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I'm a bit late to the party... but some very interesting points on both sides, i can certainly see valid points about change etc. However, i certainly think that Radio 1 are already in a good place... and that Aled has actually made brilliant progress in the short time he has been in the job. Radio in general has already had an issue in attracting younger listeners, i do not think the radical changes suggested would achieve that. You'd just put off your existing audience. They've always done well to place themselves where their audience are, especially on social media. They jumped straight onto Facebook and Twitter as they grew big, just like they've since done with Snapchat, Instagram and now TikTok, which is a vital way of engaging with their target audience.. and being present as a 'youth brand'. In terms of the linear radio side of things. Again, i cannot see what they cam do more 'radical' without scaring off a lot of listeners. The listener reaction often proves they're doing something right. Especially with their focus on mental health, one of the most important issues relating to the audience. Also, there has always been older listeners to Radio 1, a lot of them you'll never shake off... that's fine too. It was either Greg himself or Ben Cooper who said somewhere that if you strike a fine balance of not alienating the parents... their children will listen in too, who often stick with the station themselves as they get older. That's one of the reasons why putting Greg on breakfast was a good decision. In terms of sounding like their commercial rivals... i'd say R1 strike the balance well between serving their remit and appealing to a wider audience (which is what they've always done... listener figures will always play apart in justifying it's existance being funded by the licence payer). It's not just about the listeners and the DJ's.. i'd say they're doing a greater job than ever supporting the music industry and emerging talent... breaking them through as artists. There's more songs than ever breaking through to daytime... music you would not hear on similar CHR stations. Their specialist content is next to none... especially Jack Saunders show. As a CHR station, you'll always get the big hits you hear elsewhere.. R1 do well getting the right balance of hits and giving newer artists daytime exposure (although with it going more music heavy in recent years.. so has the repetition of tracks coming around again in a shorter space of time, although that's a minor gripe and still nowhere near as bad as most Global stations.)

Simply... Just no. In the 90s, the station was stuck in the past, with presenters who appealed to an ageing audience. It has widely been debated whether that radical shake-up was done well, or could have been just as successful if done in a much less abrasive way, and certainly some of the execution at the time was clumsy with some presenters brought in who lasted only a short while (since they simply didn't work at all). But this is entirely missing the point... There is NO need for a radical shake-up right now. The presenters and shows are not 'past their prime', apart from perhaps Grimmy who will most likely move on in the next year. The absolute WORST thing Aled could do right now is a radical shake-up. Listeners would desert in their droves, the reputation of the station would sink and all the hard work done in recent years would be thrown away. We're never going to agree on this, but for someone who claims to have the best interests of the youth market in mind, you seem out of touch with the reality of youth-focused broadcasting. Please don't try to use BBC3 as an analogy - indeed the BBC leadership have handled that badly, but it has nothing to do with the quality job that the team are doing at R1. As for the 'sound' of the station - it doesn't need to sound specifically like 'young Britain' in order to appeal to it, as long as the voices are diverse and inclusive, which they clearly are. There's simply no evidence of unconscious bias in recent signings at the station, and fortunately it has avoided the horrors of any 'box ticking' appointments. Simply put, many of the UK's top broadcasting talent work there, and the fact that some major stars clearly choose to continue to present at R1 despite offers of significantly higher wages at commercial rivals says all you need to know about the credibility and reputation it has. The evolution of R1 at present is something the BBC are, and should be, immensely proud of. Aled is doing a fantastic job, and nothing needs to change. So now to get back on topic.... my answer is still Matt & Mollie!! Though hopefully Greg will be around for a good while yet

In terms of DJ's. You'll just have the opposite impact if you suddenly turn over the daytime schedule, just like that... because of the nature of the station, the listeners listen often for the personalities themselves. Just because presenters have been there a long time, doesn't mean they should be moved on. Scott & Greg's recent awards.. plus regular listener feedback on air and online proves they're doing something right. I'm sure Aled and his team will have a good idea if they're connecting with their target audience. The problem R1 had in the past was the overall station sounded out of touch. That's certainly not the case nowadays, in all aspects (music, the chat and features etc.) Changes will always be gradual. I'd say the last year has seen more radical change than the past 10 years preceding it. For me personally, it's changing too much with my favourite presenters leaving, plus the messier show times (that's more a personal thing of not liking change)... but i accept that changes will happen and the station sounds fresh. I personally don't really understand the point about talent not coming through quick enough. There's never been more chance for talent to come through. The Christmas and bank holiday slots, Friday Early Breakfast. From that... it appears Dean McCollough could become a regular daytime cover presenter (in the same way Jordan was), Rakeem Omar has popped up again after his early breakfast stint finished last week. Now there's an example of giving cover opportunity to a local radio voice (he appears on my local BBC Station, BBC WM during the week... in fact he's been on both WM & R1 last week). Sam & Dani seem to be given the cover gig for Sundays 4-7 (Life Hacks/Chart First Look). I'm sure within 5 years some of the names above will be part of the stations future. Jess Iszatt is another one from BBC Local (although she's on one one of Bauer's Magic Fm spin off stations too) who is becoming a regular voice on the main stations specialist shows, as well as R1 Relax. Going forward i assume she'll be the regular cover for Sian,and Jack. There isn't a part of the schedule that hasn't changed in the past few years. The only person who i think has naturally come to the end of his career at R1 (or at least on weekday daytime) is Grimmy. I actually think he gets more stick than he deserves off the general public. He is actually good at what he does and he did well to take Breakfast in a different direction to Moyles, but he's done the top dream job, he's coming up to 3 years on drive... i suppose he's a big name but i think September should've been the time Jordan was moved to drive.. it would've made perfect sense. Grimmy is still a big draw for the station, so even if they moved him to Fri-Sunday 10:30-1, that's still a big slot which i think his show would suit.

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