Radio 2 in the Park 2024

[BBCAaron]

1 hour ago, Bluestraw said:

Radios 1 and 2 still sound nothing like their commercial rivals. It's a fine line between being 'appealing' and 'overly commercial sounding' and I think today they are the right side of the line. Radios 1 and 2 are also VERY different from one another, yes there are some playlist overlaps but the presenter style, station sound and overall feel are poles apart.

 

Anyway such radical changes won't happen, and I for one am glad

I think there are quite a few people beyond the bubble of the blog feel that Radio 2 does sound commercial sounding has started to appeal to a younger audience of targeting the station more to those who are under 50. Think in terms of stations playlist and choice of radio cover on radio 2 with people like Joe Lycett, Alan Carr etc it is more commercial than just appealing especially think how shows like Trevor Nelsons more recent plays list and some of the playlist on other stations in comparison. I feel that there’s a thing of potentially some who may be hardcore fans of the stations be overly defensive when can see certain struggles and challenges that are arising.

[Bluestraw]

40 minutes ago, BBCAaron said:

I think there are quite a few people beyond the bubble of the blog feel that Radio 2 does sound commercial sounding has started to appeal to a younger audience of targeting the station more to those who are under 50. Think in terms of stations playlist and choice of radio cover on radio 2 with people like Joe Lycett, Alan Carr etc it is more commercial than just appealing especially think how shows like Trevor Nelsons more recent plays list and some of the playlist on other stations in comparison. I feel that there’s a thing of potentially some who may be hardcore fans of the stations be overly defensive when can see certain struggles and challenges that are arising.

But there's no problem Radio 2 appealing to under 50s. If it only appeals over 50s then there's either a gaping hole between Radios 1 and 2, or Radio 1 appeals to far too old an audience. I don't subscribe to the view that the BBC should be pushing the 35-50 age group to commercial radio, that I think is an outdated notion.

I'm no fan of Radio 2 at all btw. I don't listen at all, find it WAY too old-skewing and dated - many folk rave about Ken but he's so very old-school, Steve's show is just a pale-imitation of his Radio 1 days, and the less said about Zoe Ball the better. So I'm not defending it because I like it but rather I think the management is doing a good job to appeal to the people they want to like it.

As for Radio 1 - I am indeed a hardcore fan but I'm not defensive about it, just that I genuinely don't think it has current significant struggles or challenges which it's not already dealing with. Bringing in new voices right now is working well during holidays and off-peak times, but no need to shake up the core. Yes of course BBC funding remains a longterm challenge but I don't think making the station less popular or effective than it is today would help. 

[NathanS]

3 hours ago, Bluestraw said:

Radios 1 and 2 still sound nothing like their commercial rivals. It's a fine line between being 'appealing' and 'overly commercial sounding' and I think today they are the right side of the line. Radios 1 and 2 are also VERY different from one another, yes there are some playlist overlaps but the presenter style, station sound and overall feel are poles apart.

 

Anyway such radical changes won't happen, and I for one am glad

The playlist overlap is few and far between too, just compare the current playlists to see they're vastly different.

[BBCAaron]

32 minutes ago, Bluestraw said:

But there's no problem Radio 2 appealing to under 50s. If it only appeals over 50s then there's either a gaping hole between Radios 1 and 2, or Radio 1 appeals to far too old an audience. I don't subscribe to the view that the BBC should be pushing the 35-50 age group to commercial radio, that I think is an outdated notion.

I'm no fan of Radio 2 at all btw. I don't listen at all, find it WAY too old-skewing and dated - many folk rave about Ken but he's so very old-school, Steve's show is just a pale-imitation of his Radio 1 days, and the less said about Zoe Ball the better. So I'm not defending it because I like it but rather I think the management is doing a good job to appeal to the people they want to like it.

As for Radio 1 - I am indeed a hardcore fan but I'm not defensive about it, just that I genuinely don't think it has current significant struggles or challenges which it's not already dealing with. Bringing in new voices right now is working well during holidays and off-peak times, but no need to shake up the core. Yes of course BBC funding remains a longterm challenge but I don't think making the station less popular or effective than it is today would help. 

Its not making them less popular about delivering public service broadcasting that’s not too commercial snd sounding similar for their rivals which I know the private sector struggle because of it interms of where radio 2 is going there is definatley a growing overlap of dance snd pop overlap playing Miles Cyrus, Little Mix, Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris etc. And feel it has become at a loss for its former older listeners and both stations are definately not neccarily growing their audience so don’t think that this comment about being least effective and more unpopular if a public service broadcaster the BBC is focus on more of what a public service broadcast is it would seem to be able to justify itself more to their audience. After all it needs to take risks as people feel it’s becoming bit bland.

 

like felt with reopening BBC three to a Generation Z, Zillenial young audience on terrestrial televison showed a mark of the corporation moving backwards not forward

[Bluestraw]

My last reply here as we clearly disagree very strongly... Radios 1 and 2 already do a fantastic PSB job. The suggestions you made (like putting a niche new-music show at 9am) would be immensely unpopular, and would impact the whole day. One reason you put your strongest team on breakfast is to maximise those listeners you keep - there's an age-old maxim in radio that once listeners move stations they are unlikely to go back that day.

The artists you list are indeed crossover R1/2 but please just look at the playlists, or better still the list of tracks played on a random weekday in the last week. There really isn't much overlap. The station sound, style and features are poles-apart.

R2 may well be losing some older listeners, but that's clearly a choice they've made to skew slightly younger and that's not about to change.

Who feels R1 is becoming bland (other than you?) And even if that were true, then tweaking and throwing in a few changes within the current shows would be the way to go, potentially with the odd presenter change (e.g. Jordan moving to drive which, again, I hope comes soon). They should not switch out a bunch of presenters and they absolutely will not change the daytime format like you proposed.