I've read on Radio Today that Nation have appointed a PC to look after Thames Radio and Nation Gold. One voicetracked automated station and one fully automated station. How is that a full-time job, what's he going to do all day?

Walk round the streets and personally try and recruit listeners?

I'm pretty sure it's a genuine mic shield - but I'm not sure that makes it any more interesting, really.

They tweeted one of those pics other day along with a punt for requests...

https://twitter.com/ThamesRadio/stat...62868973408256

I strongly suspect the new 'Content Manager' is the only person working on Thames and Nation Gold other than the presenters. Not sure how much of a role Chris Stevens plays, given all his other commitments.

Just listening to Neil Fox at the moment (Friday afternoon) he sounds a lot better than most other VT'd shows! Although he could do without mentioning the incoming weekend weather, as said it will be warm but not as hot as it's been with some rain around to help freshen it up! I wonder what day he recorded these links? As London will be fairly hot on Saturday @ 29C and dry as a bone all weekend.

Very possibly but I still don't see how scheduling music on two automated stations is a 40 hour a week job. Unless he's a very slow worker.

I guess he also has to assemble the voice-tracked shows too and maybe provide some presenter reads and talking points for those and breakfast - but you still make a good point...

Listed to Foxy earlier this morning and the choice of music was fine but oh the show lacked atmosphere, too many generic comments.

Tony Blackburn's Soul Party seems alive and not going through the motions, unlike both Foxy and Pat Sharp.

Think the station will have a limited future unless there is more live programming,

http://imgur.com/a/zPVgY

Does he do the shows from home?

I tuned into about an hour of Tony's show last night whilst in the car on the way home, superb show, just as good as live as we know Tony doesn't do VT'ing.

I don't think Tony has a home studio otherwise you'd think that he wouldn't travel to Kent every week to record his KMFM show, I think he prefers the buzz of being in a radio studio.

However I don't think any of us know where he records his Thames show as yet.

I would have thought that he'd record it at KMFM also, I think he used to record his KCFM (Hull) shows in Kent - seems to have a good arrangement with them.

Yes Tony's new soul show is indeed a pleasure to listen to,a masterclass on how to pre record a radio show and make it sound live!!

After loosening his shows on the BBC i was rather hoping for him to return to Jazz-fm with "The Big Soul Night" show which he did in the late 90's/00's It was much the same format as the new show on Thames Radio with a bit more jazz-funk, I think he would of had a much lager audience than he will get on the over voice tracked Thames!!!

As far as where he records the show my guess is at KMFM on the same day he records his sunday show!!!

I think you're right. I can't see a couple of decent weekend shows and a breakfast show that does nothing to distinguish itself in a mega-competitive market ever bringing in enough advertising to pay the bills.

The ad breaks are depressingly barren at the moment. One of the most frequently-heard ads is for the Love In London dating site, which seems to be registered to... Nation Broadcasting. Hardly any proper advertisers.

I have had a listen off and on to Thames Radio. I am going to try and be very constructive in my feedback as I think a London focused radio station like this is a superb idea, I just think it could be executed a bit better than it currently is.

1. Although I like the idea of having 'names' on the air, I would prefer to hear these presenters using their full range of talents than just re-broadcasting syndicated shows. This last couple of weeks we've had some of the hottest sunshine of the year but absolutely no reflection of this on the air. Get Foxy to broadcast live from a place on the South Bank or Hyde Park? Great for station marketing and being connected with London.

2. I don't feel very London when I listen. I may and well be listening to an automated juke box as the only London centric stuff I am hearing is in the strapline and imaging. There are thousands of local independent businesses in London, companies that cannot afford to advertise on the larger stations - these could easily be tapped up by this station.

3. The music seems far too samey as existing stations. I think they should have come on air with something quite different to what is already being done. Perhaps come in with something completely new and wow (such as 93.9 MIA in Miami maybe?) so you're still doing the 80s to now, but a more vibrant/metropolitan version of it.

The idea of TR is a good one, friends and I have long thought that it is about time this kind of thing existed but it just needs to take London by the horns a bit more and be less about specialist music shows and more about London.

