I loved the music I felt it was too intrusive for anyone who wasn't a radio anorak and listening for the jingles.

I also agree the current jingle package is very poor, it sounds like a low-budget commercial station. The package beforehand was perfectly fine.

LaurelandHardy · 02/11/12 - 08:08

Martin Phillp wrote: »

I even remember Newsbeat using music during the Happy Sound era under Beerling, it's nothing new bar the change in music to reflect today's target audience.

The first time I heard a station playing music while reading the news was in 1984 on Laser 558. So it's definitely nothing new!

On a non-related subject, it's nice to hear that even nowadays the influence of the 1960's offshore stations is still evident on Radio 1, as in the news on the half-hour influenced by Big L and the name "Newsbeat" which was originally used for Radio Caroline's news service.

Anorak off!

MooWow! · 02/11/12 - 12:50

I remember the newsbeat music before the one we have now used to be very bassy on my sub woofer

Hey there!

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