And removing more specialist output from licences that were originally set up to provide such a service. Yeah great...

A reduction in specialist hours doesn't necessarily mean job cuts.

Nobody wants to see people being let go....but you are ASSUMING there will be job losses before even knowing what the outcome will be.

Whats the difference between a commercial radi oformat and toilet paper - toilet paper has a use. Clearly a format / licence / franchise means nothing now. And with no way to have a look in the monopoly companies dictate what they want to provide. how about a nice open round of putting licences up for grabs so people can compare what the "licence" owners signed up for and now deliver.

They can also bring the James' show back to 10 on weeknights.

But I agree that it will probably be hit music through the night.

I feel for the specialists, who are passionate , hard working and can relate to their audiences, but its not just the job losses.......... what REALLY grinds my gears is Global , yet AGAIN look for the easy option of just repeating the same old , same old 24 / 7........nothing in the slightest being interesting or creative

Yes , i know its "commercial" radio, but you are also in the entertainment business.......for heavens sake, the specialists are all on at silly o'clock anyway........do you REALLY think hearing "sexy and i know it" for the umpteenth time in the small hours is going to make a significant difference to the figures?

Little wonder all their "big hitters" spend the majority of the day on this site defending the group

The specialist shows are not in the character of the service for Capital FM, it makes little sense to be playing crazy dub-step music or pumping House two nights a week when the rest of the time you're playing high rotation pop.

The dance music fans who went to Galaxy (and Kiss before it) have long deserted Capital and found on-line services for their music fix, Capital listeners want high rotation pop 24/7, you wouldn't expect to turn on Comedy Central and see shows about Japanese Pottery all night on Friday and Saturday.

The small bunch of fans for these shows (and RAJARs are small) will never be turned into full time Capital listeners, and your main audience will be alienated by these shows, "why is Capital playing this shit weird music?" and "can you play LMFAO?" are common texts on weekend late nights.

Nice opinion as fact there.


And how do you know that these are texts being sent in? Evidence?

Judging by the TOH and first song played it sounds like James' show has been despecialized already.

And I assume this is a default schedule.

http://www.capitalfm.com/southcoast/...ate=2012-01-13

Note Rich Clarke at 1900

Confirmed that this is an error.

Yeah it's been altered to show James Barr at 1900 now.

It seems that the changes to the specialist output are fairly minor with James Barr's playlist remaining pretty much the same except instead of remixes the original versions of the songs are played instead. The playlist still differs from daytime with more new music and no sign of the slower stuff like 'Someone Like You' for example.

I think specialist music should continue to be put out late at night at the weekend. I don't know if it's just me but who wants to listen to Adele and Ed Sheeran on a saturday night? You want upbeat, uptempo dance music which gets you in the weekend mood if, for example you're staying in with a few mates or can't afford to go out that weekend or whatever. Playing the normal playlist at that time would sound really lame in my opinion.

I thought that, too.

Then Global should've realised this when they acquired the licences for what were supposed to be dance/R&B stations. The Galaxy/Kiss licences were awarded on the understanding they would offer something different to the existing pop stations in their markets - not compete head on.

Totally agree. Apparently it's because London advertising agencies didn't 'get' Galaxy. Never mind that Galaxy had plenty of adverts on it already, Global just got greedy

I don't think you or Global understand:

Capital FM is not in the character of service for the Galaxy stations.

It makes little sense to be playing high-rotation bland pop (which other stations in their broadcast areas are already doing) when most of the time they should be playing up-tempo proper music, including pumping House and Trance.

The licenses were not awarded for the purpose of a Capital FM-style station, and the output should reflect this.

The Galaxy Capitals should still by playing this "crazy" music that you mention, and not only at silly o'clock. So in daytimes too, just not as much and not quite as specialist.

If the audience want high-rotation pop, they know where to find Bauer's Place network stations, and Heart.

And please don't present your opinions as fact.

I get the distinct impression that you're rather enjoying the systematic destruction of all remnants of the former Galaxy network, and in the process, something that had become quite an institution over the last 10 years or so.

It was, at best, a very unsavoury act on Global's part, and here you are, blatantly rubbing people's faces in the next round of said destruction.

I find your posts of this nature provocative and distasteful.

I also find it difficult sometimes to believe that apparent Global drones like you are here for anything other than the purpose of heckling, patronising and belittling those who do not subscribe to Global's views, business model, and propaganda but portraying it as education for the proles.

Great PR for your employer there.

(I'm not levying all of those charges directly and solely at you; I refer to others as well)

The Global stations are not supposed to be anything. Some may feel they should be, or ought to be something, but they are not supposed to be.

I'm sure Global were aware of the issues around specialist programming, and that is why they have sought to get the licences changed relatively quickly, and been successful.

It makes no sense for Capital to veer towards specialism when the vast majority of listener loyalty comes from what they do during the day. There is no point in alienating those core listeners. I believe the posters assertions about texts during specialist shows requesting tracks from the normal playlist.

Galaxy Birmingham was also more heavily urban skewed, to serve the needs of its audience.

Wise, commercially sensible move by Global I say.

Wise commercial move by Global I say.

James Barr is still "in the mix" on Friday night...

Probably the same for Saturday nights, too

I love the slight remixes on a Friday and Saturday 7-11. Such a shame we wont get them weekdays 11-3 any more.

From Capital FMs license...

Again, very wishy-washy. However, you could class anything specialist as "contemporary". Especially anything popular in the clubs. However, Global will pee on that and go stuff you audience to play repeated pop all-day, every-day.

How much harm would it do to call in some specialist DJs and attempt to gain some of Kiss' share in London and Radio 1 network wide?

I was reading the earlier Capital FM Network thread and noticed when the network was first launched, the London station would run a slightly different show to the rest of the network.

Is this still the case?

does anyone know if Cover Drive are signed to Global's record label? I'm sure they must be with the amount of promotion they are getting with a mention of them at least once an hour at the moment and links on their website to pre-order their new single for weeks, despite the fact that their debut hit being a bit of a flop, their new one has been on high rotation for weeks. This morning wasn't even on course for top 100, although it seems to be shooting up the live itunes chart now in time for the bigtop40.

Cover Drive are part of Global Talent, yes.

........cue hundreds of 'The Wanted' style rants about how outrageous it is that a commercial organisation uses one part of it's business to support another!

I was always under the impression that, since the beginning, and still today, outside of breakfast and drive:

10am-1pm, 1-4pm and 7-11pm weekdays certainly are almost completely separate shows, with maybe only one or two live 'national' links that go out across all 9 stations, the rest is pre-recorded for everywhere other than London/95.8, which is live all the time.

The rest are reversed, and is more live/national across all stations with maybe one or two local pre-recorded links an hour instead.