Radio 1 relaunch

As it stands at the moment Radio One is just about there. It's a good idea to have a publically funded radio station play music which appeals to a big audience during the daytime, then slim down and go all alternative during the evening and early hours.

The only problem with the station is breakfasts. I can't see the sense in putting on someone who can't speak english properly, and feels the need to repeat sentences immediatly after she has said them, only with a silly childlike voice or in a strange and ailen way.

I.e. Chaowns (tunes) Radeioo wone (Radio One) Morawwnin (Morning)
Nooes and Chappers (News and sport)

Put a stronger presenter (pref. someone with a career rong radio background - not Colin and Edith just yet) on and then I think R1 will stem some(not all) but some of the listeners leaving the station.

Radio 1 will never be any good unless they scrap their policy of only playing "trendy" music. TOTP has gone down the exact same route and it is simply unappealing to listen to. I had Colin and Edith on the other day while I was at work, and the chat from them was unbelievably mundane.

If the station played the same sort of music as Q Radio on DTT, it would be a lot better. It's not that different but Q plays a lot more classic songs. I could listen to Q for hours without being inclined to turn over, but Radio 1 is full of crap I've never heard of, nor would want to.

The DJs are also a fundamental flaw, in that they assume that the listeners a) have a sound knowledge of extremely obscure artists and b) give a damn about what the DJ did last night at some expensive bar in London. I see no reason why Radio 1 can't be more like local radio stations, particularly the Big City ones like Rock FM near me. Current music, chat from the DJ about showbiz news, fun phone-ins - that would have a much broader appeal.

Why should they? Radio 1's function is to play new music and break new artists. This is an incredibly vital function to the music industry. If Radio 1 didn't do this - and no-one else can - the UK music industry would be a fraction of what it is now. Public service before ratings.



I think they're funny as hell!



In your opinion! If you want to listen to 'classic tunes' well go and buy them you cheap-skate! All classic tunes started out as being completely new - and it's a fair bet that most tunes which are now considered classic had their first air-play on Radio 1!



Well this means that you think that enough good music has been made now, the musicians should all retire and we should just listen to old classics.



They're only extremely obscure to you because you don't take interest in them.

What you want is a radio station which plays the tunes you like - which is fair enough and perfectly reasonable, there are hundreds of them out there (6 Music probably being one of them).

Radio 1 is for people who are interested in new music and who are willing to have their musical horizons broadened.



And there was me thinking it was the BBC's job to be diverse and not replicate broadcasters which were already there.

You can pick my post apart as much as you like, but Radio 1 is the BBC's FLAGSHIP radio station. It should not be like some exclusive club, it should have a broad appeal.

But hang on, is Radio 1 the BBC's flagship anymore? Surely BBC Radio 2 has that broad appeal and is now seen as the BBC's flagship station. Radio 1 caters for more specialist music for a younger audience, while Radio 2 has a broad cross section of music in its scheduling. Just because the number 1 comes before 2 doesn't mean Radio 1 is more important than Radio 2.

I would expect Radios 1-5 to ALL have a broad appeal.

Radio 1 = a shower of ****
Radio 2 = fab

But seriously - I agree with what Phil said. Exclusive radio stations are all well and good...oldies stations still do extremely well but they have a broad appeal and in recent years have made the change from just playing music from the 50s and 60s to a more "easy listening" sound which means it can appeal to other generations too.

Take a look at Radio 2 - the changes it has gone through in the last couple of years are amazing. The likes of Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine, Steve Wright, etc all know their stuff and are appealing - they have radio knowledge too...ie they know how to work a mic and know SOMETHING about levels. But back to the point that Radio 2 has changed for the better - has a broad appeal but is not afraid to run its documentaries or other shows that have been on Radio 2 for years.

Radio 2 is playing a wide selection of music these days - a lot lot wider than Radio 1 and is thus more appealing and is always picking up listeners. It's what made it the most listened to station in the UK. Radio 1 as has been said is trying to be too exclusive and really trying to be the voice of "yoof" and at the heart of the trendy scene. Sorry, but it just doesn't appeal to me. And it doesn't appeal to many others either.

What was once the premier in radio is nothing but a shadow of its former self! It makes the Matthew Bannister era seem decent!

Yes, well Radio 2 have certainly poached me. I only listen to radio overnight until around 5am or so, depending where I am, but apart from some late night shows on R1, if there's nothing specialist on, I'm over with Pebble Mill for the night, I think it's great.

I detest R1's playlist in the regular daytime slots, it's horrible, if I listen it's only for the DJ's personalities, so if they don't make any change to their 7-song playlist then they really are relying on the DJs' personalities.

I'd keep Scott, Jo Whiley, Mark & Lard, Nemone, Colin Murray and Moyles. Aside from those I'm not fussed if anyone goes. The specialist programmes people are fine though -- and some are moving earlier with John Peel off this coming week.

That's a silly thing to say. You can't have five clones, or five mainstream stations catering for everyone at the same time. Radio 3 doesn't have broad appeal because not everyone wants to be subjected to folk and classical music. Five Live doesn't have that broad an appeal because not everyone wants 24 hour news and sport. Each of the five BBC stations cater for differing audiences... just because you happen not to like Radio 1, it doesn't mean it should become a version of Radio 2.

That's a completely different debate from Radio 1 losing it's own audience. If it is. Obviously it needs to make changes. But does that mean it needs to become a station that attracts everyone across the board? No.

TVDragon: Absolutely agree with you about the overnight Pebble Mill output. I really should sleep at those ridiculous hours but it is very good stuff for that time of night and works really well.

Well I hope you've been writing on the side of some dirty lorries then, and spreading the word. And I know people aren't supposed to say, but does anyone know what a Radio 2 round thing is? It's all very top secret.

I'm sorry DAS, but I fail to see your reasoning. Of COURSE the BBC's stations should appeal to a broad audience, because WE PAY FOR THEM. There is no reason why a new music station has to be so up itself like Radio 1 is. I stand by what I say about Radios 1-5, they should all be accessible. 1 in the form of new music, 2 in the form of older music, 3 in the form of classical music (IMHO it doesn't appeal to a broad enough audience), 4 in the form of information and chat, and 5 in the form of news and sport. Of course these can all have a broad appeal.

Radio 3 - broad range????????

I'm not going to slag Radio 3 off as it probably plays new classical music and so does a similar job to that of Radio 1, but surely if you're going to argue about a station being too music specialist and not broad enough you must sort Radio 3 out first!

I also don't think Radio 1 is too specialist, it premiers new music from all genres - r&b, rap, pop, dance, rock etc - most people are into one of those at least.

For those who argue that Radio 1 should just play tunes that people "know what they like and like what they know", tell me this: where should new music be played?