Radio - the train is leaving the 'platform' ~ an anniversary blog

You know you LOVE radio ....... when you hang on to 'Selector Music Logs' from your station for 28 years! 

Of all the ILR stations I worked on it is the most fondly remembered one. I ran it from 1988 to 1994, great years for UK radio, finally free of many IBA/Radio Authority rules about 'meaningful speech', and 'needle time'. And we could finally have jingles from JAM Creative Productions of Dallas, so 15 years after ILR began we were at last on an equal footing with BBC Radio's 1 and 2 as regards our on-air identification (read 'imaging' or 'sonic logos' if you are under 35)

I was Head of Music & Programmes for GEM-AM right from the start - I had a SUPERB on-air team, did the (annoyingly catchy) jingles, and even named the station - a great privilege.

We re-invented the philosophy of the original station with our internet station Solid Gold GEM AM launched 5 December 2012. And by 'we' I mean a team with over 300 years total experience in radio!

One of the KEY people who makes our internet station 'tick' (digitally speaking) is Andy Marriott ('Marrow' to his listeners) and it is HIS music log above from 1988.

We launched the original GEM-AM on 4 October 1988 and the team we had then are now renowned as stalwarts of UK radio - the launch OB involved an Olympic runner and was commentated on by David (Radio Moments) Lloyd, the legendary (even then) John Peters was on breakfast, in the daytime we had Tony Lyman (now with nearly 40 years in UK radio under his belt), the late, much-missed Brian Tansley, and Anne Marie (Minhall), now a key part of the sound of Classic FM.

Anne Marie in 1988

Other 'young' names on GEM-AM in the early years were Graham Wright and Paul Robey (now on BBC Local Radio), indeed Graham is STILL with us on Solid Gold GEM AM along with other GEM 'originals' Paul Burbank, Jenni Costello, and Tim Rogers.  And of course, Andy Marriott - he was on afternoons and the Saturday early show which he STILL does now for us weekdays 6-8am and Sundays 6-9am ! 

'Marrow' - Andy Marriott in 1988

The concept of the original GEM-AM lives on now on www.solidgoldgem.am. We have a total of 18 DJ's which is about 15 more than the so-called UK 'Gold' station which now just churns out endless songs, unannounced for most of the day, in the dreariest radio format I've ever heard. 

So I'm delighted we are still able to bring you a 'Gold' station with 6 of the original GEM team + 12 other talented DJ's who ALL 'Love the Oldies', of which we have a library of EIGHT THOUSAND!

We are only a small station, (all our DJ's volunteer their services), finances make it impossible for us to 'grow'. But as well as being there for our listeners we hope we make some more open-minded young DJ's, radio consultants, and 'radio gurus' realise there IS more to radio than microscopic playlists, jaded TV 'personalities' trying to DJ, and 'sonic logos'

Most importantly, they need reminding that RADIO is primarily about people with 'radio voices'** ! 

Today's radio is awash with 'yoof' orientated stations, dj's who drop their 'n's', accents so thick they are hard to understand, (remember communication?)

There is a HUGE hole in the UK radio market: commercial radio is drowning in 'suits', research, overseas owners and consultants. And the multi-layered BBC management with its over PC, gender-balance philosophy is light years away from the radio Sir Terry Wogan** created ~ which was adored by his fervent listeners. 

Despite endless cross-promotion and getting its breakfast DJ on TV shows, and dwindling listeners, the 'suits' at BBC Radio 1 persist after each ratings survey with the 'we are popular on other platforms" excuse. 

I have news for you .. the train has left the station.

And FIFTY MILLION pounds a year to run BBC Radio 2 ? !

How much longer will (now) better-informed licence-payers put up with all this? And 'yes' those 'TV detector vans' never worked - they lied !

Judging by Twitter (a 'yoof platform' that all the BBC Locals seem to use endlessly as their much older audience shrinks) that BBC licence fee 'gravy train'.... is also leaving the station....

