Distracting DJs

[NathanS]

I thought I'd set up a new thread to discuss the latest changes announced to specialist shows to save clogging up the chatbox.

I can't seem to post a link on here for some reason so a summary of the changes:

Mollie King to host a new show called Radio 1's Future Pop Thursdays 8pm-10pm

Daniel P Carter's Rock Show moving to Monday nights 11pm-1am, followed by new show BBC Introducing Rock, fronted by Alyx Holcombe (1am-2am), followed by 'Future Alternative' with Nels Hylton (it's worded as a 'playlist' so I assume this show is a BBC Sounds curated playlist).

Radio 1's Soundsystem with Jeremiah Asiamah moves to 7-9pm on Saturday nights, Drum & Bass show moves to 11pm-1am on Saturdays, Charlie Tee to take over. René Lavice to leave the station after 5 years. 1xtra Takeover with DJ Target will no longer simulcast on R1.

The Indie Show with Jack Saunders moves to Sundays (9pm-11pm).

[Jono]

I wonder what spurred the announcement six months before the changes? Feels a while to wake before they take impact.

I'd have enjoyed the Sunday night mix of chill and indie in the summer months, but looking forward to staying tuned in for longer on a weekend. No disrepect to the Rock Show but it was a difficult mix on a Sunday night!

It's also interesting to see indie and rock seems to be back in fashion, it felt like there was a move away from it in the 2010s.

[NathanS]

Lots to unpack. The specialist shows have been shuffled around a lot over the past few years.

Mollie King gaining what is effectively a specialist slot is surprising. Although it does reinforce Radio 1's commitment to new music and new artists. My first thought was Future Sounds already covers a broad range of new pop music... But I suppose it'll do the same as Future Artists, artists they champion will feed through to FS, then potentially onto daytime. I don't listen much after 7pm... hopefully it's a live broadcast.

Radio 1 has simulcast 7pm on Saturdays for many years.. so a little surprising it's going back to seperate shows. I've only ever listened to the Soundsystem once on BBC Sounds out of curiosity... But the bits I've heard of Jeremiah, it's a great promotion to the heart of the Saturday night schedule. Good to see a mostly dance focus on Saturdays again (with the D&B show moving there, nice to see Charlie Tee get her foot in the door at R1 after some cover stints)

It makes sense to move the Rock Show away from 9pm on a Sunday. A lot of the audience will have access to BBC Sounds... if they can't listen live on a Monday. It used to be on in the dead of night for many years anyway, before being moved to 7pm. I can imagine it's very jarring having the Rock show next to the Chillest Show. The Indie show will be a slightly better transition. Personally, I'd have the Indie show followed by The Chillest Show.

 

 

[BBCAaron]

 

 

4 hours ago, NathanS said:

I thought I'd set up a new thread to discuss the latest changes announced to specialist shows to save clogging up the chatbox.

I can't seem to post a link on here for some reason so a summary of the changes:

Mollie King to host a new show called Radio 1's Future Pop Thursdays 8pm-10pm

Daniel P Carter's Rock Show moving to Monday nights 11pm-1am, followed by new show BBC Introducing Rock, fronted by Alyx Holcombe (1am-2am), followed by 'Future Alternative' with Nels Hylton (it's worded as a 'playlist' so I assume this show is a BBC Sounds curated playlist).

Radio 1's Soundsystem with Jeremiah Asiamah moves to 7-9pm on Saturday nights, Drum & Bass show moves to 11pm-1am on Saturdays, Charlie Tee to take over. René Lavice to leave the station after 5 years. 1xtra Takeover with DJ Target will no longer simulcast on R1.

The Indie Show with Jack Saunders moves to Sundays (9pm-11pm).

