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Old 05-07-2016, 08:42
radio tuner
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I have to say, though, the music is still pretty good - and I do like the local news.
read from leeds
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Old 05-07-2016, 09:23
Mark M
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I don't actually mind that - as long as it reflects what's important in London.

I'd much rather have a bulletin of relevant London news from Leeds than a locally-based newsreader just giving me the national stories (which is how locally-produced bulletins on Heart and Capital often sound).
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Old 05-07-2016, 09:39
hanssolo
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In The Times today Jason Bryant is quoted as saying that the company has invested between half and three quarters of a million pounds in the station. Having heard a little bit of it today it's difficult to see where they've spent it.
Found part of the article " New wave of radio fights for audience" online, part is hidden behind the News Corp firewall.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ne...ence-kmll50789
Also mentions News Corp s purchase of Talksport and Virgin.
Virgin radio's posters on the underground must have cost several thousands of pounds and even the launch budget of Thames radio (which must include the first years DAB and staff costs) would not allow many, if any, posters.
But at least signing Fox they have had mentions in several papers.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:05
KDH
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Found part of the article " New wave of radio fights for audience" online, part is hidden behind the News Corp firewall.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ne...ence-kmll50789
Also mentions News Corp s purchase of Talksport and Virgin.
He goes onto say--
"the size of London’s radio audience meant the “bloody expensive” costs of broadcasting in the capital were “one hundred per cent” worth it. “Given the size of the market opportunity, we believe that we can get to a breakeven point probably within 18 to 24 months,”
......and if successful thay would launch more stations in London and other cities.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:08
Erwin
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How it sounds now, it ain't gonna happen.
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Old 05-07-2016, 11:19
Mark M
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From what I've heard so far, I think there's a flaw in their plan...

They've got a few proper shows on the schedule: Foxy on Friday and Saturday, Pat Sharp with the Top 10 at 10 and on Sunday mornings, Tony Blackburn and Totally 80s and 90s. These could be a decent draw.

However, now they've got greedy and are claiming that Pat Sharp's also on weekdays until 1, and Foxy's on drivetime every weekday. This means the shows that actually have proper content get diluted by a load of misleading rubbish. I felt like I'd been sold a dud when I heard nothing but generic drops during the day yesterday.

They'd be better off with breakfast and drive presented by cost-effective new talent, a 'non-stop workday' from 10-4, and then a handful of 'appointment to listen' shows from their big names.

That way they can put all their effort into pulling listeners in to shows that actually deliver what they're promising. Then they can use those to cross-promote an honest schedule for the rest of the week, focussing on the combination of great music and local news, travel and weather.
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Old 05-07-2016, 11:46
KDH
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Classic Capital FM radio show The Best Disco in Town is making a comeback on Thames Radio.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/07/the-...-thames-radio/
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Old 05-07-2016, 12:53
simon243
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From what I've heard so far, I think there's a flaw in their plan...

They've got a few proper shows on the schedule: Foxy on Friday and Saturday, Pat Sharp with the Top 10 at 10 and on Sunday mornings, Tony Blackburn and Totally 80s and 90s. These could be a decent draw.

However, now they've got greedy and are claiming that Pat Sharp's also on weekdays until 1, and Foxy's on drivetime every weekday. This means the shows that actually have proper content get diluted by a load of misleading rubbish. I felt like I'd been sold a dud when I heard nothing but generic drops during the day yesterday.

They'd be better off with breakfast and drive presented by cost-effective new talent, a 'non-stop workday' from 10-4, and then a handful of 'appointment to listen' shows from their big names.

That way they can put all their effort into pulling listeners in to shows that actually deliver what they're promising. Then they can use those to cross-promote an honest schedule for the rest of the week, focussing on the combination of great music and local news, travel and weather.
Spot on.

Nation are either extremely naive or supremely arrogant if they think they can build a decent audience in the UK's most competitive market with a cheap imitation of Magic or Smooth.

Love them or loathe them Global and Bauer spend millions on their brands - and on marketing them - so if Nation seriously think a breakfast show presented from Wales by someone no-one in London's ever heard of can compete against Jamie Theakston, Russ Williams or Nick Snaith (not to mention Chris Evans) they need their heads seeing to.

First rule of radio - put your biggest name on at breakfast. Arguably that's Tony Blackburn but no, they stick him on only when radio listening is at its lowest (though granted that show is right for its timeslot).
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Old 05-07-2016, 12:55
bigluke1970
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The Top 10 at 10 is a good listen although it's a shame that Thames is not on a National Dab and that Pat Sharp is only on to 11am.
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Old 05-07-2016, 13:19
NokiaNokia
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From what I've heard so far, I think there's a flaw in their plan...

They've got a few proper shows on the schedule: Foxy on Friday and Saturday, Pat Sharp with the Top 10 at 10 and on Sunday mornings, Tony Blackburn and Totally 80s and 90s. These could be a decent draw.

However, now they've got greedy and are claiming that Pat Sharp's also on weekdays until 1, and Foxy's on drivetime every weekday. This means the shows that actually have proper content get diluted by a load of misleading rubbish. I felt like I'd been sold a dud when I heard nothing but generic drops during the day yesterday.

They'd be better off with breakfast and drive presented by cost-effective new talent, a 'non-stop workday' from 10-4, and then a handful of 'appointment to listen' shows from their big names.

