GeekTalk51

Show seems completely listenable to me, not a car crash.  Do think there’s a solid chance it’s Going Home with Vick and Katie within 12 months.

I wonder if this was always on the cards and is why Jordan has jumped - 2-3 more years of Greg and he’d be in Scott Mills territory of being passed over for Breakfast in favour of a younger DJ.  

I wonder if this was always on the cards and is why Jordan has jumped - 2-3 more years of Greg and he’d be in Scott Mills territory of being passed over for Breakfast in favour of a younger DJ.  

I wonder if this was always on the cards and is why Jordan has jumped - 2-3 more years of Greg and he’d be in Scott Mills territory of being passed over for Breakfast in favour of a younger DJ.  

I wonder if this was always on the cards and is why Jordan has jumped - 2-3 more years of Greg and he’d be in Scott Mills territory of being passed over for Breakfast in favour of a younger DJ.  

Smart from Radio 1 - you don’t want to lose Greg anytime soon now there’s no clear successor.  Anyone know how long a contract renewal would be for?  Another year?  

Smart from Radio 1 - you don’t want to lose Greg anytime soon now there’s no clear successor.  Anyone know how long a contract renewal would be for?  Another year?  

Considering how Jordan North for several years seemed like the obvious next choice for Breakfast if and when Greg departs, I thought it would be worth thinking about where we are with succession planning now, what everyone’s theories are.  Greg will have been on Breakfast for 6 years this year, it would be unusual if he didn’t leave in the next year or so - I suspect management will want him to stay longer than originally intended now Jordan is gone but you never know. Who does everyone reckon is the frontrunner to take over now Jordan is out of the running?
Taking a quick look at the contenders as I see them: 
Safe pair of hands options:
Rickie, Melvin and Charlie: They’ve done it before, if Greg were to leave this year for example at least you’d know it wouldn’t be a car crash and they’d probably be willing to do it.  Downside is it would probably be a 2 year deal at must and they aren’t getting any younger, aren’t the future of the station etc.  Also a jarring change in style from Greg.
Matt and Mollie: I would have said no chance two weeks ago, but I think they are at least second or third most likely for the gig now.  It’s the same argument as for RMC (if Greg leaves this year they are a good safe option), they fit the style and tone Greg has set so won’t bleed audience majorly, Matt is one of the few remaining DJs of the Jordan/Greg/Scott calibre at this stage (some of the others will reach that point with time and experience I’m sure), Mollie’s personality works on morning radio.  Issue is I don’t know if they’d be willing to commit to it (maybe they’d do it on a 6 month-year contract) and it probably would lean older in terms of appeal than they might want for a fresh Breakfast show.
The gambles:
Sam and Danni: On paper, they could well be the future of the station.  They are young, fit the image radio people to their core, but fundamentally they are just not at that level right now, and it would be a hell of a gamble.  I had them down as the most likely breakfast show AFTER Jordan does it for a few years, maybe lack of options means you have to skip a generation and take the gamble.
Dean McCullough: I know people on here, don’t like this, I don’t like this! But I think at this stage, he may well be the front runner for the show.  The only reason I dismissed this previously was because Jordan was there, Jordan’s departure removes the single biggest roadblock to the inevitable conclusion of his meteoric rise on the station.  it may not be so bad, people will complain and it will be more polarising, but on his own covering breakfast, he sounds solid.  A couple of years and he truly is a personality capable of carrying the Radio 1 Breakfast show.  There are worse options!  Management seems to like him, and that’s a reason in my book, not to dismiss this likelihood.
The Goldilocks choices:
Katie Thistleton:
The more I think about it, the more, I think she’s the ideal candidate.  That doesn’t mean she’d do it, but I don’t think she definitely wouldn’t.  a female presenter would be a breath of fresh air, she’s genuinely good at connecting with audiences in the way. Greg and Scott and Jordan can, she would need more content than she currently does on her show and probably a co-presenter, but should be more than capable of anchoring the slot and it could be really successful.  
Jack Saunders:
Hear me out. He’s young, but he’s been on the radio for years. He always sounds in control no matter what show he is on.  Great interviewer, strong personality, not too polarising.  He would probably switch people off in the way Grimshaw did, but thats never stopped breakfast presenters being picked.  it could be something exciting and fresh and genuinely compete with Capital if it was done properly.  on the other hand, it could be an absolute disaster, really depends how it was structured.  
 
those are my thoughts, over to you.
 

Yeah I feel like by September drive could be a different lineup entirely to now.   

