A seemingly never ending stream of reporters up and down the country covered the weekends action, and for 20 years the voices of Renton Laidlaw and results announcer James Alexander-Gordon became as well-known as their TV counterparts Frank Bough and Graham Goode. But at the same time, presenter paranoia exists for a reason - we're all aware there's always somebody behind you wanting to do your job. Will everything work technically? "But there are lots of other tensions at play," Kanter continues. "I spoke to a well-known BBC radio presenter recently, who was offered a lot of money to join a rival. A leading showbusiness agent, though stressing that he knows of no such specific moves or negotiations, says: If I were a commercial radio rival to the BBC, Id conclude that what has happened with Evans and Mayo has shown how the all-powerful Radio 2 might be taken down. He said: Im absolutely over the moon to be handed the microphone to present the mid-morning show on Radio 2, and what an honour to follow in the footsteps of the mighty Ken Bruce. There was further staff exasperation when, last Thursday, the quarterly Rajar radio listening figures revealed that Radio 2s audience had fallen year-on-year by 800,000 listeners, including a half-million fall in Evanss figures. Meanwhile BBC Radio 1 will broadcast the most streamed songs released from 2000-2022, presented by Jack Saunders (BBC Audio production). , Albums coming in 2023: Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Mimi Webb and more, Battle of the pop girls - it's Miley Cyrus vs Lana Del Rey, Libianca talks People, collaborating with J Hus and Dave and more, Ed Sheeran announces release of acoustic album Subtract, 10 years in the making, Matilda The Musical makes it three weeks at Number 1, Who is Mae Stephens - the 19-year-old behind viral hit If We Ever Broke Up, Official Trending Chart: Pink, Niall, Mae Stephens and more, Americana albums to look forward to in 2023, It's Gorillaz vs. Gracie Abrams for this week's Number 1 album. But soothing instrumental light music, middle of the road classics, and a weekly soap opera were the mainstay when the station opened in 1967 By the late 60s, the Light Programme established after the war, was beginning to show signs of age. Published: Monday, 27th February 2023 at 11:40 am. Hosted by Zoe Ball, this is Terry - in his own words - telling his own story and take on his life and career, with contributions from Dame Joanna Lumley, Dallas star Patrick Duffy, Gaby Roslin, Claudia Winkleman, Fearne Cotton, Scott Mills, Ken Bruce, Dermot O'Leary, Chris Moyles, Greg James and Michael Ball. This years Radio 2 Gala performance in aid of BBC Children In Need is Frozen The Musical. What's he waiting for? Steve Wright will reveal the Official Top 40 biggest (sales and streams) all-time debut albums to be released in the UK since records began in 1956. Before serving as a presenter, Jo was BBC political correspondent where she covered the London Mayoral election in 2000. Kay, who is celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary to Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly this year, is known for fronting various shows on Channel 4's T4 as well as ITV programmes including All Star Family Fortunes, Just The Two Of Us, and Beat The Star. Amazing music played by an amazing line-up - thats Radio 2 today. The radio DJ, who started at the BBC in his early 30s, said he would always be proud of his association with the BBC and Radio 2, but that he wanted to continue his career in a slightly different way in the next few years. While its true that Whiley was his only choice, the negotiations over what Mayo calls a reconfiguration appear to have given him no choice about having to have a female co-host. The presenter of the Radio 2's mid-morning weekday show Ken Bruce has become the latest BBC star to quit for pastures new. Labour politician Roy Hattersley described his style as "courtesy with a cutting edge", and so it was for 30 years. Bore da dahlings as we say in Wales!, Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says: Id like to welcome Owain to the Radio 2 family. But, if the new schedule, resulting from a combination of choices and accidents, is to succeed, it will require the audience to adapt quickly from the porcupine decades to the year of the rabbit. Announcing his exit from weekday afternoons earlier this year, Steve Wright said: "My friend and boss Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said she wanted to do something different in the afternoons." For tickets, visit www.bbc.co.uk/radio2. She will assuredly be much happier at 7pm, playing records she respects. ", The BBC's director-general Tim Davie has said: "Trust in our impartiality is not a nice to have, it is the very essence of who we are. On 3 April 2017, Ofcom, the government approved media regulator, was for the first time given external scrutiny of the BBC, which had previously dealt with all editorial issues internally. 