Does Radio 1 need a refresh?

[Dan18F1 19]

In the last few months I have been thinking that Radio 1 is often sounding quite samey day in day out, there’s nothing that distinguishable that happens very often to make you have to tune in. This might be a variety of factors and here’s my reasons for this: 

The Playlist - I feel like one of the problems with radio 1 is the reasonably small playlist of songs. If you listen all day you’ll probably hear an A-List song 3 or 4 times. Surely they should try and only play each song once or twice a day? It would make me want to listen longer anyway. 

The lack of events - This might just be because I got used to things happening at radio 1 eg. The escape room, the lolathon, last year Greg starting his show etc, but the last few months nothing has really happened if you know what I mean. 

Features - Somtimes I feel like there are too many features that are done everyday, Grimmys best song ..., Clara’s your song, Greg’s Yesterdays Quiz, Maybe a few new features are just needed every so often, I’d also like to see more games done on people’s shows, Matt and Mollie are the only people that really seem to do it. 

Change of schedule - Finally, it may all come down to the fact that over the last couple of years there have been many schedule changes resulting in lots of new shows starting and sounding really fresh. However, over the last few months, only Rickie, Melvin and Charlie have started a show and that’s in the evenings. Maybe another schedule change is needed quite soon? 

I’d love to see what other people’s views are on this! 

[Fourcandles 4]

People have been saying this sort of thing a lot lately, if I'm being totally honest I think that the whole daytime schedule needs an overhall. Clara is far less entertaining than other presenters who would work well in that slot, eg. Jack Saunders, Mollie King, Arielle Free, Adele (there are loads of possibilities to replace her). Honestly I think she's lucky to have lasted that long

As much as I hate to say it, I think Scott's days are numbered. These days his show has just started to sound tired to me, he's still good but I think a jump to radio 2 and doing something different would be good for him. Either that or something big is needed to make it sound fresh again, eg. A new member of the team

And Grimmy... he's better on drive, but there are loads of other presenters who would do a far better job in that slot, like Dev and Alice, or Jordon, or Adele. I always listen to MisterJam on 1xtra when I'm driving home because he's x1000 better, his show always has stuff going on and is so interesting (tbh I'd like him to replace Grim but that's unlikely).

Finally, I think weekends need some new faces to come in full time. For the last 5 years there have been barely any new presenters at R1 and those who have started are progressing soooo slowly. They haven't had someone new on weekdays since 2015. I feel after having a big push on getting younger faces in, they haven't kept up that drive for younger listeners and it's all very comfortable. Tbh I feel like the station these days is aiming for an average audience of around early 30s in content, then late teens - early 20s in music style. It just doesn't quite 'work'

But just my humble opinion. There are also bits I think work really well at the moment - I like Greg's show (though I think more games with other R1 DJ's and some more event radio would be good), nighttimes sound good (Annie, Jack, the kiss 3). Matt and Mollie and Dev and Alice are really good solid shows I think. Some changes would just make it that bit more fresh and really improve the lineup

[Lee E 38]

4 hours ago, Dan18F1 said:

In the last few months I have been thinking that Radio 1 is often sounding quite samey day in day out, there’s nothing that distinguishable that happens very often to make you have to tune in. This might be a variety of factors and here’s my reasons for this: 

The Playlist - I feel like one of the problems with radio 1 is the reasonably small playlist of songs. If you listen all day you’ll probably hear an A-List song 3 or 4 times. Surely they should try and only play each song once or twice a day? It would make me want to listen longer anyway. 

The lack of events - This might just be because I got used to things happening at radio 1 eg. The escape room, the lolathon, last year Greg starting his show etc, but the last few months nothing has really happened if you know what I mean. 

Features - Somtimes I feel like there are too many features that are done everyday, Grimmys best song ..., Clara’s your song, Greg’s Yesterdays Quiz, Maybe a few new features are just needed every so often, I’d also like to see more games done on people’s shows, Matt and Mollie are the only people that really seem to do it. 

Change of schedule - Finally, it may all come down to the fact that over the last couple of years there have been many schedule changes resulting in lots of new shows starting and sounding really fresh. However, over the last few months, only Rickie, Melvin and Charlie have started a show and that’s in the evenings. Maybe another schedule change is needed quite soon? 

I’d love to see what other people’s views are on this! 