This is the first time since I started listening to Radio 1 (2016) that I’ve been genuinely floored by an announcement. There have been a lot of changes and I’ve raised by eyebrows a few times but everything had some element of logic to it even if I wouldn’t have made the exact same choice.  
With regards to Jordan I would have bet a lot of money on him being a shoe in for R1 Breakfast next, the succession plan seemed very clear - Greg could go this year or next if he wanted to, after a good run, and you have a ready made Breakfast star in Jordan and the likes of Katie/Sam and Danni/Dean all capable of stepping in on Going Home at that stage.  Jordan at Breakfast and Vick and Katie on Going Home wouldn’t feel like a downgrade from now!  Now Radio 1 seems in a real pickle in terms of succession planning for Breakfast. I can only assume Jordan was given an offer he couldn’t refuse - if it’s him and Chris Stark for Capital Breakfast it’s a coup for Global, a truly national sounding breakfast offering, and something Radio 1 must have been unwilling to give him right now, more power to him! As for Jamie Lang - I won’t be harsh because these are real people and you never know how it pans out, but it’s completely inexplicable to me.  From a show that deliberately pitched itself (they did an interview about this a year ago) as a show aimed at young people outside London to someone from Made in Chelsea, I just don’t know what they’re doing and I have to wonder if it’s a Matt Goodier-style stopgap (he was given Radio 1 Breakfast for a few months in the 90s as the “permanent” host even though it was always a temp holding position), because I can’t see Vick or Jamie committing to a daily show in the long term (I had suspected Vick might not last the year; she’s brilliant but she has so much else going on, hope I’m wrong).  Anyway… let’s see what happens!  All seems a bit of a panic and Radio 1 in a bit of a tailspin this week, suspect Aled will do some serious thinking about the 12-18 month direction the schedule takes from here, suspect it may look quite different.
Edit: If I was R1 management I would cling to Greg James like a life raft right now!  Without him the entire house of cards looks weak.  You need a few years to build up a future Jordan-like “heir” to be the main star on the station.  Shoehorning in the likes of Dean would be calamitous.

Hard agree with Jack Saunders, he's worked his way up from student radio too.

Considering how Jordan North for several years seemed like the obvious next choice for Breakfast if and when Greg departs, I thought it would be worth thinking about where we are with succession planning now, what everyone’s theories are.  Greg will have been on Breakfast for 6 years this year, it would be unusual if he didn’t leave in the next year or so - I suspect management will want him to stay longer than originally intended now Jordan is gone but you never know. Who does everyone reckon is the frontrunner to take over now Jordan is out of the running?
Taking a quick look at the contenders as I see them: 
Safe pair of hands options:
Rickie, Melvin and Charlie: They’ve done it before, if Greg were to leave this year for example at least you’d know it wouldn’t be a car crash and they’d probably be willing to do it.  Downside is it would probably be a 2 year deal at must and they aren’t getting any younger, aren’t the future of the station etc.  Also a jarring change in style from Greg.
Matt and Mollie: I would have said no chance two weeks ago, but I think they are at least second or third most likely for the gig now.  It’s the same argument as for RMC (if Greg leaves this year they are a good safe option), they fit the style and tone Greg has set so won’t bleed audience majorly, Matt is one of the few remaining DJs of the Jordan/Greg/Scott calibre at this stage (some of the others will reach that point with time and experience I’m sure), Mollie’s personality works on morning radio.  Issue is I don’t know if they’d be willing to commit to it (maybe they’d do it on a 6 month-year contract) and it probably would lean older in terms of appeal than they might want for a fresh Breakfast show.
The gambles:
Sam and Danni: On paper, they could well be the future of the station.  They are young, fit the image radio people to their core, but fundamentally they are just not at that level right now, and it would be a hell of a gamble.  I had them down as the most likely breakfast show AFTER Jordan does it for a few years, maybe lack of options means you have to skip a generation and take the gamble.
Dean McCullough: I know people on here, don’t like this, I don’t like this! But I think at this stage, he may well be the front runner for the show.  The only reason I dismissed this previously was because Jordan was there, Jordan’s departure removes the single biggest roadblock to the inevitable conclusion of his meteoric rise on the station.  it may not be so bad, people will complain and it will be more polarising, but on his own covering breakfast, he sounds solid.  A couple of years and he truly is a personality capable of carrying the Radio 1 Breakfast show.  There are worse options!  Management seems to like him, and that’s a reason in my book, not to dismiss this likelihood.
The Goldilocks choices:
Katie Thistleton:
The more I think about it, the more, I think she’s the ideal candidate.  That doesn’t mean she’d do it, but I don’t think she definitely wouldn’t.  a female presenter would be a breath of fresh air, she’s genuinely good at connecting with audiences in the way. Greg and Scott and Jordan can, she would need more content than she currently does on her show and probably a co-presenter, but should be more than capable of anchoring the slot and it could be really successful.  
Jack Saunders:
Hear me out. He’s young, but he’s been on the radio for years. He always sounds in control no matter what show he is on.  Great interviewer, strong personality, not too polarising.  He would probably switch people off in the way Grimshaw did, but thats never stopped breakfast presenters being picked.  it could be something exciting and fresh and genuinely compete with Capital if it was done properly.  on the other hand, it could be an absolute disaster, really depends how it was structured.  
 
those are my thoughts, over to you.
 

