Looking at that I think the following will be live

6-10am Nick Snaith and Margherita Taylor

3-6pm JK and Lucy (includes The Queens Christmas speech 3 to 3:10)

8pm-1am Steve Denyer

I would have put Stephen Mulhern and Emma Willis down as live but given they have Gary Barlow and Jamie Olive on I would think the whole show will be pre recorded

Boxing day on Heart London

1am to 6am

Simon Beale

6am to 10am

Matt Wilkinson

10am to 1pm

Margherita Taylor

1pm to 3pm

Olly Murs

3pm to 6pm

Nick Snaith

6-8pm

Party Classics with Mark Wright

8pm-1am

Steve Denyer

Does it really matter on Christmas Day if its live or not? Christmas Day is holiday why should they be expected to work?

I wouldn't want to work my Christmas Day - therefore it should be pre-recorded as the presenters get to spend Christmas with their families, instead of on air!

I'm sure the presenters who work Christmas day are hansomly rewarded, I'd probably work it if offered what they'll earn!

When i did a jock shifts on Christmas day they were usually paid no different to any normal day, the only extra was usually a bottle of Champagne to say thanks. You will be surprised to how many jocks have it written into their contract that they will do christmas day.

Pretty sure most if not all of the Christmas programming is pre-recorded. I don't think the DJs work on the day. The station just needs a skeleton staff to read news/weather/traffic bulletins and broadcast the recorded material.

I'm not talking about specialist music genre stations at all, which have only really got going here on DAB. It's not just about London either. Back in the day all major UK cities had their own commercial radio station and they were all distinctly different. The musical content didn't very much but the standard was higher. They played to local audiences and carried local adverts. You heard local accents. Now it's much more bland and national, including the advertising.

You can play good quality commercial music and be entertaining and give variety. The Heart model is the lowest common denominator, whatever is going to offend the majority the least. So they play mediochre and bland pap. The limited playlists are the main problem but a lot of it must come down to lazy, safe, programming and DJs who don't care what they play and just do as they are told.

While I feel presenters deserve time with there families there are two points to this:

1: Not all would as if they were offered they work if they needed the money.

2: Maybe the presenter wants to entertain people on that one special day of the year.

3: On all stations it is nice to be able to contact at least one show to send Christmas greetings to a loved one etc.

Having said that Ed Stewart on Radio 2 will be reading out requests but they have probably been sent in so Ed is probably recorded, then again he does not present anywhere else throughout the year so maybe he does do Christmas Day live?.

Paul O'Grady will be recorded and I am sure a lot of the other shows will be recorded, but will Tony Blackburn be live?.

Ed's show will be live on Christmas Day, as in previous years:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m7h0m

Anyone else think Heart has got better at responding to breaking news?

Yes a few times now some big stories have broke and they've reported it fairly quickly

Because entertaining the public when the public is on holiday is (or should be) a requisite of the job.

At national level the 'names' and 'personalities' all want the fame, glory and recognition but don't really want to have to do any extras for it.

If you want an ordinary job with ordinary conditions then fine, no problem, but don't choose differently.

As I've said on another thread, whatever next...cafes letting staff have the dinner hour off or hotels which have to close at 6pm because the staff need to go home to their families for the evening.

That's hardly comparing like with like.

Christmas Day is very, very off-peak. Yes there's probably a decent audience in the morning (hence why most stations have at least one live show then) but after about midday it drops off a cliff.

And these are the only 2 weeks in the year when we're not in Rajar, so it makes total sense to let as many of your regular presenters take time off as possible, to use up their holiday when the audience isn't being measured.

Yes of course there are people who rely on the radio for friendship over Christmas. But it's unreasonable to expect stations to stay live all day just to cater for a small minority. Besides, it's not like there'll be nothing coming out of the speakers. A decent pre-recorded programme is just as good as, if not better than, a live presenter who really doesn't want to be there going through the motions.

Yes. And worse at choosing music

Like every year. He used to come live from Birmingham until last year when the show comes live from London.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/12/rich...t-south-coast/

Another breakfast change??

Meanwhile Steve Power is still doing his.

Matt Mackay and Nigel Mitchell are doing some late nights over festive period on heart.

Rich Clarke from Capital joins Heart Solent Breakfast from the 6th January as Michael Underwood steps down.

Steve Denyer is not on Heart now on Christmas day and boxing day the new schedule's are:

Christmas Day

1am to 6am Simon Beale

6am-10am Nick Snaith and Margherita Taylor

10am-1pm Stephen Mulhern and Emma Willis

1pm-3pm Robbie Williams

3pm-6pm JK and Lucy

6pm-8pm Party Classics with Mark Wright

8pm to 1am Nigel Mitchell

Boxing day

1am to 6am Simon Beale

6am-10am Matt Wilkinson

10am to 1pm Margherita Taylor

1pm to 3pm Olly Murs

3pm to 6pm Nick Snaith

6pm-8pm Party Classics with Mark Wright

8pm to 1am Matt Mackay

Friday 27th

1am to 6am Dan Mills

6am-9am Matt Wilkinson

9am to 1pm Margherita Taylor

1pm to 7pm Nick Snaith

7pm to 9pm Club Classics with Mark Wright

9pm to 1am Club Classics with Steve Denyer

Good to hear him again; have a vague recollection he used to do Capital Disney once upon a time

Apart from the network shows check out your local heart for Breakfast.

Matt Wilkinson is covering breakfast for JK and Lucy next Saturday

1am to 6am Dan Mills

6am-10am Matt Wilkinson

10am to 1pm Nick Snaith

1pm to 5pm Margherita Taylor

5pm to 7pm Lucy Horobin

7pm to 9pm Club Classics with Mark Wright

9pm to 1am Club Classics with Steve Denyer

Heart seem to be having a few problems this afternoon going into the ad's and leaving the ad's to play music again it keeps going silent for a few seconds before the ad's / music are kicking in

Roberto will be covering Heart London Breakfast all next week (W/C 30th) from 6am to 9am

Matt Wilkinson will be covering for Toby Anstis on Monday, Thursday & Friday 9am to 1pm

Margherita Taylor is covering Tuesday and Wednesday 9am to 2pm

Margherita Taylor is also covering for JK and Lucy Monday, Thursday & Friday 4pm to 7pm

Nick Snaith will be covering the other 2 days 2pm to 6pm Tuesday and 3pm to 7pm Wednesday

Nick will be on his normal slot Monday, Thursday & Friday 1pm to 4pm

Chris Brooks will be covering for Ring Roberto on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (7pm to 10pm)