I quite agree with you about the features, they need to be fresher

Clara to me is just boring, her show is very bland, and she maybe has became complacent in the slot, maybe she is the next change 

Greg did hint last week about something happening in the Summer with him but the breakfast show would work better as a team as opposed to just Greg, maybe with Chris Sawyer and Rosin getting involved more - listen to Zoe she has a good set up already, not knocking Greg as he totally should be on breakfast 

I find Clara and Scott's show too music heavy, Scott could do so much more but he's constrained by the playlist, and the amount he has to play to make up the last 15  mins of Claras show which is news - I also think a shift to R2 is coming 

Grimmy on drive, yes he is a bit better but in essence its the old breakfast show just in the afternoon 

Adele gets short changed, she deserves a daytime slot, and so does poor old Dev who seems to get the shittyist deals, early breakfast weekened breakfast, then gets paired with Alice which isnt that bad but after being the weekend breakfast host for so long its a bit like Mayo and Whiley scenario, although D&A have worked out much stronger on afternoons - Dev deserves Scotts show should he vacate, but i cant see it happening and more likely one of the newer ones will take it

Same as M&M, Matt is old on the station now - he's been about for a long time now will he get a weekday slot, probs not 

Mollie may well go on to bigger things (Claras show maybe) 

Scott - his time is coming I fear, he is being shipped out gradually, first major sign is that hes no longer the breakfast cover, second is that he's being used on R2 and his own R1 show is covered 

The next will be he will come off for a week and cover a weekday slot on R2 and someone like Dev and Alice will cover his shows, and maybe Jordan cover the chart if it was SWITA he covered or maybe not if he covered for Ken he would do both on the Friday, who knows 

On that - Sara Cox hasnt had a full week off of drive yet has she? only bank holidays where a celeb sits in, seems we dont know who her regular stand in is 

On that too - she needs another half hour I think start her at 430 and finish SWITA at 430; I can see their schedule being revamed if/when Vine moves on and that slot abolished with Zoe extended to 10 and Ken 10-1 SWITA 1-4 and Sara 4-7 

What we havent considered is the talent released from contracts by Heart, maybe R1 will snap up someoone from that pool as well for a slot 

Must be contract time soon? 

Listen to scott on those old shows posted he was far more riskay then and the one where he jokes about Moyles is priceless you can tell there is some issue between them in 2001 if only he could be that lairy now 

night time no issue, Annie fine, Kiss 3 brilliant and Jack wicked 

Kiss 3 may appear on daytime as well, 9-11 may be a bridging move 

 

 

 

[Elliexo 0]

Yes I agree -  I love Zoe on R2 because she includes her news reader and other main presenters in the room so they work as more of a team, kinda like Grimmy did on breakfast with Tina and Fiona I absolutely loved that connection they had and you could tell they were just themselves together on radio and genuine friends which was nice to hear. I think Greg is great for breakfast, I’d like to hear maybe more of an inclusion with Rosin and Chris to bring them into the show more!  

[anothernerd 9]

YES it does need a refresh. I feel in recent years R1’s purpose has changed. Looking back at schedules to around 2013/14/15 time it seemed to be hiring YouTubers and new young djs as it were the BBC’s Radio twin to CBBC. 

I think at times Radio 2 sounds more apeeling to me. I first heard Radio 2 years before I even knew about Radio 1- it was by mistake I found R1. My local station was too crackly so I flicked about the dial to find another pop station.. then I came across Radio 1! Wow I was impressed. The djs were amazing and the tunes were top notch. Fast forward to 2019...  There’s Greg on Breakfast he’s always silly and cheerful but he lacks the laid back constant zoo format of The Chris Moyles Show- I have never found another radio show quite like it! With Chris and Dom back on Radio X. I’ve followed them at last. I still listen to radio 1 now and again for Scott and Dev and Alice.  

I’ve noticed it’s mainly rappers in the playlist now. Unless a famous pop star brings out something.

another thing driving me away is Matt and Mollie! They’re good but I just find them a bit too random for the weekend breakfast show.  I miss Dev and Alice’s weekend breakfast show- it wasn’t the best well received but I was a huge fan. I loved waking up to them they were actually funny unlike Matt and Mollie who always seem to bounce of themselves or Ali Plumb(I always seem to wake up when he’s on) If radio 1 were to swap dev and Alice with Matt and Mollie. The weekends would be fine again.

Compared to global’s stations- I barley know anyone who listens to Radio 1 aside from you lot on here.

I think they should sign Arielle and Jordan to do daytime. That would be brill!!! I feel like Scott’s entering his last few years at radio 1. (😭 he made me return to radio 1.)

