Monday, January 9, 2017

What the HELL are the BBC Radio 2 'suits' thinking?



BBC World Service broadcasts in 60+ languages, and has just started broadcasting in “ Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin, Yoeruba and Amharic" (very politically correct). 

It is partly funded by the UK BBC licence fee, will also get £289 million from the UK government in 5 years and some money from the ‘profits’ (remember the BBC is NON commercial!) of “BBC WorldWide Ltd”!

All very worthy... BUT the BBC also seem to be saying

 'bugger the overnight workers in Great Britain'

.. as have just announced the £50 million a year

BBC Radio 2 

...........is to cut ALL live shows at night!

The response from listeners is already LOUD and critical; here’s my view as someone with over 35 years experience in UK radio who has also visited dozens of radio stations in North America, Australia and New Zealand.....

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What a DISGRACE.... for a station with a FIFTY MILLION pounds a year budget.... to not be LIVE overnight!



How condescending of Jeff Smith to say in the press-release** "It’s important that we offer Radio 2 listeners a way into curated, genre and mood orientated playlists... we are introducing 'Radio 2 Playlists'... uniquely curated by our leading music presenters" given that the VAST majority of their DJs ('presenters') are NOT from a radio background!

Exactly 'WHO' are the listeners who need to be "offered.. a way" to get to know music? With a MATURE audience the listeners have huge collections of GOOD music already. It's the young (London-based) producers who need a musical education. 

 Stop making Radio 2 into a second Radio 1 with grossly unsuitable songs and endless YAP, with non-DJ shows of esoteric music presented by jaded grade 3 'personalities'....

It seems from THIS, "our audience can enjoy on the radio or on demand ... the BBC Music app on their mobile devices” they also want to re-train listeners away from real 'radio' on to apps and mobile devices. At 60? at 70? Radio 2 is MEANT to be for more MATURE listeners.

Two LIVE overnight shows would only need 3 DJs (not presenters) aged 40-55, to cover 52 weeks a year - if Radio 2 advertise it they'd get 100s of applicants - total annual cost only £300,000*! They would get dozens of experienced former commercial radio DJs applying, and NO producers needed as they KNOW their 'oldies'! 

WHY can't this paltry sum be paid for by "BBC WorldWide Ltd" ??

But overall the 'BBC trough' needs to be emptied.... 

...and the 'suits' and managers cut by 50%

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 UPDATE - COMPLAINTS : with over 150 people now complaining about these changes you CAN do more than just posting on social media, do it via the BBC complaints email form - at least they are forced to read your thoughts.

 https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/?lang=en&reset=&uid=443721217
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** http://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/01/bbc-radio-2-cuts-live-overnight-presenters/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

* ( BBC 'stars' like Gary Lineker could each donate £100,000 from their multi-million pound 'salaries'.... only 3 are needed...)
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7 comments:

  1. The higher management of the BBC have long since angered me with how they regard R2. The use of "celebrities" to fill in on bank holidays & over periods like Christmas. They have a network of great dj's on their local stations, that would jump at the chance of a week on the national station. Now they are going to implement what they started a couple of years back by cutting over night play out down to pre-recorded output. This is shameful & shows a total lack of knowledge of their own listener base. I spent many years on night trunking on lorries before coming back to radio...Alex Lester was on in every cab in the country. Alex also kept us all informed of any major overnight traffic problems....he is already doing some shows on Radio Berks...so I presume that is his lot....As you say 3 dj's would happily do it for £100k a piece...I dare say less than that £75k/annum ....Stop fresh graduates trying to run an industry they actually have no real experience in !

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    1. Very soundly stated Adrian. I was trying to keep it brief, you add to the debate from a mature, experienced position. Whatever wage the BBC paid 3 overnight presenters they could all augment their income with voice-over work, being on national radio. Unless of course they were part of the 'nuffin' and 'sumfin' brigade infiltrating radio thanks to BBC's daft 'equality' policies. Thank you.

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  3. The antics of the suits at Broadcasting House never fail to surprise me in fact it's getting to be the norm
    This particular "saving" not a shock if truth be told
    You may recall they actually tried this many moons ago and fell flat on their faces doing it
    Audiences walked and after a few months they caved in
    Our public service broadcast is now a national joke
    It's now high time the government stepped in and sorted both the Beeb and commercial sector out
    I sometimes think that as Global Bauer and co are allowed to get away with murder the governors of the Beeb feel a sense of entitlement to do so as well
    It's no wonder so many now see internet radio as the way to go
    As always Len a well written and thoughtful blog
    I'd be interested to hear Mr Myers views on this

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    1. Agreed Paul - sadly the BBC get away with it overandover.... and the public are FORCED to pay for it but ignored

      Today's news "Alex is currently covering breakfast on BBC WM whilst Janice will work on a two four-part music series for Radio 2" makes it even more of a nonsense as they cannot be SAVING any ££££££ !

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  4. UPDATE 18 hours later, the BBC now state: "Alex is currently covering breakfast on BBC WM whilst Janice will work on a two four-part music series for Radio 2"

    For this READ "both these DJ's are contracted for some time so we've had to find other things for them to do"..!!

    SO the BBC - ARE STILL PAYING them for NOT doing the BBC Radio 2 shows = NO SAVING .... ! what NONSENSE....

    And the "two four-part music series" Janice Long is to do is EXACTLY what the ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX comments on the 'Radio Today' news page are complaining about. The listeners want LIVE radio- not 'specials' !

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  5. As well as sending a complaint you can also sign: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-live-overnight-radio-on-radio-2

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