R2OK!

Ian Robinson · Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:49 pm Post subject: Alex and Janice get the chop

Well, we knew it was coming - the end of live overnight broadcasting on Radio 2. From February it'll just be repeats and automated playlists. Not a good day for broadcasting.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/01/bbc-radio-2-cuts-live-overnight-presenters/

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3415 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

An extremely sad day. The artical mentions 'a relatively small percentage of our audience listens to Radio 2 through the night.' When I used to get up in the small hours of the morning, I used to hear some of Alex Lester's show (I used to call him 'my midweek alarm clock' as it was he who woke me up on Monday-Friday at 4:00am) and he had a very loyal following of night workers, the night / early morning trucking fraternity, and anyone else who happened to be around at that time of day. I dare say the same applied to Janice as she was on Midnight - 3:00am with Alex following on from3:00 to 6:00am. Both are fantastic broadcasters and should still have live shows on Radio 2.
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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Oh dear - Rachel's not going to be very happy if she still reads posts on this forum

On a more serious note however it's absolutely ludicrous that firstly the network should stop broadcasting live shows beyond midnight - even before that witching hour we're already stuck with mainly recorded stuff - and secondly it's likely that two superb broadcasters will be lost to the network probably for good Sad

I really despair that there doesn't appear to be room for quality on R2 in 2017but there again as has been pointed out the writing's been on the wall for quite a long time Mad

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Nickbucks · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 100

Whatever happened to public service broadcasting ? If the BBC have discarded this remit then they should no longer be funded by the licence fee which the public has to pay.

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

Inevitable maybe, but sad none the less. Two fine presenters who will be missed.

Pity they didn't extend the schedule of repeats and rehashed programmes until 9.30 weekday mornings.
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Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:20 pm Post subject:

I'm told the next round of cuts will be to farm all the shows out to independents, who will produce shows cheaper than Radio 2 and not necessarily at Wogan House.

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6814

Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:15 pm Post subject:

Like many, I enjoy Chris Evans. He's the most listened-to show on the country's most-listened to station. If a channel like this can't sustain itself, what hope is there for others?

Fog on the Tyne · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 1090

I think Alex is a great broadcaster and like Lord Evan I used to wake up to him. I thought he was shoddily treat when the cut his shows back a couple of years ago. They just waste talent and give shows to the likes of Vanessa Feltz
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 10:33 pm Post subject:

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

To quote a well known track 'The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum' Sad

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Nickbucks · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 100

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3415 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

I had an E-mail from Janice Long last night which told me that there's just one more week left of live overnight broadcasting.
What a retrograde step Sad

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graham b · Joined: 23 Sep 2010 Posts: 211 Location: Wakefield

This was extensively covered on R4 Feedback today. Still arrogant response from management

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6814

Thanks for that,graham. I'll have a listen when SOTS has finished.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

Did Demot O'Leary also get the chop? It was his last Saturday show yesterday. I only heard the last 15 minutes in the car and don't listen that often. He thanked all who'd taken part over the last 12 years.

H
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Ian Robinson · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:32 pm Post subject:

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

So the "hoary old news" that our intrepid reporter Mark O posted, was on the button, then?

I've seen knighthoods given for less, recently... Cool

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nod · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 3558

Ian Robinson · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 6:46 pm Post subject:

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3415 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

It was back in the mid 1990s when the, then new, Radio 1 controller Matthew Bannister 'evicted' my generation from Radio 1, which we were still listening to. I then started listening more to Radio 2, in the afternoons with my father, it was in the days when Ed Stewart had the mid afternoon show and spots like the 'Accumulater quiz' (As I recall, it worked in the same way as Ken Bruce's 'Popmaster', but was a general knowledge quiz, not a music one) followed by John Dunn in the Drivetime spot. As the years went on my (now late) father drew more away from Radio 2 as Jim Moir made it a haven for the 'evicted' older Radio 1 audience such as myself, there were fewer presenters & shows that appealed to him (the 'light programme' generation) and it became more like the Radio 1 that I had listened to. Radio 2 became king of my listening, at least when I wasn't at work. Many of the Radio 1 DJs were to move across to Radio 2. e.g. Johnnie Walker took over Drivetime from John Dunn. Steve Wright took over from 'Stewpot' in the afternoons. Janice Long joined, first on Saturday afternoons then a more permanent midweek overnight show. 'Whispering' Bob Harris came along with a midweek country music show and a late night, more general 3 hr weekend show. A few moved across from ILR, such as Richard Allinson, who had a midweek late evening show (the spot before Janice Long's) as well as inheriting the Saturday afternoon show from - Janice Long! Those were the days. Then, in the mid 2000s, along came Leslie Douglas to initiate a 'Matthew Bannister' style exercise on our station that was to continue after she stood down and still does to this day, as we will see / hear next week when there is no more Janice Long & Alex Lester for our night workers to enjoy. Where I once envied the night shift for what they had to enjoy on Radio 2 (Richard Allinson (later Mark Radcliffe) Janice Long followed by Alex Lester - They would probably have gone home to Sarah Kennedy) I will now pity them, and like my late parents in the 1990s - 2000s, I am not listening nearly as much as I once did. The trouble is that there seems nowhere to go nowadays. Sad

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Fog on the Tyne · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 1090

I see from the listings in Radio Times that the reruns of SOTS, SOT70s and SOT80s plus Pick of the Pops have been moved from 3am to Midnight, so no waking up to the final hour of these shows either.
Huey Morgan and Bob Harris's weekend shows have also been moved to midnight.
The programmes listed for the early shift go by the inspiring titles of Upbeat, Hidden Treasures, Wednesday Workout, Radio 2 Rocks and Feelgood Friday oh and 21st Century Songs for Saturday morning.
The idea is to probably set up an ipod and hit shuffle!!
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Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3415 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

I found this protest video on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPYihN8Bmfw.
Bring back Janice as well!
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