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Old 04-10-2010, 14:10
Charlie
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Have they changed the scrolling text on D1 yet? It was still showing the whilst we prepare for our Autumn launch message this morning....
Yes, shows Now Playing info and the date and time.
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Old 04-10-2010, 14:45
radioanorak
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I have just been switching between Smooth National & London out put. London on 64kpbs & National on 56 kpbs.Bit strange
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Old 04-10-2010, 14:54
dpb
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Who sings the jingles? Are they resings? Is Wise Buddah involved?

The Music will sound like Radio 2 play, but I havn't heard any new stuff yet. The station won't deliver programmes like Radio 2. If so I can't wait for the documentries during the evening and weekends.<snip>
They've had documentaries on weekends for a couple of years now. How did you miss them?
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Old 04-10-2010, 15:11
Martin Phillp
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I didn't get a chance before 3pm to hear the weather on 102.2 FM, however the D1 and Freeview feeds had weather for Scotland and other parts of the UK, then a national news bulletin.
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Old 04-10-2010, 15:19
siddn
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They should have had John Morgan on for breakfast for a couple of weeks.

That would bring the listeners in to get used to the new sound.

Then maybe bring Parsnips on. :sleep:
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Old 04-10-2010, 15:26
Mapperley Ridge
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The 'local' news bulletin consisted of two national and one London story.

As I was commuting this morning, I had to retune to BBC London for travel news as the bulletins are next to useless on Smooth.
Hardly surprising since all of the local news is now being done by a total of four journalists based in Manchester.

Having said that I don't see why some people are equating technology problems on day one with the "Smooth doomed to failure" scenario.

As I remind everyone who criticises a new show/format/network, do you really think that Radios 1 or 2 sounded perfect on day one? Did they really have all the correct records and jingles in the correct order? Did they have the best possible lineup?

Sure, it might reflect badly on a few advertisers who had their sound files overplayed or drowned out by music - and they'll doubtless get a free advert in return. And yes, a few anoraks might whinge because it doesn't sound perfect. But day one is not the time to be giving the definitive critique.
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Old 04-10-2010, 15:34
Martin Phillp
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Just heard the travel bulletin. London FM and D1/Freeview are exactly the same. Bully consisted of one Manchester road, then the rest were London roads and a brief mention of the tube strike. As before, no mention of line or station closures.
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Old 04-10-2010, 15:38
michael1152
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It's a shame - i was looking forward to hearing the new smooth - tuned in to dave lincoln just before 2pm, there was a weather forecast that must be pre-recorded, then straight into the news with a news reader i'd never heard before, and only 1 story relevant to the northeast of england - I don't know what drivetime will be like - I'm not sure if I like Carlos' voice,
also I don't know how well behind the scenes the dj's are getting on with the new national station now- or whether they will be all sick as a chip!
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Old 04-10-2010, 15:38
Mapperley Ridge
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I think what you have to accept is that travel news is never going to be Smooth's strongest point - especially if it's done by Trafficlink. And to be honest, do we really need to be told at 1530 that there's a tube strike on? Come on, most Londoners will have worked that out by now.
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Old 04-10-2010, 16:01
Bingethink
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Just heard the travel bulletin. London FM and D1/Freeview are exactly the same. Bully consisted of one Manchester road, then the rest were London roads and a brief mention of the tube strike. As before, no mention of line or station closures.
National radio provides less traffic info than local radio - Shock.
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Old 04-10-2010, 16:06
Martin Phillp
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National radio provides less traffic info than local radio - Shock.
With supposed local inserts promised by GMG.

London output not surprisingly has been given up to be used as the UK sustaining service instead.
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Old 04-10-2010, 16:13
on the air
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Carlos is a great jock, remember him from Northants 96 Breakfast days...
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Old 04-10-2010, 16:31
michael1152
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He sounds quite like Gary Vincent on magic 105.4!
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Old 04-10-2010, 17:02
suffolkblue
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Well its the first time i have heard carlos and he sounds like a lot of other dj,s on smooth.He sounds as if he is bored and has no go in him esp for a drivetime show so i dont rate him much.However i do like smooth and it will hopefully get better in time but its no way a worry for radio 2 although the BBC seems to think it is!!!! what i like about smooth is it does not go all specialist at night like radio 2 thats why i never listen to radio 2 at night nothing interests me on 2 at night where smooth stays the same and thats what i like about it.
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Old 04-10-2010, 17:12
Bingethink
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Wow. Just listening to Carlos.