Think all in all some good decisions made by Aled as Rock and Indie definately having a renaissance and revival and indie and alternative fan will look forward to listening to Nels and Alyx’s show and will give Mollies a try though imagine Alyx and Nels will be more BBC Sounds focused and plugged but im ok with that as listen to stuff like Future Soul and Benji B’s shows solely on on-demand. Think its good that there is consistency with the music strategy and better coherency about building content for BBC Sounds and seeing more presenter driven and new music shows is what I look for in music stations and is what radio 1 now doubling down on though think out would’ve been bit better to have start earlier than five month wait to these changes. In-terms of how some of it plays out into live radio output it’s difficult to do a new pop show ahead of new music release day before you got the new pop releases to play but can imagine Mollie maybe reflecting on future chart hits and viral talent etc. Indie Show though find odd to go for Sunday interms of the Thursday edition Jacks energy and listener interaction works well as good almost end of the week big energy vibe as to at the end of the weekend as people are winding down before begining the next week as think I’d move Chillest Show later as it works as a just before bed vibe well. Over all very good and hope that even with building Dance and Relax names that BBC Sounds really works on bolstering and pushing the new music content that it does sitting with shows like New Music Fix from BBC Radio 6 Music would say that 1Xtra is needing of revamping the image of its New Music Specialist programming and maybe Radio 2 having a weekly playlist of new music that fits with it’s audiences

[BBCAaron]

@Jonoi think rock and indie music comes around in cycles comes back bit different each time felt like the sort of late 00’s and tens period was very edmey and rap I mean when Stormzy began to breakthrough rap and grime was on a lot with what ever Calvin Harris, dancy tracks on playlists. 

[vorti]

So unexpected and random, but fine changes overall.

Finally they acknowledged how weird it was to have the chillest and the rock show back to back on Sundays. So instead of "chill to load" it's going to be "chill to less loud, but still loud". 

My quick alternative would be:

• Pop to Sundays, right between the chart first look and the chillest show, prefect fit. (Which would mean double Molly, but hey, maybe Matt would deserve a solo show once a week anyway.)
• Leave Jack on Thursdays.

The rest seems fine, especially the new Saturday nights.

[BBCAaron]

 

3 hours ago, vorti said:

So unexpected and random, but fine changes overall.

Finally they acknowledged how weird it was to have the chillest and the rock show back to back on Sundays. So instead of "chill to load" it's going to be "chill to less loud, but still loud". 

My quick alternative would be:

• Pop to Sundays, right between the chart first look and the chillest show, prefect fit. (Which would mean double Molly, but hey, maybe Matt would deserve a solo show once a week anyway.)
• Leave Jack on Thursdays.

The rest seems fine, especially the new Saturday nights.

Agree with keeping indie on Thursdays. Think he has the right audience for then I’d think Sunday

SUNDAY

Group Chat (rename it from lifehacks keep it broad) 16:00-18:00 maybe launch a podcast that goes with it again and would be released through the week with bits of Newsbeat and any extra bits of conversations or segments that could create news, topical, lifestyle and investigative segments and series for R1 audience. Katie solo but with regular co-hosts to chat on certain topics and issues. Sometimes also with BBC Three TV specials that would be on there and podcast only under same name.

Chart First Look 18:00-18:30 just half an hour is probably better w/M.King

Future Pop with/M.King 18:30-20:00 

Future Soul 20:00-22:00

Radio 1’s Chillest Show back to 22:00-01:00 

BBC Introducing would move to Wednesday 22:00-23:00

 

 

[Lee E]

Suspect there are more changes to come, this happened before they announced weekend changes then weekday ones, I suspect they are gearing up for Greg to go back to 0630 - 10 RMC 10 - 1 Scott 1-330 and drop the best new pop feature?

EB going back to 430 - 630 or 4- 630?

[NathanS]

1 hour ago, Lee E said:

Suspect there are more changes to come, this happened before they announced weekend changes then weekday ones, I suspect they are gearing up for Greg to go back to 0630 - 10 RMC 10 - 1 Scott 1-330 and drop the best new pop feature?

EB going back to 430 - 630 or 4- 630?

I doubt they will shift early breakfast and breakfast back. The amount of listeners peaks later now, since COVID... It makes sense to have Greg on between 10 & 10:30 than between 06:30 and 7am (although when I was up early enough, I used to love how random the first half hour was). 

