Chappers new MOTD presenter

[abertom]

What do you think to my email to Aled? 
 

Dear Aled.

I hope you’re well. I just have a couple of queries regarding the Christmas schedules for Radio 1 that I hope you won’t mind answering.

1. What is the idea on the 23rd and 24th December cutting the shows to only 3 instead of 5 with Dean starting breakfast and both Lauren and Sam and Danni doing 4 hour shows? They are normal working days and I’d imagine the most fun to be working?

I’d have early breakfast (cover) Dean atbreakfast, Lauren in mid morning and Sam or Danni to do afternoon and the other going home if you really couldn’t get other cover. 

2. How come on the Christmas limbo week the only feature is anthems? 

Why do the line up get to do the specialist shows but don’t get do their spin on the breakfast show, live lounge covers or other features. I get early breakfast being rested that week.

Nadolig Llawen to everyone at Radio 1 and your family 
 

[AndyK77]

To be honest  I don't think the first point is that important.

But the Anthems thing at christmas is now really dull - this is now 6 years of it.

I'd rather it was very playlisted and just text ins and shouts.

[Wandering Belle]

I do wish they’d do more with Christmas limbo week than just anthems. Been my complaint each year. Letting them do playlists and requests would actually be so much better or even if Radio 1 did favourite content from the year (guests, Big Weekend, features etc). I’ll be turning off for limbo week again 

[AndyK77]

13 hours ago, Wandering Belle said:

I do wish they’d do more with Christmas limbo week than just anthems. Been my complaint each year. Letting them do playlists and requests would actually be so much better or even if Radio 1 did favourite content from the year (guests, Big Weekend, features etc). I’ll be turning off for limbo week again 

Good point - they could do best of Greg, Live Lounge, Matt and Mollie (not sure there were any best bits of Dean and Vicky) and Going Home. Of course if Going Home was included they'd have to start after Jordan left 😛 

[abertom]

Hi Tom.

 

Thank you for your email – I really appreciate the passion you bring to being a fan of Radio 1.  We never take it for granted.

 

We do SO much throughout the year, we’re in a situation where the Radio 1 presenters and production staff almost face a project or priority every week.  If I therefore have an opportunity to give the team some downtime I’m going to take it.  Radio is such a habitual medium that numbers drop quite quickly when routines are disrupted – so much so RAJAR stops counting listeners by these dates.  I’d therefore prefer, if we were going to give people a break that we chose the period of lower listenership to do it and by changing the formats of the show it encourages presenters and production teams to suspend normal features and take a fresh approach to the new listeners they might be catching us while they travel home for Christmas.

 

Your second question is closely related.  Tomorrow we’re announcing the 27 new presenters who will take over Radio 1 between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.  No other radio station does this and it requires a lot of production resource to train up brand new presenters – some of whom have only known broadcasting on student radio – and get them ready for national broadcasting.  The Anthems format provides those presenters space to learn, make mistakes and cope with the pressures of live broadcasting to a large audience while giving them space to reminisce about the music. The audience feedback to us playing a nostalgic playlist for this week is incredibly positive (so much so it’s spawned its own stream on Sounds).  This format is perfect for people drifting between radio stations while in the car as they travel around the UK visiting family. Whereas the critical mass of Radio 1’s habitual audience are having their routines disrupted and likely won’t return in full numbers until the 6th of January.

 

Specialist shows remain during the week as they are pre-recorded so we can manage those pressures in other ways whereas keeping daytime Radio 1 live and reactive is important to us and the audience consuming the station.

 

I hope this helps.

 

We appreciate the passion to Radio 1 – and hope you enjoy the station in 2025, we have some epic things planned that we can’t wait for you to hear.

 

Nadolig Llawen.

 

Aled

 

[Ash101]

Kudos to Aled for replying to your questions - not sure there’s many people in his position who’d do that!

Pretty fair and valid I’d say…the RAJAR point is a good one, the anthems situation just allows them to keep the music flowing.