1/6 Anneka Rice Challenge Anneka to flatten her cap peak? At its height in 2008, 8.1 million people were listening, beating Radio 1 in the ratings war. Over the seven weeks since Evans announced his departure, Radio Times has repeatedly asked for someone senior at BBC Radio to speak about Radio 2 for this article. For some, however, no amount of money or freedom would be enough to compensate for the drop in relevance or audience that sometimes comes with leaving. "They couldn't give me any reason other than, they just wanted a change.". It drew in a young male audience that would never normally listen to the station. Someone who has a long-time involvement with Radio 2 says bluntly: The managers are mainly s**t. And there are so many of them that, if you complain to one of them about something, they tell you the decision was made by another one. The Beatles At The BBC - a rare chance to hear The Beatles in 1963 and 1964, featuring extracts from Pop Go The Beatles, Public Ear, From Us To You, The Alan Freeman Show, and Saturday Club, to create a revealing portrait of how British audiences would have originally heard the Beatles, the way they presented themselves and the impressions that they left. From Weber, Bartok and Bach, to jazz, the avant-garde and world music, drama, prog rock and sport - Radio 3 has always been full of surprises. I was subsequently told that Radio 2 presenters had been told not to make reference to the developments on air. Summaya is one of BBC radio's rising stars. A BBC Audio production. In The Making of Spiceworld, 25 Years on from the release of one of the defining albums of the 90s Fearne Cotton looks at how it was made, its impact at the time and what it means now in 2022. Radio 2 Presenters - 80s Flashback Check out our presenters' 80s styles - shoulder pads and washed denim galore! ", He continued: "I look forward to playing some of the best music in the world whilst in the company of the Radio 2 listeners who I feel Ive got to know over the last 18 months. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. A BBC Audio production. But many talent agents won't be best pleased when their clients do this, as they lose some of their commission in the process. The BBC Concert Orchestra has been performing live editions of Friday Night is Music Night since the programme began in 1953, and a one-off highlight came from EMIs Abbey Road studio when Jo Wiley met the legendary Stevie Wonder. Even the biggest Frozen fans will be in for some surprises, as the production features brand-new music from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, writers of the unforgettable Let It Go. Mills took over the 2-4pm slot from presenter Steve Wright, who stepped down from his afternoon show at the end of September after 23 years. And it feels as if that casualness and that callousness is applying not just to the presenters but to the audience. Known on-air as JY, he had been a crooner in the 1950s, and broadcast on Radio Luxembourg before joining the BBC. The Sound of Music was a fitting start for the station, now devoted to light music. Some stars, like Zoe Ball and Gary Lineker, have taken pay cuts following the scrutiny. Radio 2 will also broadcast each decade's charts from 1960-1999 during the Sounds Of The 60s/70s/80s/90s shows on Saturday and Sunday 11 and 12 November, alongside a one-off programme on BBC. How could you conceive of a new station from scratch, what would it sound like? After a few years, the 4 strong writing team got it right, the press and public loved it, but it fell victim to the huge cuts underway in the BBC in 1980, and Radio 2 never again broadcast a daily drama. Pop Music, News, Newsmakers. Speaking about his new role, Kay said: Im absolutely over the moon to be handed the microphone to present the mid-morning show on Radio 2, and what an honour to follow in the footsteps of the mighty Ken Bruce. Others think the BBC should let its biggest names leave rather than offer huge sums to keep them, and grow a new generation of stars instead. The July 2018 list, covering the period before their pairing, placed Whiley in the 170,00 to 179,999 band and Mayo on between 340,000 and 349,999. Vernon Kay will replace Ken Bruce on his mid-morning weekday slot on BBC Radio 2. So Drivetime was seen as the only option for the desired diversification. TV presenter will take over in May when veteran Scottish broadcaster steps down after 31 years. bbc radio 2 presenters