Sam and Danni makes sense - taking Vick/the normal team off air to prepare for what is effectively a new drive show in two weeks time.  Vick on her own on air Monday would be a very difficult position to put her in I think, considering not addressing the news would feel so odd and addressing it is probably not what management want.

Jordan and Greg have always seemed to get along I don’t think there’s anything to read into there - if anything Greg is probably gutted Jordan won’t be his successor.  

Jordan and Greg have always seemed to get along I don’t think there’s anything to read into there - if anything Greg is probably gutted Jordan won’t be his successor.  

This is the first time since I started listening to Radio 1 (2016) that I’ve been genuinely floored by an announcement. There have been a lot of changes and I’ve raised by eyebrows a few times but everything had some element of logic to it even if I wouldn’t have made the exact same choice.  
With regards to Jordan I would have bet a lot of money on him being a shoe in for R1 Breakfast next, the succession plan seemed very clear - Greg could go this year or next if he wanted to, after a good run, and you have a ready made Breakfast star in Jordan and the likes of Katie/Sam and Danni/Dean all capable of stepping in on Going Home at that stage.  Jordan at Breakfast and Vick and Katie on Going Home wouldn’t feel like a downgrade from now!  Now Radio 1 seems in a real pickle in terms of succession planning for Breakfast. I can only assume Jordan was given an offer he couldn’t refuse - if it’s him and Chris Stark for Capital Breakfast it’s a coup for Global, a truly national sounding breakfast offering, and something Radio 1 must have been unwilling to give him right now, more power to him! As for Jamie Lang - I won’t be harsh because these are real people and you never know how it pans out, but it’s completely inexplicable to me.  From a show that deliberately pitched itself (they did an interview about this a year ago) as a show aimed at young people outside London to someone from Made in Chelsea, I just don’t know what they’re doing and I have to wonder if it’s a Matt Goodier-style stopgap (he was given Radio 1 Breakfast for a few months in the 90s as the “permanent” host even though it was always a temp holding position), because I can’t see Vick or Jamie committing to a daily show in the long term (I had suspected Vick might not last the year; she’s brilliant but she has so much else going on, hope I’m wrong).  Anyway… let’s see what happens!  All seems a bit of a panic and Radio 1 in a bit of a tailspin this week, suspect Aled will do some serious thinking about the 12-18 month direction the schedule takes from here, suspect it may look quite different.
Edit: If I was R1 management I would cling to Greg James like a life raft right now!  Without him the entire house of cards looks weak.  You need a few years to build up a future Jordan-like “heir” to be the main star on the station.  Shoehorning in the likes of Dean would be calamitous.

This is the first time since I started listening to Radio 1 (2016) that I’ve been genuinely floored by an announcement. There have been a lot of changes and I’ve raised by eyebrows a few times but everything had some element of logic to it even if I wouldn’t have made the exact same choice.  
With regards to Jordan I would have bet a lot of money on him being a shoe in for R1 Breakfast next, the succession plan seemed very clear - Greg could go this year or next if he wanted to, after a good run, and you have a ready made Breakfast star in Jordan and the likes of Katie/Sam and Danni/Dean all capable of stepping in on Going Home at that stage.  Jordan at Breakfast and Vick and Katie on Going Home wouldn’t feel like a downgrade from now!  Now Radio 1 seems in a real pickle in terms of succession planning for Breakfast. I can only assume Jordan was given an offer he couldn’t refuse - if it’s him and Chris Stark for Capital Breakfast it’s a coup for Global, a truly national sounding breakfast offering, and something Radio 1 must have been unwilling to give him right now, more power to him! As for Jamie Lang - I won’t be harsh because these are real people and you never know how it pans out, but it’s completely inexplicable to me.  From a show that deliberately pitched itself (they did an interview about this a year ago) as a show aimed at young people outside London to someone from Made in Chelsea, I just don’t know what they’re doing and I have to wonder if it’s a Matt Goodier-style stopgap (he was given Radio 1 Breakfast for a few months in the 90s as the “permanent” host even though it was always a temp holding position), because I can’t see Vick or Jamie committing to a daily show in the long term (I had suspected Vick might not last the year; she’s brilliant but she has so much else going on, hope I’m wrong).  Anyway… let’s see what happens!  All seems a bit of a panic and Radio 1 in a bit of a tailspin this week, suspect Aled will do some serious thinking about the 12-18 month direction the schedule takes from here, suspect it may look quite different.
Edit: If I was R1 management I would cling to Greg James like a life raft right now!  Without him the entire house of cards looks weak.  You need a few years to build up a future Jordan-like “heir” to be the main star on the station.  Shoehorning in the likes of Dean would be calamitous.

