R2OK!

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

But when did traffic reports start on R2?
Have they always been there?
Do you find them useful?
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PJ in Kent · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 1102 Location: Go on, guess!

Speaking as a driver who runs between Kent and Northamptonshire and back every day they're priceless!
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

I've no idea when they started on R2.

However I can remember Sally Traffic doing them on Drivetime when Johnnie Walker was doing it, pretty early on during his stint, which started in 98 I think. I'm sure others will be more specific!

I presume you mean actual bulletins rather than just mere mention if something bad had happened? I've still got a recording of JW's last R1 show and he mentions that one of the motorways was closed. That was July 1976.

As for finding them useful, they have helped us quite a few times when we've been able to come off the motorway earlier than planned and if you're stuck in a jam I suppose it helps to know what's causing it.

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

I think the traffic reports on Radio 2 are excellent with all the presenters making what can be sometimes a fairly boring subject sound interesting and exciting

I know Sally was on GWR Radio before she joined Radio 2 and I would guess that was before 1998

The only point I do find is that because Radio 2 is a national station sometimes owing to lack of time not every problem can be covered and sometimes local stations can be better from this aspect because they can concentrate on problems only in their own area

Having said that I don't think any other station can compete with Radio 2 in terms of the quality of the bulletins and long may they continue
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nod · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 3558

I just wish they would use the RDS TA flag for them to switch my radio to them

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

I think they have always been there in some form or other. I don't recall specific traffic reporters before Sally Boazman / Lynn Bowles, but there has always been travel news. Maybe the newscaster did it (like it used to be on Wake Up To Wogan) I know programmes used to be interrupted if there was a major accident / incident somewhere causing massive disruption. And it probably would still happen now.
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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

I mostly drive locally so I normally rely on local BBC which comes up (on my car's TP radio facility) which covers M6/M42/M40/M5 and local roads.

But R2 is good if I'm off to Heathrow or elsewhere down south.

Mind you (on way to Heathrow) on the M40 on Tuesday there was no local TP alerts on my radio. I was planning to divert to M4 Slough (avoid M25) but saw just in time useful overhead alert on M40 that M4 was delay/very slow. When I got to M25 it was clear of roadworks so that might be my chosen route again.

Anyway not getting any TP on M40 (and not listening to Brucey) I meant to check R2 traffic alert but forgot Rolling Eyes

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Ian Robinson · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 7:53 pm Post subject:

PJ in Kent · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 1102 Location: Go on, guess!

I seem to recall Steve Wrong mentioning once that he used to read out the travel reports prior to Sally Boazman joining R2- not sure what dates apply though, sorry.
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aviddiva · Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:48 am Post subject: Bit of a boring question

My sister uses traffic reports - but mainly the ones on Smooth and Real Radio Yorkshire - whenever she takes my mum and me to see my elder sister in Bury.
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Andy W · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 140 Location: France

As other posters have said 1998 appears to be a key date as this is when Johnnie Walker took over from John Dunn on Drivetime. In his autobiography Johnnie writes:

"One of the things I felt really needed changing was the travel news...we decided it would be a good idea to have a dedicated travel newsreader to collect and announce information twice an hour. Jude Howells, who had produced The AM Alternative with me on Radio Five, remembered how well I'd got along with Sally Boazman on GLR. We'd never actually met as Sally broadcast down the line from a studio in Scotland Yard. A meeting was set up and we hit it off straightaway"

It was probably from about the mid 90s that the newsreader on duty used to read the traffic bulletins at breakfast during Wake Up to Wogan. Prior to that I don't recall Radio 2 having fixed traffic report times.

The DJs on both Radio 1 and Radio 2 read traffic bulletins. Radio 2 got its first traffic jingles in 1972 and you can hear it on this webpage marked as "Series 1":
http://www.zen77094.zen.co.uk/vintagebroadcasting/bbcjingle.htm
The "Series 2" jingle on this page is the 1976 JAM cut, there was a longer version with a bed.

Traffic bulletins were certainly around in the late 60s, I have a recording of Breakfast Special from 1969 that confirms this but they were just read dry as part of the programme or after the news. For many years, of course, they relied on police and local authority reports so they consisted mainly of roadworks and major motorway incidents.

Radio 1 stopped reporting traffic news in the early to mid 90s.

I still find the reports useful and always make a point of listening out for them when we drive back across to the UK.

Andy W · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 140 Location: France

To answer the original post it seems that traffic news has been reported as long as Radio 2 has been on air, since September 1967 - at least at breakfast time.

The billing for Breakfast Special reads "with resident bands and singers of the week, discs, news, weather and traffic reports."

Of course you also got traffic news on the weekly Motoring and the Motorist presented by Bill Hartley over on Radio 4 (and previously on the Home Service) where the programme was followed by "the latest news of roads and traffic."

nod · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 3558

http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio2/radio2_history_page_60s.htm

this shows traffic reports in 1967

Andy W · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 140 Location: France

iwarburton · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 2133 Location: Northumberland

Mention of Breakfast Special traffic reports inevitably makes me think of the much-missed Ray Moore and comments about Gatport Airwick.

Ian.

Andy W · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 140 Location: France

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

I think the Traffic should be read out from the News on the hour like at the weekends. If not I think Steve Wright should have the traffic at 2.20pm like they do when he's off.

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

Mark I think we've said before that the reason traffic follows the news at the weekends is because the programmes are recorded. Therefore they have to follow the news as they can't be at anyother time.

They don't follow the news on Graham Norton because show goes out live.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

Driving back from London this evening i was listening to planet rock on the car dab and they mentioned the m25 so my ears prick up and they talk about a delay of 3hrs!!! between junction 7-13 now that is what i call a jam and thank whoever that i wasn't in it
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