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...)