Yes, me too.

Until now, Smooth has annoyed me - too much chit chat and too many dodgy songs - I can't be bothered with it.

But I'm keeping an open mind and will have a listen to Smooth on Monday.

I'm guessing Heart and Magic will have little to worry about.

What makes people think smooth will change from what they are now if they do change it would be a stupid move its fine as it is.Although they could do with a better breakfast show host at weekends to replace blackburn other than GD that wont make people tune in no offence to GD though.

In London and the Midlands at least.

My concern is for their market leading NW station, which has built a strong audience based on the regional output in addition to the music, most of which will be lost from Monday where only local news, ads and travel will remain. WIll Lynn Parsons be as popular in Manchester and Liverpool as Eamonn Kelly?

Smooth London is back on D1.

Hi yes we do know for shure .See his fb page .He is on holiday in oct and back on smooth radio weekend breakfast .As for nigel williams and gary king they are much better off at jazz fm on d a b nigel does jazz breakfast on there

Any more news on Rock Radio replacing the mxr Smooths ?

Thought it was soon ? or is it just runners, wonder how long it will be before the femurs switch to dig 1 instead of the mxr versions of Smooth ?

From Graham Dene's FB fan page posted on Wednesday:

Hi mr martin phillip the last song graham dean played on smooth breakfast was by the korgies everybody has to learn sometime and his final link message was thank you to everyone who had text in or lweft him a message on facebook and he will be back in november and lyn parsons will see you on the other side of the weekend /

Radio 2 have nothing to worry about then.Shame really it would have been nice to have a better DJ for weekend brekkie but hey ho Im surprised parsons did not get the job from jan next year.

I thought overnights were VT now, but Terry has started to mention listeners who've texted in.

Carlos who is doing drivetime on smooth radio from monday
aka carl emms who uesd to be on wiltshire radio /gwr /chiltern radio the hot fm and also was a studio guest on the russel harty show bbc 1 circa 1984

Hope that is the permanent case. Think if they are really competing with Radio 2, the through the night listeners are an important group. I think the good thing for Radio 2, if you are say a trucker is that even during the night I have heard around the news especially updates on national roads etc. Another commercial station trying to compete with Radio 2, does seem to lack in that service.

Tomy seems on form this morning with a lot of chat and almost every other song seems new from: Seal, James Morrison, Plan b, Jamorquoi, etc!

He made the joke "more chat less music, hope the bosses aren't listening"!

Seal will be on Mark Goodier's show Monday!

Tony does chit chat and dodgy songs with a bit of style! but not everyone can!



They have picked experienced mellowed ex radio 1 presenters Parsons and Goodier who will play the playlist picked by focus groups and the PD to appeal to 40-50 year old women and keep national advertisers happy!

Lynn Parsons will have a hard job to win over regional listeners whose normal breakfast presenters have left, knowing she might not have a weekday job after January after having good slots on both Smooth and Radio 2!

I have to say I like Smooth & its nice to have it on National DAB. I listen for many hours a week & like the mix of music & I am on the "focus panel". It is sad to lose Graham Dene from breakfast but he is of course taking over from Tony Blackburn for weekend breakfast wef November.
I am sure that Lynn Parsons is more than capable of holding down breakfast until Simon Bates arrives in the New Year. Give me Smooth any day over the likes of Heart & Magic.
I wish the new National venture the best of luck.

From what new Smooth national PD Steve Collins wants, the delivery bar Tony Blackburn continues to be boring. Terry Underhill was reduced to doing links with listener mentions and that was, coming up etc, where as the overnights were full of personality and interactive features last week from Newcastle.

Hiring Graham Dene to replace Blackburn confirms that Smooth will be like Heart, Magic et all with the same standard of boring presentation throughout the day. Radio 2 has nothing to worry about.

Listening on DAB D1 and levels still all over the place even within an ad break. Will they get this sorted before Monday?

Makes you wonder if anyone from Smooth actually listens on dab!

It's worse from the London studio. Songs and ads were too quiet, trails and pre-recorded phone calls were loud during Tony's show..

The levels from the Manchester studio are better, but the ads are still quiet.

Any news yet on what is going to happen to the regional muxes. Seems a huge waste having both Smooth National and Smooth Regional in some areas.

I wouldn't be surprised if Smooth 'national' continues to relay the London feed as the Capital no longer has a local DAB slot to relay local ads, travel, news and weather.

I hope they sort the poor sound out on DAB i listen in suffolk and its very poor at the moment very tinny and as said the music is quiet and djs loud and vice versa its all over the place.Also the dj last night said there would be no phone ins or competitions so if its a VT thats very poor too so smooth are going to loose me if it stays like that i have had it tuned in on my DAB since it launched here in suffolk on D1 and have loved it but as i and everyone has said the sound is very poor at the moment hope they sort it.

Yes I am getting the London feed on DAB here and as you say levels are all over the place & its still bad now.

I sent an email to the overnight presenter and he read it out, so nights are live, the only difference is the format has changed where the lyrical challenge has been axed for listener mentions and generic links.

Thanks martin hope it stays like that as i listen a lot at night but last night his voice was very very loud and the music tinny and quiet i hope they sort it as i am loving smooth.