That way they can put all their effort into pulling listeners in to shows that actually deliver what they're promising. Then they can use those to cross-promote an honest schedule for the rest of the week, focussing on the combination of great music and local news, travel and weather.
However it is packaged or labelled, this where we're at: Pat doesn't present 11-1, Foxy doesn't present 4-8 Mon-Thu and Neil Francis doesn't present an afternoon show! Breakfast sounds okay, bespoke meaningful links - if they could do that at drive also and just have a non-stop workday sequence 11-4 that would be okay.
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Old 05-07-2016, 13:26
FM Lover
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Classic Capital FM radio show The Best Disco in Town is making a comeback on Thames Radio.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/07/the-...-thames-radio/
What no Greg Edwards
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Old 05-07-2016, 15:20
Erwin
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Spot on.

Nation are either extremely naive or supremely arrogant if they think they can build a decent audience in the UK's most competitive market with a cheap imitation of Magic or Smooth.

Love them or loathe them Global and Bauer spend millions on their brands - and on marketing them - so if Nation seriously think a breakfast show presented from Wales by someone no-one in London's ever heard of can compete against Jamie Theakston, Russ Williams or Nick Snaith (not to mention Chris Evans) they need their heads seeing to.

First rule of radio - put your biggest name on at breakfast. Arguably that's Tony Blackburn but no, they stick him on only when radio listening is at its lowest (though granted that show is right for its timeslot).
Absolutly right. There is so much wrong with this station, I suprised that they have started. Everything is wrong from front to back, from linking this station to the old Capital FM with old DJ's with liveless VT's, to technical things like soundprocessing etc. etc.
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Old 05-07-2016, 15:56
radio tuner
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Classic Capital FM radio show The Best Disco in Town is making a comeback on Thames Radio.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/07/the-...-thames-radio/
it was never on Capital FM
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Old 05-07-2016, 16:01
radio tuner
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Love them or loathe them Global and Bauer spend millions on their brands - and on marketing them - so if Nation seriously think a breakfast show presented from Wales by someone no-one in London's ever heard of can compete against Jamie Theakston, Russ Williams or Nick Snaith (not to mention Chris Evans) they need their heads seeing to.

t).
they are not london only breakfast shows i can get all 3 on dab here in wigan
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Old 05-07-2016, 16:06
MrCub
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I'm listening now. Top of hour (4pm). Station imaging is ok; the news was but zoomed through with some local content; whole bulletin lasts a minute so i wonder what the point of it is; there is nothing wrong with a slightly longer news bulletin mixing local, national, world, and some sport/showbiz to last two minutes.

First song: Starship - We Built This City - an utterly ghastly track taken straight from the Heart cupboard of overplayed trite, and so it continues.

Having listened over the last day or two, I must agree with all the comments that this station is pointless; music can be found anywhere, the 'London' element is missing enormously, and the whole thing is done on the mega-cheap, There is no USP at all so unless they up their game and do more then this'll disappear quickly.

My observations make me feel that this is a bit like Virgin Radio; dull and failing to make any impact, so existing very much on borrowed time; this is disappointing because the Global stations needs some decent competition. This just isn't it, at the moment.
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Old 05-07-2016, 16:12
stesul63
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Absolutly right. There is so much wrong with this station, I suprised that they have started. Everything is wrong from front to back, from linking this station to the old Capital FM with old DJ's with liveless VT's, to technical things like soundprocessing etc. etc.
Yes have to agree it sounds like a very poor Magic/Smooth concoction with obvious recorded boring links. Needs some live presenters who are capable of holding a show together and then the syndicated shows could be a draw too
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Old 05-07-2016, 18:08
Mark M
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If anyone's interested in how proper voice tracking works, here's a great example:

https://youtu.be/C8ryr67X8DY

If that guy can voice-track a five-hour show in less than 20 minutes, then Thames could do so much better than what they've currently got.
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Old 05-07-2016, 18:26
barry welsh
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Some fine music but nothing special
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Old 05-07-2016, 19:34
simon243
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Looks like Radio Today have got it wrong - Tony Blackburn has tweeted to say he won't be presenting The Best Disco In Town and there's been a "misunderstanding".

The Thames website just says "non-stop floor fillers" so I guess it'll be yet more dull presenterless automation up against Heart's Club Classics.
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Old 05-07-2016, 19:41
Erwin
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If anyone's interested in how proper voice tracking works, here's a great example:

https://youtu.be/C8ryr67X8DY

If that guy can voice-track a five-hour show in less than 20 minutes, then Thames could do so much better than what they've currently got.
That's so much better than Thames Radio do at the moment. Talking up the intro's and it sounds like live radio, that's how VT's just sound like.
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Old 05-07-2016, 19:42
Sophie_Greene
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At least this Thames Radio appears to be as sh*t as its previous namesake so they've got that going for them.
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Old 05-07-2016, 19:43
Erwin
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Some fine music but nothing special
Fine music? Music Thames plays is everywhere on the dail and on the net. Nothing special.
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Old 05-07-2016, 19:43
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Looks like Radio Today have got it wrong - Tony Blackburn has tweeted to say he won't be presenting The Best Disco In Town and there's been a "misunderstanding".

The Thames website just says "non-stop floor fillers" so I guess it'll be yet more dull presenterless automation up against Heart's Club Classics.
Not the only 'misunderstanding' about Thames Radio.

Look at the website now and you'd believe that Neil Fox is currently hosting the Drive Time show.
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Old 06-07-2016, 07:16
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I can't believe that these presenters would sell themselves so cheap, allowing their name to be associated with this crap.
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Old 06-07-2016, 08:59
FM Lover
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I can't believe that these presenters would sell themselves so cheap, allowing their name to be associated with this crap.
Given someone's recent history I doubt he's been fighting off the offers.
Unfortunately mud tends to stick no matter how thinly spread
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