R2OK!

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6815

From the Media Monkey in The Guardian

BBC turns One Direction's way as they woo a more mature audience

Story of my Life single is playlisted by both Radio 1 and Radio 2 – but album attracts snide reviews from some quarters.

Robbie Williams is "gutted" that Radio 1 won't playlist his songs – and recently drew criticism after featuring on Radio 4. But it seems the BBC can't get enough of One Direction, whose new single Story of my Life has had the rare honour of being A-listed by both Radio 1 and Radio 2. The Independent reports on the "tug of war" between the stations over the group, with Radio 2 apparently straying from its mission of targeting an older audience. A BBC spokesman told the paper: "Both Radio 1 and Radio 2 make decisions to playlist songs with listeners in mind. So while both felt this song would appeal to their audiences, the listening experience would be vastly different, as the stations' tone and mix of music means they have unique and utterly distinctive sounds." One Direction's record label hailed Radio 2 for "jumping on board" the group's more "mature" sound on their new album Midnight Memories. But what do critics make of the band's change of direction? The Observer's Kitty Empire gave the album three stars, saying it "does the job" and "looks certain to cement them as a global phenomenon", while the Daily Beast said "It's not a great album. Then again – in the finest pop tradition – it's not really supposed to be. Instead, Midnight Memories is really a bunch of aspiring singles jumbled together, jostling for attention." But the prize for the most splendidly acerbic review goes to the Michigan Daily, which said: "It's reminiscent of when US record executives changed The Beatles' Rubber Soul to better position it among the burgeoning folk scene of the mid-60s. The only difference is that Rubber Soul was, you know, a little bit better ... Considering the resources at the group's disposal, it's really surprising how terribly executed Midnight Memories is. Surely the band could've hired better songwriters than the ones featured on this record, and even the producers don't seem to know what they're doing. The record's artificial and overdone style is the musical equivalent of putting a poem through five different languages in Google Translate and then seeing what it looks like again in its original tongue." Definitely not A-list material for that paper, then.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/27/bbc-one-direction-story-my-life-radio-1

nod · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 3558

"BBC turns One Direction's way as they woo a more mature audience "

You have to laugh Laughing

essexlady · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 348 Location: Essex

Or cry

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

One Direction are getting on my tit end. They seem to be everywhere on either TV or Radio. Please they are over rated.

Toggy · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 1239

Angela W · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 7202 Location: North Yorkshire

If you catch yesterday's edition of Feedback on Radio 4 you can have the pleasure of hearing Bob Shennan telling you what a brilliant station Radio 2 is these days and he says it also has brilliant presenters. Personally I think it is all a plot to force us into buying DAB radios.
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Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009

gazmando · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 560 Location: Huntingdon

Sorry Becky,
I posted a story in shows and music about the same subject and didn't realise you had already done so on here, apologies for nicking it lol.

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1175 Location: London

If a "mature" audience, is a cryptic reference to cheesy pop, then they certainly deliver on that score.

Exhibit A, M'Lud....Le Grand Fromage..Monsieur Gary Barlow.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/02/bbc-gary-barlow-album-radio-2

Sponsored by Brown's Envelopes.
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life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Why is so much UK radio the same? JazzFM, I switched it on twice today, 'Me And Mrs Jones' and O'Jay's 'Backstabbers', hmm so it's a soul station in the daytime?

So, are advertisers asking for this playlist? But surely other stations including R2 are playing these tracks?
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John W

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

nod · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 3558

"Happy sponsors and advertisers!"

Alright for commercial but on the BBC we want Happy Listeners instead Very Happy

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6815

eric mc · Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 50 Location: Farnborough Hants

The formula seems to be to feature as many artistes as you can who are in the process of plugging a book, record, DVD, new TV show etc etc etc.

This means they can be "hired" for either a very low fee or nothing at all - as they are trying to promote their own wares.

I am pretty sure that this is the thinking behind a lot of the new formats and "specials" that seem to be cropping up all over the place.

We may be seeing the end of intelligent, non-commercially driven and original broadcasting on Radio 2.

It's a very sad state of affairs.