past and presentgreek green beans with canned tomatoes. EXCLUSIVE: The BBC is confident that it will stem the flow of its presenter exodus by signing a new deal with its highest-profile news anchor . Putting sport on Radio 2 was a clever move by BBC management. As she goes to 5pm, Trevor Nelson is moving into Coxs current 10pm-midnight show. And while GB News has attracted and retained some top talent, such as Eamonn Holmes, former BBC presenters Andrew Neil and Simon McCoy did not stay for long. He died in 1974. Louise started her career at the Latin American Section of the BBC World Service. In this culturally thrilling vintage music show, the programmes celebrate the centenary of the BBC with Barrys very own selection of thought-provoking and witty songs by artists who made their name during the earliest days of British broadcasting. Roger Bolton was recently dropped from Radio 4's Feedback, to listeners' (and his own) disappointment. In this first instalment, he meets three DJs from across the networks line-up - Tony Blackburn, Zoe Ball and Rylan - who discuss a range of topics including their first encounters with the BBC (Saturday 15 October). With its Home Counties sensibility and assumed audience of housewives, the show conjured up a sense of middle class sociability. Published: Monday, 27th February 2023 at 11:40 am, Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get 12 issues for 1, Ken Bruce has become the latest BBC star to quit. Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley famously failed to transplant their chemistry from The One Show to ITV's Daybreak. Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said Kay was picked as a hugely talented, warm and witty host who is already a firm favourite with listeners after filling in for other hosts. Frank Stewart. Mahfuz riad. While there is little sympathy for the bosses, what has happened at the station is rooted in off-air developments that show the BBC is not as creatively free as the licence payers may think. A rambling house of bed sits and flats in Belsize Park was the setting, where young things rubbed shoulders with more sensible characters. The easy going music and chat style was still new to British listeners, but it quickly proved very popular. When Chris Evans swapped Radio 2 for Virgin, he went from having around nine million listeners to around one million. Covid-19 'most likely' from Chinese lab, FBI director says, Iran can now make enough material for nuclear bomb in 'about 12 days', The Ukrainian postal workers keeping the front line moving, moving to Bauers Greatest Hits Radio in April. This list may not reflect recent changes. He later moved to mid-mornings in 1986 and after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, he returned to mid-mornings in January 1992. Acting was not to be, and after various roles at the Old Vic in London he became a milkman, before being scooped up by the BBC in 1954. Vernon Kay is returning to the BBC to replace Ken Bruce on his Radio 2 mid-morning weekday show, the broadcaster has confirmed. Its a dream come true to join the Radio 2 family and I cant wait to start.. This list may not reflect recent changes . The programme centres on a rare, intimate and - before it went out this year - previously unheard interview with Terry, recorded at the height of his fame in the 1980s following an outside broadcast in Brighton. "This presenter weighed that offer up, but ultimately decided that the platform they have on the BBC was more compelling than the cash. Radio 2's multi-generational appeal serves a 35+ audience, a target which hasn't changed in decades, and we are proud to feature the best music from the 60s to the present day, which is key. Read about our approach to external linking. Sara Cox was the obvious front runner. Live music has always been a big feature of Radio 2, from venues up and down the UK and abroad. Jane Garvey8. 1 album with the programme available on BBC Sounds from that morning - and the countdown from No. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. That complaint relates to the fact that BBC Radio has three separate, very senior figureheads. "It would be criminal if you inherited Radio 2 or Radio 4 and you let it wither," he told BBC News earlier this week. Lord Hall of Birkenhead, the BBC director-general, warned that this might become a poachers charter, tipping rivals off about how much to bid. Alistair Cooke6.Kenny Everett7. On the same day, a new Unitary Board (combining both BBC high-ups and independent non-executive directors) took over internal oversight of the corporation from previous committees of governors or trustees. The TV presenter, 48, will . But it is a widespread belief at the BBC