Absolutely, at least with breakfast in Manchester, big names like Brooke Vincent and Gemma Atkinson will bring in listeners for the short term anyway.

Radio Aire is a total mess, being in the Radio Aire area I used to listen every morning to breakfast when it was Rich and Naomi, then Kam Kelly and now I can't even remember the last time I listened properly. Michael, Ant and Kelly does not work, it really is a terrible listen. Kelly is a good co-host with Stu because they really did bounce off each other and created a good show, but sticking her with all these other people just does not work. Mike and Kelly won't last on Saturday mornings for long, and Radio Aire are going to have to wake up soon because surely they can't afford to lose any more listeners, but then as you say it seems like they have just given up.

Just listend to Gem 106 online there playing the same songs at the same time with the other city 1 stations Phase 1 happening then ?

Remeber it is the 2 oclock anthems slot Bauer might have just introduced this shows playlist to Gem.

Its on free radio too plus there was an advert for a kisstory CD too.

I've flicked between Gem and Hallam over the last 15-20 minutes and the only common song was the Sia/Sean Paul at the top of the hour.

Here's a thought - would it not make sense for Bauer to shuffle their network to take account of the different markets and station formats available in each area? So City 1A, say, in areas with the 1/2/3 structure, with network shows from Key et al as now, and a more 'contemporsry' flavour, with City 1B ('playing music you love') being the older-skewing, more AC stations in areas without a City 2 service (e.g. Borders, CFM, Wave, Gem) - perhaps with some network content (e.g. late show) split from that on the 1A stations, from Gem/Wave studios? That may be better than a one-size-fits-all City 1 network...

Yeah, that could work. GWR/Gcap did something like that in their later years. I think they had two networks; one of them was 'Capital' style chart music, and the other was more grown up with 80s/90s/00s AC music.

At the peak there were five music logs based on the competitive stations in the market (and how much the PCs moaned).

Only a re-brand to Kiss can save Radio Aire. It's going downhill faster than an Olympic toboggan.

Could merge output with Hallam FM?

If I was bauer I would rebrand radio air as Kiss Fm to put Radio Air out of it's misery.

I think Bauer knows Radio Aire will always struggle due to its poor fm coverage. I cant remember the ins and outs but im sure someone can explain a bit about Radio Aire on fm.

I think if bauer were concerned the local 10-2 show would have been scrapped on Aire.

Personally I dont think kiss fm is the answer.

Going all out City 1 networked shows from 7pm to 6am certainly does not suit Radio Borders. At one time they took the Max Am/Forth AM/Forth 2 schedule from 7pm to 6am which had far more 50's, 60's and 70's than today's of the time mixed in with the 80's rather than mainly 90's, 00's and today's mixed in with a little bit of 80's (but nothing at all of the 60's or 70's) that they get at present in taking the networked city 1 shows during the same time period.

And during the daytime 6am to 7pm Borders plays a fair sprinkling of classic hits more akin to those you hear on Greatest Hits Network that you don't ever hear on the out and out City 1 stations.

The evening show on The hits / city 3 stations has returned with So wright presenting.

I wonder if Bauer will launch Gem 2 on digital only playing the Greatest Hits for the East Midlands. The station would take the Greatest Hits England schedule with local ads, travel and news for the East Midlands.

When DAB local multiplexes launch in Cumbria and the Scottish Borders I would imagine Bauer will launch CFM 2 and Radio Borders 2 on digital only.

I do reckon the one-size-fits-all approach to Bauer City 1 hurts Bauer in quite a few areas.

In the likes of Glasgow and the west it is really the only approach they can take, with Smooth and Radio 2 taking the older section of the audience, Heart aiming for the slightly younger but still old-fashioned music crowd and Capital/Radio 1 taking the young ones. However, in the likes of Aberdeen I reckon it's opened up a huge opportunity for the smaller operator up there, Original, which has a tricksy format to deal with and shouldn't really have an easy opportunity. I remember being in newsagents where older people would have Northsound 1 on by default because it was the local station, and wouldn't be surprised if they've switched to Original since.

There must be areas like that all round the country where Bauer could clean up even further if they could supply a more MOR operation. However, it could well be the case it's considered the City 1 Network as a proposition for advertisers is an easier sell and provides bigger overall numbers than complicating matters by spitting it up into another one.

It strikes me though that Bauer only has two options left, certainly in terms of the English operation. Either further localisation to allow stations to differentiate themselves where there's a clear opportunity to do so from the London networked operations - and I don't mean more what's ons on or increased time for a jobbing DJ, but shows that actually build reputation and audience, such as the football shows on Clyde; or throw their lot in with a network. I still think a nationwide Magic could do some damage.

By the sound of things the English stations fall between all stools - locally presented, but not reflecting their areas or dealing with regions which don't have a coherent regional identity, with an enforced centralised brand identity which doesn't suit all and actually actively makes some sound unlocal.

Very good point. Well said.

Bauer need to evaluate their strategy going forward. We will soon see where they lie on this issue with the Free Radio integration. By default they should re-introduce the heritage names and focus on their biggest selling point - local identity. It's fascinating to see where they will go.

By the looks of the city 3 stations/ the hits they need some new presenters.

I think Kiss fm in leeds will work all they have to do is remove kiss off D1 National in DAB.

Ex Key 103 Chealsea Norris will be back on the air ways soon, Capital, Heart?? and in the Manchester evening news website apparently key 103 are denying they sacked her over ratings, Key 103 are covering up something as per usual.

They'd have to make up the quota through local DAB so they can still be a 'national' station (Bristol/Soms, London etc)

Capital Manchester drive time or heart northwest drive time I would think she would end up on.

It won't be either of them as they all have presenters, Capital Manchester only just got a new drive time show.

I expect it to be just a smaller role to start with, maybe on BBC Radio Manchester or something.

Removing Kiss from D1 isn't a viable option, because they would have to either a) restore 7 hours a day of local shows and local news/information in Severn Estuary & East Anglia or b) rent space on local DAB multiplexes covering 80% of the UK.

Both of these options would be more expensive than leaving the station on D1, and Ricky Melvin & Charlie would no longer be a national breakfast show.

The answer has now been revealed on the BBC Radio Manchester website.

From Saturday 3rd September 9am-12noon Phil Trow & Chelsea Norris - who according to the schedule will be presenting a programme about 'entertainment ideas & the gardening phone in'

I think this puts Chelsea on at the same time as the much talked about Kelly Pegg on Key 103?

....and looking at the Radio Manchester schedule, could this show be a test for putting Chelsea on at breakfast on weekdays with Phil Trow instead of Alison Butterworth?