Should the BBC try to launch a new radio station?

[Jono 35]

There is still an obvious gap with the BBC for those aged 25 to 40. While Radio 1 officially is seeking 15-25 year olds, and an ever-increasingly younger audience, Radio 2 still is after a much older audience. 6 Music perhaps fits the bill, but it's a very specific audience it caters for. 

With so many other networks now launching more stations on DAB and with the increasing use of internet radio, do you think there should be a bigger offering from the BBC?

[anothernerd 13]

Would it survive though? It’s 2019 it’s the internet age. It would have to be in between Radio 2 and 6music! So like a 2xtra maybe playing modern pop for adults? That’s where their gap could be..

[Jono 35]

9 minutes ago, anothernerd said:

Would it survive though? It’s 2019 it’s the internet age. It would have to be in between Radio 2 and 6music! So like a 2xtra maybe playing modern pop for adults? That’s where their gap could be..

Potentially. Radio 2 has tried extra services like with Radio 2 Country and a Eurovision station, so I guess it's up for these experiments.

[Lee E 51]

It needs a Radio 1.5, as many describe it 

Maybe call it Radio 1 plus 

Fronted by someone like Scott, Greg Dev and all 

Get people like Fearne Cotton on it and Trevor Nelson Dave Pearce 

Could be as per R1 from 7pm-630am 

Breakfast Scott weekdays 

10-1 Fearne Cotton

1-4 Dev 

4-7 Dave Pearce 

Weekends Breakfast Alice

10-1 Huw Stevens 

1-4 Trevor Nelson Sat and someone else Sun 

4-7 someone new? 

[Jono 35]

They could argue 1Xtra does an important job from their perspective, I can't see them wanting a third. I quite enjoyed the Radio 1 Vintage pop-up station.

I guess the question is what music would such a station play, I reckon there's demand for something like the Greatest Hits show, but there is quite a plethora of 90s stations these days.

Anything less modern like Radio 1 would make it like Radio 2.

[OohErr 232]

Hasn't the argument against Radio 1+ always been that that demo is the most lucrative for advertisers, and should be left to commercial radio for that reason? I'd say stations like Hits Radio (or whatever your local variant is - big up Radio Aire) and Heart are positioned in that gap. They don't have the personalities, but Hits Manchester/DAB has Comedy Dave on breakfast and (hi, this is) Wes at drive. There's always X and Absolute if you prefer personalities and can put up with dad rock.

[Lee E 51]

I kind of agree with that

My theory would be they need somewhere for all these presenters to make way for the newer generation, it could be just a DAB and online station maybe?

I can see someone like Scott moving to Greatest hits soon, maybe he'll do Chart Friday then GH Sat and Sun with Maya Fridays only and Jordan taking 1-4 weekdays?

To me it looks like they've dropped him as breakfast cover now and Matt is doing it

[DC 83]

This is really interesting.

I find Radio 1 is doing what it should exactly be doing. But the  playlist for the most part not for me now I'm nearly 31. I'm just not into Dave, Drake or Stormzy frankly.

So Radio 2 is pulling me in with shows like Ana Matronic's Dance Devotion (sometimes covered by one of my old faves Dave Pearce), and Jo Whiley is sounding great back on evenings now. But they throw me off sometimes by getting scared of upsetting the over 50's, and diving back into the 70s and 80s all the time. Before my time and I have no interest in those decades really.

It'll never happen, but in a perfect world Radio 3 and 4 should be merged. With a lot of "discussion" from R4 being moved to 5 Live. Radio 1 stay as it is. Radio 2 focus on us 30-50's with a 90's - now feel, with a touch of 80's but not OTT. With Sara Cox, Zoe Ball, Dave Pearce, Jo Whiley, Scott Mills, maybe Mark Radcliffe if he'd be up to it.

And Radio 3 be a direct rival to Smooth, the 80's/70's/60's golden oldies, Motown etc with the likes of Ken Bruce, Steve Wright, Tony Blackburn fronting the pack. It would do well as their is a market for that obviously. But Radio 2 needs to be the middle man and full on cater for us in no man's land.