Another factor in Mayos unhappiness seems likely to have been the fallout from the publication of salaries. We're grateful to all the presenters, past and present, who have played their part in the success of the station, and we also look forward to welcoming refreshed shows, new ideas and different voices to Radio 2, as we always have done. It drew in a young male audience that would never normally listen to the station. All went well on day one, and listeners liked what they heard. John Peel3. 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. Bruce has also presented Radio 2s coverage of Eurovision since 1988, and has been a regular presenter of Sunday Night Is Music Night. 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. He always felt it was a disrespectful imposition.. 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." How Radio 2 became the station we hear today via soothing instrumental light music, middle of the road classics, and a weekly soap opera. And it feels as if that casualness and that callousness is applying not just to the presenters but to the audience. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Tony Hall described as a poacher's charter, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths - study, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran, Why the lab-leak theory is being taken seriously, Finland starts construction of Russia border fence. 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. One reader will win a pair of premium tickets to see Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue and overnight stay in one twin or double room at the Clermont Hotel, London with a 3-course meal from the table dhote menu and breakfast. When Chris Evans swapped Radio 2 for Virgin, he went from having around nine million listeners to around one million. Available as part of a Spice Girls Collection on BBC Sounds from 4 October, and hear it in Sounds Of The 90s (Radio 2, 11pm on Saturday 5 November). I cant wait to help kick start the day on Early Breakfast live from Cardiff. 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. Launching a new radio station is no mean feat. His warmth and wit make him the perfect host to set up the day for our listeners right across the country, who have clearly and warmly taken him to their hearts each time he has presented in this slot.. Vernon Kay will replace Ken Bruce on his mid-morning weekday slot on BBC Radio 2. A lot of that is driven by the need to reduce costs, and therefore a lot of people have simply taken voluntary redundancy (VR) and left by choice.". He will be counting down from 20 to the No. Their replacements, including Scott Mills, Rob Beckett and Owain Wyn, are all younger, leading to ageism complaints from some listeners. A well-known presenter says: If you ran a company that made chocolate bars and you lost one of your biggest products to a rival, and then had a spectacular relaunch that had to be abandoned after a few months, youd be sacked. The DJ will usher in Radio 2s new weekday pop quiz to replace Bruces popular PopMaster format as well as continuing his own radio show which he has fronted since 2018. Huw Edwards BBC News. 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). bbc radio 2 presenters past and presentgreek green beans with canned tomatoes. The broadcasting icon, who died last year aged 77, finished first place in a poll of 50 BBC radio broadcasters, beating the late John Peel, who came in second place. The salaries of this trinity cost the licence payer around 778,000 a year. They felt they had to do something.. Last week, a parliamentary select committee strongly criticised the BBC for its handling of this issue. Ill be presenting my personal selection of the most thought-provoking and entertaining songs by artists, who became famous during the earliest days of radio.. Paul Hollingdale was the first voice to be heard on the new station, complete with American style jingles, news, requests, and the shipping forecast. Frank Stewart. The recording sat untouched in a dusty BBC vault for decades. A Strauss House production. His Eurovision commentaries were, of course, legendary! My past overseas postings include reporting roles with Australia's Network Ten in Sydney, and the IBS radio news agency in London. The TV presenter, 48, will . 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. The BBC has always been a timorous beastie. 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. Linda Smith19. 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. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Zoe reminisces about Radio 1 in Ibiza where she first met Fatboy Slim, a 13-hour round trip in a van to see a Super Furry Animals gig the night before a breakfast show, and being in the BBC bar with her dad and The Two Ronnies. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only 1 with delivery to your home subscribe now. Our timeline explores the highs and lows of the station that rocked the nation. Eddie Mair 10. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. Roger Bolton was recently dropped from Radio 4's Feedback, to listeners' (and his own) disappointment. But when you go to see the other one, they tell you it was the first one.. 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. Some even say that it was made clear to Mayo that the effective choice was no Jo means no show. Amazing music played by an amazing line-up - thats Radio 2 today. 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. Taking over from Sara Cox (replacing Evans), Mark Goodier (in for Bruce), mentioned that he would be followed by Vanessa Feltz (instead of Vine) and then Craig Charles (depping for Wright). 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. In a tweet on Friday, Bruce said he had intended to fulfil his contract with Radio 2, due to finish at the end of March, but that the BBC had "decided it wants me to leave earlier". "For example, top stars absolutely loathe having their salaries published.". At its height in 2008, 8.1 million people were listening, beating Radio 1 in the ratings war. On 22nd October, announcing his departure from Radio 2, Mayo tweeted: Ive loved working with the exceptional Jo Whiley and when the show was reconfigured, she was my first and only choice., That is true but, perhaps due to diplomacy or the Twitter space limit, that isnt the full story. It takes place on Sunday 6 November at Londons Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Sounds Of The 90s with Fearne Cotton is a Somethin Else production. Kay also hosted Radio X between 2015 and 2017. Now it's a great big fat frightened rat. The BBC's VR programme, a result of cost-cutting measures and a drive to move more staff out of London, has seen many experienced producers and journalists leave - a brain drain that often goes underreported compared with the departures of celebrities. Read about our approach to external linking. DeSantis won't say he's running. RADIO 1 ORIGINAL PRESENTER LIST AS PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 4th 1967. Although it wont become clear until next summers publication of this years figures which will be skewed by Mayos early departure the BBC could have achieved equality either by raising Whileys pay or cutting Mayos. Visit our TV Guide, Radio Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Published: Saturday, 3rd November 2018 at 8:00 am, Its a lot of change for listeners to accept at once, Simon Mayo to leave Radio 2 after 17 years, he was leaving to join Virgin Radio in 2019, the announcement of Zoe Ball as Evanss successor, publish the names of anyone paid more than 150,000 per year, strongly criticised the BBC for its handling of this issue. Whiley also seemed to be finding the pairing tough and, for her, the music may have been as excruciating as the chat. John Peel 3. Nevertheless, there has been widespread criticism of Radio 2s recent effort to rejuvenate its lineup. 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. I dont think that I would have been exempt from that at all. 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. In the early days much of the output was still shared with Radio 1, so there was a curious mix of instrumental music up against the likes of Jimi Hendrix! Rylan talks about his new found love of radio - something that he never listened to when growing up - once he joined Radio 2, his love of Mr Blobby and getting to do karaoke on air with his hero, Craig David. Meanwhile BBC Radio 1 will broadcast the most streamed songs released from 2000-2022, presented by Jack Saunders (BBC Audio production). Love-ins at Woburn and San Francisco, the devaluation of Sterling, the Monkees and the Maharishi, and the beginning of the 'exciting new sound of wonderful Radio 1. 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. ", Radio host says BBC is spooked over young audience, Anger as presenter removed from Radio 4 show, Steve Wright to leave Radio 2 afternoon show, Paul O'Grady signs off final Radio 2 show, Vanessa Feltz ends two decades at BBC Radio London, Kermode and Mayo's 5 Live film show to end, Graham Norton bids emotional farewell to Radio 2, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. For stars who made their name in news, such as Sopel, Maitlis and Marr, the freedom offered by rivals is a significant attraction. 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