and among media commentators that the network became committed to social engineering. This extended version includes more from Terrys in-depth conversation, longer clips from the programme in Brighton and extra contributions from former BBC Director General Greg Dyke, Blankety Blank guest Lorraine Chase and excerpts from his successor Chris Evans, paying tribute at the Westminster Abbey Service Of Thanksgiving for the life and work of Sir Terry Wogan in September 2016. We wish Ken all the best for the future.. by Norman Long, Dont Lets Sing About The War by Ronald Frankau and The Broken Record by Henry Hall. "Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. "If a presenter is offered a 50% increase in salary without the hassle of a public spotlight on their earnings, that's a very attractive proposition even for those committed to the BBC's public service ethos. The BBC has always been a timorous beastie. A keen drummer since the age of seven, Owain shot to international fame when, during lockdown in 2020, he produced a video of himself drumming to the BBC News theme tune, which was viewed tens of millions of times around the globe. Summaya won a talent search at BBC Radio Nottingham last year to present and produce their weekday evening show and was such a hit then joined BBC Radio Leicester . Our timeline explores the highs and lows of the station that rocked the nation. The Bolton-born TV and radio star best known for presenting Channel 4's T4 along with a myriad of other programmes will host his first Radio 2 show in May, replacing Ken Bruce. Annie Nightingale5. Sue MacGregor 4. Lewis Carnie issued a statement expressing pleasure that Radio 2 is still Britains most popular radio station, a gloss that one insider likened to the Black Knight in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, exuding positivity even as each limb is hacked off. It sounded stuffy so pop music moved to Radio 1. Personalities like Terry Wogan began to emerge, whilst the formal announcers of the past took a back seat. Bruce will present his final 9.30am to midday show on March 3, the BBC confirmed. Sheila was something of an enigma. Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. Bruce has also presented Radio 2s coverage of Eurovision since 1988, and has been a regular presenter of Sunday Night Is Music Night. The Beatles: Tracks Of My Years - Ken Bruce presents the Fab Fours favourites tracks as chosen by Celia Imrie, Preeya Kalidas, Ricky Gervais, Priscilla Presley, Sir Elton John and Gemma Arterton. Paul Hollingdale was the first voice to be heard on the new station, complete with American style jingles, news, requests, and the shipping forecast. It takes place on Sunday 6 November at Londons Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. The Radio 2 managers, an insider claims, became terrified of Garvey. ", A spokesman for the station said: "Throughout the years Radio 2 has stayed relevant to its millions of listeners by evolving its schedule. Presenters Paul OGrady and Vanessa Feltz have also departed from the station in the past year. A BBC spokesman said: Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and its always been known hes leaving in March. Amazing music played by an amazing line-up - thats Radio 2 today. A Strauss House production. Following Wogan's death last year, fans launched a campaign to get his folk-pop single The Floral Dance into the Official Chart, sending it to Number 21. A small spurt of positive publicity, from the announcement of Zoe Ball as Evanss successor, was offset by disappointment from some listeners, who would have preferred Sara Cox. Jenni Murray. I'm on 6 Music six days a week [but] the Radio 2 show was performing well," he said earlier this week. Some licence payers may find this behaviour ironic, given the way in which BBC news presenters routinely mock Government departments and businesses who reply that no one is available to speak about a controversial issue. Join me every day for the best music and lets switch off from the world for a couple of hours and have a laugh.. Radio 2 spin doctors were still struggling to find support for the optimistic line that all format changes take time to settle when, in September, they had to deal with the fallout from Chris Evanss announcement live on air that, after eight years on the breakfast show, he was leaving to join Virgin Radio in 2019. Terrified of Garvey shoulders with more sensible characters quit for pastures new a lot of to... Told not to make reference to the developments on air its a dream come to. It drew in a young male audience that would never normally listen to the presenters but to the station a... 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