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He’s definitely gotten better and the show has sounded fine this week. I think it been at its best when it’s been Katie and Jamie or Vick and Katie. Vick and Jamie are ok together, but I do think the show sounds better when it’s Vick and Katie and therefore I still don’t really understand the point of the trio. Jamie is, however, a lot better than Danny Beard!

The RAJAR coming on later this year reflecting later summer to autumn will be interesting to how it reflects Matt and Mollie in afternoons to the revised changes on radio 1’s new music slots and the schedule re-shuffling Radio 3 introducing a new slate of programmes. Then, later on this year have speech radio stations having domestic political coverage of the election but also America’s presidential election.

I actually caught snippets of today’s show, and I found it much better than the last time I listened. I have made it no secret that I like Jamie on the radio, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Matt & him together last year. People have criticised him for not being relatable, but I have to agree with the comment above that I have always found him a naturally warm person to listen to. Maybe the going home set up was something that needed settling in and things are starting to take shape. It must have been difficult for him joining an established duo in Vick & Katie to begin with. Jamie was great on something songs today, fully engaged in the caller and sounded like a real presenter. Maybe he is doing as a lot of us hoped and really learning as he goes, how to do it properly.

Agree with this. The anti-Jamie feeling was IMO quite influenced by the negativity around him replacing Jordan, since Jordan was exceptional and also universally loved. When people mention Danny and Jamie in the same sentence about bad hiring decisions I almost choke - Jamie may not be perfect but he's several leagues better than Danny already and has bags of potential. Danny is poor and has shown zero potential...

Jamie started 4 March, and the figures only going up to 31 March, so it isn't reliable. But it has shown the numbers have dropped in afternoons compared to last quarter. It looks like it's Capital's gain.

Do these audience figures reflect Jordan leaving and Jamie replacing him?

I think Jamie is really starting to settle into the role well. He comes across as really warm, and genuinely invested in the listeners when he’s talking to them which is nice. I think he’s building a really great relationship with Vicki and Katie too. His recent great company podcast is great too, where he has quite a deep chat with someone new each week. He’s clearly a very genuine person and I think he has some real potential.

Most probably. But do wonder what the future of the relax themed programmes will be when they officially wind down that service.

I think it's just to replace Wind Down presents... which was in that timeslot, and I'm guessing Chillout Anthems was just a buffer since it'll still be played at 06:00 on Sundays.

With listening on the U.K. for the industry in general it is good overall as most stations reach is on the up and shows radio to be more sustainable and stable outlet than linear televisions channels. This RAJAR I think with the increase shift to DAB+ the BBC will be able to say it has it’s audiences for the proposed new stations it wishes to launch and think the new innovative ideas that it seems Jack himself can take credit for on the new music show think the younger under 30 gen z demographic could increase se in that time-slot.

Conor Knight is in for Sam & Danni on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June. It's Radio 1 at Parklife, 13.00-16.00 on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June. Matt & Mollie are in for Greg from Monday 10th to Friday 14th June - it's just Matt on the Thursday. It's Radio 1 at Download, 13.00-16.00 on Friday 14th June.

Rajar looking healthy this quarter, with the numbers staying fairly stable.

It's made it into the Daily Mail as another reason to bash the station. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13417631/bbc-radio-2-facebook-tiktok-instagram.html

I expect that the axing of Chill Out Anthems may be related to the decommissioning and shutfdown of Radio 1 Relax. I assume soon BBC could announce or make official when it’s going to be shutdown

The next RAJAR will be putting a lot of pressure on Aled. Will his decisions over Danny Beard and Jamie Laing and to lose Jordan North pay off? If not, it is likely bosses will be looking for his successor. I am interested to know what fans of the station think? Ian Chaloner who worked for Greg, Scott and Grimny before rising through the ranks must stand a chance. He is now mainstream editor. An outsider choice but Greg's former producer Chris Sawyer would be great. He has the creativity and has held the ship well on breakfast. Although I know he is no longer with them.

Could this be similar to what Arielle Free did in Covid on Weekend Early Breakfast?

Greg is doing Breakfast from 7am-11am on 23rd May which is a thirty minute extension of his usual Friday show and consistent with Big Weekend timings. Also it looks like from the 1st June, Radio 1 Chillout Anthems at 4am is being replaced by Radio 1 Anthems with Maia Beth and will also air at the same time on a Sunday.

I mean I've been growing our engagement on Facebook in my department, there's still an untapped audience there. Also, as you alude to, the number of community groups has grown a lot since lockdown. I'd love to hear more about their thinking. If this had been Radio 1's strategy I don't think anyone would have disagreed.

I think they must’ve been slowly killing of their social media presence I know for Radio 2 and 6 they do have dedicated unofficial social media groups so there is an audience. All Request Friday and features like that has a place on social media as can get requests via comment sections but I think Facebook struggles to know what it is these days.

I just think it's more about what they're doing. If all you've got is a DJ dancing to Beyonce's latest hit for thirty seconds or Sara Cox reading out the All Request Friday number in a funny way it's not really what Facebook prioritises. I think it's great that studio interaction, but it does lend itself to Instagram and TikTok more. But I honestly believe there is a place for Facebook with the Radio 2 audience. The trouble is Radio 2 have barely used Facebook for the last year so there doesn't seem to have been a strategy there.

Agree, all I'd see on x was medical professionals from other health trusts having a very carefully worded pop at each other, mixed in with a clip of jeremy vine with a camera on his helmet, a very strange place indeed! I imagine they have some data to back it up, but is the r2 audience really using tiktok?

I get not putting resources into X which these days is a strange mix of angry political debate and adult content only. But you'd think Facebook was still the most popular social channel amongst Radio 2 audiences.

Radio 2 seem to have decided that their strategy is just short video, so it does probably make sense with Instagram and TikTok. But I find it hard to believe there's not longer form content that wouldn't suit Facebook better.

These late announcements are so lacklustre. It's not quite like the time they announced Harry Styles last minute!

Friday - Nathan Dawe, Wilkinson Saturday - Jax Jones Sunday - London Grammar, Remi Woolf, AJ Tracey