As we look forward to celebrating Solid Gold GEM AM's 4th anniversary on 5 November, I may be dismissed as a 'radio dinosaur' by those early-retired 'suits' with their millions of pounds worth of radio station shares, or on huge BBC pensions ~ taken early of course!  But read what is below, which I wish I'd said. 

If you don't know who said it you should not be in radio ~ if YOU need to gulp as you read it, YOU are one of the guilty ones....

"The proliferation of radio stations has led to a tremendous lowering of standards. The people are beginning to sound like blancmange. If what you are being paid for is to introduce a record programme you must give it something more than the hip phraseology ...a request....banality. If you are being paid to produce a record programme you must give it: yourself."

Will Sarah Cox or Fearne Cotton take over 'Pick of the Pops' ?

Of course to titillate and catch your attention I was looking into the future (gender-balanced of course ) with the blog title - it's just to lead you to a more serious blog... 

Yesterday, one of our secretaries at Radio Trent/GEM AM in the 80s and 90s indignantly posted this on Facebook: 

"Incredulously Radio 2 has only one presenter out of eight on their regular slots today. What's so special ... it's half term! Mayo doesn't start till 5pm for goodness sake!! In Commercial radio we'd have been crucified by Radio Authority if we'd tried to do similar! Even the news and sports presenters are off Breakfast which makes a mockery of the opening jingle. Perhaps it really is time to switch over.."

Although it was years since Debbie worked in radio she has a better idea of radio programming than those over-paid 'suits' at BBC Radio.  Apart from Jeremy Vine and few others, I find it unlistenable both in terms of the music choice, and the 'dj's' they use, but as Deb's pointed out, it was the WORST ever..

The line-up included: Nicki Chapman (from some house-buying TV show) Zoe Ball (was a kind of dj in Radio One now does glossy TV  shows) Kate Humble (who?) in for Steve Wright (and merely a 'TV  presenter') and to add cost to injury they put on two people, so actor (and TV  star) Charles Dance joined her!  And with Sarah (I lost 1 million listeners on Radio 1) Cox on breakfast and Vanessa Feltz on Jeremy Vine's show it was clearly nothing to do with giving us the best person to cover the shows, merely more of the BBC's increasingly tiring gender-balance nonsense. 

Someone needs to tell the BBC 'suits' that gender-balance will ONLY work if you put women on who can communicate, have good voices, and KNOW about the music they play!

BBC 'suits' seem to think that just because someone is on TV, or has sold a few records 15-35 years ago it makes them worthy to broadcast on a National radio station. but most importantly all this is why BBC Radio 2 costs the licence payer 

FIFTY MILLION POUNDS a year !

Add-up the costs of those TV people who cannot 'self-op', so need more producers and engineers (+ the BBC are paying their agent's fees as well) and I'd guess that over a year that costs about 85% more than employing ONE 'relief presenter' to cover ALL holidays as I used to do on my stations in the 80s and 90s. 

Weekdays between 5am and 7pm there are 6 shows, so if each presenter takes 6 weeks holiday a year (or time off to do more TV/ launch their books..) that is 36 weeks show cover needed a year, in other words it can be one ONE job, and be (say) Alex Lester, a 'proper' broadcaster relegated to the graveyard shift on Radio 2 at present as these TV folks 'play' at being dj's....

Take a deep breath.. there is more....

As if this on-air debacle was not enough we found out this week that Tony Blackburn is being replaced on 'Pick of the Pops' by Paul Gambacinni. So they are getting rid of their BEST KNOWN on-air personality, and to add insult to injury, putting an American on the run-down of 2 old BRITISH charts (did the 'suits' not realise?)

Did Gambo go crawling in to get this show? No! Quite the opposite - he was 'told' he had to do it*, and bless him, for in return doing a very long podcast with Trevor Dann in which he lifted the lid on all kinds of unsavoury BBC management attitudes. For radio trade 'news' aimed at the business, it also very quickly made the national press+.