Tony has mentioned on his Periscope feed before his greatest hits show today that his Thames Radio soul show is recorded on Wednesday at KMFM along with his KMFM show. He is loving the positive response to the soul show.

That would make sense as to why he seems to be on the road at 5am on a Wednesday.

I thought that he may record the show at Golden Square.

So where do the others record there shows from?

I completely agree with you that it's a nice idea but not quite working in practice.

If Thames was genuinely committed to being the kind of station it claims to be, they'd definitely be doing those kind of OBs and marketing activities. In reality, though, I just can't see it happening given how cheaply the station's being run.

They aren't even able to reflect the weather properly in conversation at the moment. The other Saturday, Foxy was talking about blue skies and sun cream (which was obviously the forecast when he recorded his links). When the show was on air, it was actually overcast, and it all just sounded ridiculous.

I have to say that, as time goes on and the station shows no sign of improving, I'm just not sure how I even want it to succeed. Success is essentially dependent on tricking lots of people into thinking they're listening to something live and local when, in fact, it's never both and frequently neither.

I listened for a while this morning - it's too dull and lifeless to be engaging. Its a shame as the music isn't bad, but Pat Sharp sounded like he was broadcasting from a cupboard whilst trying not to wake up the children.

It could be really good - but needs more live (or "as-live") shows and local ads and promos. They could be doing loads to promote London events and attractions, gigs etc that aren't heard about on the mainstream stations without straying too far from their core remit (whatever that is).

Trouble is that costs money, and I doubt Nation can afford to pay the likes of Neil Fox and Pat Sharp for six full shows a week. I imagine they're each being paid for an hour a week, maybe two at a push.

Extensive voice tracking is the only way to ensure that small local stations in rural markets remain remotely viable, and Nation use it to good effect in Wales. But they've made the mistake of assuming it'll also work in London - one of the world's most competitive radio markets where the big groups spend millions on talent and marketing.

This station exists because of someone's ego - which is fine if they've got deep pockets and are happy to write off their investment but not if they want to make a profit.

Spot-on. Recorded 'going out guide' inserts would really add value - as you say, that's not something you hear on Heart/Capital/Smooth's London shows. It's the kind of content that can easily be produced from Wales by browsing a few websites, and has the potential for sponsorship too.

No idea why they haven't thought of it. Chris Stevens does it on his own station, Chris Country - and there are obviously far more things going on in London to talk about than UK country music gigs.


I wonder whether it's just naivety from a company that hasn't run a London station before and doesn't appreciate how saturated the market is. Just because there's space on London 2, it doesn't mean there's a gap in the market.

I think they've also underestimated the extent to which their competitors like Heart and Magic still sound like London stations (generally offering better local news and travel bulletins than Thames does). So they're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist in the eyes of most people - and those who do see a problem aren't likely to view what Thames are peddling as the solution.

Maybe. But Jason Bryant, who owns Nation, is ex-TalkSport and Virgin. He knows the London market as does their MD Martin Mumford. And Chris Stevens, whatever his involvement is, is no stranger to big markets. No, I fear this is ego and/or arrogance at play if they think just having (once) big names on their station will beat Heart, Smooth, Capital and Magic.


Spot on. To Londoners, Heart & Magic (and Capital and Smooth) ARE London stations as they always have been. The vast majority of listeners won't have a clue they're available nationally, and even those who do couldn't care less.

Tony Blackburn obviously has a loyal fan base and may pick up a following (though it won't be very big if they don't market it). The rest of them? Who cares. Life's moved on. I'm afraid these days radio presenters are like X Factor contestants - easily forgotten once they lose their gig.

A bit of a downfall for foxy when he was earning bucks before he was pulled from pillar to post.

I'm surprised Global never found a job for foxy on one of there stations? Or even Radio 2?

He's damaged goods. He was found not guilty of any criminal offence, but the chief magistrate made it clear his accusers were "believable".

I suppose there's a chance he may yet end up on Smooth but not for a while.