This is the first time since I started listening to Radio 1 (2016) that I’ve been genuinely floored by an announcement. There have been a lot of changes and I’ve raised by eyebrows a few times but everything had some element of logic to it even if I wouldn’t have made the exact same choice.  
With regards to Jordan I would have bet a lot of money on him being a shoe in for R1 Breakfast next, the succession plan seemed very clear - Greg could go this year or next if he wanted to, after a good run, and you have a ready made Breakfast star in Jordan and the likes of Katie/Sam and Danni/Dean all capable of stepping in on Going Home at that stage.  Jordan at Breakfast and Vick and Katie on Going Home wouldn’t feel like a downgrade from now!  Now Radio 1 seems in a real pickle in terms of succession planning for Breakfast. I can only assume Jordan was given an offer he couldn’t refuse - if it’s him and Chris Stark for Capital Breakfast it’s a coup for Global, a truly national sounding breakfast offering, and something Radio 1 must have been unwilling to give him right now, more power to him! As for Jamie Lang - I won’t be harsh because these are real people and you never know how it pans out, but it’s completely inexplicable to me.  From a show that deliberately pitched itself (they did an interview about this a year ago) as a show aimed at young people outside London to someone from Made in Chelsea, I just don’t know what they’re doing and I have to wonder if it’s a Matt Goodier-style stopgap (he was given Radio 1 Breakfast for a few months in the 90s as the “permanent” host even though it was always a temp holding position), because I can’t see Vick or Jamie committing to a daily show in the long term (I had suspected Vick might not last the year; she’s brilliant but she has so much else going on, hope I’m wrong).  Anyway… let’s see what happens!  All seems a bit of a panic and Radio 1 in a bit of a tailspin this week, suspect Aled will do some serious thinking about the 12-18 month direction the schedule takes from here, suspect it may look quite different.
Edit: If I was R1 management I would cling to Greg James like a life raft right now!  Without him the entire house of cards looks weak.  You need a few years to build up a future Jordan-like “heir” to be the main star on the station.  Shoehorning in the likes of Dean would be calamitous.

Annie Mac in the evenings. Dev, Alice, Jordan, Matt & laterly Mollie on the weekends. We didn’t realise how good we had it until it’s now gone.

Think we are all gutted, but it's genuinely really exciting for him and a big scoop for Capital. I couldn't quite get into Roman's show, but I feel I'd be more tempted to listen to Jordan with Chris and Sian. Will have split loyalty with Greg! 

Quite poetic that he’s using the same studio he used for his Radio 1 show again.

Since this is the first Christmas for a good few years we’re presumably getting a lineup of non-new presenters, I’m wondering what people’s predictions/hopes are.
Pretty certain we’ll be hearing a lot of James Cusack.  Katie Thistleton will presumably be covering one of the weekday slots.  Jordan almost certainly on breakfast for a couple weeks (unless he’s unavailable, but Matt has kids so I don’t know who else then).  

Another interesting question is will it still be anthems, or is that just to make it easier for the new presenters (I suspect the latter).
What are people thinking?

Vanessa Feltz is another one jumping on the BBC bashing bandwagon... (unsurprising considering who she works for now) She was happy to take a wage from them for many years until she jumped ship. Funny how she's piping up with the ageism bollocks. All the people moaning at the BBC for "getting rid of him like they did Steve Wright"... The latter still works at R2, and Ken was signed up by GHR, not much the BBC can do if his mind is made up. 
 

I think there’s a little bit of hedging going on (has been for a few years) of not shedding all of the older audience, as the very young end of the target audience isn’t listening as much.  I suspect this is why it’s happened to an extent at Capital.  Tie this in with the fact that younger people now have access to streaming and the rest and this anecdotally I think gives them a wider range of eras of music to you listen to (going off what I see people my age listen to; extremely eclectic and quirky mix of stuff). 

If they haven't changed their emergency tape since 2004 we may get a few blasts of Outkast Hey Ya followed by The Sugababes Hole In The Head... Running gag from the old days that.