It's a long podcast but I recommend you listen to it* all; if you don't have time, here are some choice 'cuts':

(This week's Crucifying Countdown!)

No.5 "Sometimes I walk in to do a program me at Radio 2 and I see someone sitting-in for someone, and I feel as if someone has walked-in off the street, as I don't recognise this person"

No. 4 "The chasm between talent and management has never been as wide or as deep as it has under the current management. Another of the great chasms is high culture versus populism, you have Tony 'Royal Opera House' Hall versus Tony 'Top 40' Blackburn." 

No 3 "We at Radio 2 know that the current management of the BBC dismiss us."

No.2 "Poor Tony Blackburn is universally regarded at radio level as a scape-goat - it was a brilliant (BBC) manoeuvre as all the press attention of Dame Janet's report was on Tony"

And... Britun's Numbur Wuuunnn!"

"The BBC is not a team effort anymore"

Oh, bubbling under..... is 'news' just in - on the same day the BBC announced that Fearne Cotton is to sit in on Graham Norton's show over the summer and to add more cost to the show she has an 80s pop start doing it with her. 

Does it count as gender-balance if a man is on the show as well :-)  ?

Cotton is EIGHTEEN years younger than Norton, only 35, and will be unfamiliar to mature listeners as she was on Radio 1 until LAST YEAR - playing music Radio 2 listeners would definitely not have enjoyed. 

If she did Radio 1 because she loved the music, she must have dramatically changed her music tastes in 12 months....

Cotton is remembered by adults for her appearance in the BBC tv coverage of the Diamond Jubilee Pageant++ 

How on earth do the BBC 'suits' think she will be 'right' to fit-in on a major weekend show for a MATURE audience on a national station? And it's not just 'radio people' who are noting this, some listeners are VERY musically aware as witnessed by many comments on the Gambacinni podcast such a from:

Dave Crane: "sadly the 80s stuff that Sara Cox plays are the "obvious" hits and nothing much else - if only it was done in a more informed and in depth way like the Sounds of the 60s show was done, then it could be brilliant - well at least for the music! I feel that Radio 2 should not forget 50s, 60s and 70s music either. What does sicken me about the current output of Radio 2, are the constant bombardment with ADVERTS (promos for other shows) - which totally disrupt the flow of every programme - and are also too long and repetitive. The music output is also very repetitive - always playing the obvious oldies, and overplaying modern stuff on the PLAY list. Then there's so many rubbish TV presenters playing at radio - and hardly any DJs who know and love the music the play.  I know what I want to hear on Radio 2 - and they're just not doing it!"

When listeners get THAT aware, and animated in their feelings you know a radio station is NOT getting it right for them.

Lastly..... ask yourself WHY Radio 2 have not taken on Simon Bates to do 'Pick of the Pops'? 

• He works on a BBC local station so could voice it from that studio rather than travelling to London
• He has a GREAT voice and is still well-known from his Radio 1/ Classic FM days
• He was HUGE on Radio 1 and played songs from the later charts when they  were new!

Surely it can't be that someone at the BBC still holds a grudge from his Radio 1 days?

So...... with all respect to Paul Gambaccini, who is a great factual broadcaster, I ask the BBC 'suits' WHY is Simon Bates, a 'proper' dj  not taking over "Pick of the Pops"?

If all else fails, maybe it will be Cox or Cotton on it, sooner than you might imagine?

The 'suits' who control Radio 2, seem to be steering it younger and younger; if it continues there will be NO national station for mature listeners! 

They push gender-balance to extremes, waste MILLIONS of pounds on non-radio staff, are completely out of touch with listeners, and leading gilded-lives in London fuelled by the licence-fee funded BBC gravy train....


* http://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/06/gambaccini-blasts-bbc-bosses-before-new-radio-2-show/

+ BBC is 'worst employer of all time', says Radio 2's Paul Gambaccini http://gu.com/p/4k5g7/stw

++ http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/08/fearne-cotton-bbc-jubilee