Capital Summertime Ball 2024

[Jono]

Radio 1 chief Ben Cooper has defended the station's music strategy after its breakfast show lost almost one million listeners.

Recent figures showed Nick Grimshaw had dropped 950,000 listeners in the six months since he took over from Chris Moyles.

His latest figures are 5.78 million - the lowest since Sara Cox hosted the show in 2003 - but the BBC has said it is concentrating "on a younger demographic" after the BBC Trust demanded it focus on under-30s.

Former Radio 1 breakfast show presenter Mike Smith criticised Radio 1's strategy, telling the Radio Times: "They say they're going for a younger audience - that's just wrong. Relentlessly chasing youth is going to piss off more people than it will attract.

"I don't know why the BBC is slavishly following demographics invented by advertisers when they don't take advertising. They should target attitude, not age. Whatever age you are, chasing demographics is terrible news for listeners."

Cooper told the magazine that Radio 1 is having internal discussions about some of their DJs' playlists being available to stream or buy when they finish their shows.

He said of pursuing younger listeners: "The BBC has traditionally brought in younger audiences by playing them new music on Radio 1.

"If that stops and a generation doesn't get the BBC habit, it's almost an existential problem for the corporation. There are some fundamental questions the BBC needs to be asking itself if the Trust places that responsibility in our hands.

"The key one is - what does radio look like on a screen? Because that's where the listeners we're charged with reaching are right now."

He added: "We need to work out if we see YouTube as a competitor or a partner. I think as kids get used to playing the tracks they want on YouTube or streaming services, we'll have to focus on live events and curating tastes - I don't want to wake up to a Spotify playlist, I want a warm human voice."

He admitted: "We are having internal discussions, though, about, say, Tim Westwood's playlist being available to stream or buy when he finishes his show.

"There are problems with rights - but it's something we need to explore, even if that risks the actual radio becoming the place fewer people hear the music."

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/grimmy-statistics-radio-1-chief-ben-cooper-defends--strategy-after-breakfast-show-drops-1m-listeners-8633865.html

[Viv]

They need to quit the ageist bullshit, bring back Moyles, quit bringing in people like Dan + Phil (or whatever their names are).

So far, the station has lost the plot on such a scale, it will already take a LONG time to recover from it.

And actually maybe consider BARRING their DJs from TV, forcing them to concentrate on improving their radio shows.

[gregjames94]

I 100% agree about presenters needing to focus on the radio NOT the TV, I would still like to see shows visualised especially on the TV (Red button/BBC Three) as long as they were still radio shows that could be listened to in their own right... However I disagree about the Moyles part... where would you put him? And I highly doubt he would come back, his and Coopers ego's are to big to bring him back...I do like Coopers idea of having the playlists available after the show, that is a Genuinely GOOD idea! Especially for the specialists shows where it is often harder to find the music after the show. I think when you look at the new line up the positives are, Phil and Alice, Matt Edmonson and the negatives at the moment are Dan and Phil, It's just to visually orientated and they've not had the chance to develop their radio skills, and Jameela, she is just rubbish, not enough experience, to tv orientated and way to self-obessed sorry to say!I would love to see more Dev, Phil and Alice and Matt Edmonson in the schedule for covering etc, they've got the experience and are fighting to show it off!

[harrysmyth]

Very much agree with the above!

[j10cool10]

And actually maybe consider BARRING their DJs from TV, forcing them to concentrate on improving their radio shows.

Why would that work in their favour? I thought the whole idea of Greg/Nick presenting BBC Three shows is to build on the radio audience. BBC Three and BBC Radio 1 are targeting the same audience, so why not share talent?

[niena]

I think the main problem is the methods they are using to attract younger audience. Instead of giving DJs a pass to be more laid back, cheeky and irreverent - they are dumbing it down to a little kid level (and by kid I mean preschool one). Breakfast show has in particular been taking up show activities which even middle school kids would find decidedly uncool.

I thought Breakfast Show school tour was extra cringe worthy (teachers vs. students). As was the day they had a pancake cam. Another one was the day they had a treadmill marathon in the studio. Who comes up with this shit? I do like Grimshaw, I just think the team around him has a wrong strategy and a lot of infantile ideas.

The way to attract youth isn't to make the show's content unpalatable to anyone above 25+. Think Harry Potter books or Pixar movies - if you want to attract young demographic your content needs to be water tight and clever enough to be enjoyable to everyone. Teens aren't as dumb as bbcr1 crew thinks they are.

[steve24]

I've got a strong feeling that Cooper will make more changes to the presenter line up in the coming weeks.I think it's possible that some of the 'veterans' like Pete Tong Tim Westwood or even Annie Nightingale could be sacrificed.You have to admit that as long as they're there it will keep the older listeners listening.The BBC Trust are bound to be putting massive pressure on Cooper right now to do something radical, and he's not going to be able to resist. I just hope it doesn't involve Scott.

[James R]

I've got a strong feeling that Cooper will make more changes to the presenter line up in the coming weeks.I think it's possible that some of the 'veterans' like Pete Tong Tim Westwood or even Annie Nightingale could be sacrificed.You have to admit that as long as they're there it will keep the older listeners listening.The BBC Trust are bound to be putting massive pressure on Cooper right now to do something radical, and he's not going to be able to resist. I just hope it doesn't involve Scott.

Westwood doesn't attract older listeners. Not so long ago he had the lowest average listener age.

[Viv]

I've got a strong feeling that Cooper will make more changes to the presenter line up in the coming weeks.I think it's possible that some of the 'veterans' like Pete Tong Tim Westwood or even Annie Nightingale could be sacrificed.You have to admit that as long as they're there it will keep the older listeners listening.The BBC Trust are bound to be putting massive pressure on Cooper right now to do something radical, and he's not going to be able to resist. I just hope it doesn't involve Scott.

Agree with everything.

Also agree with Gregjames94 about the "Red Button"..... such a popular thing.... people were ADDICTED, yet they really don't zone in on that.

[gregjames94]

I sadly agree with what's being said... I doubt Westwood will go, he had the youngest average age listener and was even mentioned in the article by cooper, it would be outrageous to get rid of Annie nightingale and would receive ridiculous outrage fromlisteners and fellow dj's who highly regard the woman! Tong is sadly vulnerable though, although shouldn't be at his level of fame and what he's done and still does for the station with other shows like in new dj's and essential mix. Massively agree with niena on the schools tour, really rubbish however some of the other cam stuff has been quite good.

[steve24]

Westwood doesn't attract older listeners. Not so long ago he had the lowest average listener age.

Doesn't look like that is the deciding factor these days