It does seem a bit early to announce these changes, but I don't see any need to change up the daytime schedule when it's changed a lot over the past few years (both weekdays and weekends). There's keeping things fresh... And then there is changing for changing sake. If you move around the schedule too much, you risk annoying or confusing the listener. 

[Lee E]

Unless soemthing is happening at Radio 2 and Scott is off

[NathanS]

10 minutes ago, Lee E said:

Unless soemthing is happening at Radio 2 and Scott is off

That's if Helen Thomas dares make a huge change to daytime. Most listeners over there are very adverse to change. You should see some of the negative comments for Scott covering Ken Bruce (some of which are very uncalled for!) or the recent change to Paul O Grady's Sunday show. There is no doubt about it that Scott will end up on Radio 2, and I think it will be a clean break (leaving the chart as well) but it won't be yet.

[BBCAaron]

5 hours ago, NathanS said:

I doubt they will shift early breakfast and breakfast back. The amount of listeners peaks later now, since COVID... It makes sense to have Greg on between 10 & 10:30 than between 06:30 and 7am (although when I was up early enough, I used to love how random the first half hour was). 

It does seem a bit early to announce these changes, but I don't see any need to change up the daytime schedule when it's changed a lot over the past few years (both weekdays and weekends). There's keeping things fresh... And then there is changing for changing sake. If you move around the schedule too much, you risk annoying or confusing the listener. 

I think it will be quite some time good few years if they are to reset the daytime start and end times. I find that yes it would confuse or cause annoyance. It wouldn’t make sense we there isn’t much to suggest listener see changing habits back to pre pandemic interms of how they listen. As for stations like Radio 2 and LBC different listenership but peaking in mid morning and outperforming the traditional allotted time slots for breakfast. Don’t see the station wanting to move from its current daytime time marks

[BBCAaron]

11 minutes ago, BBCAaron said:

I think it will be quite some time good few years if they are to reset the daytime start and end times. I find that yes it would confuse or cause annoyance. It wouldn’t make sense we there isn’t much to suggest listener see changing habits back to pre pandemic interms of how they listen. As for stations like Radio 2 and LBC different listenership but peaking in mid morning and outperforming the traditional allotted time slots for breakfast. Don’t see the station wanting to move from its current daytime time marks

It’s case that with any change to Radio 2 it has to be willing to part with and say goodbye to some listeners at the first sound of change and tune out or growing competition including Greatest Hits Radio who have Paul Gamboccini who still does 2 Alex Lester and Simon Mayo. Virgin Radio with Graham Norton and Chris Evans. Boom has popped up. I think if Jeremy Vine was dropped or left the station there wouldn’t be much backlash as other presenters like Ken Bruce or Steve Wright were to part with station.

Stations like 2 or 4 even 6 longer you there it’s harder to switch a presenter out for different one but think some of the later evening and overnight programming is need of better switch up maybe playing more rock, folk etc that appeal more to the older end of a six music listener and outbalance lack of play

[BBCAaron]

@Jonoi think rock and indie music comes around in cycles comes back bit different each time felt like the sort of late 00’s and tens period was very edmey and rap I mean when Stormzy began to breakthrough rap and grime was on a lot with what ever Calvin Harris, dancy tracks on playlists.  I also think may seeing Rock and Indie coming back into fashion as they are very emotive genres they tend to respond to the times of the day. Whether its experiences of racism, mental health and trauma, sexuality, covid, more unrest and more unpredictable right now. If theres a challenging time in the world we live in art responds. I mean in the hardest of times its art comes at a different quality. Reflecting the culture at the minute.

 

[BBCAaron]

I think by the seems of it September is now annually the month of actually reflecting touching up the station and making some altercations. I can see it as bit stability in managerial team to sort of plan to look of content where the station can say that doesn't work great at x time need more of this. By this lay out I imagine September 2023 may see potentially some changes in overnight programming whether thats just making changes to content after 1 AM or if some small changes to weekends. Maybe September 2024 will be the closest to next potential window of change to daytime or any major slots.