 

 

[Enmsiecat 0]

I have to agree with the playlist. It’s so predictable with the same 6 songs played in a loop. I listened non-stop from 7am to 7pm recently and felt like screaming whenever the same songs came on repeat - Dua Lipa is forever on as is that Stormzy rubbish. 

I may not be Radio One’s ideal listener age but I’ve always stayed loyal. Scott and Chris are the best show on and Jordan is a breath of fresh air. Greg is definitely an improvement at breakfast time. Although some of his live broadcasts are poor. The sheep racing was agony to listen to with pop star puns my 8-year-old would make. I like unpopular opinions though and cried with laughter (and shock) that someone could diss Alan Partridge! 

Matt and Mollie are growing on me as are Dev and Alice. Please don’t get me started on Maya Jama - worst presenter ever!!!!

[Ash101 0]

I think the schedule could do with a bit of a shake up, personally i'd rather see something like

Weekdays:
4am - Arielle Free
6:30am - Greg James
10am - Adele Roberts
1pm - Scott Mills
4pm - Dev & Alice

Weekends:
6am - Matt & Molle
10am - Jordan North
1pm - Grimmy [not sure...]

Possibly swapping Scott with R, M & C after a few more years?

I don't think we need Clara or Maya. I'd quite like to see Jordan on a daytime slot, but I am not quite sure where to put him. Unless he gets drive with Dev & Alice taking over from Scott - I really enjoy the style of their show at the weekends right now. But I kinda feel it'd be miss-understood by a casual listener who might not understand their 'banter'.

I'd probably also ditch this 3-day-weekend thing. Have Greg & 10-1 on 5 mornings a week, with maybe the same afternoon show on Fri-Sun and Scott still on the Friday chart.

[anothernerd 9]

I was thinking about it and I had some thoughts to as how radio 1 could try and compete with heart and capital.

4-6 Katie Thistleton 

6-10 Greg and a co-host(could rotate maybe?)

10-1 Arielle Free

1-4 Jordon North

4-7 Scott and Chris 

7-9 Jack Saunders indie show 

9-11 Lauren Layfeild(off Capital seems one of the few who have talent there!!) 

11-1 Rickie Melvin and Charlie

Friday(not part of weekend)

4-7 The Offical Chart with Matt and Mollie. 

7-9 Jack Saunders Indie Anthems 

9-11 Pete Tong

11-1 Mistajam 

Saturday

4-7 Nick Grimshaw Dance Anthems

7-1AM(Sunday) 1xtra takeover 

Sunday

4-7 Life hacks with Adele Roberts and Cel Speilman

7-9 Radio 1 Rock Show with Annie Mac 

9-11 The Chillest show on Planet Earth(Phil Taagart)

Weekends

6-10 Dev and Alice

10-1 Greatest hits with Maya Jama

1-4 Matt Edmoundson 

Prehaps Matt and Mollie cover Scott and Chris and Greatest Hits, Maya cover early breakfast(if she could be bothered to wake up 😂) Jordon and Arielle to cover breakfast with Lauren Layfeild covering Arielle and maybe Dev and Alice covering Jordan. Maybe a young new talent to cover Lauren Layfeild if she’s off or covering. Then Rickie Melvin and Charlie if ones off two host if twos off one hosts(you get what I mean..) weekend cover varying(would like to see some formerlocal presenters on such as Heart WM’s Elise Evans. This sort of schedule I feel would pull me further towards radio 1 instead of me listening now as and when I feel like it!

[Lee E 38]

I couldnt' see Scott making a return to weekday drive - he's only on a Friday because it's the chart and DA

Which leads me on to this - not that I am questioning but how did out of the weekday presenters did Scott get Fridays still and not just continue Greg last year? and Grimmy inhereting it

Just wondered how they came to that conclusion

 

Wonder if Scott was given it on the basis that his show would wind down and he wuld transition to R2 but still have the chart

[anothernerd 9]

16 hours ago, Lee E said:

I couldnt' see Scott making a return to weekday drive - he's only on a Friday because it's the chart and DA

Which leads me on to this - not that I am questioning but how did out of the weekday presenters did Scott get Fridays still and not just continue Greg last year? and Grimmy inhereting it

Just wondered how they came to that conclusion

 

Wonder if Scott was given it on the basis that his show would wind down and he wuld transition to R2 but still have the chart

I don’t think so, I think they picked Scott up for his musicial knowledge and the fact is he’s one of the most well known presenters on the station