Haven't heard anyone with quite such a Mike Smash voice on professional radio in years.
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Old 04-10-2010, 17:29
Mapperley Ridge
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With supposed local inserts promised by GMG.

London output not surprisingly has been given up to be used as the UK sustaining service instead.
Regional, not local. Remember that. And whichever service is used for the UK-wide station, it's never going to be able to cover travel in any great detail - certainly not on teh scale of Five Live and Radio 2.

As I said, travel news will never be Smooth's strong point. If you want that, go elsewhere.

Anyone who believed that Smooth's new services would maintain the same quality of news and travel as was provided by individual stations is being naive to say the least.
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Old 04-10-2010, 17:37
Peace100
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It is crazy not to provide a dedicated travel and news service for London on 102.2.....if GMG want to save money why not just switch 102.2 off and hand back the licence? That way they could get rid of the London studios at the same time....
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Old 04-10-2010, 17:41
Martin Phillp
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It is crazy not to provide a dedicated travel and news service for London on 102.2.....if GMG want to save money why not just switch 102.2 off and hand back the licence? That way they could get rid of the London studios at the same time....
Smooth is not the first London licence holder not to provide a dedicated news and travel service for the capital, Absolute Radio were given permission to drop this by Ofcom in 2008 on it's 105.8 frequency.

I suppose the argument is as London has so many commercial stations who provide travel news, including Capital FM, LBC and Magic 105.4, which allow Absolute and Smooth to dedicate their resources elsewhere.
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Old 04-10-2010, 18:07
SouthCity
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It is crazy not to provide a dedicated travel and news service for London on 102.2.....if GMG want to save money why not just switch 102.2 off and hand back the licence? That way they could get rid of the London studios at the same time....
Why would they do that when FM is the only method of listening to the station in the vast majority of cars & taxis across the capital? That isn't saving money, it's simply a good way of losing London advertisers.
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Old 04-10-2010, 18:09
Martin Phillp
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it's simply a good way of losing London advertisers.
Not that Smooth had many London advertisers in the first place.

Incidentally, when have you heard an ad for a double glazing firm or car dealership on any London wide FM'er?

Kiss as a youth brand still has local ads for nightclub events locally.
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Old 04-10-2010, 18:14
Bingethink
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Whereas GMG's national Smooth has kicked off successfully with big national advertisers, such as travel sponsored by GMG's Auto Trader and weather sponsored by GMG's Guardian and Observer.

Oh.
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Old 04-10-2010, 18:22
Peace100
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Why would they do that when FM is the only method of listening to the station in the vast majority of cars & taxis across the capital? That isn't saving money, it's simply a good way of losing London advertisers.
With less listeners to Smooth on 102.2 than Jazzfm....Smooth would be on DAB in London so still national in their own words..It makes me so annoyed that there are now two fm london wide channels simply relaying national services.
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Old 04-10-2010, 18:27
Martin Phillp
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It would explain why GMG were so quick in selling the London 2 DAB slot to another station when they had no plans to provide a dedicated regional service for London on FM.

Incidentally, Absolute Radio still provide regional advertising on 105.8, however that is all.
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Old 04-10-2010, 18:46
SouthCity
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With less listeners to Smooth on 102.2 than Jazzfm....Smooth would be on DAB in London so still national in their own words..It makes me so annoyed that there are now two fm london wide channels simply relaying national services.
Indeed but Smooth's claims to being a national station would hold even less water than they do already with no FM coverage in London. They're not going to hand back a highly valuable FM frequency just because you're annoyed.

Ofcom have decided that all London-wide stations qualify as regionals so (subject to the DAB coverage threshold) they can become nationals and they don't have to provide any London information at all.
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Old 04-10-2010, 19:08
acefee311
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One thing i've noticed about the smooth radio jingles they sound like the jingles used by UKRD/TLRC. I wonder if its produced by the same company. But it sounds very good though including there website.
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